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Opinion
The keyboard warrior of Twitter
In this guest post, NBN staffer Scott Rhodie writes an unofficial, personal view on his experience with a hostile Twitter critic.Last night I had a strange incident. While on Twitter I noticed someone saying that Australia’s NBN is already outdated. I wrote a small note back explaining they were incorrect.
And their response? The lovely gentleman (whose Twitter profile says: ‘Father of 5 kids, Loving Grandfather of 10 Grandchildren,and 2 Great Granddaughters. love to give heaps to Pollies and Poofters’) said to me: “Go and lick Gillards C*** out U commie Prick”
What's in a name?
In this guest post, Moensie Rossier wonders about the power of names for brands and marketers.
Brands have been having a bit of fun with names lately, not to mention a fair bit of success. Interbrand just named a headhunting firm Cloak & Dagger. And ‘Share a Coke’ showed how much power there is in a name.
The Coke campaign effectively short-circuited the usual mechanics of communication. It undoubtedly stroked people’s egos. But, I believe, its success stems from the fact that it directly and automatically affected people’s behaviour, rather than doing so indirectly by shaping attitudes.
Best ads from Super Bowl 2012
The Super Bowl is all done and a team from North America won. But as well as some sort of sporting event, it’s the world’s biggest advertising showcase. See the best of them right here… and please tell us what you think.
How to debunk media myths
In this post, UWS’s Ullrich Ecker, John Cook and Stephen Lewandowsky argue that cognitive science can help PRs form strategies in managing media misreporting.
A growing cohort of commentators has bemoaned the descent of contemporary political “debate” into a largely fact-free zone.
How about simply focusing on what consumers want?
In this guest post, Peter Mountford argues that brands should think more about what is really going on for consumers
Who here is hoping their favourite brand of toilet paper is going to be organizing a flash mob on their way home from work today?
What the Optus web copyright victory means
In this analysis first published on The Conversation, RMIT’s Marita Shelly examines the implications of Telstra’s defeat over the online rights to the AFL broadcast deal
This week’s Federal Court ruling that Optus customers are able to view sporting matches minutes after they are streamed live without breaching copyright is a landmark decision that alters our understanding of copyright law, and has significant implications for the AFL’s broadcasting rights deal.
Does Gina Rinehart’s bite of a chunk of Fairfax make her an oligarch?
In an article that first appeared in The Conversation, Mark Rolfe wonders whether the mining magnate’s move could turn Fairfax into something resembling America’s Fox network.
Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart has moved to increase her stake in Fairfax Media, owner of The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and a number of radio stations. Rinehart has already shown her desire to play a role in public life, campaigning against former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s aborted mining tax. She has also demonstrated a willingness to make media investments to ensure her pro-business worldview is promulgated.
What does this latest move by Rinehart mean?
Gillard's Australia Day crisis
PM Julia Gillard’s media adviser Tony Hodges has been forced to resign over the Australia Day tent embassy debacle.
It came after it emerged he had revealed opposition leader Tony Abbott’s whereabouts, leading to both politicians being rescued by police in ugly scenes.
Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes and advertising practitioner Jane Caro debate the topic on Weekend Sunrise’s masters of Spin segment:
The biggest cock-up I made in business
In this guest post, Chris Savage urges agency staff to live the brand.I still shudder when I think about how incredibly stupid I was when I made the biggest stuff up of my career. And then, 18 years later, I did it again. Do not make this mistake with your clients. Ever.
Hey Groupon. Thanks for fucking up email
In this guest post, Daniel Monheit warns that group deal overload is devaluing email marketingEmail marketing used to be fabulous. Back in the heady days of 2010, brands would work hard to build up well qualified databases, upon which they’d bestow carefully crafted correspondence filled with information, offers and incentives. The recipients, of course would be delighted: “Oh look! An email! From one of my favourite brands! And it’s 40 cents off at Woolies this week!”.
The staggering sway of Harold Mitchell
The Power Index today names Aegis Media chairman Harold Mitchell as the most powerful person in Melbourne. Andrew Crook profiles him.
