-
Opinion | Features
My memo to your boss
So let me guess?
You really want to come to Mumbrella360, but you’ve got to justify the time and cost to your boss?
Good news! I think I can help.
Woz not great
In this guest post Tony Prysten argues that the thousand dollar price of seeing out-of-touch Apple co-founder Steve Wozniack on his Australian tour was a waste of money.
This week, for the cost of two iPads (yep, two) I went to the Woz Live conference in Melbourne. I was not impressed.
What the hell is transmedia?
From advertising campaigns to online video series, the term ‘transmedia’ gets quite the work out. But what does it actually mean? Cathie McGinn trawls the media landscape for a definitive definition.
Transmedia, all media and multiplatform are terms often used interchangeably when referencing modern storytelling techniques. Yet, depending who you speak to, there are distinct differences between them.
According to industry experts Encore spoke to, the key elements that define transmedia can be summarised as follows: platform, time, audience, adaptation, and creative collaboration.
Innovation is the remedy for the ailing magazine industry
With magazine circulations plummeting, FHM closing and rumours rife on future ownership of ACP Magazines, Paul Merrill says the only way forward is launching new titles.Eight years ago in the UK, nearly a quarter of all magazine sales came from magazines that were less than four years old. In Australia, the figure was slightly lower, but still significant. Today, the situation is very different. For a start there are so few new magazines. Yes, Masterchef briefly flared, and Top Gear made an initial impact. But Grazia and Alpha fizzled, and now ACP has shelved their plans to launch Elle.
More than a game: broadcasting the Olympics
The 2012 London Olympics will be the biggest televised sporting event of our time. Brooke Hemphill discovers the logistical challenges and technical requirements of producing the event.
From July 27 to August 12, the Australian media will go sport crazy as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, aka the 2012 London Summer Olympics, unfold. The games will be the most televised sporting event of our time as broadcasters look to master every manner of technology at their disposal.
The Voice - Australia's best example yet of social TV
In this guest post, Sputnik’s Rodd Messent has a theory on why audiences have taken to The Voice .I am an addict of Channel Nine’s hit show The Voice. Such is the extent of my addiction I seriously think my housemate might kick me out of our apartment for the semi-frenzied yelling and tweeting that ensues in our lounge room each time the show airs.It’s the first time in almost three years that such disagreement has resulted in less than civil behaviour towards one another, and it’s made me think it might be a microcosm of the large volume of online debate about the show and, correspondingly, an explanation for its success as a social TV experience.Why brands are the US Army - and culture jammers are the Viet Cong
In this guest posting, Dave Burgess, who painted ‘No War’ on the Sydney Opera House, claims that ‘amoral’ advertisers have copied his idea.
Culture jamming is a 28-year-old term coined by the San Francisco-based band Negativland, who declared that the ‘Studio for the cultural jammer is the world at large’.
Branded content is dead. Long live branded content
In this guest posting, Anthony Freedman argues why branded content is making a comeback.
A few short years ago, probably concurrent with the advent of the PVR, a new term emerged within the marketing communications industry; branded content. This was really synonymous with advertiser funded TV shows where programming was created by brands and deals struck with networks to broadcast them.
There were varying degrees of success with this model.
Shock advertising: 30 ads that would give Australia's ad watchdog a coronary
Is shock an underused weapon in Australian advertising, asks Robin HicksToday, Sydney agency The Cabana Boys used an image of a mouth sewn together to shock people with the idea that problem gamblers lie to conceal their habit. Is it the most disturbing image ever? No. Will it get banned by the Advertising Standards Bureau? No. But it did make me wonder why shock is not used more often in Australia – and not just by charities and government bodies. (WARNING: NSFW)
The making of ratings blockbuster The Voice
Jason Mountney goes on the set of Channel Nine’s talent search series, The Voice, to see how the format, based on an international franchise, has come together. What ingredients have gone into making this certified hit that’s rated more than two million viewers on three consecutive nights?
Mike Goldman has one of the toughest jobs on the set of the Nine network’s new talent show, The Voice. He not only has to narrate the show, but also keep the audience from losing their enthusiasm as they realise shooting TV programs takes a lot longer than the one-hour bursts they see in their lounge rooms. A lot longer.
