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Opinion | Features
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Media agency remuneration: It's the smaller nimbler agencies which will thrive
As huge changes blow through the Australian media agency landscape Nikki Retallick argues the smaller more collaborative companies will be the ones to thrive.
It’s a great time to be in the Australian ad industry. The winds of change are blowing. With the recent launch of Department212 and the success of earlier start-ups such as Bohemia, there’s some real momentum towards the rise of the independent, performance-based media agency.
The big agencies are starting to follow suit, having seen the ‘race to the bottom on price’ hit their bottom line. It’s all about delivering measurable value now and being able to move the dial on the clients’ business. -
Content marketing moves to centre stage
Last night ANZ launched one of Australia's biggest branded content plays to date. Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes was at the launch.
It took a few minutes too long last night for it to dawn on me why there was a jazz band in the corner of the room at ANZ's Melbourne conference suite. Blue Notes - gerrit?
And what last night's event did make clear is that the opportunities of that developing subset of branded content, brand journalism, are beginning to dawn on local brands. -
Answers for Adam: Is reality TV the way to tackle climate change?
Recently there was another report from the scientists of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) telling us that climate change (what used to be called global warming) is upon us and there are real changes happening now (I bet I’ve lost several readers already!)
The scientists are urging us to heed their warning and change our behaviours, yet we ignoring them in droves. Even though information they are giving us is dire. -
The Tele's textbook example of how to run a winning newspaper campaign
The Daily Telegraph has delivered a great piece of old fashioned campaigning journalism, argues Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes
Back when I worked in newspapers, I was taught that if a newspaper is going to embark on a campaign, it has to pass three tests. -
Piracy: At least the Lannisters pay their debts
Following a series of special reports on piracy on Mumbrella this week Foxtel's Bruce Meagher explains why the company is airing Game of Thrones as it is.
Much has been made in the past few days of the fact that fans of Game of Thrones are unable to acquire the series through services other than Foxtel until after the final episode airs. Unfortunately, there has also been much misinformation about how Foxtel is making Game of Thrones available to the public. -
Why hard-to-win awards are good awards
This year's Mumbrella Awards are going to be tougher to enter than ever before. Which makes winning one worth even more. As the call for entries goes live, Tim Burrowes explains the changes for this year.
Please don't hate me.
I hear a common complaint about some industry awards, and I'm afraid it's mostly my fault. -
Encore Score: The newsreaders
With the battle for early evening eyeballs increasingly important for commercial TV networks Amanda Meade looks at the numbers to see if the most popular newsreaders are the most watched.
Despite dramatic changes to the media landscape in the past ten years, the traditional 6pm commercial news bulletin on free-to-air television remains a key building block in a network’s schedule - get it right and you can carry big audiences over to your primetime shows. Some bulletins have even expanded from 30 minutes to an hour in the main markets of Sydney and Melbourne.
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Answers for Adam: Should PR agencies and creative agencies be combined?
This week Adam Ferrier asks whether PR is starting to mean everything and nothing, and whether it is any different from traditional advertising.
I've been thinking about the PR industry lately and where PR fits in the broader communications landscape. I've thought about it a lot, and worked with most models from integration under one roof to partner agencies, and a few things in-between.
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Australia's class system of brands
After a rare business class flight, Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes argues that brands may miss opportunities when staff treat customers according to their perceived value.
So over the weekend, I finally got to make the metaphorical left turn getting onto a Qantas flight. And it was everything I could have wanted. -
Answering Adam: Agencies need ideas as their engine
This week in his Answers for Adam column Adam Ferrier asked whether agencies should imitate startups. Here Nic Hodges argues agencies need to focus on their ideas, but modernise processes.
In his column this week Adam Ferrier asks "would your agency be doing better work if it put data, behavioural sciences, and technology up on pedestal along with creativity? Or is a single-minded focus on creativity still the answer?".
Here's a secret - nobody at a startup is sitting around caring about acting more like an advertising agency.
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PR agencies will not exist in a decade
After Graham White's response to Joe Hildebrand's CommsCon speech generated some heated debate on the state of the PR industry, Rob Lowe argues 'PR agencies' are already dying out.
PR agencies will cease to exist in the next ten years. Is that shocking enough for you? Well it’s true. Too many PR agencies are outdated, the traditional media landscape is shrinking, and with increasing numbers of advertising, social media and even SEO agencies getting in on the action, we need to smarten up. -
Why you should pull an all-nighter to get to Cannes
With Cannes Young Lions entries closing on Friday former winner Iggy Rodriguez has the reasons why you should pull an all nighter to finish your entry.
