-
Opinion
When the powerful buy into the media, can the media still scrutinise the powerful?
Economist Richard Denniss of Australian National University argues in a post that first appeared on The Conversation that the public needs to decide if it cares who owns the media.The mining industry is used to having its voice heard in Australian public debates, so it should come as no surprise that mining billionaires such as Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer would consider buying up a bigger slice of the Australian media.
While the estimated $20m spent by the mining industry on television advertisements opposing the introduction of a mining tax was the most visible example of the industry’s determination to influence the public it is, in fact, just the tip of the iceberg.
The keyboard warrior of Twitter
In this guest post, NBN staffer Scott Rhodie writes an unofficial, personal view on his experience with a hostile Twitter critic.Last night I had a strange incident. While on Twitter I noticed someone saying that Australia’s NBN is already outdated. I wrote a small note back explaining they were incorrect.
And their response? The lovely gentleman (whose Twitter profile says: ‘Father of 5 kids, Loving Grandfather of 10 Grandchildren,and 2 Great Granddaughters. love to give heaps to Pollies and Poofters’) said to me: “Go and lick Gillards C*** out U commie Prick”
What's in a name?
In this guest post, Moensie Rossier wonders about the power of names for brands and marketers.
Brands have been having a bit of fun with names lately, not to mention a fair bit of success. Interbrand just named a headhunting firm Cloak & Dagger. And ‘Share a Coke’ showed how much power there is in a name.
The Coke campaign effectively short-circuited the usual mechanics of communication. It undoubtedly stroked people’s egos. But, I believe, its success stems from the fact that it directly and automatically affected people’s behaviour, rather than doing so indirectly by shaping attitudes.
Best ads from Super Bowl 2012
The Super Bowl is all done and a team from North America won. But as well as some sort of sporting event, it’s the world’s biggest advertising showcase. See the best of them right here… and please tell us what you think.
How to debunk media myths
In this post, UWS’s Ullrich Ecker, John Cook and Stephen Lewandowsky argue that cognitive science can help PRs form strategies in managing media misreporting.
A growing cohort of commentators has bemoaned the descent of contemporary political “debate” into a largely fact-free zone.
How about simply focusing on what consumers want?
In this guest post, Peter Mountford argues that brands should think more about what is really going on for consumers
Who here is hoping their favourite brand of toilet paper is going to be organizing a flash mob on their way home from work today?
What the Optus web copyright victory means
In this analysis first published on The Conversation, RMIT’s Marita Shelly examines the implications of Telstra’s defeat over the online rights to the AFL broadcast deal
This week’s Federal Court ruling that Optus customers are able to view sporting matches minutes after they are streamed live without breaching copyright is a landmark decision that alters our understanding of copyright law, and has significant implications for the AFL’s broadcasting rights deal.
Does Gina Rinehart’s bite of a chunk of Fairfax make her an oligarch?
In an article that first appeared in The Conversation, Mark Rolfe wonders whether the mining magnate’s move could turn Fairfax into something resembling America’s Fox network.
Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart has moved to increase her stake in Fairfax Media, owner of The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and a number of radio stations. Rinehart has already shown her desire to play a role in public life, campaigning against former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s aborted mining tax. She has also demonstrated a willingness to make media investments to ensure her pro-business worldview is promulgated.
What does this latest move by Rinehart mean?
Gillard's Australia Day crisis
PM Julia Gillard’s media adviser Tony Hodges has been forced to resign over the Australia Day tent embassy debacle.
It came after it emerged he had revealed opposition leader Tony Abbott’s whereabouts, leading to both politicians being rescued by police in ugly scenes.
Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes and advertising practitioner Jane Caro debate the topic on Weekend Sunrise’s masters of Spin segment:
The biggest cock-up I made in business
In this guest post, Chris Savage urges agency staff to live the brand.I still shudder when I think about how incredibly stupid I was when I made the biggest stuff up of my career. And then, 18 years later, I did it again. Do not make this mistake with your clients. Ever.
Hey Groupon. Thanks for fucking up email
In this guest post, Daniel Monheit warns that group deal overload is devaluing email marketingEmail marketing used to be fabulous. Back in the heady days of 2010, brands would work hard to build up well qualified databases, upon which they’d bestow carefully crafted correspondence filled with information, offers and incentives. The recipients, of course would be delighted: “Oh look! An email! From one of my favourite brands! And it’s 40 cents off at Woolies this week!”.
