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Opinion | Features
How bosses can build trust by baring themselves to staff
In this guest post, Simon Rutherford, CEO of Slingshot Media, argues that bosses should be vulnerable in front of their staff.
Winston Churchill once said: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
Fake it til you make it...as a radio newsreader
In a piece that first appeared in Encore, Emily Hoskins from ARN tells us how to do her job.
What does a radio newsreader actually do?
A radio newsreader has to be switched on from the moment they sit at their desk. At the Australian Radio Network each journalist writes, researches, edits and reads their own news bulletins under tight deadlines – every 30 minutes during the breakfast shift and every hour after 9am.
Keith Reinhard on freedom to fail, winning back Maccas and how agencies can survive
In an exclusive interview in Cannes today, advertising icon Keith Reinhard, one of the founding fathers of what is now DDB Worldwide, talked to Mumbrella’s Robin Hicks about freedom from fear, his favourite ads of all time, winning back McDonald’s and why the most important thing in advertising is passion.Savage counsel - little white lies
In a piece that first featured in Encore, Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas. This week, he talks about when it’s okay to lie to clients.
Hi Chris,
I often find myself telling little white lies at work – I tell people on the phone that I don’t want to speak to I’m about to duck into meetings. I told my colleague her new haircut was great when really it wasn’t and I praised someone’s work when actually it was kind of shit. After each of these occasions, I felt pretty terrible and wonder if you could tell me how can I speak with candour in the future – for my sake and others.
How to build a culture
How important is a company’s culture and how do you ensure you are breeding a good one? Matt Smith investigates, in a piece that first appeared in Encore.When production companies Cordell Jigsaw and Zapruder’s Other Films merged early last year, bringing the staff together within the walls of the Zapruder building proved to be something of a challenge. While the two companies weren’t strangers to each other due to six months of talks and negotiations, working together on a full-time basis was a different story.
Q&A Damian Keogh
In a piece that first featured in Encore, Val Morgan CEO Damian Keogh reveals his potential alternate career.
Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
I’d say Kerry Stokes, slightly ahead of Harold Mitchell and Kim Williams. He controls the entity with the largest revenue across free-to-air, online, magazines and newspapers. On pure size alone, his influence and leverage over advertisers, media agencies and consumers is unmatched. Harold is still the king in media, slightly ahead of John Steedman, but Henry Tajer and Leigh Terry are the heirs apparent. Kim Williams controls News and that’s a big base to work from.
If a violent game is okay, then so is using a violent ad to promote it
An ad for video game Dead Island Riptide was banned by the ad watchdog. James Whitehead of online entertainment publisher IGN argues that it was the wrong call.A fortnight ago, it emerged that the Ad Standards Board had banned a television commercial for the video game Dead Island: Riptide, due to its depiction of violence – specifically suicide.
Why content makers are leaving our shores
In a piece that first featured in Encore, Craig Anderson says there simply isn’t enough opportunity for content makers in Australia, especially for those making comedy.Last year I had multiple meetings with production companies in Australia and discovered that apart from the odd commercial campaign, there’s no proliferation of paying platforms for comedy. From my own experience there’s iView, which will buy content once it’s already been made (though I live in hope that it will one day be granted the financial power to commission content). I’ve also had the odd informal commission from the SMH iPad consisting of two narrative series and a comical review show. But none of these endeavours were financially viable.
Managing your management style
In an article that first appeared in Encore, Stephanie Brown says the advertising industry often leaves people ill-equipped when it comes to managing staff, especially when they’re promoted into management roles.Managing people is hard. In fact, I actually think it’s the hardest job in the world. With no disrespect intended, I often joke that if my job didn’t involve other people to manage, it would be a walk in the park. I could get about my day’s work in a nice, linear fashion, happily checking off my to-do list as I go. I’m a process-orientated person. I get a kick out of getting things done.
Why the Facebook chase is making brands treat consumers like morons
You know how we look back at quaintly patronising ads from the 1950s and wonder what on earth the advertisers were thinking?
I’ve got a feeling that in a few years time, we’ll be looking at the behaviour of big brands on Facebook the same way.
An entire generation of marketers – or at least a sizeable proportion of them – have lost their minds.
So many have become so obsessed with generating user interactions at all costs, that all thoughts about overall brand perceptions or long term marketing goals have vanished. All that counts now, is generating likes and comments at all costs.
Blog this!
Paid content, sponsored posts and brand ambassadorships – in theory, today’s blogger can be just as valuable to brands as mainstream media. But does blogger outreach actually work? In an article that first appeared in Encore, Nic Christensen investigates.“I get approaches from PR companies constantly,” says blogger and author Kerri Sackville, with more than a hint of exasperation. “I have never done a sponsored blog, on my own site, but that doesn’t stop them from asking.”
McLennan right man for job
It’s all change at troubled broadcaster Channel Ten with new directions, new executives and a brand new CEO. Managing director of Adstream Peter Miller says Hamish McLennan is the right man for the job, in an article that first appeared in Encore.I am a bit of a schmuck when it comes to movies. I love romantic comedies. My favourite is One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney.