Okay, sure it’s the last minute, but plenty of famous campaigns have been written right before a big meeting or on the night before a pitch. You’ve got a few days, so you’re laughing. -
Answers for Adam: Is creativity still the answer for ad agencies?
This week Adam Ferrier asks whether ad agencies should be embracing startup culture more, or continuing to focus single-mindedly on creativity.
“The thing I hate the most about advertising is that it attracts all the bright, creative and ambitious young people, leaving us mainly with the slow and self-obsessed to become our artists”. Banksy (apparently?!)
The above quote is around ten years old and I wonder if it’s still relevant. I’m getting the sense that the new breed of creative folk who want to make a buck are not entering advertising – but rather being seduced by the technology fuelled ‘start-up’ culture. For example is it cooler to attend the Cannes Lions or tweet about the latest gadget unveiled at SXSW? -
Making the Mumbrella Awards matter - what you can tell us
It’s nearly time for the call for entries for the 2014 Mumbrella Awards. But before we publish this year’s categories and criteria, Mumbrella’s content director Tim Burrowes invites you to have a say...
I can still remember in excruciating detail the night we lost. -
Is total re-branding the only means left to end Network Ten's torment?
While the Ten Network's ratings woes well documented Luke Devenish asks if their best way to turn it around is a brand overhaul. We all find it difficult to get out of bed of a morning, but spare a thought for the powers-that-be at Network Ten, who must surely be belting the snooze button on a daily basis. Their annus horribilis is now nudging half a decade thanks to a waking nightmare that is two pronged in its torment.
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Mumbrella live blog: Thursday, April 17
This is Mumbrella’s live blog, a rolling diary of all you need to know in media and marketing. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
- Buzzfeed questions Nielsen’s decision not to classify it as a news site
- Southern Cross Austereo looks to digital to boost revenues
- Paul Bailey promoted to editor-in-chief as Fairfax reshuffles business again
- Isuzu Ute Australia withdraws competition after campaign describes it as an ‘X-rated Thailand sex tour’
5:24pm - There’s always a late breaking piece of news before a public holiday, and today’s is good for Ten, with the return of skilled news and sport presenter Matt White, presumably to head up the V8 Supercar coverage, but maybe for something slightly earlier…
4:20pm - One of the best yarns around today is on News.com.au – what kind of biscuit are you. It allows you to work out which Arnott’s biscuit is your personality type. Media Watch host Paul Barry smelled a rat though:
1.50pm - Isuzu Ute Australia has withdrawn a competition after campaign described it as an ‘X-rated Thailand sex tour’
1.25pm - Is Buzzfeed news? An interesting debate at Nielsen around whether they should be included in the online ratings. Story here.
1.10pm – Changes over a Fairfax with AFR editor Paul Bailey taking charge of the SMH and Age business section. Story here.
Ten takes news and motorsport presenter Matt White back from Seven
White
Network Ten has lured one of Australia’s up and coming news and sports presenters Matt White back from rivals Seven for an unspecified role to start in early July.
The third free-to-air network has brought back White, who spent eleven years with them before moving to Seven for the last decade, where he has presented the Olympic Games, Australian Open and the Melbourne Cup.
It is likely White will front the coverage of the V8 Supercars franchise which Ten has reclaimed the rights for from next year from Seven. He has previously presented the racing franchise on Ten and Seven.
However, he could also be in line for another role with the network, as it looks to make its struggling morning breakfast show Wake Up more news-oriented. His arrival comes just two months after Seven’s former news director Peter Meakin joined Ten to overhaul its news programming. Read more »
Isuzu Ute Australia withdraws competition after campaign describes it as an ‘X-rated Thailand sex tour’
Isuzu Ute Australia is withdrawing a campaign and complementary promotion for its new D-Max ute following a petition started by The Collective Shout which called for the company to withdraw what it described as a “‘X-rated’ Thailand sex tour competition”.
The company was promoting its new D-Max ute with the positioning of it being ‘X-rated’ as it sought to attract a younger buyer, and offering the chance for a member of the public to win “five hot nights” for “you and three mates” in Bangkok, Thailand.
Assistant general manager for marketing & PR Dave Harding told Mumbrella the ad is being withdrawn.
