South African Native Recognised For Outstanding Contributions To Typography

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April 12, 2024

South Africa Native Margaret Calvert Named TDC Medallist

Margaret Calvert will receive the Type Directors Club’s prestigious TDC Medal. The global organisation’s highest honour recognises individuals and institutions who have made outstanding contributions to typography.

The honour represents TDC’s collective gratitude to those who, by their work and talent, have demonstrated the value of typography in communication, community and culture. Calvert is best known for her work with Jock Kinneir on the design of Britain’s road signing system, starting with the motorways In the late 50s and coming into effect with the all purpose roads in 1965.

‘The history of the alphabet and the design of letterforms goes back a long way, so to be awarded such a prestigious medal, amongst so many previous distinguished winners, is indeed a great honour,” she said. ‘I am more than delighted.’

Born in South Africa, Calvert’s family moved to England when she was age 13. She went on to attend London’s Chelsea College of Art, specialising in Illustration and Printmaking. At the end of her course, she was invited to join Kinneir, a visiting tutor, to assist him in designing signs for Gatwick Airport.

Much of her work has been in partnership with Kinneir, for clients such as the British Airports Authority and British Rail during the ’60s and ’70s. This was followed by signage for the Tyne and Wear Metro in 1980, where she used her own lettering, now marketed as ‘Calvert’ by Monotype.

Calvert had a long association with the Royal College of Art, where she taught part-time from 1966, and was Head of Graphic Design from 1987 to 1991, concluding in 2001. Her many prestigious awards include an Honourary Doctorate from the Royal College of Art, and the Misha Black medal for Distinguished Services to Design Education.

In 2021, London’s Design Museum held an exhibition of her work entitled ‘Margaret Calvert: Woman at Work’, featuring Rail Alphabet 2, designed in collaboration with Henrik Kubel. The typeface, created specifically for Network Rail, went on to be a winner in TDC’s 24th Annual Typeface Design Competition. Examples of her British road signs are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Calvert’s TDC Medal is announced in tandem with that of the esteemed group of advertising, design, and education innovators who are this year’s inductees into The One Club for Creativity’s Creative Hall of Fame. The honours will be presented at this Creative Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a black-tie gala to support The One Club’s many global programmes, on September 5, 2024, at Gotham Hall in New York.

Induction ceremony and ticket details, as well as bio information on this year’s inductees, is available here.

TYPE DIRECTORS CLUB
https://tdc.org/

Building A Culture Of Creativity That Encourages Impactful Marketing

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Modern Marketing

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April 12, 2024

Building A Culture Of Creativity That Encourages Impactful Marketing — Matthew Bull.

Global creative leader Matthew Bull will present an in-person keynote at the Nedbank IMC Conference. Flying in from New York to present exclusively at the conference on the 19th September, Bull’s presentation is titled ‘Creating a Creating Culture’. Modern Marketing is a proud media partner of the event.

For the past seven years he’s been Global Chief Creative Advisor to both ABINBEV and Kraft Heinz. He has played an integral part in the transformation of ABINBEV into the world’s premier creative marketer (Cannes Marketer of the Year 2022 and 2023, and ranked Number one at Effies 2023 and 2024) and Kraft Heinz into the USA’s most innovative CPG marketer and No 4 overall (AdAge).

Both companies attribute their success to a long-term commitment to Creativity as a fundamental driver of growth, with Marcel Marcondes, Chief Marketing Officer of AB InBev reiterating that ‘our journey towards creative excellence never ends’.

‘Bull has been absolutely critical in improving our creative capabilities. I would say he has been an essential part in our journey to build a culture of creativity,’ said Miguel Patricio, Kraft Heinz CEO.

With so many brands competing for first place in grabbing consumers’ attention, it is easy to get caught up in ‘getting one over’ on your competitor – but as Bull reminded us ‘we are competing with ideas, not agencies’. And this means building a culture of creativity that encourages impactful marketing and an innovation-driven company. Bull aims to ‘create environments where people can create and innovate, where courage is rewarded, and individuality and honesty is revered.’ Not an easy task, but one that can reap rewards if organisations embrace it seriously.

Bull is no stranger to hard work and dedication. His first agency Lowe Bull South Africa become one of the world’s Top 50 creative agencies.

In 2017 he founded SoloUnion, the ‘Heads Without Overheads’ organisation that positions itself to guide companies in the creative journey required to build exceptional brands.