Q&A with Richard Herring
In a piece that first appeared in Encore, CEO of APN Outdoor Richard Herring talks media.Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
I don’t know if there is one person in particular. The fragmentation of traditional media and new entrants has made it a more level playing field with regards to major influencers. As was demonstrated with the recent media reform recommendations, together, the broader media community still has a very influential and powerful voice.
What one medium could you not live without?
Outdoor – clean, entertaining, evocative and informative.
Q&A with screenwriter Craig Pearce
Craig Pearce, screenwriter for The Great Gatsby, spoke to Encore about working with Baz and writing for 3D.
How did you get into script writing?
I always loved stories and acting and dressing up and being anything but myself and I never realised that was not something other people did. After leaving high school, I did a three year acting course at NIDA but always thought I would one day write. Baz was a good friend and he had a theatre company. He wanted to extend a 20 minute version of Strictly Ballroom. We got it to 45 minutes then he was approached by producers to turn it into a feature film. I started helping him out on the film while they were looking for a real writer but eventually Baz had to go to the producers and say, “There’s this guy who’s my best friend and he is a really good writer”. To the producers’ credit, they believed in Baz so we had two weeks to re-write it.
Savage Counsel - winning pitches
Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas in his weekly Encore advice column.
Hi Chris,
It seems we have to increasingly pitch for everything. Even with existing clients, we’re now expected to pitch ideas, competitively, for every project. We’re winning about two out of five of what we’re pitching for. It’s a huge burden on our time and budgets. What is your secret to winning a pitch presentation? How do we make sure our presentations are a knockout?
ACP’s PC User is reborn as TechLife
ACP’s technology title PC User is to be rebranded TechLife.
The magazine will launch in June to address a lack of innovation in the consumer technology publication space, 
according to the publisher.
It will be available as a print edition, with an online and social media presence as well as tablet and smartphone apps.
ACP’s director of media, public affairs and brand development, Deborah Thomas told Mumbrella in February that PC User was “not in danger of closing”.
TechLife will cover a broader spectrum than PC User, offering editorial on the application of technology to all consumer lifestyle activities, from fitness to entertainment.
The editor of PC User, Glen Rees, left the magazine a month ago.
Tony Sarno, editor of APC Magazine, will become editor-in-chief of both titles. All PC User editorial staff will move over to the new title.
Tony Sarno (picture supplied)
Sarno said: “Consumer technology magazines haven’t really innovated since the 1980s, concentrating primarily on products through reviews, testing and ratings. TechLife will focus on lifestyle activities — such as leisure and entertainment, health and fitness — and explain how technology can enhance those pursuits”.
Around 200,000 copies of the magazine are to be published in May as a sampler and distributed to a readership of 900,000, along with an electronic sampler and heavy promotion at point of sale.
The launch is intended to complement the APC magazine brand, which is aimed at professionals and “power users.”
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Comments
21 Mar 12
1:22 pm
Glenn Rees did not just ‘leave’, he was made redundant under the new structure which saw APC editor Sarno take charge of both titles.
21 Mar 12
1:52 pm
What do they say about Immitation and Flattery?
http://yourtechlife.com
Should be good for my SEO:)
Trevor
21 Mar 12
2:02 pm
So in order to “address the lack of innovation in the technology space” they decided to re-launch a magazine?
Now that, Alanis Morrisette, is the real definition of irony.
21 Mar 12
2:33 pm
Who would supply that picture?
21 Mar 12
2:54 pm
If the figures in the story on The Australian’s website are correct, PC User was outselling APC by almost 10,000 copies a month, yet they punted PC User’s editor and put APC’s editor in charge of the lot. I don’t really understand that sort of logic. Why punt the editor of the more successful title? And why are they are rebranding the better performing of their two tech mags? If ACP was selling 10,000 less every month, wouldn’t it have been a candidate for more immediate attention? Does anyone get what’s going on? I don’t. This is all very strange.
21 Mar 12
3:40 pm
Cameron, the key is that Glenn Rees has been the editor of PCU for almost 20 years, starting in the early 90s. Tony Sarno may have been editing APC for less than half that but he’s come form SMH, Australian and Fairfax online so clearly has a broader background which can give you more experiences to draw upon. And also Sarno can ‘sell’ his vision very well, he’s very good at ‘marketing’ so I guess he had a vision of the new direction PCU needed to go in. And also was not the guy who had, through no fault of his own, been in the seat during the decline of PCU. And also could present and sell his ‘vision’ well enough to come out the winner.
21 Mar 12
3:54 pm
The comment that really annoys me under this story is the one from Dude. Yes, I originally supplied that picture of me. Do you have a problem with it?
Tony Sarno
21 Mar 12
4:08 pm
Cameron, well put.
My theory is that whilst tech mags were on the fast downward slope on circ and readership, ACP made the decision to salvage the highest read (PC User) before it was too late and rebadge it to fit the current trend in tech lifestyle.
I believe its a great positioning of the new title and perhaps should have been done sooner.
