SA’s Brand ‘Bible’ relaunches

Brands & Branding in South Africa, for 18 years the country’s de facto brand ‘bible’, is relaunching in October this year with a number of visual and content enhancements.
Addressing the evolution of Brands & Branding, Publisher Ken Preston says that after many incremental improvements it is now being revamped for a new era in branding.
“Developments include repositioning ourselves through both our print and digital platforms as the outspoken, committed and passionate champion of branding, and by defining the hugely positive contribution brands make to the economy and social fabric of the country.

“That said, we are committed to continuing to provide branding insights and inspiration for a broad spectrum of readers through the narrative approach to brand development and success that has seen most of this country’s leading brands share their achievements with us.”

To provide further value for participating brands, Preston has finalised an agreement with EBSCO Publishing in the United States which will see Brands & Branding added to its knowledge centre of over 200 000 publications, which receives between 300 and 400 million topic driven searches per month via EBSCO’s subscription databases. Subscribers will also be able to link directly to Affinity Publishing’s Brand Intelligence http://www.brandsandbranding.co.za/>  website, providing further access to the brand profiles via free eBook http://www.brandsandbranding-online.co.za/ebooks/brands2010/index.html?pageNumber=10>  .

Brands & Branding was first published in 1993 after an article on brand value inspired Preston to investigate the brand phenomenon. The theme for this year’s edition is ‘Brand Essence’ and participating brands have been encouraged to share insights into their core values and purpose, and why they continue to succeed. Preston believes that knowing how successful brands adapt to the challenges thrown up by evolving society with the passage of time assists not only branding, marketing and business professionals when it comes to their own brands, but provides a valuable educational resource for students of marketing and branding.

To date over 30 of South Africa’s leading brands from ABSA, ACSA and Appletiser to Standard Bank, Transnet, USN and Vodacom have confirmed their participation in this year’s edition, due at the end of October.

If your brand has a story worth telling and you’d like to rub shoulders with the giants – Discovery, DStv, Elizabeth Arden, 702 Talk Radio,  BP, Cell C, Clover, ESKOM, Europcar, FNB, Huletts, KFC, King Pie, Kulula.com, Liqui-Fruit, Metropolitan, M-Net, Nedbank, Old Mutual, Sanlam, Santam, Shell, Ster Kinekor – call +27 11 442 2366  or email [email protected]. Extracts from the wide-ranging content of the 2011 edition will also be presented on www.brandsandbranding.co.za.