Bull is highly recognised throughout the industry with a Lifetime achievement award (Financial Mail), numerous Agency of the Year awards and over 150 Gold, Silver and Bronze Cannes Lions.

The conference will be held at the Focus Rooms, Modderfontein Johannesburg or online on the 19th September 2024. In-person tickets are priced at R3000 (ex VAT) until 31 May 2024. Limited seats are available. Virtual tickets are priced at R1499 (ex VAT).

IMC CONFERENCE
www.imcconference.com

Retailers Will Need A Strategic Response To The Rise Of Ecommerce

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Modern Marketing

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April 12, 2024

Retailers Will Need A Strategic Response To The Rise Of Ecommerce

According to Steven Heilbron, CEO of Capital Connect, online shopping has been on a sharp upward trajectory in South Africa since the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. Rapid growth in online shopping across most demographics creates a compelling opportunity for agile retailers to expand into new markets, build customer loyalty and grow their revenues.

A study commissioned by Capital Connect shows that online ecommerce retail sales are estimated to be about 7.2% of all retail sales. Heilbron said that the research shows that more than half the South African adult population has already made use of online shopping and that around three quarters of online shoppers make use of smartphones to conduct their online shopping. Growth in online sales is expected to grow sharply in the years to come.

According to the research, growth in online shoppers and retail value is driven by the higher numbers of South Africans with smartphones and internet access. Increased penetration of debit cards, higher usage of social media, and growing numbers of South Africans with income from grants and other sources are also contributing to growth.

Clothing and shoes sales are generating about a quarter of online retail sales value, with Asian ecommerce firms like Temu and Shein turning up the heat on local retailers. Other major online retail categories include electronic and digital devices, jewellery, leather goods and accessories, food and beverages, and household appliances.

‘With the local launch of Amazon still on the cards, growing competition from Asian drop-shipping firms, and the rapid growth of home delivery services, the ecommerce market is heating up. Most retailers will need a strategic response to the rise of ecommerce,’ said Heilbron.

‘They have several options. For some, it might make business sense to double down on their in-store experience. By offering product demonstrations or workshops, a comfortable bistro or coffee shop, and great advice and service, they can offer customers a reason to shop in person rather than online.’

‘Others might want to invest in an omnichannel environment. They can offer their clients options such as click-and-collect and home delivery, in addition to their brick-and-mortar store. Going online can offer them a way to reach new customers or even the possibility of diversifying their offering.’

To succeed in an omnichannel world, retailers will need an efficient logistics engine. For some, this might mean partnering with a courier or with a platform like MrDFood or Uber Eats. Others might want to invest in their own scooter or van to control the customer experience directly.

Retailers may also need to relook their product mix to meet the needs of online customers. Some might be able to get an edge by buying in bulk to promote online shopping specials. It is also key to provide responsive and knowledgeable customer service across all channels.

Heilbron added: ‘Whether retailers want to invest in an online advertising campaign, buy a delivery vehicle or fleet of scooters, expand into new channels, invest in in-store shoppertainment or refurbish their stores, they will need fast, reliable finance to execute their strategies to outsmart the competition.’

CAPITAL CONNECT
https://connected.co.za/capital-connect

The Crumbling Of Third-Party Cookies Presents Challenges And Opportunities For Digital Marketers

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Modern Marketing

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April 9, 2024

The Crumbling Of Third-Party Cookies Presents Challenges And Opportunities For Digital Marketers

In today’s competitive digital landscape, every marketing cent counts for your cut of the attention economy. The move away from third-party cookies, driven by privacy considerations, presents both challenges and opportunities for digital marketers.

While it may disrupt tracking and targeting for some, it opens doors to building trust-based relationships with customers. Embracing ‘first-party data’ ensures data compliance and enables hyper-targeted, customer-centric marketing.

Google remains committed to achieving its deadline for completely discontinuing third-party cookies on Chrome by the second half of 2024. This decision is contingent upon addressing any additional concerns raised by the UK Competition and Markets Authority, but is a reality digital marketers based around the world need to prepare for.

This change creates a significant shift in value towards data. The way it’s used varies among brands and industries but, ultimately, anyone who has a lot of good quality data is sitting on a goldmine.

‘Data is the currency of any business, but some are using it better than others,’ says Dan Levy, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Flow. ‘The relatively new and evolving player in the digital arena, ‘first-party data’, is a potent force with the capability to impact various facets of business from analytics to overarching marketing strategies.’

What Is ‘First-Party Data’ And Why Does It Hold Such Significance?

