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Opinion | Features
Can sport save Ten?
First there was the Grand Prix. Next came the reported $500m bid for cricket rights, then Ten secured the 2014 winter Olympics. So, can sport save the ailing network? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Nic Christensen investigates.The television sports rights bidding process is a bit like a game of poker.
Check, fold or bet. Those were the options for the Ten Network last week when it had to finalise its bid for the cricket rights.
Andy Lark: good for the marketing of marketing
I can still remember the first story I wrote about Andy Lark, when it emerged that he was to be the new chief marketing officer of CommBank.
It was immediately clear that Australia was about to meet an interesting marketer, one who blogged and tweeted and thanks to his time at Dell in the US was digitally savvy. Even two years ago, that was a big deal. The fact that he also had a stint in public relations gave him an absolutely intriguing background before he even arrived.
Storming the media barricades - advice for young journalists
This week Mumbrella’s Nic Christensen, who began his career four years ago, gave the keynote address to would-be journalists at the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance’s Student Day. This is an edited version of his speech.Good afternoon, I can remember distinctly the last time I was in this room.
It was 2009 and I was sitting where you are. I’d come to this event, a friend and myself — from memory we sat up the back — and I can remember at the time wondering if I’d ever get a job as a journalist.
It was only four years ago and then as now getting a job was ultra competitive but I’m not sure there was quite as much media ‘doom and gloom’ as there is now…
Paywalls will help fund campaigning journalism
In this guest post, News Limited’s group editorial director Campbell Reid responds to the views of ninemsn’s Hal Crawford that the company’s push into metered paywalls is about data rather than dollars.Hal Crawford is both right and wrong in his article which argued that our digital subscription plans are all about the data.
Fake it 'til you make it... as a features editor
Cosmo’s Kate Leaver tells us how to bluff it in her job in a feature that first appeared in Encore.What do you do, as a features editor?
Really, play with words and ideas all day. At any one time, we’re working across three issues of the mag – getting one on its way to the printers, pooling all the words together for another, and planning the issue after that. It’s busy but it’s a pretty magnificent process.
Savage counsel - JFDI
Hi Chris,I run a medium-sized agency that is doing pretty well. As the leader, I am finding my workload just seems to go up and up. I am struggling to stay motivated and particularly to tackle the bigger and tougher challenges I have to face every day. How do I keep up the energy when there just seems so much to do? How do you do it?
Productive, successful executives are those able to consistently tackle difficult and big challenges. It’s a constant struggle for me so I know how you feel. How do the successful leaders do it?
Q&A with Brett Clegg
Brett Clegg, group director – business media, Fairfax Media, in a Q&A that first appeared in Encore, on the journo who refuses to work with him – his wife.Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Hard to go past Rupert Murdoch. He controls the single largest and most diverse portfolio and is intent on leveraging its scale (and, of course, influence). He’s an innovator and his will to win is obvious to all.
The experiential experience
Anyone can throw up a tent in a high-traffic area and harass the general public, but what does it take to pull off an effective experiential event? In a piece that first appeared in Encore, Matt Smith investigates.A television commercial can easily be muted and ignored, but try ignoring a purring, squirming cat in your arms. That was the experience awaiting passers by in Sydney’s Martin Place in October last year when Mars Petcare built Whiskas Kitten Palace.
The News Limited paywall isn't about revenue. It's about data
In this guest post, ninemsn’s editor in chief Hal Crawford argues Fairfax Media and News Limited’s new paywalls won’t draw much revenue, but will generate data. And they’re late to the data party.When I first learned that ninemsn’s major digital competitors Fairfax and News Ltd were going to introduce paywalls across their mainstream properties, I was excited.
Every obstacle thrown in the way of their audiences is an opportunity. People hate friction and anything that makes life difficult on a rival site is a chance to get them on yours.
Is this the worst time to be a journalist?
With scores of redundancies in 2012 and a mass exodus of experienced journos, is this the worst time to be a journalist? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Nic Christensen asks the question.In June last year a tsunami of redundancies began to sweep across Australia’s media landscape. They came in a series of waves and in the 12 months that followed, an estimated 1,200 journalists departed the mainstream media.
Are you a conscious leader?
As the advertising and marketing industry struggles to address the issue of rocketing rates of staff churn in their businesses, Slingshot CEO Simon Rutherford argues that today’s ‘conscious leaders’ should be more focussed on creating ‘staff wellness’ in order to deliver high performing teams and healthy profits.
A conscious leader believes the business has a greater responsibility towards the community it operates in. To ensure sustainable long-term profits, people must come first. Awareness, trust, authenticity, transparency, 100% responsibility, connection, compassion, and love: these are the tools of the conscious leader.
Suits: less popular than pest controllers
Advertising suits have a thankless job that is currently being eroded by the changing industry says Naren Sanghrajka in a piece that first appeared in Encore.Not in my wildest, craziest nightmares would I ever have thought I’d say this. But I’m going to. Being a bean counter is far more appealing than starting as a suit in advertising. There it is. I said it. I actually said those words.