The staggering sway of Harold Mitchell
The Power Index today names Aegis Media chairman Harold Mitchell as the most powerful person in Melbourne. Andrew Crook profiles him.
Harold Mitchell takes pride in dispensing with the niceties. When The Power Index visited his South Melbourne private office before Christmas, fresh remains were scattered all over the boardroom table.
Share a Coke with… the moronic masses
The most-read story on Mumbrella last year, with not far off 100,000 page views, was a fairly humdrum yarn about the launch of Coca-Cola’s name-on-a-bottle campaign.The headline, “Coca-Cola puts people’s names on bottles in ‘Share a Coke’ campaign”, though hated by any self-respecting sub-editor, was loved by Google. And in rushed what can be politely described as the public.
Assumptions kill creativity
In this guest post, Gual Barwell disagrees that the sales success of the Old Spice social media campaign was overstated.Yesterday’s post from Cathie McGinn suggested the Old Spice campaign failed to connect with consumers. Based on the facts and figures, I disagree.
What Old Spice and Wieden + Kennedy has done and done phenomenally well is to create a franchise.
The SMH's readers (are wrong) editor
We are now about five months into the reign of Australia’s first readers’ editor. And I don’t think it is working.
It struck me at the time of Judy Prisk’s appointment to the Sydney Morning Herald that the fact that her boss was editor-in-chief Peter Fray was not going to be ideal if she was going to be the independent voice of the reader.
PR Institute of Australia launches online TV; viewers advised to avoid social media
The PR Institute of Australia has launched its own online TV show – PRTV, with the first episode including a PR boss who advises his clients to steer clear of social media:
The programme - which is a joint venture between online production house Reputation TV and the PRIA is on the PRIA’s web site. Among the topics tackled are the controversial Witchery man in the jacket campaign and social media.
However, not all of those featured are digital cheerleaders. Among the ten or so interviewed are Anthony Tregoning, MD of FCR, who is asked in the video (at 6m 40s in) whether he recommends to his clients that they should engage with social media “such as blogs, LinkedIn and Facebook”. He replies:
“Basically no. Because they tend to be used by people who are trying to undermine the company.”
PRIA national president Tracy Jones said of PRTV: “This is a cost-effective way for us to connect with our members and others with an interest in the PR profession. It’s an example of how strategic thinking can save money in reaching your audience.”
A new episode will be uploaded on the first of each month.
(6pm update: The PRIA has pulled the video down from YouTube altogether, and put a re-edited version onto its website that no longer features Anthony Tregoning. See the comments thread below for Tregoning’s position – he says his comments in the video were out of context.)
May 1st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
-
Follow Us
-
Email Newsletter
Latest Jobs- Digital Online Copy Writter and content producer - North Shore
- Digital Creative Director - Sydney
- Senior Account Executive - Pyrmont
- Social Media Manager - Leading Creative/Digital Agency - Sydney
- Digital Project Manager - Melbourne
- FREELANCE Senior digital producer - 3/4 weeks - Sydney
- Digital Project Manager - Melbourne
- Marketing Manager – Optus - North Ryde, Sydney
- Film Services Coordinator - South Yarra VIC
- Marketing Specialist - Sydney
Comments
1 May 09
12:51 pm
Sorry – I’m 10 seconds in, and the music suggests that there’s a reason they say steer clear of Social Media. Surely they realise that they’re not on network television and that their content isn’t really all that important?
“Welcome to 1983, where we still pride ourselves on being top-down consumers.”
1 May 09
1:09 pm
Theme music, noddies, cutaways, station breaks, lots of suit changes. Everything a good online video needs!
1 May 09
1:15 pm
I love it – 8 minutes 34 seconds about how PR agencies are trying to get to grips with social media, the various strategies they’re using, and some relatively good stuff about the space and how the PR industry are seeing it.
Any yet you’ve chosen to pull out the 5 seconds of negativity, from one person, and write the story as if that’s the entire thrust of the video, and therefore that PR agencies are clueless.
Nice job Tim.
1 May 09
1:18 pm
We should stop the internet while we are at it. That is only used by anarchists. And radio, that has to go because you can’t pay John Laws to say nice things anymore. TV is dangerous because Rove has Turrets Syndrome but at least Graham Kennedy isn’t talking.
Stay calm Mr Tregoning but we have to tell you an awful truth…..people are going to say things about your clients’ brands whether you bang out a press release or not.