Unique consumer information collected from a company’s customer base, subscribers, social media and website visitors comprises ‘first party data’. When visiting a website, the user has to give consent, making their data the property of a brand. This direct information helps to shape strategies and boost campaign precision as it taps directly into customer behaviour and preferences. Unlike purchased data, it allows for personalised marketing strategies that resonate on a deeper level.

This valuable data is collected during interactions with the website, app, marketing efforts, or through purchases and belongs to a company, without requiring third-party cookies. ‘Its significance lies in its direct origin, providing exclusive insights into how customers engage with a brand,’ Levy said.

‘Brands can integrate ‘first-party data’ strategically for market growth, optimised campaigns, a deeper understanding of customers and a unique edge in the digital landscape,’ added Gil Sperling, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Flow. ‘It’s about collaboration, innovation and uncovering unique characteristics when targeting high-intent buyers, building personalised messages and campaigns to reach them cost-effectively.’

The Plethora Of Information Available Through ‘First Party Data’ Can Be Overwhelming

Using ‘first-party data’ allows brands to stay agile in a dynamic market, personalising adverts in real time and minimising spend, all the while reaching profiled audiences beyond demographics and geographics, including buyer profiles and price points.

In the evolving digital landscape and the era of third-party cookies crumbling, businesses need to shift focus to ‘first-party data’. This data holds immense value for marketers, especially amidst rising privacy concerns.

‘As the shift to a cookie-less future is inevitable, businesses can embrace ‘first-party data’ strategies to discover the keys to elevating customer relationships, ensuring privacy compliance, and optimising the digital marketing landscape,’ Levy concluded.

FLOW
https://flowliving.com/

Ogilvy South Africa And KFC Launch Integrated ‘Beyond The Sea’ Campaign

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Modern Marketing

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April 9, 2024

Ogilvy South Africa And KFC Launch Integrated Beyond The Sea Campaign

The latest campaign is inspired by South Africans who spend more than a year on remote Marion Island in service of science. The campaign amplifies the message that people are willing to do just about anything for South Africa’s favourite taste.

Marion Island, the tip of an undersea volcano 2209km south-east of Cape Town, is one of South Africa’s farthest-flung territories. It’s the chilly base for teams of researchers who spend 13 months at a time there studying seabirds, seals, meteorology and space.

KFC’s campaign began with teasers – ham radio messages that suddenly interrupted FM radio shows across the country and featured the voice of Mzuli Ntuli reporting on his voyage from Marion Island to Cape Town in a dinghy.

In the launch phase of the campaign, it emerges that Ntuli and colleague, Samantha, undertook the voyage because they were missing the taste of KFC. The campaign depicts them going to extreme lengths to reach the mainland. ‘They are escorted by dolphins, battle seasickness and face incredibly rough seas,’ said KFC Africa Chief Marketing Officer, Grant Macpherson.

The culmination of the campaign is a cinematic masterpiece depicting life on Marion Island, video calls with friends enjoying KFC in South Africa and the moment the duo set sail – clutching a KFC shopping list from their fellow islanders.

Macpherson said most South Africans pining for KFC are unlikely to experience the same difficulties as the fictional Marion Island researchers. ‘But we know that our customers will go to great lengths for our finger-lickin’ good food and we wanted to honour that devotion in a great story.’

‘When we discovered that there’s a part of South Africa where you can’t get the taste of KFC and that a group of people give up a year of their lives to live and work there, we realised we had the scenario for an epic adventure in the turbulent Atlantic Ocean.’

Macpherson said the initial unbranded component of the campaign gave Marion Island scientists the opportunity to talk about their work, which involves saving threatened and endangered species and studying climate change and even the origins of the universe.

‘The gaming and activation phase of the campaign over the next two months will allow every KFC lover to get involved – with delicious prizes along the way and many engagement opportunities,’ he said.

KFC
https://order.kfc.co.za

SCOPEN Study Acknowledges Joe Public As SA’s Best Agency To Work For

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Modern Marketing

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April 9, 2024

SCOPEN Study Acknowledges Joe Public As SAs Best Agency To Work For

SCOPEN’s Best Agency to Work For in South Africa study showcases the essential criteria professionals consider when it comes to attracting and losing talent. A pool of 210 industry professionals analysed and submitted responses on the key factors such as company culture, creative quality and clients, amongst others. Joe Public was recently acknowledged as South Africa’s Best Agency to Work For, for the second year in a row.

