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Opinion | Features
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Why is commercial radio the last bastion of middle aged white men?
Australian radio networks need to start embracing diversity to stay in touch with the changes in society argues Sunil Badami.
When I first started broadcasting on ABC Local Radio a year or two ago, a listener texted in to say ‘how great it is to hear an ethnic face on the radio.’ I joked that I didn’t realise “our” faces made any noise, though I supposed with “our” mouths open, they made as much noise as anyone else’s.
But for someone like me, born and raised in Australia to Indian parents, it hasn’t always been easy to see or hear faces or voices like mine in the media, especially commercial media. -
Credit where it's due: Nick Baker
Nick Baker has shouldered the responsibility of marketing Australia as a holiday destination not just to the rest of the world, but to Aussies as well. As he finishes his seven year stint at Tourism Australia tomorrow, we give Credit Where it's Due to his efforts.
Imagine coming into a new job as a marketer where the last campaign has just been described as a "rolled gold disaster" by the Prime Minister.
This is what faced Nick Baker when he came into the big chair of chief marketing officer at Tourism Australia, inheriting the infamous 2006 'So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?' campaign that did more for Lara Bingle's career than Australia's image.
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Think you can put social media in a box? Taylor Swift proves otherwise
The Prime Minister might be prepared to shake off social media as 'electonic graffiti', but the traditional media impressions gained by the Taylor Swift Hottest 100 campaign tell a different story, argues Patrick Baume.
The P.M. again called social media ‘electronic graffiti’ over the weekend, after he faced extensive social and traditional media criticism over his decision to award Prince Philip an Australian knighthood, on the same day Triple J shot down the #Tay4Hottest100 campaign. So if both ends of the cultural spectrum are saying it’s ok to ‘ignore’ social media, there must be some truth there, right? -
New gadgets and gimmicks to keep us watching sport live on TV
TV networks are investing in new gadgets, camera angles and social media devices to keep viewers hooked on live sport. In this cross-posting from The Conversation Marc C-Scott of Victoria University looks at what's coming next.
Australia’s love of sport appears to be more from in front of a TV screen than actually attending any event live, and that could be on the increase given some of the new technology heading our way.
Samsung has confirmed that its new Sports Live app – on display at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show in the US – will be available in Australia later this year, but for which sport codes has still to be announced. -
Sustainable competitive advantage: the fallacy
The speed of change in business means the notion of businesses having a sustainable competitive advantage is no longer a reality argues Dan Monheit. Sustainable competitive advantage. What a beautiful, romantic, delusional idea. An idea that somehow still gets plenty of airplay. -
Content marketing predictions: Why I’ve ditched my crystal ball
Last year Cameron Upshall made a series of bold predictions on how the content marketing world in Australia would develop in 2014. Here he bemoans the lack of change.
Australian brands had a fair old crack at content marketing in 2014. But unfortunately the market didn’t mature as fast as I thought it would in 12 months. This means the content marketing milestones I predicted we would reach by now are still a fair way off.
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Why #tay4hottest100 is good for Triple J
The campaign to get a Taylor Swift song into the Triple J Hottest 100 has created a lot of column inches in recent days. Matt Saraceni argues the controversy is good for the station and how it should capitalise on #tay4hottest100 come Australia Day.
If Taylor Swift places Number one in the Triple J Hottest 100 -- I will eat a hat.
Any hat you care to name I will consume it. There is absolutely no way that will happen. I’d bet a nudie run on it. In fact I am.
However, “Shake it Off” appearing in the countdown will be one of the best things to happen to Triple J and its audiences and everybody should be hoping it happens. Let me explain….
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A first look at Stan
Yesterday streaming service Stan invited some members of the public to have a first look at the new platform. Mumbrella editor Alex Hayes looks at what it has to offer.
Of all the streaming services being talked about at the moment (and yes there are a lot - Presto, Netflix, Quickflix etc.) the one that's most intrigued me is the joint offering from Nine Entertainment and Fairfax Media - Stan.