Nine problems stopping The Global Mail from getting an audience
While it’s a shame The Global Mail has failed to make an impact on the media landscape, the signs have been there for some time.I love the concept of a well resourced, philanthropically-funded independent news site. Anywhere in the world, that’s a rare and wonderful thing. In Australia even more so. So I hope that Grame Wood gets to see his investment make a difference.
And I have no inside info on whether Monica Attard’s sudden departure is linked to the site’s failure to find an audience so far.
Regardless, here are nine areas they can easily start to address:
Journalism’s new model?
Does the launch of philanthropically funded news site The Global Mail signal a new era for journalism or is the model destined to be a passing fad, asks Cathie McGinn in this article first published in Encore magazine.With little fanfare, philanthropically funded news site The Global Mail launched in February this year.
The online-only title received a generous five-year funding commitment from businessman Graeme Wood, founder of accommodation website wotif.com, who donated $15million.
Five things that make a great suit
In this guest posting, Gareth Collins argues that the role of a great account manager is to make the work betterI’m surprised at how many suits I meet who don’t know their role in the advertising business. The question ‘what does an advertising account manager or director do?’ is frequently met with answers such as project manager, relationship manager, plate spinner or go between … and those are the nice ones.
Success is judged on the ability to manage a process, be strong administratively and get stuff done. And while a good suit needs to do all of these things brilliantly, if these are the traits that define a great suit, then I’m in the wrong job.
What the hell is transmedia?
From advertising campaigns to online video series, the term ‘transmedia’ gets quite the work out. But what does it actually mean? Cathie McGinn trawls the media landscape for a definitive definition.
Transmedia, all media and multiplatform are terms often used interchangeably when referencing modern storytelling techniques. Yet, depending who you speak to, there are distinct differences between them.
The top seven...most patronising pieces of communication
Sometimes brands have big ideas. Sometimes marketers get so caught up with a grandiose idea that instead of finding engaging ways to sell breakfast cereal, they start to believe their own rhetoric. And sometimes it’s just lazy marketing. Here are my top seven inadvertently patronising pieces of communication…
1) Last night thousands of women gathered in Sydney’s Centennial Park to take part in She Runs the Night, an event created by Nike.
Advertisers pile in for SBS’s Entourage
Entourage – the feelgood bromance of life on the Hollywood A-list – is finally to air on free TV in Australia – and advertisers have already piled in.
The HBO-made comedy has already been a staple of the subscription Arena channel but debuts on SBS next month.
According to SBS, Telstra, Unilever (Lynx) and Ford have taken up the full allocation of commercial airtime for Entourage’s first, eight-week season.
SBS will also offer episodes of the drama on a dedicated Entourage website.
The drama features the adventures of hot young actor Vinnie Chase, played by Adrian Grenier, and his entourage of friends.
((Hat-tip: Ben Shepherd)
July 9th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
-
-
Follow Us
-
Email Newsletter
Latest Jobs- Sales & Marketing Assistant - Crows Nest
- Account Director - Sponsorship - Sydney
- Digital Producer - Melbourne
- Digital Producer - Melbourne
- Agency TV Sales - Sydney
- Agency Account Manager- Digital, TV, Radio - Sydney
- Contract Bid Writer | Tender Writer | Technical Writer - Melbourne
- National Display Advertising Director - Sydney
- Display Advertising Business Director - Sydney
- Display Advertising Business Director - Sydney
Comments
9 Jul 09
3:37 pm
Wow only 5 seasons behind Fox8 and Season 6 is airing next week in the US.
9 Jul 09
4:16 pm
I’d love to associate my brand with a show that has:
- Been on air in the US since July 2004.
- Been available on DVD since May 2005
- Primarily downloaded via BitTorrent by the core audience, to whom they’re trying to reach.
Good job on the rort SBS!
9 Jul 09
4:25 pm
I would like to support Ari’s comments…but I’m too stoned.nice work SBS.
9 Jul 09
4:43 pm
not sure if people have seen this – http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1914477
“Every week on Entourage”
9 Jul 09
4:57 pm
isn’t it a teensy bit arrogant to assume that companies with some of the largest ad budgets in the country don’t realise this?
don’t you think that they might want to associate their brand with an audience that hadn’t seen this show yet, and might have negotiated an appropriate rate for gaining that exposure with the station that has negotiated an appropriate rate in buying the program, with full knowledge of the exposure it has previously received?