Further to this, Joe Public also retains the top spot as the Most Creative Agency and the Most Attractive Agency for the second year running in the SCOPEN Agency Scope 2023/24 report.

SCOPEN’s study indicates that intangible factors such as pride, respect, fellowship and the credibility of the agency have an influence, as well as tangible factors linked to company benefits, work-life balance and physical space.

‘Our philosophy is grounded in the purpose of growth, existing to serve the growth of our people, clients and country through the power of creativity. As an agency, we understand that this is only made possible with the support and trust from our clients and we are incredibly honoured and proud to announce that Nedbank, AB InBev South African Breweries and Chicken Licken were recognised as the top three most ideal clients in South Africa in the Best Marketer to Work With SCOPEN study 2023/24,’ said Mpume Ngobese, Co-Managing Director.

JOE PUBLIC
www.joepublic.co.za

Programmatic Digital Out-Of-Home Advertising Demonstrates Substantial Influence On Brand Recall

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Modern Marketing

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April 9, 2024

The latest opportunity in Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home (pDOOH), and a first for Auto & General Insurance, is the national takeover, which Robust Marketing executed for the first time for Telesure, through the launch of Auto & General’s ‘Suddenly’ campaign. This national takeover involved screening the same advert across 335 sites nationally at the same time.

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising or the enhanced pDOOH advertising, demonstrates the most substantial influence on brand recall, ranging from 46% to 84%, according to Kantar Media Reactions research. This emphasises why brands are progressively acknowledging the value of investing in focused campaigns, and why over 40% of global advertising expenditure is being placed here.

‘Similar to a home page takeover on a publisher’s website, where a brand’s advertisements dominate the advert space on the site, a pDOOH national takeover uses a specific area and time slot to screen adverts,’ says Jonathan Abrams, Managing Partner of Robust Marketing. ‘This particular campaign ran over three days at the beginning of March, with the advert screening on 335 DOOH sites simultaneously during peak morning, lunch and late afternoon traffic.’

The campaign yielded almost half a million impressions collectively and included nearly 60,000 screen plays, offering a meaningful return on investment and ensuring many eyes on Auto & General’s new look.

The distinctive feature of pDOOH, as opposed to traditional DOOH, lies in its emphasis on audience-centric purchases. This approach harnesses diverse data touchpoints to target specific audience segments while they are on the move.

‘What’s truly captivating in the national takeover is the synchronised airing of a single clip across multiple locations,’ Abrams elaborated. ‘This innovative approach ensures widespread exposure to the advertisement, adaptable to any day, whether it’s a one-time event, a recurring monthly occurrence, or tailored to a particular region or city. Auto & General’s advert was broadcast across national hotspots thrice daily, amplifying its reach significantly.’

PDOOH offers flexibility and visibility at scale. ‘The potential applications for a national takeover are boundless for any brand,’ Abrams concluded.

ROBUST MARKETING
https://www.robustmarketing.co.za

Grab Your Opportunity To Attend Converge Africa 2024 For Free As An Expo Visitor

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Modern Marketing

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April 4, 2024

Converge Africa 2024, previously known as ECOM Africa, is taking place from 22-24 April at the CTICC. Explore a captivating blend of knowledge, networking, and innovative technology, empowering businesses to thrive in the online world like never before. Converge Africa is giving you the opportunity to attend the event for free as an expo visitor. Modern Marketing is a proud media partner of the event.

This free pass includes access to the exhibition floor, as well as Knowledge Hub Presentations being held on the exhibition floor on 23rd and 24th April. Register here and use this code: MG100ON, to attend and grab your free ticket today.

The digital world’s landscape is perpetually shifting. As we stand at the cusp of the greatest technological revolution, digital transformation is more than just a trending term – it’s an actual paradigm shift remoulding industries. From the vibrant markets of Africa to its soaring urban skyscrapers, businesses are reimagining interactions, transactions, and evolution in this new digital age. However, with these advances come both challenges and opportunities.

Pioneers and visionary leaders at the vanguard of the digital shift are essential to steer through this complex terrain. Converge Africa 2024 is ideally positioned to do this. The conference will feature informative keynote speeches and engaging panel discussions. Attend the expo as a visitor for free, and get ready to be inspired by the best and brightest in the industry. To upgrade your ticket for the full Converge Africa experience, click here.