The car maker has released an official statement which said: “It has been brought to our attention that recent advertising promoting The X-Runner has caused concern and offence to some viewers. We chose Thailand as the destination of the X-Runner competition prize as it is the ‘home’ of the D-MAX and for no other reason.
Buzzfeed questions Nielsen’s decision not to classify it as a news site
Viral content site Buzzfeed is questioning the decision of audience measurement company Nielsen to exclude it from the official top ten most read Australian news websites, because it is not currently classed as a news site.
Under the Nielsen system Buzzfeed sits under the “search engines, portals, and communities” category. However, Buzzfeed insists it is a news site, and says it would have been tenth in yesterday’s Nielsen Online Rankings with an audience of 1.683m Australians, ahead of the BBC which had a unique audience of 1.681m.
Simon Crerar editor of Buzzfeed Australia said he would be speaking to Nielsen about the issue, adding: “We consider ourselves a news and entertainment company in the same way that NineMSN, News.com.au and the Mail Online have a mix between hard news and entertainment content.
“That is very much what we do too.”
Buzzfeed is one of a number of overseas websites to enter the Australian online space in the last 12 months with the US viral website, which generates much of its traffic through social media, formally launching in a joint event with journalism body The Walkley Foundation in January. Read more »
Paul Bailey promoted to editor-in-chief as Fairfax reshuffles business again
Paul Bailey
The editor of the Australian Financial Review (AFR) Paul Bailey has been promoted to the role of editor-in-chief of business at Fairfax Media, with oversight over the business sections of The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Age.
Bailey’s new position sees him replace James Chessell, a former deputy editor of the AFR who was last year promoted to the role of Fairfax’s editor – business and charged with bringing together greater cooperation and copy sharing between the BusinessDay business section of the SMH and Age with their sister publication the AFR. Chessell is moving overseas to establish a London bureau for the AFR.
Sean Aylmer group director, business media at Fairfax’s Australian Publishing Media announced the promotion to staff in an email this week: “Paul Bailey will take on the job as Editor-in-Chief, Business, effectively replacing James Chessell. Paul has been a mainstay of the AFR for several years, and has had stints at the Sydney Morning Herald, the Bulletin and Channel Nine. Read more »
Southern Cross Austereo looks to digital to boost revenues
Digital and in particular mobile have been a boom area for Southern Cross Austereo in the past 12 months, with the company now reaping the rewards of social media and data investment according to its head of innovation Clive Dickens.
In the past year the company, which owns national radio assets including the Today Network and Triple M as well as regional TV stations, has more than doubled its digital audiences and is now the 16th largest online publisher in Australia with 151,234 unique daily browsers, according to the latest Nielsen Online report for March.
“Digital is the fastest growing part of SCA’s business,” said Dickens. “Is it big enough to be spun off as a stand-alone business yet? Probably not. But in terms of where new revenues are coming from it’s definitely where the future lies.
“There’s work to be done because people see us as a TV and radio business, and it’s a surprise to them we’re such a big digital publisher. We’ve worked hard on it as a focus. In the year I’ve been here we’ve moved from outside the top 100 publishers to 16th, and we are growing each month.” Read more »
Commercial Radio Australia encourages audiences to buy their mum a digital radio this Mother’s Day
Commercial Radio Australia has partnered up with digital radio manufacturer Pure and retailers Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith to encourage audiences to purchase a digital radio for their mums for Mother’s Day.
Created by radio specialist agency Eardrum, the campaign aims to help out those who don’t “speak mother” and translates what mum really means when she says “darling just make me something for Mother’s Day”.
The four 30 second radio ads promote digital radios as the perfect gift and the retailer’s special offer of a free Dr Lewinn skincare pack when one of three selected Pure digital radios are purchased.
Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer Joan Warner said: “Digital radio uptake continues to rise and Mother’s Day has proved a popular period for purchase. Support from stations, manufacturers, retailers and listeners have seen digital radio sales defy retail trends in the last four years.”
Father Bob launches crowd-funding campaign for the homeless in which he promises to sing in return for donations
Priest Father Bob Maguire has launched a crowd-funding campaign via Pozible to help raise funds over Easter to feed the homeless with ‘Father Bob Sings for a Million’ campaign.
The Catholic Priest is asking people to make a donation in return for a number of ‘rewards’, with people able to suggest a song for Bob to sing via social media by tweeting or posting on Instagram or Facebook the choice of song along with the hashtag #songs4bob.
