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Happy Holidays From Heavy Chef

Fred Roed

Fred Roed

Fred Roed

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Fred is the CEO of digital marketing agency World Wide Creative. Fred co-founded The Heavy Chef Project, as well as Ideate, a forum for African entrepreneurs. Fred focuses on online brand building, marketing strategy and loud Hawaiian shirts. Fred is famous for his sartorial excellence, long diatribes about music and fanatical attention to detail when making pizza. Follow Fred on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Fred_Roed

  1. Happy Holidays From Heavy Chef Posted in Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Fred Roed December 23, 2011

    It has been an exciting year for the Heavy Chef team! We have hosted a number of successful events throughtout the year, with guests speakers such as Nikki Cockcroft, Rich Mulholland, Nic Haralambous, Styli Charalambous, Jennifer Grace, Alistair King, Rob Stokes and Dave Duarte. Each one of them has enriched our understanding of their respective fields and given us digestable lessons that can be carried forward into the New Year, making us better prepared to take on the digital transitions of 2012. Read Further

  2. How To Choose Your Brand Message Posted in Digital Marketing Basics, Concocted by Fred Roed October 4, 2011

    So, your brand is a message. You need to select a message that resonates with your intended audience.

    This is not always easy, but there are steps you can follow in choosing a message that will represent you successfully.  First, look at the benefits of what you’re offering. Second, look at your target persona.

    Read Further

  3. So, What Exactly Is A “Brand”? Posted in Digital Marketing Basics, Concocted by Fred Roed October 3, 2011

    Like marketing, branding is a contested topic, and its meaning is debated fiercely amongst marketing academics. For us at World Wide Creative, however, there is a simple definition that we like to use.

    ‘A brand is merely the message that you want to convey.’

    Read Further

  4. What Is Marketing? Posted in Digital Marketing Basics, Concocted by Fred Roed September 16, 2011 2 comments

    When I was studying at a well known advertising school in Denmark in the mid-90’s, I asked my lecturer a pointed question “What is marketing?”

    The answer my learned lecturer gave me was not very satisfying. She mumbled for 15 minutes about communicating to markets and contained stuff about the ‘P’s’ of marketing. The response was long and rambling, and left me a little bewildered.

    Read Further

  5. Heavy Chef Session July 2011: Nikki Cockcroft – The New Media Ecosystem Posted in Heavy Chef News, Videos, Concocted by Fred Roed August 8, 2011

    The Heavy Chef Session for July 2011 was held at Deloitte’s stunning De Waterkant venue in Cape Town. Nikki Cockcroft, head of the auspicious digital division over at Woolworths, recounted her experience in the brave new world of the ‘New Media Ecosystem’. The crowd was a mix of web industry types, publishers, PR professionals, entrepreneurs and marketing managers. With so much overlap in the various categories, the topic has become a hot one. PR is shifting over to digital marketing; digital marketing is venturing into publishing; print media is expanding into multi-channel engagement; and publishing houses are competing with ATL agencies for slices of new business. Watch the video and give us YOUR thoughts.

    Read Further

  6. 4 Tips On Targeting Emerging Markets And Mobile Communities Posted in Emerging Markets, Mobile Marketing, Concocted by Fred Roed May 5, 2011

    The process of targeting emerging economies is something that my team at World Wide Creative is particularly interested in, with several products in-house that we’re looking beyond the first world to take to market. My knowledge is growing, but I still feel like I have progressed one step in a marathon. When marketing outside of our comfort zone, there is so much to learn that it is a daunting (yet exciting) process. Read Further

  7. Do People Click On Mobile Ads? Posted in Featured Articles, Mobile Marketing, Concocted by Fred Roed March 28, 2011 2 comments

    Ask yourself – have YOU ever clicked on a mobile advert? For that matter, have you ever clicked on any online advertising of any kind? I can’t remember when I last did. Sometimes, I get directed to a banner ad cos it’s so good – but that’s more about the ad, than the product that the ad is advertising. Read Further

  8. When should I go mobile? Posted in Mobile Marketing, Concocted by Fred Roed February 4, 2011 4 comments

    I’ve done a few presentations over the past 2 weeks and the mobile question comes up every time. With the massive impact of tablet computing on our behavior, this question has become even more pertinent.