So when I got the invite to have a preview of it which went out to the public yesterday, I leapt at it. However, my initial impressions were not good. -
Suffering from a talent crisis? Get off your backside and grow your own
The industry constantly bemoans a lack of skilled new employees. In this opinion piece David Ponce de Leon argues they need to do more to help nurture the talent.
The skills shortage issue continues to be a challenge for different sectors of the communications industry and at the dawn of a new year the topic seems to be heating up again.
Everybody is talking about how hard is to find the right talent or the right skills for their own particular business needs. It’s almost as if a good old whine about the skills shortage ‘crisis’ has become the norm. -
Never tell anyone outside the agency what you're thinking
It might not be the mafia, but agencies require a cone of silence about their internal workings to the outside world argues Eaon Pritchard.
At the beginning of 'The Godfather', Santino 'Sonny' Corleone is in a clandestine meeting with Virgil 'The Turk' Sollozzo in which they discuss a potential partnership in Sollozzo's nascent heroin business. -
Virtual Reality: changing games or game changer?
Virtual reality technology is becoming a hot property. Here Tyler Greerasks whether it will really have a reach beyond video games.
One day back in the early 90s I switched off the Sega Mega Drive and got myself along to an exhibition touting itself as the new frontier in gaming: virtual reality. Strapped in to a cumbersome, heavy piece of machinery I played Dactyl Nightmare, a dreadful Cubist nightmare which left me disoriented, ill, and disappointed for the state of the machine-human relationship.
Not fast enough could I return to Sonic the Hedgehog and my new-found appreciation for the human-couch relationship. -
Social influencers and the law - where does it stand on disclosure?
After Australia Post was found to be paying for social media endorsements which were not disclosed and with more brands looking to social media influencers in their campaigns, Stephen von Muenster looks at where the law currently stands on the issue.
It is evident from a casual gaze through social pages or comms industry commentary that brands are turning to ‘social influencers’ to promote their products through online social channels with the intent of influencing consumer purchasing decisions in favour of their products. -
The ten ideas from CES I wish I'd had
With over 3,600 exhibitors and hundreds of speakers there were a lot of new ideas and inventions at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year. Here Jonathan Pease distills them to the ten he's most jealous of.
B BOOTH – They call themselves ‘The Talent Discovery Company’ and the concept is simple. Imagine a casting booth where anyone can audition for anything they like – modelling, acting, reality TV, singing, etc. -
It's just social media management, right?
While many people don't know the difference between a social media manager and community managers Venessa Paech argues defining which one you need for a role is vital for success.
I’ve led social media and community management for companies, hired, and worked with many social media managers and community managers.
Let’s be honest – the two roles are often confused. The number of blog posts trying to explain the difference should be a tip-off. -
Credit where it's due: MLA's lamb campaigns
As the MLA unveils its latest Australia Day lamb ad we give Credit Where It's Due to the legacy of clever campaigns which have come before it.
Selling lamb is not the most glamorous of briefs for any marketer or agency, but somehow every year Meat and Livestock Australia's Australia Day campaign captures the public's attention.
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Margaret Pomeranz signs with Foxtel
Pomeranz and Blundell
Foxtel has signed veteran movie critics and former ABC At the Movies host Margaret Pomeranz, who is set to join Foxtel Movies Masterpiece and the soon to launch Foxtel Arts channel.
Pomeranz will co-host a new weekly program called Screen along with actor and TV reviewer Graeme Blundell on Foxtel Arts Channel which is set to launch in late March.
Screen will guide viewers through what to watch and what to avoid across movies, television and online in a panel show format that has been created specifically for Pomeranz and Blundell. The two will be joined by guests and will host special interviews.
On joining Foxtel Pomeranz said: “I look forward to joining Foxtel and am thrilled to share my passion for film with viewers and movie fans all around the country. While movies are my first love, I am also genuinely excited to be working with Graeme and getting my teeth into the exciting television and online environment which is so diverse, popular and ever changing.”
Big Bash final gives Ten total audience win but Nine claims channel victory as The Block builds
Last night’s Big Bash grand final clash between the Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Sixers saw 733,000 metro viewers tune in for the beginning of the game at 7.30pm with 839,000 metro viewers tuning in for the second session to see the Scorchers clinch their second successive grand final win.