Harold Mitchell takes pride in dispensing with the niceties. When The Power Index visited his South Melbourne private office before Christmas, fresh remains were scattered all over the boardroom table.
Share a Coke with… the moronic masses
The most-read story on Mumbrella last year, with not far off 100,000 page views, was a fairly humdrum yarn about the launch of Coca-Cola’s name-on-a-bottle campaign.The headline, “Coca-Cola puts people’s names on bottles in ‘Share a Coke’ campaign”, though hated by any self-respecting sub-editor, was loved by Google. And in rushed what can be politely described as the public.
Assumptions kill creativity
In this guest post, Gual Barwell disagrees that the sales success of the Old Spice social media campaign was overstated.Yesterday’s post from Cathie McGinn suggested the Old Spice campaign failed to connect with consumers. Based on the facts and figures, I disagree.
What Old Spice and Wieden + Kennedy has done and done phenomenally well is to create a franchise.
The SMH's readers (are wrong) editor
We are now about five months into the reign of Australia’s first readers’ editor. And I don’t think it is working.
It struck me at the time of Judy Prisk’s appointment to the Sydney Morning Herald that the fact that her boss was editor-in-chief Peter Fray was not going to be ideal if she was going to be the independent voice of the reader.
The emperor's new fragrance: Old Spice’s campaign failure
In this guest post, Cathie McGinn slays a sacred cow of 21st century marketing – the highly awarded Old Spice campaign.One of the biggest myths of recent times (by which I mean a story of great heroism and triumph we’d all like to believe but deep down know to be untrue) is the Old Spice social media campaign. It’s been much lauded and awarded as an example of outstanding content, a creative and collaborative way of connecting with consumers and driving a record increase in sales.
Agency boss Ferrier’s undercover sex clinic investigation
Naked Communications boss Adam Ferrier has taken the unusual step of posing as a sufferer of sexual dysfunction to investigate the activities of controversial clinic the Advanced Medical Institute.
Ferrier – who has degrees in clinical pyschology and commerce and worked in forensic psychology before turning to the marketing world – pretended to be suffering with both premature ejaculation and erectile problems for his visit to the AMI.
The controversial organisation had been coming under growing scrutiny of its advertising strategy and marketing techniques. Its “Longer lasting sex” billboards have been banned by the Advertising Standards Bureau for breaching community standards, while one of its TV ads has been taken off the air for poking fun at men who suffer sexual dysfunction. Last week, the AMI successfully won a court order to prevent the Sydney Morning Herald from publishing a story about the organisation’s activities.
Ferrier posed as a potential patient to examine the company’s marketing techniques when individuals visit the organisation.
Writing on his Consumer Psychologist blog, Ferrier described his first encounter with a member of staff:
“He then asks if there are any other issues with my love life and I let him know that despite my inability to get a firm erection I also prematurely ejaculate, lasting at best around 1 minute (as I was saying this it occurred to me that this condition must be close to medically impossible – but it didn’t worry Greg), hurriedly he tells me AMI can help and I am now going to speak to the doctor.”
Via a phone consultation with an AMI doctor, he was quickly prescribed a nasal spray and vitamins at a cost of $4,650.
Ferrier concludes: “My suggestion if anyone is suffering any form of sexual dysfunction to visit their local GP, or psychologist as a first port of call – not the AMI.”
The posting can be seen on Ferrier’s blog here.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
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Comments
18 Jun 09
11:14 pm
Brilliant post, this is crusading blogging. You know, like how journalists used to be crusading?
Go to Ferrier’s blog and read the full post.
18 Jun 09
11:22 pm
Great stuff!
18 Jun 09
11:28 pm
I agree with both of you. I spoke to Adam on the phone earlier, and said that I’m surprised that one of the current affairs shows didn’t think of doing this. It’ll be interestigngif anyone else now runs with this.
(Apologies, by the way, to re:turn on – I needed to trim your comment slightly for libel reasons).