Its a shame about seeing Glenn go though, his loyal fans will be following his next moves…
21 Mar 12
5:33 pm
Last audit APC circulation down 16.63% to 22,226 (around 2/3rds of PCUser’s 31,062) despite brilliant marketing!!! What circulation have they committed too???
21 Mar 12
6:23 pm
BTW, for those that don’t seem to know what APC is. It’s not just the print mag (which by the way, is pitched at a different audience to PC User). It’s also a website with around 500,000 unique users a month; a tablet edition which is now growing very quickly, and a specialist buying recommendation website with a smartphone version as well. All done pretty much within a budget that originally was used to put out just the print magazine. Unlike some of the commenters here, I like to look at the bigger picture of what a brand is these days and the total number of eyeballs it delivers.
21 Mar 12
8:57 pm
The main reason for the change is most likely the desire to broaden the advertising base. The words “leisure, entertainment, health and fitness” may be editorial directions but they are following the path of ad revenue. Will their current audience stick with them? Probably not, but it doesn’t really matter when they are leaving the category in droves anyway. At least they’re not just waiting around to die.
21 Mar 12
10:54 pm
I agree with Tiffany’s take on this, the mainstream title will always have best chance of success and the mainstream of ‘computing’ has changed enormously over the years, it’s now not even ‘computing’, technology is part of everyday life. So reorienting PC User to that position and that audience to make it relevant to them makes perfect sense, and todo that you’d have to have a change in name and brand because ‘PC User’ is absolutely the wrong brand for today’s mainstream audience. This is in effect like launching an entirely new magazine into this space. APC can then fine-tune its focus to pick up all the rusted on PCU readers who will not want the new mag, so it’s win-win.
22 Mar 12
11:08 am
The way I see it, if you have a brand that is still successful — particularly relative to the other computer mags out there — you’re best not to mess with it. That is just simple, down the line, common sense. Once PC User is messed with, what’s more likely to happen? More readers or less? The smart money’s on less. So why do it? All this talk of what’s happening in the industry “in general” isn’t really a substitute for the solid gold fact that, in PC User, ACP still had a title that was doing well, again, relative to everyone else, which suggests that, no matter what’s happening “in general”, it was still hitting a particular niche that, mark my words here and now, won’t appreciate the formula being messed with.
22 Mar 12
11:10 am
PS: In relation to the supplied photo, I daresay why Dude made reference to it is because it’s… well… a bit weird looking. You look haunted in it, Tony.
22 Mar 12
12:51 pm
Cameron: “Once PC User is messed with, what’s more likely to happen? More readers or less? The smart money’s on less. So why do it?”
Because the circulation trend clearly shows there are going to be less readers anyway, no matter what ACP does. So what do you do? If you leave things as they are then at some stage circ reaches the point where it’s just not worth doing the magazine at all, so it’s shuttered, and long before then advertisers have been jumping ship anyway.
So you may as well recognise the change in this industry, bite the bullet and launch what is in effect an all-new magazine in your attempt to reach into a broader market. This is what ACP should have done a decade ago, but the beancounters were probably focussed on the audience they had at the time (and didn’t want to lose) rather than the fact that they were losing them anyway and something needed to be done about it.
ACP and PCU have tried a few things but on the whole the mag has stuck to the same safe formula year-in year-out. Yes, it’s a formula that ‘worked’ in one sense, it kept the bulk of readers happy enough, but there was inevitable leakage with every survey, and the focus was on minimising loss to single-digits rather than going for growth.
Now to me that’s a defeatist attitude, and a short-sighted one, albeit an understandable one. But it’s a bit like saying “The boat is leaking, don’t rock the boat or we’ll sink faster” instead of “Let’s plug the effing leak!”.
As for how PCU readers will feel, of course most of them will be unhappy and make no bones about shouting that from the rooftops.
Yes, most of the rusted-on readers will hate the new TechLife magazine. But that comes with the territory when you make a change like this. I’m sure ACP will swing their subscription over to APC magazine and I’m sure a lot of the will like TechLife or know someone who will like it, in fact I guarantee that for every PCU reader there would have to be hundreds if not thousands of potential TL readers.
The trick will be making those people into TL readers, and with all the sampling and bundling ACP’s going to do plus some cross-promo on ninemsn I reckon they will make a good first of it.
And in a technical sense , PCU will not take a circ hit from readers walking away because PCU won’t be around. It will cease to exist.
I reckon this is one of those ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ moves. ACP had to do something, and something big, something radical. As long as they commit to TL for at least 18 months and don’t shirk from making the most of this opportunity they could be onto a winner.
22 Mar 12
3:06 pm
“PCU will not take a circ hit from readers walking away because PCU won’t be around. It will cease to exist.”
But that ignores that PC User currently makes ‘x’ amount of dollars for ACP. When it ceases to exist, there’s a hole in the budget. That hole obviously needs to be filled with something — ideally of the same size or larger. But if a certain number of PC User readers give up on the book, or go to APC or another title, that means the hole isn’t fully filled back in and the new title starts from a negative position before the first issue even pops out. That’s my point!