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Opinion | Features
My memo to your boss
So let me guess?
You really want to come to Mumbrella360, but you’ve got to justify the time and cost to your boss?
Good news! I think I can help.
Woz not great
In this guest post Tony Prysten argues that the thousand dollar price of seeing out-of-touch Apple co-founder Steve Wozniack on his Australian tour was a waste of money.
This week, for the cost of two iPads (yep, two) I went to the Woz Live conference in Melbourne. I was not impressed.
What the hell is transmedia?
From advertising campaigns to online video series, the term ‘transmedia’ gets quite the work out. But what does it actually mean? Cathie McGinn trawls the media landscape for a definitive definition.
Transmedia, all media and multiplatform are terms often used interchangeably when referencing modern storytelling techniques. Yet, depending who you speak to, there are distinct differences between them.
According to industry experts Encore spoke to, the key elements that define transmedia can be summarised as follows: platform, time, audience, adaptation, and creative collaboration.
Innovation is the remedy for the ailing magazine industry
With magazine circulations plummeting, FHM closing and rumours rife on future ownership of ACP Magazines, Paul Merrill says the only way forward is launching new titles.Eight years ago in the UK, nearly a quarter of all magazine sales came from magazines that were less than four years old. In Australia, the figure was slightly lower, but still significant. Today, the situation is very different. For a start there are so few new magazines. Yes, Masterchef briefly flared, and Top Gear made an initial impact. But Grazia and Alpha fizzled, and now ACP has shelved their plans to launch Elle.
More than a game: broadcasting the Olympics
The 2012 London Olympics will be the biggest televised sporting event of our time. Brooke Hemphill discovers the logistical challenges and technical requirements of producing the event.
From July 27 to August 12, the Australian media will go sport crazy as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, aka the 2012 London Summer Olympics, unfold. The games will be the most televised sporting event of our time as broadcasters look to master every manner of technology at their disposal.
The Voice - Australia's best example yet of social TV
In this guest post, Sputnik’s Rodd Messent has a theory on why audiences have taken to The Voice .I am an addict of Channel Nine’s hit show The Voice. Such is the extent of my addiction I seriously think my housemate might kick me out of our apartment for the semi-frenzied yelling and tweeting that ensues in our lounge room each time the show airs.It’s the first time in almost three years that such disagreement has resulted in less than civil behaviour towards one another, and it’s made me think it might be a microcosm of the large volume of online debate about the show and, correspondingly, an explanation for its success as a social TV experience.Why brands are the US Army - and culture jammers are the Viet Cong
In this guest posting, Dave Burgess, who painted ‘No War’ on the Sydney Opera House, claims that ‘amoral’ advertisers have copied his idea.
Culture jamming is a 28-year-old term coined by the San Francisco-based band Negativland, who declared that the ‘Studio for the cultural jammer is the world at large’.
Branded content is dead. Long live branded content
In this guest posting, Anthony Freedman argues why branded content is making a comeback.
A few short years ago, probably concurrent with the advent of the PVR, a new term emerged within the marketing communications industry; branded content. This was really synonymous with advertiser funded TV shows where programming was created by brands and deals struck with networks to broadcast them.
There were varying degrees of success with this model.
Shock advertising: 30 ads that would give Australia's ad watchdog a coronary
Is shock an underused weapon in Australian advertising, asks Robin HicksToday, Sydney agency The Cabana Boys used an image of a mouth sewn together to shock people with the idea that problem gamblers lie to conceal their habit. Is it the most disturbing image ever? No. Will it get banned by the Advertising Standards Bureau? No. But it did make me wonder why shock is not used more often in Australia – and not just by charities and government bodies. (WARNING: NSFW)
The making of ratings blockbuster The Voice
Jason Mountney goes on the set of Channel Nine’s talent search series, The Voice, to see how the format, based on an international franchise, has come together. What ingredients have gone into making this certified hit that’s rated more than two million viewers on three consecutive nights?
Mike Goldman has one of the toughest jobs on the set of the Nine network’s new talent show, The Voice. He not only has to narrate the show, but also keep the audience from losing their enthusiasm as they realise shooting TV programs takes a lot longer than the one-hour bursts they see in their lounge rooms. A lot longer.
