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Opinion | Features
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.
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.
Havaianas attempts to get its name in the dictionary
A campaign to get a popular thong brand name into the dictionary has launched online and through experiential activity at Sydney’s Customs House.
Brazilian brand Havaianas is looking to get its trademarked name into the Macquarie Dictionary by trying to prove it has become the generic term for a thong in the Australian lexicon.
The campaign was created by experiential agency Play Commnunication to celebrate the brand’s 50th anniversary.
Natasha Nikolovski, marketing coordinator for Play, told Mumbrella: “It’s about showing the brand is so iconic within our beach and fashion culture that it is more than a brand and is synonymous with summer and Australia.”
Through the microsite ihav.com.au and via a giant three-dimensional Havaianas logo set to tour major cities, the campaign launched first at Sydney’s Customs House with an experiential push.
Play will build the submission of words and photos from members of the public about what the brand means to them.
Shani Langi-Latukefu, MD of Play, said in a statement: “We really wanted to develop a campaign that showcased how Havaianas has become a staple in the Australian lifestyle. Havaianas is an iconic brand that is synonymous with the Australian culture, and we felt that would really resonate with consumers, and encourage them to support the campaign.”
Other brands to be included in dictionaries in the past include Hoover, which became a verb meaning to vacuum, and Speedo, a generic word for swimming trunks. Roll Royce has also been used to mean the very best of something.
This is the first Havaianas campaign by Play.
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Comments
24 Oct 12
1:37 pm
But are the shoes iconic? I’m not sure they told us that enough times.
24 Oct 12
1:48 pm
Maybe in Bondi this is true, but out here in the real world, what rubbish. Thongs are thongs. Major strategic insight FAIL.
24 Oct 12
2:16 pm
That’s great – a public announcement that their trademark for ‘Havaianas’ in Australia is no longer enforceable – so all thong manufacturers can label their products as ‘Havaianas’ without fear of legal action.
Thanks Havaianas- that’s a gracious thing to do.
So we are all free to use the following trademarks without restriction to label competing products – as it is simply a generic term for ‘thong’ in Australia :
* TM# 840005
* TM# 1112366
* TM# 1178634
* TM# 1326492
Can we get a rep from HAVAIANAS here to comment on whether they are also releasing these trademarks as well?
* TM#1226158 HAVAIANAS WEARABLE CONTAINERS
* TM#1226159 HAVAIANAS LIFE CONTAINER
* TM#1226160 HAVAIANAS DAY POCKET
* TM#1313019 HAVAIANAS SOUL COLLECTION
They seem pretty generic too … but perhaps it would be good to get their official comment on it to be sure.
(I refuse to believe that any marketing professional would ever lie or attempt to deceive – so I have no option but to take them at their word.)
24 Oct 12
2:17 pm
Given Australians’ propensity to shorten names, why would anyone prefer a nine-letter brand name over ‘thongs’?
(As an aside, this particular footwear is only ‘iconic’ in terms of the beach and camping ground showers – should be banned everywhere else!).
24 Oct 12
2:23 pm
This really works, provided the dictionary definition states: “Term used by urban wankers to describe overpriced footwear that are no different from the $2 double-pluggers worn by the rest of society.
24 Oct 12
2:26 pm
Quite clever, I don’t think whether or not the dictionary picks the term up matters. The campaign should bring some timely awareness to the brand and strengthen their position as the leading brand in it’s category.
To say its a FAIL would suggest you are missing the point of the campaign.
24 Oct 12
2:33 pm
Mac, excellent post. First thing I thought too. I think Havianas should have a chat with their IP lawyers before pushing on with this campaign.
24 Oct 12
2:39 pm
They have to be applauded for their determination and for aiming high. The agency is trying to achieve a tall order for their client, good luck. I hate to be bearer of bad news but it’s not going to happen. I wonder if they have considered the potential negative repercussions if this quest fails? A bit embarrassing for the brand I would assume after taking on such a public campaign. Sure Havaianas are a common reference to thongs it is certainly nowhere near the ‘Band-Aid’ and ‘Glad Wrap’ territory, they have a looooong way to go before truly becoming part of the Australian vernacular, give it another 10 years guys and then re-evaluate.