Yes, it’s incredibly depressing. But it’s true.
An answer for Adam: What's the future for creatives?
Each fortnight, Adam Ferrier poses a question to the industry. This week, he asks about the future of the creative.
Who or what is a creative? It’s an old thought, but as I continue on my merry journey in advertising I wonder if there is a role for a ‘creative’ and if there is, what that role is?
In the world of film and TV there is not a ‘creative’. There is a director, a writer, a producer, a DOP and so on. From this mix the creativity happens. But no-one is charged with being ‘the creative’.
Australian films stand on their own merit
The argument that Australian audiences only embrace local films once they’ve picked up a gong at an international festival is inherently flawed says Lee Zachariah in a piece that first appeared in Encore.As much as we like to pretend that we collectively fulfil the world’s need for a country comprised entirely of laid-back, mellow beach dwellers, we do seem to get disproportionately excited when someone else mentions us. Our cool exterior drops away as our local news bulletins breathlessly report that CNN or the BBC or really anyone in one of the ‘real countries’ acknowledged our existence.
We feel detached from the world, and therefore crave its validation.
The vindication of Paul Fishlock
Wow.You may have noticed that not much went up on Mumbrella over the last couple of hours.
That’s because I’ve been reading the judge’s findings in Paul Fishlock’s case against The Campaign Palace.
I’d always known that agencyland can be a brutal place. But the picture of the cynical, ego-driven, unsentimental world that comes through in the findings of Justice John Sacker is something else. I recommend you take the time to read it yourself.
The reputation of Young & Rubicam’s global creative director Tony Granger certainly takes a battering in my view. The word “bully” is a hard one to come back from.
And former Campaign Palace CEO Mark Mackay comes across as someone you might think twice about either hiring or working for, based on the evidence presented. The judge calls him contemptuous of both Granger and Fishlock.
TV has happiest media workforce while newspaper staff are least happy
People working in television are the happiest, while those in newspapers are among the least happy on a daily basis, according to a survey by Encore.
The survey of 1,283 people working in the media, marketing and entertainment industry asked how many days in a typical week industry professionals are happy in their job.
The survey suggested that regardless of what sector people are in, most people are happy at work more days than not. Read more »
Cricket broadcast rights could go cheap
Will it retain cricket rights?
While negotiations for the sporting rights to cricket are ongoing, many media insiders are tipping that the rights will be retained by Nine.
Betting agency Sportsbet has even opened a market on the negotiations offering just $1.15 for long-term rights holder Channel Nine to retain the rights, $5 for Ten and $9 on Seven.
“The cricket is in Nine’s DNA so we expect they will simply match any offer another broadcaster might put forward,” said Ben Hawkes, a spokesman for Sportsbet. Read more »
Church of Scientology plans publicity drive to quash ‘misconceptions’ about being secretive, controlling and believing in alien ancestry
The Church of Scientology is planning a publicity drive in Australia to challenge what it calls “misconceptions” among the public and the media.
The controversial religious group kicked off a PR drive with an appearance on Seven breakfast show Sunrise last week, although the interview with church spokeswoman Virginia Stewart was cut short to make way for a live cross with opposition leader Tony Abbott.
The Sunrise interview was prompted by the publication of a guide for journalists that outlined the areas where the organisation feels it has been wrongly represented in the past.
Among the criticisms levelled at Scientology in recent years are that it is secretive, controlling and believes humans are descended from aliens – all allegations that the church strongly refutes.
The Church of Scientology plans to launch a localised version of a US-made TV ad that ran around the Super Bowl, direct marketing activity to promote its videos and books, and encourage people to visit its churches to learn about Scientology for themselves. Read more »
Big Bash audiences take a hit
As negotiations over the cricket broadcasting rights continue, Cricket Australia has defended significant falls in stadium and TV audiences for the 2012/13 Big Bash T20 tournament, promising to schedule more games in January in future seasons.
The shorter Twenty20 is seen as the most ratings friendly form of the game.
The declaration comes as the sport blamed international competition for the early scheduling of games outside the holiday season together with poor weather for the drop off in audience. Read more »
Former CNN host Anjali Rao to front Dateline
Anjali Rao
A former CNN presenter has signed on to be the host of SBS’s Dateline.
Anjali Rao will anchor the network’s flagship current affairs program as of next Tuesday.
Rao worked at CNN International hosting both the weekday breakfast program and Talk Asia, a weekly magazine style show about Asia. Read more »
Coles uses social media to push milk pricing message
Supermarket giant Coles has posted a video on YouTube to explain its position on milk pricing.
The video, published today, is part of a social media campaign, and has already prompted much discussion on the brand’s Facebook page.
The video is also being distributed via Twitter, with no plans to run it on television. Read more »
Sapphire’s Wayne Blair to direct Jungleboys sketch show
Wayne Blair
One of Australia’s most sought-after directors has signed on to a new ABC sketch comedy series, Encore can reveal.