    The short answer: Now.

    Read Further

  9. How to make your website mobile friendly Posted in Mobile Marketing, Concocted by Fred Roed January 17, 2011 7 comments

    These days it’s becoming a standard question in client meetings; “…what about mobile?”

    Clients have realized that building a community is critical to their marketing campaigns. Brands like Red Bull and Ray Bans are hitting the social channel hard. Gucci are moving millions from their traditional budgets to engagement via social media.  As social networking becomes increasingly more important in community building strategies, we need to be cognisant of some seismic changes in the mobile environment – the key one being that audiences are looking at Facebook and Twitter more via their mobile phones than on their desktop devices. Read Further

  10. The Real Value of Twitter Posted in Social Media, Twitter, Concocted by Fred Roed November 16, 2010

    Something I do regularly nowadays is explain to friends, family, clients and team mates “the real value of Twitter”. My purpose in this post is really to crystallize my presentation in a succinct manner.

    Disclaimer: this article assumes you follow people you respect, aspire to, trust or find entertaining in some way. Thus, some of the people that follow YOU, are people that you respect, aspire to, trust or find entertaining in some way. Read Further

  11. Heavy Chef November: Engagement and Interaction in the Online Environment Posted in Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Fred Roed November 11, 2010 3 comments
    As CEO of a digital agency, I get involved in a lot of discussions these days about “engaging with the audience”. For this month’s Heavy Chef Session, we’re investigating what the heck it actually means.
    After the sheer, ludicrous excitement of last month’s Heavy Chef Session in the Mother City (watch the video featuring the speakers, Seth Rotherham and Rich Mulholland here), we’re back in Jozi for another bumper event.
    This month, we’ve invited digital marketing maven Walter Pike, and digital copy maven, Tiffany Markman, to get to the bottom of engagement and interaction in the online environment .
    We will be exploring how companies can reach out to their customers and using the ‘new tools’ (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to actively build a community around a brand.
    Walter will also be focusing on the unfolding case study within Cell C’s strategy around its Trevor Noah YouTube debacle.

    As CEO of a digital agency, I get involved in a lot of discussions these days about “engaging with the audience”. For this month’s Heavy Chef Session, we’re investigating what the heck it actually means. Read Further

  12. The secret to building a sustainable Online Community Posted in Community Management, Concocted by Fred Roed November 5, 2010 9 comments
    The secret to building a sustainable online community
    There are so many online community campaigns popping up across the globe right now. It’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Facebook pages, Twitter promotions, everyone seems to be doing it.
    Take a closer look though and you’ll be able to spot the ones that will work over time. The secret? Sustainable online community campaigns have a cause.
    At World Wide Creative we’re working on a wide variety of campaigns right now – from Virgin Mobile to Honda, Exclusive Books to The Just Cause. The first thing we try to do with each client is to figure out what is the ‘emotional driver’ of the target audience. Without knowing this, it’s very hard to create a sustainable community campaign. The fact is, you can create as many tactical maneuvers as you can muster, but they will fizzle out unless you can tap into the real heart of your customer.
    The cause is not always obvious. This is what I mean:
    ·If you’re marketing cars, your cause is not mechanical (it’s the feeling that car evokes)
    ·If you’re marketing alcohol, your cause is not the booze (it’s the lifestyle that the booze conjures up)
    ·If you’re marketing phones, your cause is not technical (it’s the freedom of communication that you’re given)
    ·If you’re marketing cologne or perfume, your cause is not smell (it’s the confidence or empowerment that the cologne induces.)
    As a brand, if you can tap into your cause effectively, you may achieve the ‘Holy Grail’ of community management… where your audience doesn’t just interact with you, but with each other.

    There are so many online community campaigns popping up across the globe right now. It’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Facebook pages, Twitter promotions, everyone seems to be doing it. Read Further

  13. Effective online community management – 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration Posted in Community Management, Concocted by Fred Roed October 21, 2010 9 comments

    At World Wide Creative we get a fair amount of requests for things like ‘viral campaigns’, ‘building communities’, and, of course, ‘a site sorta like Facebook crossed with YouTube’. Read Further

  14. Heavy Chef October: Is Blogging Dead? Posted in Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Fred Roed October 8, 2010 6 comments

    Update: Sorry, this event is fully booked! To get invited to future events, sign up as a Heavy Chef member here.