At the end of the month long campaign, the best suggestions will be selected and Bob will record and release an album with those who donate $25 to receive one of the first copies upon its release.
“At this time of year, we normally surround ourselves with family. My foundation is the family for the unloved and unlovely and we leave no one behind,” said Father Bob.
Nova FM targets drink driving in radio campaign created by GPY&R Brisbane
Nova FM in Brisbane is targeting drink driving with a new radio campaign using low frequency sounds to alert those who cannot hear them that they are probably over the legal alcohol limit and probably should not be driving.
Created by GPY&R Brisbane, the ‘Radio Breathalyser’ draws on UK research which shows that when a person is over the legal limit, they find it harder to hear lower frequencies. The station hopes it will help reduce the death toll on the roads over the Easter weekend.
GPY&R Brisbane creative director, Brendan Greaney said: “People are switching off to traditional anti-drink driving messages. Radio Breathalyser is a fresh, tangible way to directly influence behaviour while people are driving. Anything that gets people who’ve had a few drinks to question whether they should be behind the wheel is a good thing. Well done to Nova for taking on the cause with us.”
ABC secures broadcasting rights in China which could see political shows broadcast live
ABC International and its Australia Network have announced a long-term partnership with China’s second biggest broadcaster Shanghai Media Group that will see the public broadcaster sell programming into the world’s biggest television market.
The ABC is one of the first Western networks to secure such a deal which, according to the statement, comes with the support of media authorities of the Chinese Government in Shanghai.
“This historic agreement opens up a whole new world of television and online cooperation between Australia and China,” said Mark Scott managing director of the ABC. “It provides a truly unique window for all Australian media to build a friendly and mutually cooperative relationship with China.” Read more »
Absolut Vodka celebrates limited edition Absolut Oz with street art
Absolut Vodka is promoting its limited edition Absolut Oz, created in collaboration with director Baz Luhrmann, with “eco-friendly street art installations” in Sydney and Melbourne.
The vodka brand approached street artists Adriana Picker and Tim De Haan to create their own interpretation of the Absolut Oz emblem which was designed by Luhrmann in partnership with his creative director and wife, Catherine Martin, to be featured in locations around Chippendale, Sydney and the Melbourne CBD.
Anne Martin, marketing director, Pernod Ricard Australia said: “Luhrmann is known for taking the classics and transforming them into modern masterpieces, so it’s a fitting evolution that these two emerging artists have used Absolut Oz as created by him and reinterpreted the work into their own unique piece. The all-important subtitle of Absolut Oz – “we are all equal under the sun” – also becomes much more relevant with this next creative phase being realised in the truly egalitarian medium that is street art.”
Puberty Blues lifts as news dominates another non-ratings night
The final of Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell on ABC1 was the second most-watched non-news program last night, delivering the channel an audience of 760,000 metro viewers while Seven’s Home and Away was again the most watched entertainment show, preliminary overnight ratings from OzTam show.
Home and Away delivered Seven an audience of 895,000 metro viewers at 7pm.
Ten’s Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club, which airs for an hour from 7.30pm, saw a boost in its audience from the night before up to 582,000 viewers, from 531,000 on Tuesday night. However it was beaten by Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, which ran from 8pm until 8.30pm, and was also beaten by a repeat of Nine’s RBT, which also airs in the 7.30 to 8.30pm timeslot, which managed to attract a metro audience of 694,000.
However it did manage to beat Seven’s Highway Patrol, also airing in the 7.30pm timeslot, which only managed to attract a metro audience of 477,000.
Clemenger and OMD signal return to full service in Tasmania with new joint state leader
Creative director Marcus Murphy, Matt Fishburn and Libby Walker
Matt Fishburn has been stepped up to be the managing director for Clemenger BBDO in Tasmania, signalling a move back towards a full service model integrating with the recently-formed OMD media agency unit in the state.
The OMD business director replaces Tony Hart as managing director of the 30-strong creative agency, who has been with the agency for the last 25 years and is set to take on a research role in the operation.
OMD launched a unit, situated with Clems in its Hobart office, last January to target the Tasmanian Government media buying account led by Fishburn, who had been with Clemenger for five years as business development and innovation director.
Previously Clemenger there had serviced both creative and media needs for clients. Read more »
Microsoft promotes Adam Anger to lead Asia Pac ad sales
Anger
Adam Anger has taken over the newly consolidated regional advertising operations of Microsoft as the company continues its overhaul of operations in the region.