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
18 Jun 09
11:43 pm
No worries about the libel trim, the fact of its necessity is testament to Mr. Ferrier’s guts!
19 Jun 09
10:40 am
Great work Adam. One of the ‘current affairs’ show did do a piece on this some months ago too, hidden cameras and all.
19 Jun 09
10:47 am
Poor old Brian Wenzel (Sgt Frank Gilroy) gets roasted for doing the adverts – he is just etching out a living (ACA or TT did a story about his fortunes turning around because of a negative article they did).
19 Jun 09
10:59 am
If the advertising has been banned, why am I still seeing it on a billboard on top of a building on cnr of Buckland St and Broadway Rd, Sydney?
19 Jun 09
11:06 am
next mission hair loss?
19 Jun 09
11:09 am
…or did Adam get sprung by someone as he was leaving the clinic, and come up with this preposterous ‘investigative journalist’ story? Just asking.
19 Jun 09
11:47 am
It’s a prick of a job, but someone has to do it! And Adam, if you cop any flak – stand firm.
19 Jun 09
12:43 pm
“pretended to be suffering with both premature ejaculation and erectile problems for his visit to the AMI” – HAHAHAHA Absolute polywaffle Adam
19 Jun 09
3:17 pm
Interesting that most of the comments appear to be from guys.
As I am sure many of you know the AMI is turning its focus onto women who have trouble reaching orgasm. Perhaps a female needs to see how that experience compares?
19 Jun 09
4:29 pm
Crusading???! or journalism of the lowest order. I had really sh*t service at the local branch of my bank last week. If I report on this does it mean my bank is a terrible service provider or am I just using a one off case to make a sensational point?
19 Jun 09
4:31 pm
Just got an advertising email before from a internet marketing company that sent an email with an advert promoting AMI..seems like they are going the internet path to get customers.
19 Jun 09
4:52 pm
Is it journalism or did he get found out?
19 Jun 09
4:58 pm
Re Andy’s comments, I’m sorry but did your shit bank service cost you close to $5K? Did it deal with something that could potentially have a significant impact on both your physical and psychological health? There are some areas where the cost of getting it wrong is so great that even a one off bad case is worth pointing out to ensure it doesn’t happen again. And clearly from the rest of the media coverage on AMI this is hardly a one off…
19 Jun 09
4:59 pm
Brilliant “undercover” work (excuse the nuance) from one of Australia’s most exciting consumer pyschologists @!
19 Jun 09
5:05 pm
….don’t suppose it was part of the research for the Thredbo campaign?
19 Jun 09
5:43 pm
Must have got tired of impersonating an advertising agency.
19 Jun 09
6:20 pm
Amazing. Putting yourself in the shoes of the audience. That’s pretty ground breaking
19 Jun 09
7:06 pm
oooh grumble grumble grumble grumble grumble
19 Jun 09
7:27 pm
This is not journalism of any order. Writing a blog does not make you a journalist.
20 Jun 09
11:33 am
Thanks for taking the time to leave so many positive comments. Please spread the word about these guys. Also be pre-warned that they are now tackling womens sexual health issues.
Also I have never described myself as a journalist.
23 Jun 09
10:47 am
Who handles AMI advertising?
23 Jun 09
2:25 pm
AMI are very a visible brand with the help of mainstream media, namely radio, TV and of course, outdoor.
If I recited the same mantra as Naked, I’d want them discredited too.
23 Jun 09
3:43 pm
I think they also rely very heavily on PR, WOM and direct sales. They seem to use every media angle possible.
23 Jun 09
3:48 pm
Would it be totally wrong to say that AMI rely heavily on oral?
23 Jun 09
4:12 pm
On the weekend I went from North Sydney to out west and reckon I saw at least 5-6 of the AMI billboards…the people who were in the car with me were discussing the billboards..etc when we saw them. So I guess at a minimum it works in terms of people knowing what it’s about
23 Jun 09
4:15 pm
3 votes to Grono for the oral line