Marketing lessons to be learned from Pokémon GO.

Interesting lessons to be learned from Pokémon GO.

You can barely set foot outside at the moment without literally bumping into someone (people of all ages, might I add) glued to their phones. They are not watching videos or sending texts, as that was still the case last week.

They are actually catching Pokémon, yes that game we played 20 years ago, that one. Pokémon GO is the hottest app to be released in many months, since Candy Crush, Subway Surfer etc., and has taken over phones by storm. As infuriating as it may be for some employers to see the productivity levels of their employees decline, the benefit for the staff personally is an increase in activity.

Nostalgia

The first Pokémon game was released 20 years ago in 1996. I was 4 years old by that time. Even then, it took over our play time. We would rush home not to miss Pokémon, which would come on, on SABC 2. We would line up on the floor in front of the television and not move for half an hour. This meaning, that those who enjoyed Pokémon back then are the right age to enjoy it now.

Marketer, entrepreneur and author, Gary Vaynercuk says: “I’m a big believer in nostalgic intellectual property. It is one of the most underrated value propositions in business and marketing. Nostalgic IP matters and it’s valuable and massively underpriced. While it’s not nostalgic for me personally, Pokémon just celebrated its 20^th anniversary so you can easily see why it hits that 25 to 35-year old demographic.”

Timing is everything

The game was initially released in the US, Australia and New Zealand. It’s the height of summer in the US and its school holidays in all these countries. That makes it perfect timing for them to be running around catching Pokémon, collect items at Pokéstops and conquer gyms. In South Africa, being in the middle of winter, we are not quite as lucky. Fortunately the weather has not been terrible for much of the country in the past week (the rain downfall only recently started), so Pokémon enthusiast have been able to get outside.

Advertising

How much advertising did you see for the game before its release? Probably not much. That is because Nintendo and Niantic Labs, the app’s creators, likely realized a massive budget is not necessary for an effective marketing campaign for this product, particularly fort his demographic. All that was necessary was a nostalgic connection with people who can relate to Pokémon – something Nintendo has in spades.

Fun 

Sometimes we all just want to have a little bit of fun, especially as the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place to live in for many people. Pokémon GO gives people the opportunity to let loose and have fun with their friends. In a complicated world, we sometimes need a distraction. This can be quite the compelling reason to join the craze.

Community and competition

At level 5 of the game, the players are given a choice of three rival fractions, Mystic, Valor and Instinct. This allows players to support their own team and root for the demise of others in the same way sports fans feel about their teams. This sense of community is incredibly important for people to feel connected to the game and strive to achieve better results.

Finally, the game is extremely easy to get involved in, and somewhat addictive as well. All players really need to do is walk around with their phone in hand, which everyone is doing anyway, and what for vibrations which alert them to the presence of a Pokémon.

We can all learn a lesson from the convenience of the game.

67 ways to help on #MandelaDay

If you are eager to help but you are not sure where to start, here are 67 ideas of how you can spend your 67 minutes this Mandela Day.

1.    Donate blood, especially if you are group O, as the blood bank is dangerously short of blood at this time. If you are over 16 years old, and weight more than 50kg, go to http://www.wpblood.org.za/ to get details of where your closet blood bank is.

2.    Put money in a tin box on your dining room table or in the kitchen to collect small change for the local soup kitchen.

3.    Support Sparrow schools. Sparrow is a non-profit outfit that educates children with learning difficulties to grade 9 and then puts them through a tertiary program to develop skills so that they are employable, like floor laying and hotel schooling. They are situated in Johannesburg, but could always use helping hands, even if you are in Cape Town. http://sparrowschoolsblog.co.za/

4.    Fish out old prams and baby cots and donate them to an infant home in your area.

5.    Buy a bangle and support container libraries. Log into to www.46664.co./bangle to see where these have been placed so far.

6.    Sign up at an old age home to read the newspaper or play an instrument to the elderly once a month for the next year.

7.    When shopping buy extra female hygiene products and drop off packs with a personalised message on each to a women’s shelter for the abused.

8.    Sign up with a Saturday school and commit to a few afternoons a month to improving marks of underprivileged matrics.

