After recent pitches marketer Jason Stidworthy realised clients need to take a long hard look at how they act towards agencies.During a recent conversation with a good mate, he highlighted his frustrations with the real estate agency selling his house because the promotional material artwork was riddled with mistakes including the show-stopping incorrect suburb listing. Seriously, how could they!
After a post listing five trends to let go in 2014Hugh Stephens adds his own pet peeve to the list. On the subject of 2013 trends that really shouldn’t continue into 2014, I can’t help but raise apps. If I had a dollar for every time I heard “we’re thinking of developing an app…” I’d probably retire comfortably to a private island.
As everyone eyes move to what we can expect in 2014 Bernadine Brewer shares the five trends and buzzwords she hopes are left in 2013.It’s that time of year again. The time when suddenly our e-newsletters, our favourite blogs, our Twitter timelines fill with predictions of the future.
Although I’m not averse to speculation and even idle rumour (after all, it’s nice to have a little daydream about what we might work on next year), I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I loathe trends articles. As in cartoon-level steam-out-of-the-ears loathe.
So this year, I’m doing exactly the opposite. I’m calling it Reverse Trends, the stuff I dearly hope we’ll stop hearing come January. I’m talking about them one last time, so you don’t have to.
The claim people buy on price is a myth, and in the latest in a series about consumer psychology Ashton Bishop and Gary Wilkinson look at how retailers can make the most of this.
Consumers don’t make rational decisions based on price and marketers need to stop pretending they do.
There is a common refrain amongst marketers in some categories that consumers buy on price. What nonsense. Price by itself is meaningless, and please slap the next marketer who trots out that excuse for why they are losing in their category.
Amid the media storm around the public broadcaster Michelle Grattan, in this crosspost from the Conversation argues the ABC's critics are on a crusade. Mark Scott has come under fire for his decision to co-publish NSA leaked documents with The Guardian. AAP/Alan PorrittThe ABC and its managing director Mark Scott are caught in a perfect storm.
With a burgeoning number of review sites and astroturfing appearing online, Miki Clarke looks at how brands can make sure genuine reviewers get cut-through in search.
As children we’re told if we don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But in this social media world in which we now live, the opposite seems to apply.
We have witnessed exponential growth in search terms with review suffixes, not only in Australia but in the US and UK as well. This is not surprising in the land of electronics, travel accommodation and restaurants, but it is also happening for online dating sites and even dog food.
It has been a month since the News of the World phone hacking trial started in London and in this cross-posting from The Conversation UK director of undergraduate studies for journalism at Cardiff University John Jewell looks at what has come out so far. When Justice John Saunders opened what has been called the “trial of the century” he told the jury: “In a way, not only are the defendants on trial, but British justice is on trial.”
To say the defendants in the case are prominent in the world of journalism would be an understatement of gigantic proportions.
As more brands look to storytelling and content channels like blogs to get their messages across Lorraine Murphy says they should look to work with bloggers for the best results.
“Sponsorship” suggests whacking a logo on some content (be that an event, a TV show or a blog post) and that’s the extent of the relationship between the owner of the content and the brand in question.
The days of brands badging a logo and call-to-action on a blog post are gone. The space has moved on and successful content now calls for a co-creation approach with bloggers.
Amid the masses of journalism redundancies La Trobe University associate professor Lawrie Zion, looks at the question of what happens to those who take redundancy.
You’ve probably heard the news: the Australian media is experiencing the most serious contraction in its history.
Dear Chris,Our agency recently lost a client or two and I was given the difficult choice of taking a demotion or leaving the agency. I opted for the former but am struggling to adjust to my lesser position. Any tips on how to take the step down gracefully?
For the last year, we've been publishing a weekly tablet app. Mumbrella and Encore content director Tim Burrowes explains why today's will be the last.
The thing about failure is that people don’t usually like talking about it.
Indeed, I’m feeling somewhat rueful writing this.
But having shared the story of our journey with Encore so far, you’re entitled to hear about the bits that don’t work too.
With today's news the Mail Online is set to launch an Australian arm, Alex Hayes looks at what it means for the local media scene.
We could be about to see one of the most exciting periods for Australian journalism there has ever been. But, first, I have one question for you. How much is your house worth?
With a string of Aussie TV formats being remade overseas, Brooke Hemphill finds out how local production companies can get in on the act and whether there’s actually any money to be made in a feature that first appeared in Encore.
When Joe Connor and Renegade Films began shopping the concept for a quirky TV series about a talking dog around Australian networks, they were met with blank stares. Based on a short made for the Tropfest film competition titled Wilfred, the idea failed to generate much support. Connor says: “Everyone said it would never be anything more than a short film.”
With Netflix tipped to launch in Australia in 2014, Professor David Marshall from Deakin University looks at what this might mean for the Australian TV market and consumers.
