Archive for January 2016

A New View on Virtual Reality


Oculus Rift…

Google Cardboard...

After years of watching futuristic characters live their lives through virtual reality, VR is finally becoming an actual reality in our lives. However, when you think of the future of film, it seems like the obvious step in the industry: a conceptual technology that has existed in our popular culture for so long that the real thing now feels as inevitable as the hover board.

Scheduled for release on 28 March 2016, the Oculus Rift is one of the first consumer-targeted VR headsets created. With a resolution of 1080 x 1200 per eye, and 90 Hz refresh rate, this device has a wide field of view, integrated headphone (for 3D audio effect), and rotational and positional tracking.


Targeting a more cost-weary market, Google Cardboard is a virtual reality and augmented reality platform developed by Google for use with a head mount for a mobile phone. Made from a fold-out cardboard viewer, the device is intended to encourage interest and development in the technology. The device, developed by David Coz and Damien Henry, allows users to build their own viewer from specifications published by Google, using low-cost materials. It was introduced at the Google l/O 2014 developers conference and by January 2016, over 5 million viewers had been shipped and over 1 000 compatible applications had been published.


VR is blowing up right now, and the advancement has been incredible. In a short amount of time, content creators have made mind-blowing advances with this new technology, incorporating it into narratives, movies, gaming and advertising alike. It seems impossible, but the technology is aimed at the middle-class, making it not-so-impossible for the general community to get their hands on it.

The hype of this new medium is already being celebrated in South Africa with the recent VR exhibition at Goethe in Johannesburg and the formation of the first virtual reality community in Cape Town. But with gaming rigs and products already available, it is safe to say that the US and Europe is ahead of us in the technology used in VR. In fact, the opportunities that VR is offering is not being exploited to its full potential.

VR is the only medium that guarantees the user’s complete focus on the content. There is no looking away, no checking email or text messages and no updating social-media statuses. VR is the most immersive way to tell a story, because what happens inside that headset makes you feel something in your head, heart and gut.

With all this potential, it is easy to see why VR is taking over the world as we know it. Not only in gaming and advertising, but with most interactive promotions and opportunities. Can you imagine test-driving a car in the mall, without moving the car? Re-modelling the house while still viewing the property? Trying on those catwalk jeans, while sitting in the comfort of your own home?

Open your eyes to a new world with Decimal Agency, as we step into a reality that has thus far only been part of our imagination.
Thursday 28 January 2016
Posted by Minimoo

Decimal Approves This Movie - Deadpool







Why do we approve this movie? Two reasons actually, firstly because Ryan Reynolds plays the Marvel Comic mutant superhero and secondly the movie airs in SA on the 12th February...The perfect way to spend Valentines Day weekend in my opinion. Click the video above to watch.
Tuesday 26 January 2016
Posted by Jared Kisten

New Year. New Heights. Newbies

“If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”

With a company that is always evolving and always growing, a few additions to a prospering team is more than just expected. And, following the wisdom of David Ogilvy, we welcome a pair of mammoth partners to our agency.

Tess Minnaar, Community Manager, 23:


With a passion for fashion and a level-headed attitude, this Durbanite Beauty is responsible for managing online communication and creating interesting, relatable content on Social Networks. She helps our clients connect with those who are unfamiliar with the brand, thus building awareness and relationships.

Inspired by everything that is creative and technical, Tess loves being able to communicate and reach people all over the world on a daily basis. Her strong communication skills and love of people are a must for her position, and is something she excels at. In fact, her main reason for joining Decimal Agency is because of the caring and close community that she feels surrounds the team.

“The attitude of the team makes this an awesome and fun company to work at,” says Tess.

In addition to this, a love for the outdoors (she does hiking, rock climbing and travelling) has lead to an incredible sense of dedication and good judgement. But she is also very adaptable to different situations, liking the outdoors as much as staying in and watching movies.

Finding inspiration from Annie Leibovitz, the world-famous portrait photographer, Tess believes in an artistic mind and sense of wonderment for the world. She takes each day as it comes and chooses to live in the moment.

“You don’t have to sort of enhance reality. There is nothing stranger than the truth,” believes Annie Leibovitz.



Dean-Michael Hirst, Account Manager, 27:


With a degree in Business Administration (Marketing & Brand Building), and an impressive Marketing Development (Hons.) degree from MIT, there is no denying that Dean knows what he is talking about. A very significant trait to have, especially when you need to get the best possible results from your agency, at the most profitable return possible.

Dean’s knowledge isn’t the only thing that makes him a brilliant Account Manager. His interest in how people think and what inspires them to do what they do makes him very relationship oriented, and drives him to foster a productive communications platform between agency and client.

“I’ve always thought of advertising as about the people, not the product,” notes Dean

More than just telling Decimal’s designers what the client means by “we love the snow, but can you make it.... warmer?”, Dean uses his incredible business judgement to achieve results. His mantra - I’m not here to take part; I’m here to take over - is testimony to his passion for efficiency. His dreams for the future also confirms his mission to succeed:

"I want to be the best, travel the world and build an empire. In that order.”

