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Opinion | Features
Q&A with Adshel's Rob Atkinson
Online trading is the next big thing says Rob Atkinson in a piece that first appeared in Encore. Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Harold Mitchell because of his influence and the footprint he has left. He’s built a huge brand in Mitchells, offloaded it into Aegis, Aegis has obviously done extremely well to be then sold on to Dentsu. So if you think about it, he is very much a father figure of the industry.
Making it overseas
Is the best way of being successful in Australia not be here at all? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Lee Zachariah speaks to Aussies making it big abroad.I always wanted to work in New York,” says Julian Cole. “I thought it was the number one place to work in advertising; a lot of the best campaigns were coming out of there. So I moved over and was lucky enough to have a couple of interviews in the first couple of weeks.”
Cole’s story is indicative of the somewhat contentious idea that the best way to be successful in Australia is to not be in Australia any more.
Got a book in you?
From journos to ad execs and PRs, these days everyone seems to have a book in them. But what does it take to get published and will you actually make any money? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Brooke Hemphill finds out.Attention wannabe authors. Forget big fat advance cheques and living off royalties. The reality of having a book published today is another story altogether. There are only two reasons you should even consider sitting down at your computer to bash out a manuscript – passion or profile.
Savage counsel
In an article that first appeared in Encore, Chris Savage tackles your career and agency dilemmas in his weekly advice column.Hi Chris,
My clients seem to be demanding more and more from us. At the same time, it seems many of the younger people in our industry simply don’t have the client servicing skills my generation grew up with. How do we instill in our executives some of the good old-fashioned behaviours that would keep a client happy and loyal?
Fake it til' you make it... as an ad agency receptionist
From dressing the part to playing the gatekeeper, Leo Burnett Sydney’s Susie Henry tells us how to make it as the face of adland in a piece that first appeared in Encore.What does a receptionist in an ad agency actually do?
Well, there’s the frantic every-day, all-day stuff of deliveries, courier bookings, doing expenses for directors – always challenging – plus arranging all the travel. But one of my main jobs is counselling the account service people. I also keep up with all sports information to discuss with our sports-loving clients – because who wants to be bored while they’re waiting? And I know how they like their coffee. You need to know everyone – from accounting to HR. I’m also the go-to for all catering and sending flowers.
Whose views skew the news? Media chiefs ready to vote out Labor, while reporters lean left
Most journalists lean left-of-centre, says Folker Hanusch of the University of the Sunshine Coast, in a post first published on The Conversation.Most Australian journalists describe themselves as left-wing, yet amongst those who wield the real power in the country’s newsrooms, the Coalition holds a winning lead.
But while the media’s political leanings will no doubt be debated in the lead-up to September’s federal election, our study has also found other largely unscrutinised biases remain – particularly whose views disproportionately shape the news.
It's time for a new New Wave in the film world
Government funding bodies are lazy and decadent, says industry veteran Michael Thornhill but in a piece that first appeared in Encore, Ed Gibbs begs to differ.I vividly remember the time I first saw Animal Kingdom, David Michod’s breathtaking labour-of-love feature debut. The press screening was half empty, despite the film winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance just months earlier, in 2010. Yet its superb performances, stylistic flourishes and overall polish left me speechless. Could this really be a feature debut, an Australian one at that, I wondered, almost out loud? It seemed too good to be true.
Going cold turkey on an agency addiction
Life is sweet for freelance writer Max Kitchen, but in a feature that first appeared in Encore, he admits his struggle against returning to the agency fold.I’ve never taken heroin. But I suspect if I had, the temptation to try it again would not be too dissimilar to the lure of returning to agency life.
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.
Ford turns to John Farnham and flash mobs to unveil new voice control technology
John Farnham look-a-likes in Ford flash mob
The voice of Aussie rocker John Farnhan, and a series of flash mobs in Melbourne and Sydney, have been used by Ford to show off the car maker’s voice control technology.
The flash mobs featured John Farnham look-a-likes, who sung a bit of ‘You’re the Voice’ at passers by. They were filmed and distributed on social media.
“By bringing the SYNC platform to life with John’s iconic song, our goal was to catch people by surprise and get them to think differently about our brand. We hope it encourages people to learn more about it,” said David Katic, general marketing manager for Ford Australia.
Richard Muntz, executive creative director of JWT Melbourne, the agency behind the campaign, said: “The human voice is the next game changing technology. And Ford puts it into your car with SYNC. Its launch was a huge opportunity for Ford to take a leadership position in the auto industry.”
- Creative: JWT
- Media: Mindshare
- Digital: Wunderman
- PR: Pulse
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Comments
15 Oct 12
9:01 am
Leadership? Mercedes Benz has had it for years
15 Oct 12
9:39 am
wow..that has to be the worst flash mob activation in the past 5 years
15 Oct 12
9:58 am
TV ad almost works.