    For this month’s Heavy Chef Session, held in Cape Town, we ask the question: “Is Blogging Dead?”

    It’s amazing to think that blogging has only been around for 10 years and people are already whispering about a ‘dying art’. In the past month, we’ve seen blogging stalwarts like Windows Live Spaces and TypePad closing doors or selling up. Apparently, the rise of micro-blogging has all but vanquished the carefully scripted masterpieces that begat a whole new generation of wannabe-Hemingways .
    So, is blogging really dead, or is it evolving?
    We’ve asked this question of two legends of digital, Seth Rotherham and Rich Mulholland.
    Just last week, the esteemed Mr Rotherham announced with great fanfare that his multiple-award winning blog 2Oceansvibe.com is no longer a blog. Seth’s familiar online presence, strengthened by years of daily blog posts, now extends to radio, accommodation and entertainment news. 2OV is now a burgeoning media empire.
    On the other hand, the esteemed Mr Mulholland has redirected his focus back to blogging. Over the past 12 years Rich has focused his attention on growing his presentation, conference and innovation companies, and has been blogging since 2001 on multiple outlets such as Jo’Blog, Capitalist Punks and, more recently, his own personal blog.
    Seth and Rich will be presenting their answers to the Heavy Chef community later this month – you DON’T want to miss this.

    It’s amazing to think that blogging has only been around for 10 years and people are already whispering about a ‘dying art’. In the past month, we’ve seen blogging stalwarts like Windows Live Spaces and TypePad closing doors or selling up. Apparently, the rise of micro-blogging has all but vanquished the carefully scripted masterpieces that begat a whole new generation of wannabe-Hemingways . Read Further

  15. Three Key Stages of Growing a Community Online Posted in Community Management, Concocted by Fred Roed August 26, 2010 7 comments

    Community Building is something we’re very busy with at World Wide Creative (the digital marketing agency responsible for The Heavy Chef Project). We’re trying to build online communities around brands such as Honda, Virgin, Exclusive Books and even former South African minister Jay Naidoo, who, with his work on improving global nutrition, has become somewhat of a brand himself. Read Further

  16. Online Reputation Management Heavy Chef Session with Andy Hadfield and Craig Rodney Posted in Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Fred Roed August 6, 2010 1 comment

    On July 28th we had a scintillating Session with the hottest new tag team in Digital Wrestling, Andy Hadfield (Digital Marketing Consultant) from and Craig Rodney (Emerging Media) talking about Online Reputation Management.

    It was wonderful in that the talk was not your usual, agree-with-everyone delivery. Both Andy and Craig were ready and willing to tear down some of the widely held beliefs in the growing field of ORM.

    Check out the slideshow below and look out for the video coming soon on Heavy Chef. And, if you’re in Cape Town on Tuesday, we hope to see you at Part 2 of our events on ORM.

    Read Further

  17. 4 lessons Sepp Blatter taught us about Online Reputation Management and Twitter Posted in Online Reputation Management, Twitter, Concocted by Fred Roed July 15, 2010

    So you may have heard about Sepp Blatter’s inauspicious arrival on Twitter. If you haven’t, here’s a summary: The FIFA president signed up in June. He tweeted. He promptly got over 20,000 followers, many of whom sent @replies stating how much they disapproved of him and his organisation.

    Whether Mr Blatter deserved that kind of treatment is another matter, but there are 4 helpful lessons we can learn from the whole affair:

    Read Further

  18. Snow Angels, Speedos, The Rolling Stones and Online Reputation Management Posted in Heavy Chef News, Online Reputation Management, Concocted by Fred Roed June 3, 2010

    This was not an easy post for me to write.

    For the past few days I’ve um’d and ah’d, walking holes in our agency floor before typing these words. The topic of this article involves an incriminating video that was taken of me 4 years ago by my business partner, Mike Perk (pictured here with the beautiful ‘tache). Since then, Mike has continually threatened to expose to the general public the shameful behavior that I displayed that fateful evening.

    And so, this article is my get-out clause.