Expo Floor Agenda For 23 April:

Expo Floor Agenda For 24 April:

CONVERGE AFRICA
https://wearevuka.com/retail/converge-africa/

PR Agencies Should Prioritise Strong And Original Content Over AI-Generated Content

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Modern Marketing

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April 4, 2024

PR Agencies Should Prioritise Strong And Original Content Over AI-Generated Content — Judith Middleton, Duo Marketing and Communications.

DUO Marketing and Communications CEO, Judith Middleton, says that there is no doubt that AI is, and will continue to, play an important role in supporting public relations (PR). However, PR efficacy relies heavily on the trust of the media and its readers.

‘If AI-generated content is passed off as original, it breaks all trust and can have serious consequences. There is no substitute for strong, original content and PR agencies simply cannot afford to betray journalists and editors with AI content passed off as original, and just as importantly, they need to protect the reputations of the businesses they represent,’ said Middleton.

Sports Illustrated, which was dragged through a protracted scandal after it was found that its publisher The Arena Group allowed artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content in the magazine, and the subsequent fallout including its CEO being fired and a missed licence payment, has recently received a lifeline in the form of a new publisher in Minute Media. The closure of this episode shines a bright light on the danger of AI-generated content broadly, and on brand and PR content specifically.

Middleton explained that good PR specialists build long-term trust relationships with journalists and editors who are inundated with emails, WhatsApps and phone calls daily with pitches for content they’d like to see published. ‘In this environment, where the media is under-resourced and more stretched than ever before, an editor must have full confidence that what they receive is genuinely original, insightful and valuable content for their readers,’ explained Middleton.

While it is unclear whether media desks routinely put content through AI-generated detection tools, it is likely to become the norm, said Middleton, especially as the use of generative AI becomes more widespread. Middleton said it is fairly easy for a seasoned reader to instantly pick up on AI-generated content through its over-reliance on US-dominant metaphors, style tropes and jarring sentence structure.

Beyond this, Middleton said that there are serious concerns about the datasets used to train generative AI algorithms. ‘If content generated by AI includes or alludes to copyrighted content, it raises a host of legal and ethical concerns. A PR agency should protect its clients from wading into intellectual property storms, and potentially dragging a publication into such a fallout would destroy trust between the agency and the media.’

Middleton said that AI-generated content doesn’t just raise red flags from a media coverage perspective. ‘Businesses are increasingly relying on digital platforms to build an online presence, drive referral website traffic, and potentially generate leads. Much of the same concerns exist here. It might be tempting to go all in on using generative AI tools to create the content needed to enhance organic search rankings, but this can result in content that is generic and lacks the viewpoint of an industry or domain expert,’ she said.

Google has warned against using AI to boost SEO, saying that the ‘use of automation, including generative AI, is spam if the primary purpose is manipulating ranking in search results’.

‘Google does not explicitly penalise blog posts generated by ChatGPT yet, however, it does have a policy against using automated content generators to create, duplicate or produce low-quality content. If your blog posts are generated by AI and they are not original or informative, and they are subsequently ranked poorly, it negates SEO efforts,’ said Middleton. She added that a recent core update by Google will reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%.

‘There is no substitute for original and thoughtful content that adds value to the lives of readers,’ said Middleton, ‘and it is incumbent on an agency to ensure that all content it places in front of media, on social media and on businesses’ own platforms lives up to this standard. Similarly, it is crucial to keep clients abreast of best practice and the risks technology may pose.’

DUO MARKETING
www.duomarketing.co.za

How To Navigate The Murky World Of Image Copyright

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Modern Marketing

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April 4, 2024

How To Navigate The Murky World Of Image Copyright — Credit: Flow Communications

Christina Kennedy, senior writer and subeditor at Flow Communications, says there are many grey areas in local and global copyright enforcement, not least because of the threats posed by the rise of AI. Little clarity is offered by South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill, which has yet to be promulgated despite having been in the works for several years.

The broad fact remains, however: whatever you create (even if you don’t formally copyright it) remains your intellectual property, and it’s morally, ethically and often legally wrong for someone else to use it without compensation, permission or, at the very least, attribution.

So, what do you do when you need to illustrate an article, a social media post, a presentation or a pitch to give it some visual zing? Basically, be informed, be careful and be a decent human being.

10 hacks to navigate the murky world of image copyright:

1. Original is best

It’s always worthwhile investing time and effort into taking your own photos and designing your own artwork. You can build up your own image library and develop a visual identity for your own brand and, in the case of agencies, for your clients. You don’t need to ask anyone for permission to use your images, they don’t look generic and they’re free to use and alter as you wish. Smiles all around.

