Opinion | Features

• Top five trends to let go in 2014

  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.

• Stop blaming price competition

  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.

• Its critics are determined to make the ABC the news

  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. 
  The ABC and its managing director Mark Scott are caught in a perfect storm.

• Reviews are important, but how do you boost them in search?

  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.

• Journalism in the dock: The first month of the hacking trial

  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.

• Branded content on blogs is dead

  
  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.

• New beats: where do redundant journalists go?

  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.

• Savage counsel - stepping down gracefully

  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?

• The failure of the Encore weekly tablet app (and what we’ve learned from it)

  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.

• You thought Rupert was right wing? You've seen nothing yet

  

  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?

• Aussie TV formats make it big abroad

  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.”

• What Netflix's arrival downunder could mean for Aussie TV

  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.

• Going native

  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.

• Savage counsel: It's okay to be a hard taskmaster

  In his monthly Encore column, STW's Chris Savage answers your career and agency questions.  Hi Chris, I recently jumped ship and joined a rival agency and it’s fair to say my reputation precedes me. I suppose you could say I made a name for myself as a hard taskmaster but I’ve done a lot of work in recent years to soften my approach. How can I get my new team to see I’m not the bastard they think I am?

• If you love your career, the hours are (often) worth it

  Yesterday UM boss Mat Baxter said the media industry should stop apologising for long hours. Mumbrella's Tim Burrowes agrees. Back in the day, in my first weeks working on a small daily newspaper, I was given a story to chase. A local family had had some sort of lottery win, and I was to have a chat to them. Despite all sorts of efforts, I couldn't reach them, but found out they were appearing on breakfast television the next morning. So I set my alarm for 5.30am, rang the switchboard of the TV show and got put through to the makeup room, where they were happy to chat.