Bertie du Plessis founded MindPilot (Pty) Ltd positioning specialists in 1995. He has been a guest lecturer or lecturer in 6 different disciplines at tertiary institutions. He currently teaches an MBA elective for the Gordon Institute of Business Science at the University of Pretoria, "Think Differently! Imagination for the Business Mind." Du Plessis is a professional artist who exhibited in South Africa′s premier gallery, The Goodman and whose work is represented in public and private collections in South Africa, the USA, Canada and the UK (view examples). He is a published and acknowledged essayist and the author of a pocket guide to strategy, and the official South African 1998 Year of Science and Technology Calendar. He contributed to numerous publications on the old South African political order, higher education in the new South Africa and philosophical essays on the arts and creativity. Du Plessis served as an adjudicator for the English Academy of South Africa′s Pringle Prize in Journalism (2006).

I help you to tell your story. MindPilot is in the marketing communications industry. Positioning specialists are right at the beginning of the branding process. They articulate what the brand is about and why the brand is important, either for new brands or when refocusing existing brands. The art is to be lucid, concise and persuasive. I am the master story teller and also project manage applications through specialist production houses.

Positioning Specialist

My blog, Read This! on the fin24.com portal, South Africa’s largest business and financial portal, where “Read This!” is regularly “most read” and “most commented.” I am an inveterate reader and pick a valuable bit of information from what I have read or re-read in the past 24 hours. Oh, and please leave a comment!

Dr Bertie du Plessis speaking before the MBA Alumni of Wits Business School on word of mouth marketing. Read the report.

Sharing Knowledge

“The Science of Change.” Free downloads.

“I find the analysis in this presentation absolutely fascinating. It shouldn't remain in this boardroom. It should be shared with a much wider audience.”

— Mr Christo Wiese, Chairman of Pepkor.

Stories told

African Bank, BCX, BHP Billiton Southern Africa, Ellerines Holding Limited, Media24, The Medical Nutritional Institute, M-Net, M-Web, Radar & Electronic Warfare at the CSIR, Sanlam, Sasol, Solidarity, Standard Bank, University of Pretoria, Venture SA, Worldwide Capital Ltd.

Recommendation

“The value of rhetoric should not be underestimated. A 35 word statement can have a substantial impact on a company’s success. Words do lead to action. Spending time to develop the few words that truly capture your strategy and that will energize and empower your people will raise the long-term financial performance of your organization.” — David J Collis & Michael K Rukstad, Harvard Business Review April 2008, p.90.

The language and logic of investment advice clarified! Read more, click here.

Research Reports