The Sapphires director Wayne Blair will direct sketches in The Elegant Gentleman’s Guide to Knife Fighting, produced by The Jungleboys for the public broadcaster.
Last week Blair received the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts award for best direction for his work on The Sapphires, which also won best film. Read more »
SBS teams up with Nick Cave to promote its new film timeslot
SBS One has teamed up with Australian musician Nick Cave and his band The Bad Seeds to create a new promo for its 9.30pm Saturday film timeslot, presented by film journalist and ex-Encore editor Sandy George who recently joined the network. Read more »
Australians love Dick
Mumbrella’s sister publication Encore today revealed the ad of the month for January to be Dick Smith’s controversial Australia Day commercial that features shipwrecked refugees.
With the help of data analysis firm The Acid Test and survey company Pure Profile, Encore conducted a survey of 1,000 members of the general public to find out their favourite ad from a shortlist of seven spots that first aired in January.
Each survey respondent saw three randomly selected ads from the shortlist and were asked to rank them from most liked to least liked. Respondents were also asked why they liked the ad. Of the Dick Smith a, The Acid test summed up the consensus as: “Aussie larrikin humour, from an unexpected source, delivering a relevant message around supporting locally made brands.”
The Palace’s Anthony Maras to direct one of the most coveted Hollywood scripts of 2012
An Australian film-maker has signed on to direct and produce one of the most highly regarded unmade scripts in Hollywood.
South Australian-based Anthony Maras will direct A Country of Strangers, which was number two on last year’s Black List of 2012.
The script was written by Sean Armstrong, an American, but is based on the true events of the disappearance of three siblings, the Beaumont children from an Australian beach in January 1966. Detective Geoff Harper’s search lasted 40 years. Read more »
BRW unveils new app, website and magazine redesign
Fairfax Media’s business magazine BRW today launched a major redesign of its print edition and website, along with a new iPad app.
The move is the first major project led by new publisher Amanda Gome and editor James Thomson.
Gome joined the Financial Review Group in October after previously being CEO of Crikey publisher Private Media, while Thomson joined from the same company late last year where he was editor of SmartCompany.
Gome and Thomson joined Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes in a live Google Hangout to discuss the launch. View the replay here: Read more »
Paramount Pictures publicist Brooke Wilkins launches agency
Paramount Pictures’ national publicity manager Brooke Wilkins has left the company to start her own agency.
BW Publicity will work across film unit publicity, distribution publicity and personal PR. Read more »
Qantas sculpts plane out of sand to mark return to Gold Coast
Qantas is building a life-sized aircraft out of sand in a publicity stunt to mark its return to the Gold Coast.
Qantas suspended flights to Gold Coast in 2008, making way for its low-cost carrier JetStar.
The sand sculpture, which takes the shape of a Qantas B737-800 with a flight deck, six rows of seats, pilots and passengers, is being sculpted at Customs House, Circular Quay in Sydney. Read more »
Seven wins the night thanks to MKR
With the official ratings year starting in just three days time, My Kitchen Rules again gave Seven an easy win on Wednesday, scoring more than 2m viewers for the third night in a row.
According to preliminary overnight metro ratings from OzTAM, MKR rated 2.172m.
Nine’s one day cricket game between Australia and the West Indies saw 1.077m tune in over three and a half hours.
Whybin\TBWA NZ management shake-up as CEO David Walden and creative chief Andy Blood depart
Whybin NZ’s Todd McLeay and Toby Talbot
The New Zealand operation of Whybin\TBWA has installed a new management team as long-serving CEO David Walden and star creative chief Andy Blood leave the agency after 25 years of combined service.
Heavily rumoured in recent weeks, Walden confirmed his departure yesterday, bringing to an end 16 years with the agency.
He will remain in a consultant role, handing over to new boss Todd McLeay.
McLeay joins from APN New Zealand where he was COO, heading up its publishing and digital business. He will team up with new chief creative officer Toby Talbot, who joins from Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R in London, where he was ECD. Read more »
Screen Australia adds another round to Short Film Completion Fund
Screen Australia has added another funding round for its Short Film Completion Fund.
Film-makers can apply for up to $40,000 in post-production costs in order to complete their short film.
The additional round may cheer the film-making community following December’s news that the national screen agency’s feature fund had dried up for the financial year. Read more »
The Icon Group appoints Paul Cooke
Communications company The Icon Group which includes Icon incorporated and icon.pr has appointed Paul Cooke as its new director of business.
Cooke has been hired to undertake a strategic review of the Melbourne based agency and to help focus its business strategy. Read more »
Screentime acquires biography of Gina Rinehart
Adele Ferguson’s Gina Rinehart acquired by Screentime
Screentime has acquired the rights to the unauthorised biography of the richest woman in the world.
The Banijay-owned company picked up the rights of the story of Gina Rinehart from biographer and Fairfax journalist Adele Ferguson.
Planned as a six hour mini-series, the production will be written by Michael Lucas, writer of Offspring and Not Suitable For Children. Read more »
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