Australians rejoice: Netflix is rethinking its avoidance of Australia, according to media reports, and could launch here as soon as next year.
What is native advertising? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Miranda Ward cuts through the confusion to nail down a definition for the latest trend taking online by storm.
When online publisher The Sound Alliance hired what it claimed to be “Australia’s first native advertising editor” in September this year, it marked a turning point for an emerging form of advertising that still baffles many in the industry.
Freemasons to launch their own TV series
A TV series that reveals the inside story behind exclusive men’s club the Freemasons is to run on Victorian community channel C31 next month.
The series – called Freemasons: The Inside Story - aims to expose the myths associated with the fraternity, look back at its history and ponder the role Freemasonry plays within the community, according a press release from the group.
The series is to be presented by 3AW radio presenter Wes Turnbull.
The 26-part series, created by Melbourne-based production company Fuzzy TV, will run in 30-minute episodes from Monday 4 March.
Its time we came out of the closet, II hope your show is a sucess. I have been a masob for over sixty years. Good Luck
Miadhachain
13 Feb 13
2:38 pm
Sadly, Channel 31 doesn’t show out in the rural areas of Freemasonry Victoria.
What action will be taken to remedy this problem?
Kav
13 Feb 13
5:08 pm
This reminds me of…
“Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We do, we do”
Ryan McLeod
13 Feb 13
8:15 pm
Fantastic! I hope they discuss the wonderful charity work they do.
Arthur Ray Dickson
14 Feb 13
2:00 am
I wish we would do something like that in the states. Most people dont realize how much philanthropic work we do in our communities.
Simpson jackson
14 Feb 13
2:07 am
It probably won’t be seen here in the US, so will they try to market it to aa broadcasting company over here. Or will a DVD become available for purchase, so brothers everywhere can purchase a copy. I’ve been a mason for 1 year and I would love to learn all I can about our Fraternity.
Phillip Brown
14 Feb 13
5:03 am
Will it show in America
tv viewer
14 Feb 13
7:19 am
interesting stuff.
I am looking forward to this promotional video!
Uk mason
14 Feb 13
8:24 am
Hope the producers portray the honest image and don’t use it as a tool to further their careers. Do you think it will make it to the uk?
Stu
14 Feb 13
12:20 pm
As an Aussie Mason, I would say “exclusive” is an incorrect description and this gives us some insight into the problem.
At a time when Freemasonry prospered, the organisation could afford to be exclusive and secretive.
Then, a generation became jaded and Masons’ sons weren’t joining anymore. The secretive ways of Freemasonry raised questions about what they got up to behind closed doors – they must’ve been up to something sinister, or else what is there to hide? Catholics weren’t welcome, boys-only clubs were no longer acceptable and Masons were spending too much time being Masons rather than being family men.
There now exists a generation gap and the aging population of Masons gets frighteningly smaller by the day.
In the face of extinction, Masons have been forced to open their doors more freely, which they have been doing for years now. They are no longer exclusive and they are certainly not secretive. Their inner-goings-on are freely available to non-members, online or at any Grand Lodge, at least in countries where its operation is more widely accepted (the US, UK, Australia and others). In Lodge, I sit beside Catholics, Muslims, Jews and anyone else that doesn’t belong to one of the main religions but has their own belief about something bigger. There are active appendant masonic bodies for women. And you can even spot a Mason on the street, with ease: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddM7kJ9xQfA
Despite progress made, the problem is, the voice of Freemasonry had withered at a time when people had already made up their minds about Freemasonry – Masons weren’t large enough in number to counteract negative perception by their good deeds or by the reversal of their secretive and exclusive ways. Freemasonry became irrelevant to society and so how do you change perception among an audience that isn’t even paying anymore attention or when your voice is no longer loud enough? I don’t mean to suggest brands win by shouting loudest or by shouting at all; I’m merely making a (probably obvious) point that it’s more difficult to engage a stand-offish audience then when working off a clean slate.
As for this TV series, well I think it’s a great initiative – I believe any mass exposure of our good deeds, is positive exposure for an organisation struggling to stay relevant and for an organisation that does not and cannot extend a direct invitation to join.
The only thing I would’ve done differently is waited a little longer to launch the series. A side note, but in the pipeline is the film adaption of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, which tells a story about Freemasonry to mass audiences. It’s a sensational story but at least more people would be paying attention. Perhaps then the TV series would make more traction, if only a little.
Regarding rural & regional broadcasting of Channel 31…that’s a Federal Gov issue. C31 wants to extend its reach to the whole of Victoria and has requested the Senator to seriously consider. But this doesn’t appear to be a priority, particularly now an election has been called! To be fair it will take some careful planning and possible restructuring of the Community TV (CTV) sector to enable all cap city based CTV stations to broadcast into their respective state regions. But agree, it should be done!