In Perth the match was broadcast on One which saw 233,000 tune in for session two and 291,000 watch the post-match broadcast, helping One grab an audience share of 5.4 per cent. On Ten the post-game broadcast was watched by 889,000
Last year’s grand final, which was played on a Friday night, saw 851,000 tune in for session one and 1.093m watch the second innings. The T20 Big Bash League kicked off at the end of last year with a metro audience of 681,000 for session one of a match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Melbourne Stars.
The match helped Ten grab an audience share of 18.9 per cent which put it ahead of Channel Seven but that was not enough to beat Nine’s winning share of 19.1 per cent. However when the secondary channels are accounted for, Network Ten grabbed a winning total share of 27.2 per cent, pipping Nine’s total share of 26 per cent.
Morning Update: Budweiser follows up last year’s puppy Super Bowl ad with ‘Lost Dog'; Unilever reviews global media
Mashable: Get out the tissues: It’s time for Budweiser’s puppy Super Bowl ad
When it comes to Super Bowl successes, there are few surer bets than Budweiser’s puppy ads.
This year’s spot, “Lost Dog,” is likely to make it to the top of USA Today‘s Ad Track rating of the top ads of the game — that is, unless viewers feel that the spot is too emotionally manipulative or PETA discerns some sort of canine-related controversy.
Transparent most popular show on Stan despite lacklustre preview ratings on Nine
Sneesby
Amazon Prime series Transparent has been the most viewed show on new streaming joint venture Stan since the platform’s official launch on Australia Day, its CEO Mike Sneesby told Mumbrella.
His comments came after Nine presented a special screening of the first two episodes of the US show, which tells the story of a Los Angeles family following the discovery that their father Mort is transgender, last night at 10pm and 10.40pm which drew a disappointing 178,000 viewers and 130,000 viewers tune in respectively, putting it fifth in the timeslots.
However, Sneesby dismissed it as having run in a competitive late night timeslot, adding: “Our goal with Transparent wasn’t about the ratings. Our goal was to ensure that a program that is exclusive to Stan that Australians got the opportunity to hear about.
While declining to reveal subscriber figures Sneesby said he was happy with the takeup of the new service so far, saying: “We’ve been rapt with the response, it’s well, well beyond our expectations in terms of putting a new product and brand into market. Read more »
Sky Racing secures NSW thoroughbred racing but Victorian rights still in negotiation
Tabcorp has tied up a long term deal with the racing authorities in NSW with its subsidiary Sky Racing for a 10-year broadcast contract, although it is currently unclear when the contract will actually start.
The betting firm had been in dispute with the authorities in NSW and Victoria since December, and lost rights to show racing from the states, currently held by a joint-venture company called TVN, taking races from the states off air in pubs and TABs across the country until an interim agreement in late December.
Racing NSW has since walked away from the TVN joint venture allowing for today’s deal to go ahead, although the new contract cannot start until TVN has been officially disbanded. Tabcorp says it is also separately in negotiations with Racing Victoria, which also has to agree to disband the TVN venture.
Heidi Klum launches Intimates range in Melbourne with help from Cummins & Partners
Source: Myer Instagram
Heidi Klum launched her lingerie range Heidi Klum Intimates in Melbourne yesterday ahead of a global campaign roll out in the near future.
Cummins & Partners New York is handling the global campaign, while media was handled by the agency’s Melbourne office ahead of the launch yesterday.
The launch saw Klum arrive in Melbourne’s Bourke St Mall on a tram wrapped with images promoting the new range. The supermodel was accompanied by a number of male and female models wearing the new range.
Cummins & Partners global CEO Sean Cummins said: “It has been great working with Bendon to launch Heidi Klum Intimates. you only get one chance to launch and the event yesterday exceeded all expectations. Heidi is an absolute pro to work with.