The other thing’s a total flash fail.
15 Oct 12
11:07 am
I would’ve thought there was a huge opportunity here for Ford to leverage this sort of technology to attract a new generation of customer to the brand. And then they roll out John Farnham. To who exactly is this ad / campaign targeted?
15 Oct 12
12:12 pm
Gee that’s a creative idea….
15 Oct 12
12:24 pm
To Scott’s comment, my interpretation of the use of this track was to use a song that many of us will recognise – it’s a classic for many Aussies aged say…30-50? ie: people that can afford (up to the $38k or so) for the Focus Titanium model..Of course I might be wrong!
15 Oct 12
12:45 pm
Are they “flashing” Glenn Wheatley… Farnsey’s manager???? IT looks JUST LIKE him…
15 Oct 12
12:49 pm
Jeez that does look alarmingly like GW – what an amazing coincidence.
15 Oct 12
1:20 pm
TV spot on last night. Had no idea what brand it was for. However, fairly sure was cringe-tastic. Likely to cause me to switch off tv if it ever appears on again.
A new low for advertising in australia.
15 Oct 12
1:34 pm
I thought so too Mimi
15 Oct 12
1:34 pm
ok so the video is Wheatley – the title is ‘The Farnham Flashmob need a manager’
15 Oct 12
1:39 pm
I saw the flash mob the other day – it was hilarious. They were dancing through the pedestrian area of Pitt St Mall. I actually thought it was the Chaser doing a spoof. The flash mob were actually great singers too. Brightened up my day – though I had no idea it was for Ford.
15 Oct 12
2:44 pm
The first thing I thought was “Gee, Farnsie must really need money badly”.
15 Oct 12
3:05 pm
‘Jed” and “Glen Wheatley” – Can I suggest that when you offer up a comment you back it up with some reasoning as to why you belive that. This is a blog / commentary for marketing professionals therefore if you are going to offer up your thoughts then explain why you think that. Not surprised you didn’t use your real / full names as would hope you don’t contribute in this way whilst you are at work. Let’s clean up the troll commentary on here, yeah?
15 Oct 12
3:34 pm
If only Ford used its powers for good rather than evil, it would build a time machine so I could travel back to 1986 and destroy the master tapes of You’re the Voice.
The real question is who is the bigger tit? The agency that suggested “Flash Mob and Johnnie Farnham” and kept a straight face, or the client who said, “Mmm, yes please, I’ll buy that.”
15 Oct 12
4:40 pm
It’s easy to see how they got to where they got to … not sure if that makes it a great idea or a not so great idea.
Farnham real winner as he would have been well rewarded and it puts him back in lounge rooms which is good for touring.
15 Oct 12
8:45 pm
What a great idea to use John Farnham – I and all my friends now want to buy a Ford if we can have John pop up from the back seat. Absolutely genius marketing! John and the song are instantly recognizable to the majority of the demographic and of course those of us with an ounce of sense can immediately see the connection.
16 Oct 12
8:32 am
@ Sue, seriously? with a straight face?
16 Oct 12
10:09 am
People are talking about it and linking it to Ford. Isn’t that what they wanted?
What cars do marketers drive?
16 Oct 12
11:12 am
@Craig the old chestnut “people are talking about it” as it applies to the industry and mumbrella means two-fifths of sweet fa to a marketer investing in consumer campaigns.
Otherwise, there’d be a much cheaper way to create a campaign specifically for our industry and my bet is it wouldn’t involve a tvc and random crappy flash mobs in public places……more like a few thousand on the bar at a pub somewhere in the inner city with an open invitation and branded coasters to do the comms job.
16 Oct 12
9:02 pm
The Farnham flash mob was absolutely hilarious! I am actually pretty disappointed to read that they are associated with a marketing campaign. If they were just out to have a laugh (which I thought they were all about), then all the power to them.
17 Oct 12
1:10 am
Young people don’t listen to John Farnham!
17 Oct 12
10:10 am
Bob – check you facts before posting. There are a lot of young people that listen to John Farnham. Contrary to populate belief some youngsters have good taste in music. Though what that has to do with this thread and the use of John and his fabulous voice for a Ford ad , I don’t know
17 Oct 12
5:42 pm
Well my daughter who is only 15 saw the ad for thenfirstbtime and came running down stairs asking me if I had seen the new ford ad with john far Ham in it…so something must be working somewhere.
19 Oct 12
2:21 pm
Im 23 and i know who John Farnham is and i love that song and love the ad…. well done guys!!!!
23 Oct 12
9:14 pm
Absolutely love it, just a pity that it isn’t a Holden, but hey, at least Ford have realised how valuable and what a great singer John Farnham is.
24 Oct 12
9:32 am
It’s gotten to the point where every time I see a flash mob, I think “what are they trying to spruik now?”