9 Jul 09
5:13 pm
BTW i agree with Stu. Give SBS and these advertisers some credit.
9 Jul 09
5:42 pm
That was a good speech, Stu. If I was 25 and liked cock, we could be something.
9 Jul 09
7:42 pm
I’d prefer to watch Viking Quest
9 Jul 09
8:03 pm
Almost Stu. Except that the entire target of this show is savvy enough to have already downloaded it, or has foxtel. If they haven’t, they’d be too clueless to watch SBS.
9 Jul 09
11:04 pm
Tse Tse Fly
10 Jul 09
6:19 am
hi Ari
i’m sorry that you’re not 25
stu
10 Jul 09
6:20 am
Foobar
is that research or assumption?
10 Jul 09
8:49 am
Great link, Ben. I’ve embedded it above.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
10 Jul 09
10:27 am
In all seriousness and taking the fanboi hat off for the moment. The only reason it’s making it to free to air, is because of the content deal between SBS and XYZ.
The lack of respect the commercial networks show their viewers in this country is disturbing. Entourage and The Sopranos are prime examples. Nine waited almost a year before airing the finale. As an advertiser trying to reach a niche audience, I want to be in programming where the audience is glued to their seats, engaged. Re runs and long delays don’t diminish the effectiveness of advertising in the show in their first place. Nine will claim that Sopranos didn’t rate. It didn’t rate because the audience found their content elsewhere (i.e. online) because the delays and scheduling (midnight anyone?) were frustrating.
Median age of the show varies, probably because of the small sample size, but you’re looking at late twenties, early thirties according to ratings data. That bracket is the least likely to subscribe to STV too, so the success of the screen on Area, just goes to show you how engaged the audience is.
Airing a show that is now 5 years old, with a massive cult following and then claiming that they’ve sold out all the airtime is not something, which I personally would hang my hat on. The show itself is only 23-24 minutes long, so it’s no great feat of achievement to sell it out. Plus, what sort of view experience is the audience going to have?
Despite its legality, BitTorrent would account for a large portion of Entourage viewing. As long as the networks continue to be risk adverse with these sorts of shows it will continue to be that way – even more so as the general public becomes more familiar with non-legal means of accessing content.
I know what I’ll be doing on Monday night!
10 Jul 09
10:35 am
Where’s Lloyd when I need him to proof read my rants!? Some of that should have read:
… long delays diminish the effectiveness…
… what sort of view experience is the audience going to have?
Now, I’m off to anally punish the wife.
10 Jul 09
2:30 pm
Who cares when it first went to air. Does it have a long shelf life as entertaining… Yes it does. Good on SBS.
10 Jul 09
2:36 pm
Loving the comments here.
Have to admit, I’ve just done Season 1 – 5 through BitTorrent and will be downloading Season 6 as soon as it airs. While I’m sure there’s still some stragglers who haven’t seen it yet, I know all my mates have.
10 Jul 09
2:46 pm
VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 Jul 09
3:02 pm
It would have to be on SBS as they would need to censor it a bit if on the other free to air channels. Waiting for the next season to start on Arena….
10 Jul 09
3:13 pm
I love you Johnny Drama.
The more of you, the better
x o x o
10 Jul 09
3:47 pm
Get the F%$* outa here Drama, do you mean we have to roll all the way downunder and do another f@#^%&# launch party?
Jesus Christ Ari Gold you just got demoted to silver!
10 Jul 09
4:17 pm
I don’t think it matters where people have seen this show previously.
These days unless it’s an Australian drama people have downloaded it / seen it somewhere else.
30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development we’ve all seen it before but it still rates.
Not only that, but Subs TV show these programs on repeat constantly….and they still draw audiences and more importantly – highly suitable environments for brands to align themselves.
One show which has continued to rate no matter how many times it’s shown is The Simpsons. A Network Ten staple for as long as anyone can remember and still one of the best performing shows on Ten against many demo’s.
Well done, to those brands who got on board.
10 Jul 09
5:44 pm
Free to air in Australia has always sucked at showing great US cable shows. See Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiam, Conan O’Brien, Dexter etc etc. Either get Foxtel or download it online is the only way to go.
And catch me in Platoon and The Doors films.
7 Aug 09
11:40 pm
Ari Gold is God. Period.