    Read Further

  19. How can Augmented Reality build your brand? Posted in Augmented Reality, Branding Online, Concocted by Fred Roed May 4, 2010

    On Wednesday 28th April 2010, The Heavy Chef Project hosted a talk by Rich Mulholland on Augmented Reality (for those marketers amongst you with your head in the sand, Augmented Reality is the use of digital media within real life situations). We asked Rich to hold up a magnifying glass to this much vaunted technology and he delivered a scintillating talk. The conclusion Rich made was that, for AR to be truly effective, marketers and businesses must move away from seeing it as a novelty and looking to it as a utility.

    Read Further

  20. A recipe for digital security: cooking up a website security certificate Posted in Digital Strategy, Website Usability, Concocted by Fred Roed March 23, 2010

    Preparation / Context: At school I was in the same year as Mark Shuttleworth. To paint a picture here, let me review our joint achievements. Mark led the school as head prefect; I led the detention list as head trouble-maker. While he was smoking Maths on the Eisteddfod leaderboard; I was smoking cigarettes behind the cricket scoreboard. Starting to see a pattern?

    Read Further

  21. Heavy Chef Session Feb 2010: “A Taste of the Digital Future” Posted in Digital Strategy, Heavy Chef News, Concocted by Fred Roed February 3, 2010

    Last night, Louis Janse van Rensburg (World Wide Creative) and Justin Spratt (ISlabs) gave us an insight into the future. It was a scintillating session, with both speakers providing a sense of excitement of what’s around the corner.

    Louis covered the digital consumer, and what we can expect, and Justin tore into the macro-environmental landscape, sharing loads of love for Telkom along the way.

    We gave away some of our new T-shirts at the end, followed by a Q&A session with the audience particularly interested in some of the controversial and contentious future predictions by our favourite (not so skinny) Australian living in SA.

    Read Further

  22. Why ORM is so important Posted in Online Reputation Management, Concocted by Fred Roed December 5, 2009 6 comments

    Online reputation management (ORM) is the analysis of your personal or professional, business or industry reputation as represented by content across all types of online media channels. Basically, when people online write stuff about you, you should know about it fast enough to be able to respond – especially if it’s negative stuff. So, why is this important? Here are a few damn good reasons.

    Read Further

  23. Banner advertising – Why do we ignore most of it? Posted in Branding Online, Digital Strategy, Online Advertising, Concocted by Fred Roed November 17, 2009 6 comments

    Admit it: you’ve never really clicked on a banner ad unless it’s got a hot chick on it (if you’re a guy) or if there’s a diamond ring (if you’re a girl) involved. We all suffer from ‘banner blindness’, and the other dozen desperate ads that blink and flutter around the articles we read recede into the background.

    It makes our job very hard as digital marketers. As much as we shout about the ‘brand building’ properties of buying space online, nothing really beats a solid, honest-to-goodness click-through to a client’s website. This is the Holy Grail of online advertising, and it’s worthwhile to examine the top 3 reasons why internet users avoid banners at all costs. Read Further

  24. 5 worst online mistakes of 2009 Posted in Online Reputation Management, Concocted by Fred Roed October 27, 2009 2 comments

    It is hard to remember a time before the internet. It’s only a decade or so ago that the web went truly mainstream and billion dollar industries have sprung up in its wake. These are heady times for companies like ours, kinda like the Wild West gold prospectors 200 years ago – they’d hear the buzz, pack their bags and get in their wagons to follow the next big lead. The problem is that it’s risky business, and mistakes are being made on a daily business. When pitching to clients, it’s our job as marketers to try and mitigate that risk by learning from our predecessors’ mistakes. So, with that in mind, here is a quick snapshot of the top mistakes in our industry.

    Read Further

  25. Controlling your company’s brand in the world of Social Media Posted in Branding Online, Digital Strategy, Online Reputation Management, Social Media, Concocted by Fred Roed October 18, 2009 5 comments

    Control is an unsettling word in the new parlance. “Give up control, sir!” said Ricardo Semler in his seminal books Maverick and The Seven Day Weekend. “Control has been lost in the digital economy!” shriek breathless ’social media scientists’ on their blogs and twitter streams. “Power to the People; we control the corporate brand now!” scream the new marketers, all of 22 years old, speaking from their accumulative 6 months of experience.

    Read Further