24 Oct 12
2:43 pm
should’ve got to them while they has the file open to update misogyny…
24 Oct 12
2:53 pm
They are not called thongs. They are called Jandals.
24 Oct 12
2:54 pm
“synonymous with the Australian culture” …….isn’t Havaianas Brazilian?
24 Oct 12
3:08 pm
Mac….my first thought too. Aren’t people taught the value of a TM these days?
24 Oct 12
3:11 pm
I would have thought “Pluggers” is a little more synonymous with Aussie culture?
24 Oct 12
3:14 pm
Yes Antonia they ARE Brazilian…. based on a Japanese sandal design (the soles are designed to look like textured rice) …. Seriously who did the insights for this campaign??? Have you kids ever left Campbell Pde in Bondi????
24 Oct 12
3:17 pm
I think they may have jumped the gun just a little bit, oh and are slightly disconnected from the average Aussie, thong is way easier to say. Good luck.
24 Oct 12
4:25 pm
Oh dear. I think perhaps many of the people commenting on this blog are doing so from the pov of mainstream advertising, not experiential (which is what Play does). People at Play – correct me if I’m wrong – but I doubt very much that this campaign is about getting Havaianas into the dictionary. It’s about a campaign based on the idea of getting Havaianas into the dictionary. The objective of which is to reinforce that Havaianas has become a category in its own right. And along the way they’re creating the opportunity for consumer interaction with the brand and creating some talk. Looks like a job well done to me.
24 Oct 12
4:35 pm
Exactly Oopsie.
24 Oct 12
4:38 pm
Oopsie wouldn’t happen to work for Play would they?? haha
24 Oct 12
6:45 pm
Correct Oopsie, the good people at Play have done an excellent job with this well researched campaign! Havaianas ARE “a category in their own right.” Don’t take a “mainstream view”. People say “Hav-eee-aaahh-nahs” way more than “thongs.” In fact, Havaianas just sounds Australian.
Getting nine letters in the dictionary is more of a challenge… don’t you see, it would be too easy and sensible to use “havi’s” or a term we actually use, like pluggers or thongs. Job… well… done.
24 Oct 12
6:57 pm
They’ve got it arse-backward. Calling a vacuum cleaner a Hoover or a cooler an Esky came from THE PEOPLE. Not a marketing company…
24 Oct 12
9:09 pm
Mac is spot on.
Both Play and Hav’s have shown a shocking lack in understanding of Trademark law, regardless of how genuine the intention of the stunt.
24 Oct 12
10:29 pm
“but I doubt very much that this campaign is about getting Havaianas into the dictionary. It’s about a campaign based on the idea of getting Havaianas into the dictionary”
No, really.
24 Oct 12
10:50 pm
is it not the straps that are supposed to look like rice?
either way, as has been said, this is not about it actually getting in the dictionary, its about trying to get it in the dictionary and the content and conversation that comes with it. just like Freeform applying to get a michelien star for crust pizzas – not going to happen, but fun to try
good effort
25 Oct 12
9:02 am
I’ve never heard thongs called Havaianas…in fact I don’t even know how to pronounce it.
I even had to copy+paste the name, cuz it was too much of a pain-in-the-ass to spell.
25 Oct 12
9:19 am
it’s definitely generating talk.
It feels fresh. It feels different. It feels like a Droga5 idea.
I think we should all have another think about this before we get too negative.
How else do you get rubber feet holders talked about? Obviously apart from giving the business to Droga5!
25 Oct 12
9:30 am
Astro, I’m sorry but as a bloke with half a dozen pairs or “Havi’s” in the closet i have never referred to them by anything other than thongs. Nor anyone else i know. I think you got this wrong.
25 Oct 12
10:59 am
When I read “Brazilian” and “thong” in the same sentence, I thought this was a completely different article. Shame Mumbrella.
25 Oct 12
4:12 pm
only east side hipsters pay $30-40 bucks for rubber thongs. Over