Matt (SA)
26 Feb 13
12:26 am
As the coverage of community tv is limited, I’d suggest making it available on the web once it’s gone to air. Can’t hurt, it will reach more people again that way.
Eh?
26 Feb 13
9:36 am
What on earth is C 31? Is it on Foxtel?
Andrew
6 Mar 13
8:42 pm
Can we see it on foxtel? my house isnt wired for proper cable
After recent pitches marketer Jason Stidworthy realised clients need to take a long hard look at how they act towards agencies.
During a recent conversation with a good mate, he highlighted his frustrations with the real estate agency selling his house because the promotional material artwork was riddled with mistakes including the show-stopping incorrect suburb listing. Seriously, how could they!
After a post listing five trends to let go in 2014 Hugh Stephens adds his own pet peeve to the list.
On the subject of 2013 trends that really shouldn’t continue into 2014, I can’t help but raise apps. If I had a dollar for every time I heard “we’re thinking of developing an app…” I’d probably retire comfortably to a private island.
As everyone eyes move to what we can expect in 2014 Bernadine Brewer shares the five trends and buzzwords she hopes are left in 2013.
It’s that time of year again. The time when suddenly our e-newsletters, our favourite blogs, our Twitter timelines fill with predictions of the future.
Although I’m not averse to speculation and even idle rumour (after all, it’s nice to have a little daydream about what we might work on next year), I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I loathe trends articles. As in cartoon-level steam-out-of-the-ears loathe.
So this year, I’m doing exactly the opposite. I’m calling it Reverse Trends, the stuff I dearly hope we’ll stop hearing come January. I’m talking about them one last time, so you don’t have to.
The claim people buy on price is a myth, and in the latest in a series about consumer psychology Ashton Bishop and Gary Wilkinson look at how retailers can make the most of this.
Consumers don’t make rational decisions based on price and marketers need to stop pretending they do.
There is a common refrain amongst marketers in some categories that consumers buy on price. What nonsense. Price by itself is meaningless, and please slap the next marketer who trots out that excuse for why they are losing in their category.
Amid the media storm around the public broadcaster Michelle Grattan, in this crosspost from the Conversation argues the ABC's critics are on a crusade.
With a burgeoning number of review sites and astroturfing appearing online, Miki Clarke looks at how brands can make sure genuine reviewers get cut-through in search.
As children we’re told if we don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But in this social media world in which we now live, the opposite seems to apply.
We have witnessed exponential growth in search terms with review suffixes, not only in Australia but in the US and UK as well. This is not surprising in the land of electronics, travel accommodation and restaurants, but it is also happening for online dating sites and even dog food.
It has been a month since the News of the World phone hacking trial started in London and in this cross-posting from The Conversation UK director of undergraduate studies for journalism at Cardiff University John Jewell looks at what has come out so far.
When Justice John Saunders opened what has been called the “trial of the century” he told the jury: “In a way, not only are the defendants on trial, but British justice is on trial.”
To say the defendants in the case are prominent in the world of journalism would be an understatement of gigantic proportions.
As more brands look to storytelling and content channels like blogs to get their messages across Lorraine Murphy says they should look to work with bloggers for the best results. “Sponsorship” suggests whacking a logo on some content (be that an event, a TV show or a blog post) and that’s the extent of the relationship between the owner of the content and the brand in question. The days of brands badging a logo and call-to-action on a blog post are gone. The space has moved on and successful content now calls for a co-creation approach with bloggers.
Amid the masses of journalism redundancies La Trobe University associate professor Lawrie Zion, looks at the question of what happens to those who take redundancy.
You’ve probably heard the news: the Australian media is experiencing the most serious contraction in its history.
Dear Chris,
Our agency recently lost a client or two and I was given the difficult choice of taking a demotion or leaving the agency. I opted for the former but am struggling to adjust to my lesser position. Any tips on how to take the step down gracefully?
For the last year, we've been publishing a weekly tablet app. Mumbrella and Encore content director Tim Burrowes explains why today's will be the last.
The thing about failure is that people don’t usually like talking about it.
Indeed, I’m feeling somewhat rueful writing this.
But having shared the story of our journey with Encore so far, you’re entitled to hear about the bits that don’t work too.
With a string of Aussie TV formats being remade overseas, Brooke Hemphill finds out how local production companies can get in on the act and whether there’s actually any money to be made in a feature that first appeared in Encore.
When Joe Connor and Renegade Films began shopping the concept for a quirky TV series about a talking dog around Australian networks, they were met with blank stares. Based on a short made for the Tropfest film competition titled Wilfred, the idea failed to generate much support. Connor says: “Everyone said it would never be anything more than a short film.”
With Netflix tipped to launch in Australia in 2014, Professor David Marshall from Deakin University looks at what this might mean for the Australian TV market and consumers.