1 May 09
2:00 pm
Let’s have some balance here Tim – therein lies the difference between journalism and citizen reporting, true journalism aims to create a balanced viewpoint, unlike the very narrow minded observation you’ve chosen here – I agree with MikeZed.
1 May 09
2:01 pm
I think it’s fantastic that we’re getting such a candid and honest view from PR. Well done PRTV and thank you for giving us opinions from both angles, not just one sided and biased.
1 May 09
2:19 pm
Point taken Mike. Or to put it another way, I’ve pointed towards the most extraordinary statement in the video – or would you disagree with that?
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
1 May 09
2:28 pm
Well put Mike. I’m with Linda in the call for balance. Anyway, it was just his opinion and everone is entitled to theirs. And yes, I know that opinions are like arseholes because everyone has one.
1 May 09
2:54 pm
i started out to say something about morality, then remembered i was about to criticise the ethics of a PR company who won awards for their spinning of the Tampa incident. Hahahahahaha – silly me
1 May 09
2:57 pm
Actually, I was more surprised by the question. Companies should not be “using” blogs and social media. That’s a surefire and deserved way to invite criticism. If you take the time to understand how to participate appropriately, be creative, and give people something worth talking about, it’s not such a scarey place. Maybe the answer was actually correct – no, you shouldn’t “use” social media.
1 May 09
3:36 pm
Anthony Tregoning from FCR is a Luddite. His comments show a total lack of understanding of the value of social media and the returns that can be gained from engaging with both supporters and detractors.
His view is old-school, totally out of date and reflect an individual who is stuck in 19th century PR methods – “hey, lets write a press release.”
Companies who ignore blogs and social media and the affordable way they allow a company to interact and engage with consumers do so at their own peril.
It sounds more like an argument for preserving agency billings rather than anything else.
I guess FCR still pound their press releases out on a Remington and send them by post too.
1 May 09
3:40 pm
Tim, i think you’ve pointed out the most inflammatory statement in the video.
We’ve certainly had scenarios with clients where we’ve advised them that Facebook or Linked In is NOT an appropriate strategy given what they’re doing, but obviously wouldn’t recommend that as a blanket statement to all clients.
With the headline, you’ve implied that PRIA have released a video advising people not to use social media. Personally, i don’t think that’s the case.
1 May 09
3:45 pm
I like PRTV comes complete with advertising. Have the PRIA really taken “TV” literally?
1 May 09
3:48 pm
The question has to be asked of Anthony Tregoning – what motivation do people have to undermine a company?
Is it because their marketing / comms are deceptive or misleading?
Is it because the company doesn’t conduct itself transparently or acknowledge mistakes, issues or problems?
Or is it because the company isn’t integrating communications and marketing – and providing top down only – production marketing? In other words, you can communicate with your customers in any possible innovative way, as long as the end result is a media release, TVC or print art?
Listen to them? Bah! They only pay our bills, what could customers possibly know?
This lack of respect isn’t for social media – it is for PEOPLE. Social media isn’t anything particularly remarkable in itself. What makes it remarkable is that it allows organisations and PEOPLE to connect and converse – to share. To me, it seems Anthony Tregoning thinks that PEOPLE might be the problem, not the tools people are using.
Not using social media tools is the ultimate snub for “friends & fans” and also detractors of the product – both of whom generally have a strong and often a very valid point of view.
My advice to Anthony Tregoning would be to read The Cluetrain Manifesto and think about the advantages of social media.
1 May 09
3:55 pm
Hi Mike. The double headline reflects what to me are two interesting things about this story:
1. The PRIA has launched PRTV – good on them; 2. A senior PR person in this industry thinks that brands should not engage in social media.
Both things deserve to be in the headline.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
1 May 09
4:17 pm
OMG online TV has reach the pinnacle of awful. the PRIA have made an online video exactly like shit sunday morning informercial/tainment shows on Channel Nine. *goes back to twitter*
1 May 09
5:16 pm
Does the PRIA need to hire a PR to do some spin on the content of their own video?
1 May 09
5:27 pm
I am sorry to spoil the fun, but it would help your readers to have the right context for my comment that FCR does not advise companies to use social media. My statement was plucked from a discussion about ethics and investor relations, not social media.
My statement followed discussion of the difference between spin and communication and how investor relations requires full and balanced communication of the facts to enable investors to have the right information for their decision on whether to buy or sell shares, or accept or reject a takeover offer.