9.    Provide back up support for volunteer workers by serving hot tea of generating food packs on a monthly basis.

10. The SPCA welcomes volunteers and is always in need of help with kennel duties and skills in admin, legal and counselling functions. https://capespca.co.za/

11. Offer to drive someone who can’t afford it to have an HIV test and provide emotional support.

12. Sign up with Generation Earth and help your child start up a “Gen Earth” committee at their school. They focus on carrying out green projects and educating their peers on environmental issues. www.generationsearth.co.za

13. Read out loud Nelson Mandela’s life history on www.nelsonmandela.org.za to inspire children and everyone around you.

14. Pick up 67 pieces of litter.

15. Drop off scrapbooking supplies and scraps of fabrics at a retirement home for use in creating crafts for end of year markets.

16. If you are a fish lover, download the Sassi card to check that the fish you order in a restaurant is not endangered. www.wwsassi.co.za

17. Redeem points earned on a shopper’s card for gift vouchers for your domestic worker to take home.

18. Make a point of meeting all your neighbours and set up a whatsapp group so you can report suspicious activity directly to each other.

19. Durbanville Children’s home is a church-based non-governmental welfare organisation. It is one of the oldest children’s homes in South Africa (133 years to be exact). They will welcome any donations of non-perishable food, toiletries and cleaning equipment. http://www.durbanvillekinderhuis.org.za/pages/english/home.php

20.  Set up a community garden in your neighbourhood where residents can share the water and weeding.

21. Ashoka is a volunteer portal for individuals to sign up with their skills set and wait for opportunities to give back. www.ashoka.org/volunteer

22. Take a can of Q20 or a weed-eater to your local park and tidy up or fix rusty joint of the equipment.

23. Pledge to unplug your phone charger from now on.

24. Sponsor a guide dog by paying for the puppy training: www.guidedog.org.za

25. Sign up as an Organ donor. Your body can save up to seven lives and many more with tissues like heart valves. www.odf.org.za

26. Living seed organisation, an organic seed company, is calling for volunteers to help their charities plant the gardens. They say time and expertise are needed as many of the beneficiaries are “soil illiterate”. www.livingseeds.co.za

27. Bake something for the local police station night shift to encourage them in their difficult work.

28. Donate platelets at ww.sanbs.co.za

29. Sign up as a regular donor to the Start’s Seaside fund. The charity gives underprivileged children the opportunity to have a fun-filled holiday at the beach. 011 633 2304

30. Drop off soft toys at the Cape Town central police station. The toys are kept at the victim empowerment centre to hand out to abandoned and abused children when they come for counselling.

31. It is the coldest time of the year, collect blankets and give them to homeless shelters. Contact the Salvation Army – 021 697 1564

32. Sign up for the 97.4 and begin collecting sponsorships for a charity of your choice.

33. Take a pack of seeds to a rural school and help the children plant them.

34. Print a booklet of lessons for your domestic worker’s kids. There are a number of sites that let you reproduce their worksheets for free.

35. Offer to feed a neighbour’s pet or house-sit while they are away.

36. Log into to www.backabuddy.co.za and sign up to follow a cause. Better still, begin a new one and get fund-raising.

37. Drop off a bag of pet food or a blanket at your local SPCA.

38. Talk to your suburban shopping centre about recycling and encourage them to manage their trash.

39. Pledge to have more showers and fewer baths.

40. Qhubeka encourages rural residents to plant food gardens and trees and in return earn a bicycle, which provides a great amount of freedom for the children as they use them to travel the long distances. Check out their work on www.qhubeka.org.za 

41. Get inspired by going to www.giveback.co.za.

42. Invite a needy family for dinner or cook a meal for them.

43. Read for Tape Aids for The Blind – if your voice passes the audition, you get to record a book. www.tapeaids.com

44. Go to your local library and ask them how you can help to keep them going – providing cake when people from the local old age home visit or reading to kids.

45. Plant a tree at home and give a twin plant to someone in an informal settlement. Compare their growth over the years.

46. Clean out your shelves and get a bag of books ready to deliver to a school that needs extra reading books.

47. Pledge to use your next “party” for fund-raising by creating a ‘cause’ onwww.backabuddy.co.za. That way, you’ll encourage your friends to think about charitable socialising.

48. Swap your usual take-out paper cups for a ceramic one to ease the impact on landfills.

49. Buy balls of wool for an old age home or donate a chess set that you don’t use.

50. Switch the TV off in the evening and talk to your children about starting a family charity – something you can all fund-raise toward that is important to all of you. If you register it at www.startsomethingday.co.za, you could win money for the cause.

51. Take a new soccer ball to a local school for the kids.

52. Go to the local hospital and see if you can get on a standby list to help out in the trauma waiting area when they are under pressure.