Australians rejoice: Netflix is rethinking its avoidance of Australia, according to media reports, and could launch here as soon as next year.
What is native advertising? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Miranda Ward cuts through the confusion to nail down a definition for the latest trend taking online by storm.
When online publisher The Sound Alliance hired what it claimed to be “Australia’s first native advertising editor” in September this year, it marked a turning point for an emerging form of advertising that still baffles many in the industry.
A TV series that reveals the inside story behind exclusive men’s club the Freemasons is to run on Victorian community channel C31 next month.
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Comments
12 Feb 13
7:14 pm
I hope the Goat Riding will be RSPCA approved.
13 Feb 13
4:29 am
Yes Billy, don’t worry – you’ll keep your job.
13 Feb 13
11:49 am
Its time we came out of the closet, II hope your show is a sucess. I have been a masob for over sixty years. Good Luck
13 Feb 13
2:38 pm
Sadly, Channel 31 doesn’t show out in the rural areas of Freemasonry Victoria.
What action will be taken to remedy this problem?
13 Feb 13
5:08 pm
This reminds me of…
“Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We do, we do”
13 Feb 13
8:15 pm
Fantastic! I hope they discuss the wonderful charity work they do.
14 Feb 13
2:00 am
I wish we would do something like that in the states. Most people dont realize how much philanthropic work we do in our communities.
14 Feb 13
2:07 am
It probably won’t be seen here in the US, so will they try to market it to aa broadcasting company over here. Or will a DVD become available for purchase, so brothers everywhere can purchase a copy. I’ve been a mason for 1 year and I would love to learn all I can about our Fraternity.
14 Feb 13
5:03 am
Will it show in America
14 Feb 13
7:19 am
interesting stuff.
I am looking forward to this promotional video!
14 Feb 13
8:24 am
Hope the producers portray the honest image and don’t use it as a tool to further their careers. Do you think it will make it to the uk?
14 Feb 13
12:20 pm
As an Aussie Mason, I would say “exclusive” is an incorrect description and this gives us some insight into the problem.
At a time when Freemasonry prospered, the organisation could afford to be exclusive and secretive.
Then, a generation became jaded and Masons’ sons weren’t joining anymore. The secretive ways of Freemasonry raised questions about what they got up to behind closed doors – they must’ve been up to something sinister, or else what is there to hide? Catholics weren’t welcome, boys-only clubs were no longer acceptable and Masons were spending too much time being Masons rather than being family men.
There now exists a generation gap and the aging population of Masons gets frighteningly smaller by the day.
In the face of extinction, Masons have been forced to open their doors more freely, which they have been doing for years now. They are no longer exclusive and they are certainly not secretive. Their inner-goings-on are freely available to non-members, online or at any Grand Lodge, at least in countries where its operation is more widely accepted (the US, UK, Australia and others). In Lodge, I sit beside Catholics, Muslims, Jews and anyone else that doesn’t belong to one of the main religions but has their own belief about something bigger. There are active appendant masonic bodies for women. And you can even spot a Mason on the street, with ease: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddM7kJ9xQfA
Despite progress made, the problem is, the voice of Freemasonry had withered at a time when people had already made up their minds about Freemasonry – Masons weren’t large enough in number to counteract negative perception by their good deeds or by the reversal of their secretive and exclusive ways. Freemasonry became irrelevant to society and so how do you change perception among an audience that isn’t even paying anymore attention or when your voice is no longer loud enough? I don’t mean to suggest brands win by shouting loudest or by shouting at all; I’m merely making a (probably obvious) point that it’s more difficult to engage a stand-offish audience then when working off a clean slate.
As for this TV series, well I think it’s a great initiative – I believe any mass exposure of our good deeds, is positive exposure for an organisation struggling to stay relevant and for an organisation that does not and cannot extend a direct invitation to join.
The only thing I would’ve done differently is waited a little longer to launch the series. A side note, but in the pipeline is the film adaption of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, which tells a story about Freemasonry to mass audiences. It’s a sensational story but at least more people would be paying attention. Perhaps then the TV series would make more traction, if only a little.
18 Feb 13
12:01 pm
Regarding rural & regional broadcasting of Channel 31…that’s a Federal Gov issue. C31 wants to extend its reach to the whole of Victoria and has requested the Senator to seriously consider. But this doesn’t appear to be a priority, particularly now an election has been called! To be fair it will take some careful planning and possible restructuring of the Community TV (CTV) sector to enable all cap city based CTV stations to broadcast into their respective state regions. But agree, it should be done!
26 Feb 13
12:26 am
As the coverage of community tv is limited, I’d suggest making it available on the web once it’s gone to air. Can’t hurt, it will reach more people again that way.
26 Feb 13
9:36 am
What on earth is C 31? Is it on Foxtel?
6 Mar 13
8:42 pm
Can we see it on foxtel? my house isnt wired for proper cable