Anger, who previously ran Microsoft Advertising for Greater China, has now been handed the role of GM, Asia-Pacific, running advertising operations across the MSN, Xbox, Skype, Bing, Windows 8, Windows Phone and Outlook.com brands, Mumbrella Asia has reported.
His new role covers Greater China, Southeast Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand, and means that Bruno Fiorentini, who formerly ran all of Asia except for China, moves into a new role running global accounts and agencies based in Redmond. Read more »
Morning Update: Ad for music school taps into music’s ability to evoke emotions; Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart social media push for production racked up 600 million impressions
This is our Morning Update, rounding up international media and marketing news from while you were sleeping.
Creativity-Online: This Japanese Ad for a Music School Will Make You Cry
“This ad is entirely in Japanese, but even if you don’t know a word of the language, it won’t matter. Set at a beautiful wedding, the spot shows a father getting up to perform a beautiful melody for the happy couple. At first, both bride and groom are confused. But through flashback sequences, it’s made clear that the melody is one that the bride’s mother, now deceased, used to play on the piano. Her father, wanting to do something special on his daughter’s big day, decided to learn the music. It’s a beautiful way to show both the power of a song to evoke memories, and ties in nicely to the product — a music school, Tosando.”
Mumbrella live blog: Wednesday, April 16
This is Mumbrella’s live blog, a rolling diary of all you need to know in media and marketing. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
Top stories:
- Mail Online and The Guardian soar in revised Nielsen news site rankings
- Maccas pokes fun at Facebook fans as it hits 1m
- Opinion: The coming force of content marketing
- SMI: Ten’s ad revenue drops post-Sochi
- M.J Bale creates a ‘Power Suit’
4:36pm – There’s a report in Campaign Brief today saying Russel Howcroft (formerly GPY&R boss, now Network Ten GM and sometime Gruen regular) is stepping up to fill the void left after David Nobay’s decision to leave Recipes to Riches, and is already filming auditions. We asked Ten if this was the case, and they said to us:
The Campaign Brief report is wrong. Russel is not filming auditions for Recipe to Riches. In fact, he’s on holiday.
We are finalising the panel of experts for the second season of Recipe To Riches and will make an announcement in due course.
3:39pm - Whilst one first-time Royal tour may be taking the limelight there’s another going on of a lot of significance for some agencies in this market. This morning Yannick Bollore, the head of Havas since the departure of David Jones, jetted into Sydney for a tour of some of his up-and-coming local shops. Here’s what he tweeted this morning:
3:02pm -If nothing else Grangegate is producing the usual round of memes and spoof ads. Dr Mumbo has some – what’s your favourite?
2:32pm – Modern Family recently filmed in Australia, and the network has already turned around the episode which will b shown on April 23 in the US, although no airdate has been given for Australia yet. From the looks of the trailer they’ve left no cliches untouched either. See the full story, and sizzle reel, her. Read more »
McDonald’s pokes fun at Facebook fans to celebrate a million likes
McDonald’s Australia has created a video based on some of the content and comments from its Facebook page to celebrate cracking the million likes mark on the social network.
The playful online video, which features some of the whackier pronouncements made by brand fans on the page, and also pokes fun at some of its more obsessive fans.
SMI: Ten revenue share falls back to earth after Sochi boost
The latest revenue figures from Standard Media Index (SMI) show Network Ten’s revenue has fallen from its February highs, amid declining audience shares for major franchises such as The Biggest Loser, So You Think You Can Dance and Secret and Lies.
According to the March figures Ten had a revenue share of just 21.24 per cent, down from 25.1 per cent this time last year with revenue of just $37.4m compared with $42.5m, a 13.2 per cent fall. Last month on the back of the Sochi Winter Olympics the network was trumpeting a 24.2 per cent revenue share.
The drop in revenue had been predicted by the market and by Ten, with the network’s chief sales officer saying: “The March revenue share number was in line with our expectations and reflected our ratings results. We are committed to improve our ratings performance by fixing our general entertainment program schedule.”
Meanwhile commercial rivals Nine and Seven both posted strong results with Nine up 13.4 per cent for March, while Seven was up 4.5 per cent, in the metro markets. Nine had a 37.7 per cent share of agency bookings last month while Seven was a 41.39 per cent share. Read more »
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