Pizza Hut forced to pull Vegemite pizza ads
The Pizza Hut logo
Pizza Hut has pulled the ad campaign for its Mitey Stuffed Crust pizza and is “reviewing all imagery” around the promotion after Vegemite’s owner Kraft took exception to its treatment of the brand.
The restaurant had released the pizza, which has Vegemite and cheese in its crust, in its first campaign from new agency Host. An online video push targeting the Australia Day long weekend featured foreign backpackers being appalled by its taste. But it now appears that Kraft had not given permission for the Vegemite brand to be used in the campaign.
The Vegemite logo
Mumbrella understands those videos and other material on social media and its own website were removed over the weekend at the request of Kraft’s parent company Mondelez,.
Vegemite has been a trademarked name since 1923, with that mark currently owned by Mondelez International, which also now owns the trademarks for several Vegemite logos, including the traditional four sided diamond with rounded corners synonymous with the brand’s labels. Read more »
Seven sales boss: Australian market only big enough for two streaming players
Burnette
The sales boss of Seven West Media believes the Australian streaming video on demand (SVOD) market is only big enough to sustain two services, describing it as a “dynamic game of attrition”.
Chief revenue officer Kurt Burnette told Mumbrella he believes the streaming market, which currently includes Foxtel and Seven West Media’s joint venture Presto, Fairfax Media and Nine’s Entertainment Co’s Stan, struggling Quickflix, and the forthcoming entrance of US giant Netflix, would eventually be whittled down to just “two serious players”.
But he would not be drawn on who would be left standing, but said he was confident in the partnership between Seven and Foxtel over Presto which launched officially a fortnight ago and is due to undergo an overhaul in the coming months.
AdMaxim hires former Songl chief Mark Shaw as it opens APAC presence
Global mobile advertising firm AdMaxim has hired former Songl boss Mark Shaw as part of the company’s move into the APAC region, Mumbrella can reveal.
Shaw will lead AdMaxim’s Sydney office which opened its doors at the start of the year and will be charged with expanding the company’s footprint across Asia. The platform provides precision targeting and real-time technology for mobile devices.
“As a business we have a strong footprint across the US and UK/Europe but APAC is really the next region for us to expand our global footprint,” Shaw told Mumbrella. Read more »
Honda teases new HR-V in ad with no shots of the car
Honda is teasing audiences of the launch of its new compact SUV HR-V with a 15-second ad which does not feature any images of the car itself.
The teaser campaign sees a group of men in uniform at a barricade with loud hailers in front of a large clock preparing for the car’s launch. The ad directs viewers to a website.
Seven expects Aus Open audience decline after Kyrgios exit, signals plans for more mobile sports coverage
The Seven Network will look to continue with more extensive coverage of sporting events after hailing the success of its widest ever coverage of the Australian Open.
However, chief revenue officer for Seven West Media Kurt Burnette said he expected to see audiences fall for the rest of the tournament after 1.7m metro viewers watched Aussie rising star Nick Kyrgios lose in straight sets to Andy Murray in the quarter finals.
“I think will start to see the numbers drop back to where they were last year,” he said. “We haven’t had an Australian in the second week for a while and we certainly didn’t last year.”
But he said the take-up of the most extensive coverage ever by an Australian broadcaster has been “overwhelming” from viewers, keen to watch matches on outside courts which are normally not broadcast, with streaming via mobile and an internet connected TV channel. The network has also signed a new agreement to carry exclusive matches from Wimbledon from next year.
Holden pushes Australian future in campaign using kids
Holden has launched a new campaign which sees the company focus on its credentials for building cars for Australia and introduces the tagline ‘Let’s go there’
The new campaign comes a year after the car maker announced it was shutting down its Australian production sites by 2017, costing thousands of jobs.
Created by AJF Partnership, the campaign is fronted by a child who talks viewers through the various “tests” the car goes through to ensure it is made for Australian conditions.
It is complemented with another ad which sees children talking through their designs for a future Holden Commodore. Read more »
Mini promote new 5-door hatch with outdoor campaign
Mini Australia launched its new Mini 5-door hatch on Australia Day through a tactical campaign which saw the vehicle displayed in a sealed and labelled meat tray with the tag line “Throw another door on the Mini”.