Nine problems stopping The Global Mail from getting an audience
While it’s a shame The Global Mail has failed to make an impact on the media landscape, the signs have been there for some time.I love the concept of a well resourced, philanthropically-funded independent news site. Anywhere in the world, that’s a rare and wonderful thing. In Australia even more so. So I hope that Grame Wood gets to see his investment make a difference.
And I have no inside info on whether Monica Attard’s sudden departure is linked to the site’s failure to find an audience so far.
Regardless, here are nine areas they can easily start to address:
Journalism’s new model?
Does the launch of philanthropically funded news site The Global Mail signal a new era for journalism or is the model destined to be a passing fad, asks Cathie McGinn in this article first published in Encore magazine.With little fanfare, philanthropically funded news site The Global Mail launched in February this year.
The online-only title received a generous five-year funding commitment from businessman Graeme Wood, founder of accommodation website wotif.com, who donated $15million.
Five things that make a great suit
In this guest posting, Gareth Collins argues that the role of a great account manager is to make the work betterI’m surprised at how many suits I meet who don’t know their role in the advertising business. The question ‘what does an advertising account manager or director do?’ is frequently met with answers such as project manager, relationship manager, plate spinner or go between … and those are the nice ones.
Success is judged on the ability to manage a process, be strong administratively and get stuff done. And while a good suit needs to do all of these things brilliantly, if these are the traits that define a great suit, then I’m in the wrong job.
What the hell is transmedia?
From advertising campaigns to online video series, the term ‘transmedia’ gets quite the work out. But what does it actually mean? Cathie McGinn trawls the media landscape for a definitive definition.
Transmedia, all media and multiplatform are terms often used interchangeably when referencing modern storytelling techniques. Yet, depending who you speak to, there are distinct differences between them.
The top seven...most patronising pieces of communication
Sometimes brands have big ideas. Sometimes marketers get so caught up with a grandiose idea that instead of finding engaging ways to sell breakfast cereal, they start to believe their own rhetoric. And sometimes it’s just lazy marketing. Here are my top seven inadvertently patronising pieces of communication…
1) Last night thousands of women gathered in Sydney’s Centennial Park to take part in She Runs the Night, an event created by Nike.
Mumbo Report: Holden, Eastwood, Talcott & Marsh’s social media realism; In praise of Singo; Week’s top ads
In today’s Mumbo report from Studio 33:
- Mumbrella Question Time – Why Y&R Brands’ Nigel Marsh doesn’t want to be Facebook friends with a cheeseburger; AANA chairman Joe Talcott on how social media offers less artificial insights than a focus group; PHD’s Mark Holden celebrates cynicism over social media; DDB’s Matt Eastwood on how mobile is becoming the centre of media
- The most played ads of the week
- Max Markson on Singo
You can also subscribe to Mumbrella’s Mumbo Report YouTube channel
With the support of:
The next Mumbrella Question Time takes place on November 26. For more information and to book, click here.
October 29th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
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Comments
29 Oct 09
2:08 pm
These videos are extremely interesting and entertaining – why do they get so few views on YouTube?
29 Oct 09
2:26 pm
Yes but would ad execs be friends with a cheeseburger if it helped land a big burger chain account?
29 Oct 09
2:38 pm
It’s interesting to see that it has taken over 2 years for educated marketers to still talk about social media like it is either a new shiny toy or a demon in a box. By now all of your clients should know what it is and how to use it and if they are still cynical about it then maybe it isn’t being marketed correctly to them.
To add to what Matt Eastwood said regarding all of Mum 2.0 was online? Really Matt – what about the outdoor activity you did…………………………There is also nothing new about the call mum campaign – this is just a re-hash from what British Telecom ran in the mid 90′s using Bob Hoskins for the “it’s good to talk” campaign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIuDEjON_zw
So maybe you could come up with some original material…………….I’m so happy that 30 seconds was produced as it may help some of the marketers out there get a bit part in 30 seconds?
29 Oct 09
2:57 pm
Interesting that Nigel Marsh is fearful of mobile turning into junk mail when it is already more regulated than junk mail.
Is he not aware that mobile marketing is opt-in only by law?
29 Oct 09
3:09 pm
Mr Marsh is an amazing ambassador for executive level Baby Boomer ignorance.