Originally from Johannesburg, Dean loves listening to live music and learning new things on a daily basis. He finds inspiration from 3 of the most notable leaders in world history, and lives by their incantations:

“The most important things in life are how fiercely you love, how gently you you live, and how graciously you let go of the things not meant for you.”
Ghandi

“Victory loves preparation.”
Winston Churchill

 “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” 
Steve Jobs


To both our newbies: We welcome you to the Decimal family and wish you many happy days making your good better, and your better best.
Thursday 21 January 2016
Posted by Minimoo

Decimal Approves This Movie!


Why do we approve this movie? To put it simply, it's going to be fricken awesome!
The DC Comics' Suicide Squad is still eight months away but we are already on the edge of our seats looking at this new trailer and its crazy cast. Click the video above to watch.


Tuesday 19 January 2016
Posted by Test

There are currently no Twits on Twitter:



So Twitter went down today, “Something is technically wrong” is what they are saying and “It’s an absolutely tragedy” according to others. How sad is it that our lives have become utterly revolved around social media. What happened to the good old days…oh who are we kidding, it SUCKS!

Twitter went down exactly at 8:20am GMT this morning and my first thought was “here comes all Twitter Facebookers” so we best prepare ourselves for some very opinionated Facebook posts and damn hashtags.  When something like this occurs in this day and age most people go from panic, clicking and refreshing everything,  to sarcasm, making ridiculous “Brace yourself posts”, to realization, remembering  that you actually have real work to do in the real world…These are the 3 stages of social media breakdown.

Do not fear though my social media crazed freaks, Twitter will be back and life will go on. The struggle is real and I’m sure some of you “Literally just can’t even” right now but the brains are working on it and in the words of Twitter “We are aware of the issue and are working towards a resolution” So cut them some slack peeps this hasn’t happened since 2008.

Posted by Test

Decimal: Bringing New Hope in the New Year

“We can’t help everyone. 
But everyone can help someone” Dr. Loretta Scott

The new year has started, and for most of us it means a new opportunity for success, a chance to enjoy life a little more, and the inspiration to create a better environment around us.

But with the failing economy and the constant increase of the cost of living, not everybody steps into the new year with good luck and good circumstances around them. More and more people are resorting to begging and crime, just to survive. Homelessness has grown, and work is becoming more scarce now than ever.

There are nearly 4 million orphans living in South Africa, with most organisations relying heavily on donations. With more and more illegal animal trading, abandonment and dog-fighting going on, the NSPCA is also struggling to keep ahead with the growing demands of looking after animals. People are donating less to these type of charity organisations, but basic goods, like food, are getting more expensive.

From November 18th to December 18th 2015, Decimal Agency attempted to do our part and share some of the success we’ve experienced in 2015. The “CanDo” project involved collecting cans from staff, clients and everybody who wanted to donate towards a good cause. All cans were welcome, and staff members were even asked to donate one can every day they stepped into the office.

Thanks to the generous hearts of our community and staff, we collected 197 cans of food, including baked beans, spaghetti, sweet corn, tuna, mixed vegetables and dog food. The cans were then given to two very deserving charities, nominated by those who donated cans.

The JHB SPCA: Serving the greater Johannesburg for over 110 years, the SPCA is a non-profit, non-government organisation. Its hospital provides veterinary treatments for animals whose owners cannot afford it, as well as housing over 300 homeless, sick unwanted and abused animals.

Decimal Agency donated 31 cans of dog food, as well as one big bag of kibbles to the organisation. The SPCA is located in 5 Benray Road, Reuven.


Hugs Haven: This children’s home for babies and children fulfil a unique role in that they provide services to financially and socially disadvantaged families. Their mission is to support a healthy and stable foundation for children to grow up in, creating a healthy and stable society.

A staggering 166 cans of food were donated to Hugs Haven. They are located in 49 Oak Avenue, Linbro Park.

 



For further donations to these charities, financial or otherwise, please call them directly. Watch Decimal’s website for future Goodwill Campaigns.

We thank all of those who opened their hearts to help give some new hope in the new year. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Monday 18 January 2016
Posted by Minimoo

A Brand New Beginning

Welcome to 2016!

This year is expected to be a whopper and we can look forward to a lot happening. From it being a leap year, the 2016 Summer Olympics happening in Rio, to even the Juno Spacecraft finally reaching its destination on Jupiter. We’re making history happen!

Not one to ignore the trends, Decimal Agency is hopping on that exact bandwagon and making 2016 a year to impress. And in order to do that, we’ve armed ourselves with the latest trends in Advertising & Marketing to ensure you get more than you expected.

“This new year will bring great opportunities for Decimal Agency to become the successful agency we know it can be. We’re thinking big with more clients, bigger projects and the biggest results. But the greatest opportunity will be to build our clients’ brands to new heights.” says Raffaele Mc Creadie, Owner and Managing Director of Decimal Agency. 