Created by Ogilvy, the campaign is running across digital outdoor, press and social with an extension running on TV, cinema and digital until March.
Ogilvy Melbourne ECD Brendon Guthrie said: “Given the all-new 5-door Mini Hatch officially launched on Australia Day, it was only fitting to celebrate in true Mini fashion. Wrapping the car like a tray of snags communicated the 5-door hatch message in a way that was both distinctly Australian and true to the Mini brand.”
Tip Top celebrates kids ‘quirky skills’ in latest campaign from BMF
Tip Top is celebrating some ‘amazing’ kids in its latest campaign for The One white bread which features hula hooping chickens, robot dancing keyboard players and a roller skating ninja.
The campaign, created by BMF, features a number of children showing off their particular skill, and invites parents to celebrate their kids’ quirky skills by taking a video and sharing it across social media.
Graeme Cutler, marketing director for GWF said: “We wanted Tip Top The One to connect with parents in an authentic, emotional way. BMF solved that for us with the Feed Their Amazingness platform. We are very happy with the result, and looking forward to seeing parents engaged and sharing their kids amazingness.” Read more »
Predestination picks up three AACTAs as ABC dominates TV categories
The winners at yesterday’s award ceremony
Sci-fi thriller Predestination picked up three AACTAs at yesterday’s craft awards luncheon which come ahead of the acting awards on Thursday, with ABC shows winning each category in the television awards.
The movie, which stars Ethan Hawke, picked up the gong for best cinematography, best editing and best production design. It is a leading contender for best film at the main awards, up against Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner, which picked up the award for BEst Costume Design, The Babadook, Charlie’s Country, Tracks and The Railway Man, which won for Best Music Score.
In TV, ABC’s Black Comedy picked up the AACTA Award for Best Direction in a Television Light Entertainment or Reality Series for episode three while ABC3’s children show The Flamin’ Thongs picked up the AACTA for best children’s TV series.
Nick Kyrgios’ Australian Open clash with Andy Murray pulls huge audience for Seven
Last night’s quarter final clash between Australian hopeful Nick Kyrgios and Andy Murray drew a huge audience of 1.783m to Channel Seven, helping it secure an audience share of 29.9 per cent.
The match was the most watched show across all the demographics.
The rest of night nine of the Australian Open tournament was watched by 883,000 metro viewers while the broadcast of the day matches was watched by 399,000.
Also in sport, the ABC’s broadcast of the Asian Cup semi-final which saw Australia beat the UAE for a place in the final was watched by 730,000 metro viewers at 8pm.
Nine’s gamble to begin its 2015 series of The Block, The Block Triple Threat against a night of sport did not pay off with the show watched by 860,000 metro viewers, down 27 per cent from The Block: Fans vs Faves launch audience of 1.163m last year.
Morning Update: Pierce Brosnan’s Kia Super Bowl ad; P&G cuts marketing
AdWeek: Pierce Brosnan Drives a Whole Different Kind of Getaway Car in Kia’s Super Bowl Ad
Kia has released an extended version of its 60-second Super Bowl ad, and it’s a really fun spot with Pierce Brosnan that manages to have its cake and eat it, too—by both celebrating and poking fun at over-the-top Super Bowl spots.
In the spot, the former James Bond is getting briefed by his agent on his role for the ad, which he assumes will be standard action-movie fare. Instead, the agent keeps comically lowering his expectations. It’s not a Bond-esque escapade, he explains—just a normal car-driving-through-the-mountain ad.
American Sniper picks off top spot at the box office over the long weekend
Clint Eastwood’s latest film American Sniper stormed the box office over the Australia Day long weekend to take $5.266m across 298 screens.
Since its premiere last Thursday the film, which stars Bradley Cooper as Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and is nominated for best picture at the Oscars, has made $5.627m locally.
Australian film Paper Planes continues to do well at the box office although it could not come close to American Sniper’s bumper effort grabbing $1.675m across 262 screens taking its total local box office takings to $5.157m.
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