53. Donate old magazines to a home or a needy nursery school.

54. “Like” the homecoming revolution and show overseas friends that SA is still the best: www.homecomingrevolution.co.za

55. Hold a garage/jumble sale for charity.

56. Get a My School card and register a rural school as the beneficiary:www.myschool.co.za or call 0860 100 445.

57. Instead of spending on a meal at a restaurant, put together a food parcel for someone at work who has fallen on hard times.

58. Start buying food in minimal packaging to save on throw-away items.

59. Do some research into the products you usually buy – find alternatives that are better for our planet.

60. Register with greater good: www.myggsa.co.za and create a “giver” profile.

61. Offer your services to the Highveld Horse Unit. See them on Facebook to see how you can help.

62. Commit to sorting your trash at source to make life easier for the informal recyclers who rummage through the garbage.

63. Sort out your cupboard and give someone your old clothing to sell to boost their income.

64. The Origins Centre at Wits will be holding an exhibition on Nelson Mandela and will be collecting for the Star’s Operation Snowball. Drop off canned food, blankets and clothes. Open from 9am to 5pm.

65. Switch off one geyser for the month, to help ease the pressure on the country’s electricity supplies.

66. Soccer outreach ambassadors in soccer (AIS-SA) welcome soccer enthusiasts to help them engage poorer societies throughout SA using the vehicle of soccer. Contact them on 012 348 0025.

67. Cheese kids, who describe themselves as a “broad-based volunteer program”, are seeking volunteers on Mandela Day. Log on to their website and RSVP to their “Nelson Mandela day revolution” or donate by sms: www.cheesekids.org.za

2 students debate on "What to Study". A must read!

Choosing what to study at university is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a young person. So how do you decide what’s right for you? Should you follow your heart and study something you’re really passionate about, regardless of where it might lead you, or should you instead opt for a degree with a more secure career route? Here two students argue both sides of this debate.

According to Aimee Wragg, “Study what you love”.

Ask students what they’d study of guaranteed their dream job and it’s likely that the answer won’t correspond with that they actually choose. This is often because their aspirations have been diminished by those who “know best”.

Most advice on which degree to study is concentrated purely on obtaining a job in the future. We are discouraged by many from pursuing abstract interests because, apparently, the prospects are unrealistic.

But is it really worth taking an unappealing route on the basis that it could possibly increase your chance in securing a job? It’s difficult to enter employment from any angle, so why not try with a subject you enjoy?

The concept of standing by what you love despite the risks in being dismissed by some – namely disapproving parents and teachers – but I believe it to be more sensible than focusing solely on a job.

Having a genuine interest in something can’t be faked and it’s the surest way to succeed. As Steve Jobs famously said, “the only way to do great work is to love what you do”.

In the long term deciding what to study the subject of your choice is generally more beneficial. Simple factors such as a person’s happiness and sense of fulfilment are overlooked in this argument, even though they are largely affected by career choices. These factors aren’t just based on income, either studies have shown that there is little correlation between people’s salaries and their job satisfaction.

The fact is, there are few reasons not to study what you genuinely want to. Achieving in the subject area that appeals to you is always possible and if you don’t do it, other people will. I believe you have to make the right decisions for yourself, because no argument against this will counteract your regrets when you see people of the same age and ability as you excelling in your dream job.

“Be realistic” says Kerry Provenzano

University is all about doing something you love, right? Well, not quite. Choosing to study something you are passionate about might not be as beneficial as you think.

When you study at university essentially you are making and investment: one worth up to, and sometimes over R300 000. That is a lot of money.

You don’t have to know much about investments to know that the purpose of them is to make profit. Your degree is a long term investment in which you are profited with knowledge. However, investing money that will someday need to be paid back means that your profit needs to be financial, not just academic.

So if you are naturally gifted with numbers, but have a real passion for travel, opting to study geography at university might be a mistake. You may find you aren’t quite sure what to do with your degree once you graduate, and find yourself knowing your are capable of the mathematical jobs you see advertised, but have no qualification to prove it.

There is a difference between your interests and your career strengths. If you think you could really crack the world of modern art then great, but if art is just something you enjoy on a weeknight, perhaps reconsider your choice to study fine art.

If you are currently choosing a course at university, or thinking of changing your course, my advice to you is simple; don’t confuse your hobby with your career prospects. Play to your strengths, not your passions. If you are lucky enough to have the two overlap, then great! But bear in mind hat with the right job there will always be time for things you enjoy, regardless of whether you studies for them at university or not.  