Paraphrasing “I don’t really understand social media. I don’t understand how it is managing to slowly destroy the old existing media models that have lined my pockets for the past few decades. Because I don’t understand it, I’ll pull out one of the most cliched f*cking oneliners around to temporarily kill its credibility and get a few cheap laughs at this gig. In doing so im saving my own ass from the fact that I really have no idea how to constructively approach SM and am deep down shit scared of it”
Also, in order for that ‘brand spokesman’ to have the chance to sit down next to Mr Marsh at the pub with his mates, Mr Marsh would have had to accepted him into his own personal network for him to even exist.
Pages don’t fan you Mr Marsh, you fan them yourself – because you want to.
God love it.
29 Oct 09
3:10 pm
Yes it is however it doesn’t stop restaurants spamming you
29 Oct 09
4:30 pm
Nigel’s example is appalling. First, he’s culturally insensitive to Australia – his example uses British meeting places. Do we call it a “curry house” Nigel? No, no we don’t. I’m pretty sure my 7 mates and I won’t be meeting for curry. Second, his cheeseburger joke is so wooden it’s just got to be scripted! I agree with Mike – he’s scared of it because he’s old school and old school is dying.
I’m curious about Joe’s point. Does anyone use SM to see how people behave? I thought we should use it to be part of a conversation. Perhaps he still thinks that brands should launch campaigns (ie. tell and sell) and use SM as the new platform of interruption.
29 Oct 09
10:09 pm
Hi Warren
Yes, many brands use social networks to see how people ‘behave’. By this, I mean they observe what people say, think, buy, sell, post, read, photograph and gossip about. Of course brands CAN use social networks to be part of the conversation, but like anyone in a conversation (2-way or more) they have be relevant and welcome. Because of that, social networks are not a great environment in which to simply ‘interrupt’.
1 Nov 09
7:47 pm
John, Mike & Warren…. being a tad tough on Nigel Marsh, aren’t you?
For starters, he’s very clear that while the flippant example he quotes “being facebook friends with a cheeseburger” isn’t for him, he understands that it works for many consumers. Isn’t good marketing all about understanding what works, even if it’s not you as the target audience?
And Warren, “culturally insensitive” – really? You take offense at someone using a British reference? Because I’ve got to warn you, you’re going to spend a lot of time being offended if you work in the ad or media industry in Australia. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but they’ve let some Brits in, and some of us are still honing our Australiana.
I’d certainly be scared to meet you , just in case I accidentally called the lounge room a lounge, or failed to call flip flops thongs. God forbid I accidentally asked for a Penguin instead of a Tim Tam with my morning cuppa. (Dammit… am I allowed to say cuppa or is that “culturally insensitive” too?)
For those of us who weren’t born here, it’s all very confusing…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
1 Nov 09
7:52 pm
Come on Tim, a Penguin and a Tim Tam cannot be compared. It’s taken a while but I am totally on the Tim Tam bandwagon. They’re so superior it’s not even funny. And I’m a Pom…
1 Nov 09
8:48 pm
Hey Tim,
I have no issue with Mr Marsh’s comments regarding curry houses and the like. Im a kiwi and probably get more shit due to that specifc nationality than most Poms in Australia.
It was more so about the flippant way he (in my opinion) wrote off social media.
Its comments and attitudes like that, from influential and respected figures in the media/marketing industry that lend weight to the stigmatism of ‘social media is nothing more than a gimmick and shouldn’t really be taken seriously’.
As the stigmatism grows, larger amounts of marketing execs/managers feel more comfortable writing social media off as just a fad and become blind to the real benefits.
The flow on effect is that businesses allocate less (or no) budget to the SM space in Australia, effectively strangling this section of the industry alltogether, without even giving it a real chance to prove itself.
I’ve never met Mr Marsh and would welcome the chance to chat with him if such an opportunity ever presented itself – he’s been in the industry alot longer than I have and I would probably learn a great deal from such an experience.
For me personally, it was the way he berated a section of the marketing industry that I personally spend the best part of 10-12 a day working in. The better half of those 10-12 hour days are spent trying to convince people not too disimilar to Mr Marsh of the benefits social media can bring to their clients brands.
In order to convince these people, half the battle is removing the ‘cheeseburger’ stigma associated with social media, as that is often how they perceive it.
Why do they perceive SM like that? Because the comments and attitudes exhibited above encourage that perception.
Cheers,
Mike Watkins