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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.
Coles revamps Flybuys loyalty scheme in ad offensive featuring Dawn French
Coles has launched a new campaign to introduce a “supercharged” version of its loyalty scheme Flybuys.
Vicar of Dibley and French and Saunders actress Dawn French, who has appeared in ads for Tesco in the UK, is to appear in the campaign that breaks tomorrow, a Coles spokesman told Mumbrella.
According to a press release from the retailer, Coles customers will now earn one point for every dollar they spend – previously the offer was two points for every $5.
And in what the retailer claims is a ‘world first’, Coles is introducing My5, which gives Flybuys customers 10% off five products of their choice.
Also, through a service called Flybuys Dollars, Coles customers can go online and convert points to Flybuys dollars.
The agency behind the campaign was Big Red.
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Comments
19 Apr 12
4:48 pm
This loyalty war will be fun to watch. Woolies has only just started using their customer data properly. Fly Buys has been a bit of a dead dog for a while. It’s great to see them reviving it. Watch the hand grenades being thrown between Coles and Woolies.
19 Apr 12
4:58 pm
Coles’ marketing team is making it more and more like Tesco every day.
When are they introducing Australia to the BOGOF phenomena and the tasty aisle of ready made meals?
Will Aussies even know who this chick is?
19 Apr 12
5:11 pm
@Richard – are you kidding?? Who doesn’ t know who Dawn French is?!
19 Apr 12
7:32 pm
We can’t underestimate the enourmous potential of both the WW and Coles loyalty programs. Most would agree they are largely used to communicate price offers at the moment … but i think we will begin to see more and more campaigns with extremely targeted specific brand benefits and category building initiatives. A giant new medium in the making. MC
19 Apr 12
8:04 pm
Dawn French played Doreen on Prisoner.
19 Apr 12
9:39 pm
Coles Marketing team is/was Tesco’s Marketing Team. Dawn French is an odd choice but then again they are all Brits living in Melbourne…
19 Apr 12
10:50 pm
No no no no no no … please don’t do a Coles ad Dawn.
20 Apr 12
8:03 am
Very smart move by Coles. Dawn French is the perfect ambassador for the supermarket.
Maybe we’ll see Woolies grab Lenny Henry for a counter offensive….
20 Apr 12
10:00 am
Why use a pom? Complete lack of imagination. Aren’t there any appropriate Aussies?Maybe stick to Woolies or go to an independent.
20 Apr 12
11:01 am
No Dawn French for Coles because she’s English? But it’s OK for Aussie actors to play American roles and English actors to play European roles and for Kramer to front Vodaphone and for Billy Connolly to front ING and for an Aussie bank to use an American agency and Aussie agencies to have Asian based clients and for Aussie directors to make American commercials and for American directors to make Aussie commercials and for Aussie agencies to shoot in South America and use New York based post facilities and for Asian production houses to use Aussie based post facilities …………….
20 Apr 12
12:27 pm
……and for Paris Hilton to sell Aussie beer and for the sexy latino mum in Modern Family to do Aussie commercials and for Snoop Dog to front MTV and for B.B.King to sell burgers for McDonalds Australia and for ………………….
20 Apr 12
4:07 pm
@nickatnights … sure you don’t mean Colette Mann played Doreen on Prisoner?
20 Apr 12
6:13 pm
Eveyone loves Dawn – she’s like the British Magda Szubanksi
22 Apr 12
7:26 pm
Can’t believe poor Dawn has sunk to these depths to do nauseating ads for a lousy supermarket. Did Lenny really leave her that poor??
Didnt think it could get worse than the nerve wracking harmony singing “theres no freshness like Coowls” now it has. Lucky the MUTE button works.
22 Apr 12
8:37 pm
The vickar has obviously taken on the role of the ambassador for Coles,
I would expect a good salary for that too……
The fight is on yet again, For one “who’s freshest?”
“Margaret Fulton “vs” Curtis Stone
Who will win??
This is just a wonderful actress being paid to promote something that Coles can’t do without celebrities.
Funny though,
food is food
and prices, shop around my friends!
22 Apr 12
8:55 pm
Woja you must be kidding Lenny must have been the loser on that break up, have you seen the number writing credits that guy has had on pommy TV..
The pair of them both write way more stuff than they ever appeared in.
My question is does this indicate some sort of link between Coles and Tesco?? Has Tesco bought a controlling interest in Coles?
22 Apr 12
9:19 pm
as above peeps, name spelt wrong previously!
22 Apr 12
11:25 pm
Slightly off-piste again, but I was surprised how Australian The Bondi Hipsters sounded on your podcast recently, until I realised they were mocking the Brit accent/hiptalk. Duh!
23 Apr 12
12:37 am
I really thought those Englishmen had lost their mind when I saw this. Why didn’t they save themselves big bucks and replace her with Denise Drysdale? At least the Australian public would have had some sort of connection with her! It’s not that we don’t know who Dawn French is. We just don’t care.
27 Apr 12
11:18 pm
luv it ust so luv it so caught our eyes straight up mind u my husband did not beleive it was her cause he said isnt she a pommie well they made an add with jerry sinfeild yess well i say veryyy witty cause it catches your eye dosent it welldon it worksss !!!!
28 Apr 12
2:19 pm
Dawn French is a legend. I hate ads but I’ve been watching these with real pleasure. She is perfect!!!!
30 Apr 12
4:20 pm
Cannot stand Dawn French in the Coles Ad…love the Vicar of Dibley, but have to mute and close my eyes when this ad comes on….shrieking voice hurts the eardrums and it is putting me off going into Coles, will shop at Woolworths until this ad is removed. Please stop treating the public like idiots! A well spoken modulated voice will get the message across much more clearly.
30 Apr 12
6:56 pm
Why use a loudmouth Pommie to promote Coles, I just visited a Coles store and couldn’t get out quick enough hearing the “Vicar of Dibley” advertisement blaring, made my hears ring! What’s wrong with using AUSTRALIAN ACTORS to promote a supposed Aussie brand, or is Coles Australian or not?? Sick of seeing imports getting jobs when Australians need them!!
6 May 12
7:51 am
How sexist is it when Dawn licks her lips at Curtis and gropes him. Imagine the public outcry if Curtis had groped Dawn and looked at her in a suggestive way. I agree that Dawn’s shrieking voice is ear jarring and what is wrong with paying an Australian actor such as Denise Drysdale to do the job. Yes many Australian adds use overseas actors but this Coles add is on constantly monopolising the viewing time.
9 May 12
1:29 pm
Completely AGREE with Margaret, Leslie and Kerry. I hate to mute this ad every time because the voice actually hurts my ears. Im not sure about why Coles marketing picked this Dawn character…Im sure she is a lovely lady but I had absolutely no idea who she was and I definitely got the impression that she was a bit of an old floozy with the way she leered at Curtis. I think that Coles really needs to dial back on the hyper excited ads and focus on the products or service more.. I for one dont come to Coles for a revved up, energy filled, screaming run around the aisle like Dawn seems to.
18 May 12
9:04 pm
I know you won’t mind if we don’t shop at Coles anymore, but while that person is promoting your business we are forced to go to Woolworths. We turn your ad off when we see THAT women appear, I must say that we enjoyed shopping @ Coles @ Noosa & so did our friends. See you again when she is removed. VERY BAD TASTE.