2. Royalty-Free Image Libraries Are Your Friend

Free stock photos can be a lifesaver, especially if you aren’t able to take your own. Among the best sites for downloading free images are Unsplash, Pixabay and Pexels. The only downside with some of these international sites is that their pictures may lack diversity and representation. Find more royalty-free image sites here.

3. Paid-For Stock Images To Make Your Content Pop

Need a particular image for a client or customer but tearing your hair out trying to find one? Consider buying an image and supporting a creator. If you have an Adobe account and access to Adobe Stock Images, that’s a great place to start. You’ll be assured of beautiful, high-quality, verified images, illustrations and vectors that can be used subject to certain licence conditions.

4. Flick On The Flickr Switch

Flickr is one of the world’s largest photo repositories, with tens of billions of images (mostly photographs) shared online. Depending on each Flickr account’s Creative Commons licensing terms (see below), you may be able to freely use and publish images – even commercially – with the proper attribution. Flow Communications’ Flickr page, for example, offers over 50 000 images and videos that are licensed through Creative Commons as free for anyone to use, as long as you attribute Flow.

5. Creative Commons And Wikimedia

Creative Commons is a marketplace or ‘commons’ that offers free access to copyrighted content such as photos. As with Flickr, you need to check each image’s licence conditions and attribution requirements – you may not be able to use it for commercial purposes, such as to market a product, for example, but may be able to use it as an illustration in a newsletter. Images on Wikimedia Commons, a division of Wikipedia, are governed by Creative Commons licences and may also be used for free. Another way to find images you can use for free with attribution is to visit Google Images and perform an image search; then click on ‘Tools’ from the dropdown menu, then ‘Usage rights’ and ‘Creative Commons licences’.

6. Fair Use And Fair Dealing

The principle of ‘fair use’ (or, sometimes, ‘fair dealing’) means that you can use copyrighted material for certain ‘reasonable” purposes without obtaining permission or paying royalties. So, broadly and within reason, you can use copyrighted images for private research or study purposes, review or criticism, reporting on current events, as well as ‘by way of illustration” for teaching purposes. Significantly altering an image so that it is considered a ‘transformative’ work that no longer resembles the original could also be deemed fair use – but tread with caution.

7. Public Domain

Images in the public domain are considered copyright-free as they do not belong to anyone – they belong to the public, often because their copyright has expired (this period varies from country to country). Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, for example, is in the public domain because the artist died some 600 years ago, and so is the original iteration of Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie. But be careful – certain photos of such works or characters may still be subject to copyright.

8. Attribute, Link And Give Credit Where It’s Due

No, mere attribution is not a get-out-of-jail-free card to get around stealing images. But if you can legitimately use a picture (such as with Creative Commons and Flickr content), do credit the author and the source, providing the necessary links. It’s also good practice to credit free stock images – it shows professionalism and respect for original work (this is our policy at Flow). Exercise extreme caution when sharing images from social media – these could be copyright-protected.

9. AI And The Danger Of Deepfakes

Did you know that for an image to be copyrighted, it must have been created by a human? That’s right – AI-generated content is not protected by copyright law, even if it was created using human prompts. This is an evolving field, though. Then there are deepfakes: digitally manipulated images or videos created by AI deep learning – Taylor Swift, Vladimir Putin, Tom Cruise and Joe Biden are among those whose likenesses have been ‘cloned’ Track the provenance of an image by using Google reverse image search or Google Lens (go to Google, select Images, and upload your picture), or simply by observing finer details such as hair and fingers, which AI is currently not very good at replicating.

10. When It Doubt, Leave It Out

If there are question marks hanging over an image – or even a post that you want to share – err on the side of caution and don’t use it. And don’t publish images of minor children unless their parents or guardians have given permission.

Bottom line: even with seemingly free-to-use images, check the licence before you use them. A good rule of thumb is not to download and use images you find randomly on Google, unless you can trace their provenance and/or their usage licence. The emergence of convincing-looking deepfakes underscores the fact that seeing is not always believing – unless you believe the Pope really would wear a puffer jacket …
Copyright infringement is a serious offence that could land you with a fine – or, at the very least, egg on your face. So, if a highly desirable image’s ownership status is unknown, assume that it is copyrighted and, in the immortal words of Frozen’s Elsa, let it go.

Disclaimer: this is merely a guide to basic image copyright issues and does not constitute legal advice. For an expert opinion, please consult a copyright lawyer.

FLOW COMMUNICATIONS
https://www.flowsa.com/