Have a look at the career choice Prestige Academy has to offer you. Visit our website - www.prestigeacademy.co.za 

International Joke Day - How it all started.

Do you think you’re funny? The best way to get a feel for a country or merely a person is to try to understand the humor. Laughter is a universally recognized expression of amusement, and joke telling can become a professional gig for those that truly have the humorous touch. 

International Joke Day is the perfect day to let out all of the guffaw producing, or groan inducing jokes you’ve collected over the years, sharing them with friends or any passerby you can get to listen to you.

History of International Joke Day

International Joke Day seems to have officially begun in the United States but whatever the origins of International Joke Day, it is clear that jokes themselves pre-date by hundreds and hundreds of years. The first joke is often attributed to the Greeks, specifically Palamedes, who is also credited with the invention of many other things. An example of ancient Greek joke telling reads thus:

“A barber, a bald man and an absent-minded professor take a journey together. They have to camp overnight, and so decide to take turns watching the luggage. When it’s the barber’s turn, he gets bored, so amuses himself by shaving the head of the professor. When the professor is woken up for his shift, he feels his head, and says “How stupid is that barber? He’s woken up the bald man instead of me.”

Greece also boasts the first comedy club, though its purpose was sharing jokes among friends rather than stand up performances as we have now. Jokes have likely been told since man first looked at himself in a pool of water and passed judgment on his own complexion, so it’s a safe bet that people have been celebrating jokes for a long time.

Celebrating International Joke Day

There are many options for celebrating! You could simply tell some jokes to a co-worker or friend, or a stranger on the street, whoever seems to need the most hilarity in their day. Or invite your friends over for a joke telling party! Take turns telling jokes or reading them out of a joke book or online source.

Another option is to visit a local comedy club and listen to a professional (or wannabe pro) tell jokes for a night of fun! Find out if the club has open mic opportunities and consider sharing some jokes of your own. If going out for a night on the town doesn’t suit your fancy you could pull up some DVD’s of a famous comedian’s standup routine, such as Robin Williams or Jim Carrey or a TV channel may play an hour long standup comedy special featuring well known comedians such as Daniel Tosh.

Need some inspiration? Here is an international joke for you:

China: I was walking down the mall with a friend yesterday when he turned to me and said, “Seeing all those flags on display makes me so proud of my country.”
“But Chan, you’re Chinese,” I replied, “All those flags are British.”
“No they’re not,” he laughed, “just take a look at those labels!”

What is Camera Day all about??

All people regardless of age, nation, race or culture, cherish fond memories. To be reminded on such poignant moments, pictures are taken.One of my favourite quotes,

“People say that a time machine can’t be invented, but they’ve already invented a device that can stop time, cameras are the world’s first time machines.” – Rebecca McNutt

Needless to ask, but can you imagine a world without cameras now? For many of you, a camera is your most prized possession and therefore the love of your life. Can you enjoy any event without taking pictures? The mere thought is enough to scare us. So, to summarize this essential part of our lives now, June 29th every year is celebrated as Camera Day.

This day celebrates photographs, the camera and its invention. Photography is all about celebrating the gift and ability we have to communicate through this powerful visual medium. It’s an art which has revolutionized the way we see and perceive the world. 

Why do we love photography so much?

A camera has emerged to be an irreplaceable tool which beautifully captures and replicates life's memorable experiences and moments. For emotional beings as us, this little medium lets us freeze all those special and unforgettable moments and document our lives.

Something ordinary turns unique once you are behind the lens. Photography gives us a different perspective of the world.

Cameras give us the power to explore various aesthetic possibilities offered by color, light, form and shape. With this dainty tool, you can express yourself-your opinions, interests and beliefs. And now with an overabundance of options and various technological advancements, you can explore a multitude of ways to capture and represent reality or rather bend it too. And it is not just about photos, but cameras find application in security management, surveillance and traffic monitoring. The utility of a camera is ample and wide-ranging.

Keep on capturing those timeless beautiful memories. No-one can take it away from you. Have a look at our Camera competition on our Facebook page, Prestige Academy, and stand a chance to win.

We here at Prestige Academy offer an Advanced Certificate in Communication in Photographer, a Higher Certificate in Photography as well as a Bachelor or Arts in Visual Communication Design. For more information, visit out website - http://www.prestigeacademy.co.za/ 

Terms & Conditions - World Camera Day Competition

Terms & Conditions

The above mentioned Facebook & Instagram competition “Win a R50 Munchies Voucher with World Camera Day” is run an organised by Prestige Academy whose registered offices are respectively in Centurion and Bellville (Cape Town), South Africa.