In that context, ‘using’ blogs and other forms of social media the way a ‘spin doctor’ would to promote a company’s shares is not only ethically wrong, but illegal.
1 May 09
5:32 pm
Interesting, Anthony. (Welcome to online, by the way. You’ve just “posted a comment” onto what is known as a “blog”).
So are you saying that the PRAI video misquoted you? If so, perhaps you could offer us up a couple of case studies where you’be helped your clients use social media?
1 May 09
5:47 pm
I suspect the life of this video in its current format will be very short if Anthony’s repudiation is right.
And what’s with the cut-aways showing the interviewer nodding all the time?
Now open for pitching is the PRTV account – requires crisis and issues management experience.
So refreshing to see PROs complaining about being misquoted by PROs instead of the media.
1 May 09
5:53 pm
Hi John,
It looks as if you may be right. The video does indeed appear to have been pulled in the last few minutes.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
1 May 09
6:02 pm
But news and tales of it will last in social media networks forever. LOL
Ummm, next account manager please. LOL
Now I remember why I never joined the PRIA in the 10-years I owned a PR firm in Australia.
“PRIA in damage control as member files suit – misquoted”
“Leading PR firm in crisis talks with association”
“Leading PR firm launches Facebook, Twitter, accounts”
“PRIA recruits former 60 minutes producer”
Sounds like some good headlines to me. LOL
Cheers
John
1 May 09
6:08 pm
I think we need to commend the PRIA for adding a new medium to their website and addressing an issue that is critical not only for pr agencies but one that is critical to digital agencies and advertising agencies as well.
My only suggestion would be to make the TV show more interactive. In future topics should be posted with members able to ask questions before the program.
Another welcome addition would be a clear link under the video for Comments. This would ensure the debate continues and users are encouraged to have their say. Adding these interactive features would give viewers the extra confidence that the industry is walking the talk and embracing two-way comms.
1 May 09
6:18 pm
Great suggestions Jenni. It’s part of what social media is all about. Something the PRIA doesn’t seem to comprehend the power of though or else they would have ensured this clip was more accurate.
Looks like the PRIA is going to find out the value and impact of social media the hard way though – that is as long as its media monitoring service covers social media such as this blog.
I wonder if they have heard of Google Alerts?
1 May 09
7:02 pm
What a steaming pile. They even had the gall to include an ad break. Classic pushmedia.
1 May 09
7:12 pm
I can’t wait for the extinction of PR companies.
As a digital publisher, i get 10 calls a week from PR interns asking for our “rates” (and sounding bewildered by the term CPM) so they can work out how much to charge their clients.
How the hell could they ever work out the rate of a tweet or comment?
Good night to the middle man PR exec
2 May 09
2:44 am
Following on from Jenni’s suggestions I would have thought a topics such as this – as well as several others – would be better handled as a panel discussion of three or five people instead of one-on-one talking heads.
Despite my flippant comments earlier on, social media is a challenge communications professionals need to master and manage (to the best of their ability) and should be part of every communications plan.
Companies that ignore it do so at their peril. Managing social media can be invaluable in disseminating information in much the same way as some bloggers now have as much, if not more influence than many traditional media outlets.
With the closure of many publications PR and communications professionals need to look at other avenues for disseminating their clients’ messages and/or limiting damage. It’s unfortunate that this topic was handled so badly and in reality there was very little content in the video that should many of the people were using it to leverage the maximum results.
Of note was the explanation provided by James Wackett on how Anglicare use social media to engage with its stakeholders. Because the vid has been pulled I can’t view it again so apologies to others who contributed valid points.
2 May 09
10:45 am
Hi John,
If you do still want to see the video, the re-edited version – minus Anthony’s comments – is on the PRIA home page; link is in the story.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
11 May 09
9:44 am
This kneejerk recourse to censorship drives the reputation of the PRIA and public relations yet lower.
Anthony himself talks about ‘full and balanced’ being the ethical way. Well if you’ve stuffed up then let’s have the full explanation.
People will remember the censorship here.
31 May 09
1:34 am
What sort of PR or news world does MikeZed come from? Is he seriously implying that Mumbrella hasn’t presented the most newsworthy part of mostly VANILLA PRIA overview of sophisticated technologies that all serious firms view as the most compelling challenge facing us today using new tools and managing an evolving mediascape. Kudos to Tim. MikeZed it’s only fair you declare whether you are naive or an non-disclosed FCR supporter/insider?