In order to pay special attention to each of our offerings, Decimal has looked at the trends occurring in the major silos of the industry:

Traditional ATL Advertising:

With Television and Internet advertising making up more than 60% of predicted adspend this year, it would be foolish not to pay attention to this type of media. Especially with international events, such as the Olympics and the much-talked-about US Presidential Elections, television will dominate in developing countries and rural areas. In fact, television advertising is projected to provide up to 30% of global revenue in the advertising industry.


Social Media Advertising:

Social Media this year will be connecting real-time living with the digital world, giving consumers the opportunity to educate themselves and to make convenient, well-informed choices - without much effort and right when they need it.

With the explosion of advancing Digital Technology, accompanied by multiple platforms and channels, Social Media Advertising has reached a point of limitless potential. Facebook is working on launching their own search engine, Snapchat will start embracing advertising, and even video streaming is becoming a vital marketing tool. In addition to this, Identity-based PPC (Pay Per Click) allows you to target specific consumers based on their phone numbers or email addresses.

With better Internet connections and evolving apps on all mobile and static devices, video streaming is taking over. Vlogs are allowing people to share their brand experiences with friends on a global scale, completely changing the very definition of word-of-mouth marketing. This makes for a potential goldmine in your advertising strategy.

The notion of Content Re-marketing is also taking Social Media by storm, with marketers being able to tag visitors on their site en re-targeting them with content after they have left. Digital marketers are using all these opportunities to create an Omni-channel experience, taking you from brand consideration right through to brand experience and after-sales opportunities.


Digital Media Advertising:

Working hand-in-hand with Social Media advertising, Digital Media is constantly changing and evolving. With new tools, platforms and technology, it might be difficult to stay abreast of the opportunities available.

Digital Marketing has long since not just been about SEO and mobile-friendly websites. Interaction and convenience is fast becoming an integral part of your advertising strategy, if not the complete foundation of it. By using multiple digital platforms (such as Smartphones, iPads and Apple watches) your brand should be creating seamless, engaging experiences.

With more personalised ways of avoiding adblockers and Social Media gaining more and more recognition, it is becoming easier for brands to build lasting relationships with their consumers, thus creating more loyalty and return purchasing.

Mobile use is expected to increase even more this year, dominating desktop use by far. Convenient and easy use of mobile technology should be your first thought when it comes to your advertising strategy.

But, of course, content is still king, using blogs, website content and Social Media to tell your brand’s story. Put yourself in your consumer’s shoes and give them content they can relate to.


Visual Design Trends:

It’s not only the back-end of advertising that is changing. Even the “window-dressing” is evolving and creating waves in the industry. While Graphic Design trends might not disappear overnight, there are definitely some interesting versions of the current styles heading into 2016.

In the past few years, designers have gotten a lot of retro inspiration from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and they’ve mixed this with a sophisticated, minimalist twist. This year’s designs will follow the same trends, but with a more 80’s colourful, bright interpretation.

Flat designs will continue to dominate, with negative and white space still as critical as ever, leaving designs looking clean and noticeable. Designers are getting creative with negative space to create a few “picture-puns”. Dynamic logos, kinetic logos or logos that change-but-remain-the-same will also find greater appeal, offering the consumer something that is fresh yet familiar.

Handwritten fonts in logos are a rising influence, as this creates an honest, intimate feeling. By stacking the letters, you can also create a fun, interesting element, and “trick” the consumer into reading the whole name.


Overall Marketing Trends:

Put all these trends together, with a few basic principles, and you’ll get a winning advertising strategy to support your marketing objectives.

Not sure yet what your marketing objectives are? Well, here is what you should be concentrating on in 2016:

Relationship Marketing tops the list, where building stronger loyalty and long-term customer engagement trumps quick, short-term purchases every time. A personalised, intimate, relatable strategy is vital if you mean to succeed in 2016.

As technology continues to grow, marketing tools are becoming more specialised and advanced. This allows marketers to refine their targeting with location-based marketing. This makes it possible to target users at the point of engagement, giving them what they want, where they want it. It’s not just about what you say anymore. Marketing strategies have become a multi-dimensional challenge of “what, where, when, why and how” your message is communicated

Instead of moving slowly, marketing trends seem to be running into the digital space. With virtual reality tools, like the Oculus Rift, that create 360-degree brand experiences, to real time Social Media platforms (Snapchat) that make your consumer feel connected and unique. Your strategy needs to reflect this, with a strong support system of ATL, BTL and OTL tools.


As a TTL Advertising Agency, Decimal has all the tools, knowledge and experience to use these trends in successfull, result-bearing campaigns. Our skills set and creative genius not only leads to brilliant ideas, but also makes for actionable, realistic strategies that gives you results.

Here’s to 2016: The Power Year!

Wednesday 6 January 2016
Posted by Minimoo

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