Employees of Prestige Academy, Centurion Academy or any of the company’s staff, their service providers, including the owners and employees and service providers of Prestige Academy, including their family members or any other persons directly or indirectly connected in any way with this competition shall not be permitted to enter.

There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.

Closing date and time is Wednesday 28 June 2016 at 12am. After this date no further entries will be considered eligible for any of the above stated prize.

The competition is open to South African citizens, able to present a valid South African Identity Document or Passport upon the handing over of the prize. Winners must be able to personally collect their prize at Prestige Academy, Bellville.

The organizers reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition at any time and any such changes will be notified to entrants via the Prestige Academy Facebook page and on Twitter via @Prestige_CT as soon as reasonably possible.

Only entrants who has respectively followed @Prestige_CT on Twitter or who have liked the Prestige Academy/CAPA Facebook page, will be considered for prizes.

Entrants are invited to only share the post and answer the question being asked on Facebook or re-tweet the tweet with the correct answer. Entrant are allowed to re-tweet or like/share as many posts as they want.

Images or posts that are re-tweeted using @Prestige_CT as well as images that are posted on the Prestige Academy Facebook page will separately be considered for prizes.

The organizers shall not accept any responsibility for entries not received for whatever reason.

Winner shall be selected at the discretion of a panel of judges, made up by representatives of the Prestige Academy Marketing Team. The judges’ decision is final and binding and cannot be appealed or reviewed in any fashion whatsoever. No correspondence shall be entered into.

The winner will be announced on the Prestige Academy Facebook page on Thursday 29 June 2016 at 12pm.

The organizer will not use the winners’ details for promotions or sell it to third parties.

Should the competition prizes refer to above for any reason whatsoever become unavailable, the organizer my award similar prizes in value.

Prizes cannot be transferred and may not be exchanged for cash.

The organizer will contact the respective winners and co-ordinate a suitable date and time for their prize to be collected at Prestige Academy, Bellville. If a winner cannot be contacted or do not claim their prize within 14 days of notification, the organizer reserves the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and select a replacement winner.

The organizer reserves the right to remove any most entered for this competition for any reason whatsoever and or block and/report any offensive tweet. Abusive and derogatory language including offensive images or content shall not be allowed and such content will be removed, blocked and reported and shall not be considered a valid entry.

This competition and the stated terms and condition will be governed by South African law and any disputes will be subjected to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa.

Do you have what it takes to be an Executive Assistant??

Let’s talk Winter Workshop:

During the Winter Workshop you will be given a brief. You will be a Personal Assistant at World Paediatric Dental. It will be your responsibility to organise an educational, yet fun day at the practise in celebration of World Tooth Fairy day.

What you will gain by attending the Winter Workshop:

• General background regarding the knowledge, skills and attributes needed by the Management assistant
•  Corporate events within the  Medical field
• Software skills using MS PowerPoint, MS Publisher, etc.
• Presentation skills
• Soft skills: Planning, organising, creative and innovative thinking, time-management, teamwork, professionalism, etc.

 What do I need to further my career in becoming an Executive Assistant?

Do you have what it takes to become an Executive Assistant? Are you calm under pressure? Flexible? Organised? A good communicator? Then you should definitely read a bit more.

The executive assistant employment role has become progressively similar to the personal assistant employment role.

If you are considering a profession as a corporate personal assistant, senior secretary, office manager or senior administrator, you will find the following syllabus at Prestige Academy valuable.

The diploma will equip you with an in-depth knowledge of business executive, secretarial and receptionist environments along with vital skills needed to build a successful career in the medical, legal, human resource and financial secretarial fields.

Syllabus:      

                                                                                    

Year 1:            Business Communication Information Administration Systems Entrepreneurship Office Management & Secretarial Practice Business Document Design Type Techniques

Year 2: Information Administration Systems (Pastel Computerised Accounting) Organisational Behaviour Legal Secretarial Practise Medical Secretarial Practise Corporate Event Management Public Relations Advanced Typing Techniques Work-Based Learning

Future Careers:

• Frontline Officer
• Executive Legal Secretary
• Personal Assistant
• Medical Secretary
• Accounts Clerk
• Office Administrator
• Office Manager
• Executive Assistant to a CEO

We look forward to seeing you at our annual Winter Workshop.

For more information visit our website – www.prestigeacademy.co.za or give us a call on 021 949 5036.