Opinion
- 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 marketing
  
  Email 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.
- The emperor's new fragrance: Old Spice’s campaign failure
  
  In this guest post, Cathie McGinn slays a sacred cow of 21st century marketing – the highly awarded Old Spice campaign.
  
  One of the biggest myths of recent times (by which I mean a story of great heroism and triumph we’d all like to believe but deep down know to be untrue) is the Old Spice social media campaign. It’s been much lauded and awarded as an example of outstanding content, a creative and collaborative way of connecting with consumers and driving a record increase in sales.
- How reliable are radio ratings?
  
  In this guest posting, Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis wonders how accurate radio ratings can be, since the data is collated from handwritten diaries.
  
  So, the radio ratings season gets underway tomorrow. After a well-earned break, Australia’s commercial radio stations will renew their obsession with figures to see how many of us are listening. Are they winning or losing the ratings war?
  
  The much feared radio survey is the only way to measure the success or failure of a station’s playlist, talent, promotions or even good old Black Thunder crosses. With six-figure salaries riding on the make-or-break nature of ratings, just how accurate are Australia’s radio survey results?

Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Dooley to join Merrick at Nova

Life after Merrick & Rosso and Kate Ritchie will consist of Merrick Watts, former ABC presenter Scott Dooley and singer Ricki-Lee Coulter, Nova has revealed.

The new trio will present Nova’s Sydney breakfast show along with an hour-long highlights show across the DMG station’s national network at 6pm every weekday.

Coulter rose to fame on Australian Idol five years ago while Dooley (left of picture) hosted Triple J’s national drive show. Nova revealed the ending of the Merrick & Watts pairing at the beginning of November.

Dean Buchanan, DMG’s group program director, said: “This is the most significant change since Nova launched on April 1, 2001. The new breakfast show will spearhead a complete regeneration for Nova.”

The move follows last month’s purchase of 50% of DMG by Lachlan Murdoch’s company Illyria.

Bank West has renewed its sponsorship of the breakfast show.

In Sydney, the show lags behind 2Day FM’s Kyle & Jackie O show in the ratings. The final set for the year are due out on Tuesday.

December 6th, 2009 at 1:26 pm

Comments

commuter_dirge
6 Dec 09
2:14 pm

I loved Dools on triple j, but there’s no way I’m following him over to Nova.

And Ricki-Lee? jaysus…

Luke
6 Dec 09
2:55 pm

Scott dooley has to much talent to be thrown in with ricki lee i mean seriously Ricki – Lee ?

barywhite
6 Dec 09
6:33 pm

Dools has been awesome for the last 7yrs at triple j..

pity he’s going to nova. one of the best things about dools is his taste in music. i bet nova don’t let any of their presenters touch the playlist.

i hope the payrise is worth putting up with Ricki-Lee Coulter dools

Anonymous
7 Dec 09
9:00 am

My thoughts exactly. Not sure how many people will follow Dools to Nova, not sure about the music they’ll play, and there’s just something about triplej (maybe the fact that while at work there’s something there without any type of advertising…)that is going to keep me listening.

Best of luck to Dools either way

Dave
7 Dec 09
10:36 am

Gonna miss DOOLS from the J’s… would almost consider listening if it wasn’t for Ricki-lame !!! SERIOUS NOVA!!! is she there for the best of the 80′s karaoke secret sound weather girl????

Long time listener, first time caller
7 Dec 09
10:44 am

So glad I am not alone here ion thinking that the dools connection will be a plus, but the RLC a negative. You never know, Dools might get a tv show out of it? Everyone else does don’t they?

paul
7 Dec 09
10:59 am

sounds like dools is having the same effect angela catterns did when she left ABC702 to go to vega. Listeners called in and said they were going to miss her – this should ring potential alarm bells at DMG.

If listeners are stating they are going to miss someone, then it’s a sure fire sign that they won’t follow them to their new station. Couple this with the breakup of a strong breakfast team, nova sydney could be in for a struggle for the first 6-9 months of next year. Having said that, when Akmed joined nova for drive, the show initially stunk and then delivered a solid audience for the next two years.

Corey Allen
7 Dec 09
11:51 am

Dools was great on JJJ for his music choice, his choice of guests (can’t see Suffa from the Hilltop Hoods coming into Nova to do a film review) and his pop-culture referencing sense of humour.
I give it 2 months with Merrick (yawn) and Ricki Lee (run for the hills!) before his sense of humour is beaten down to conform with DMG’s target demographic.
I mean, they’re trying to beat Kyle and Jackie O right?

Snipergirl
7 Dec 09
11:59 am

Dools is an obnoxious, unfunny guy. I’m glad he’s no longer on JJJ.

Warlach
7 Dec 09
12:03 pm

I used to love Merrick and Rosso on the J’s – then they moved to Nova and became one of the most bland, boring radio shows around. Seriously, I used to record the show’s best bits and still have all those tapes, but Nova killed them creatively. I suspect the same thing is going to happen to Dools, which is really disappointing.

While I’m at it – can we kick Deborah Cameron off 702 – I listen to it from bed for the interesting news and discussion, not to hear an ill informed half wit stumble through every interview and turn every sentence into a rising question.

Oh, and 702: please stop having Wendy Harmer cover for Adam Spencer – it’s like replacing someone’s pillow with a pile of spiders and rusty nails and pretending it’s the same thing.

Harmer by Name
7 Dec 09
1:20 pm

Hear Hear Warlach. Wendy Harmer is corporal punishment for the ears. Please 702, ANYONE but Wendy.

LaLa
7 Dec 09
1:57 pm

My boyfriend is an avid JJJ listener so I listened to Dools most afternoons. I actually thought he struggled somewhat hosting the drive time show by himself, he seemed to interact much better with someone. In fact, knowing nothing about him I thought he was quite new to radio as he seemed quite green. I don’t think he did anything particularly creative, just sounded like a 20 something guy crapping on with his mates.

Jevil
7 Dec 09
2:39 pm

I listen to Triple J and I love Merrick Watts. I look forward to hearing Dools together with Mez next year. Can’t say I feel the same way about Ricki-Lee being in the mix.

Richele
7 Dec 09
3:24 pm

Thanks for letting me know what not to listen to next year.

Ricki-Lee? Really? I couldn’t imagine anyone worse.

Lisa
7 Dec 09
3:28 pm

between kyle on 2day and ricki-lee on nova – i think i might put on my dancing shoes and head over to mix

C K Cash
7 Dec 09
4:03 pm

I think Nova will be sinking in the ratings with BBQ shape muncher Coulter as part of the new team….Time to change the whole mix at Nova….

dave
7 Dec 09
7:37 pm

Rickie-Lee and Dools…wow!

I feel sorry for Mez! Hate to say it buddy but there goes a great career. Brought down at the hand of an ex-australian idol contestant and a self absorbed and arogent triple j punk.

I can’t believe Dean Buchanan has put his name to this one. I have a feeling that heads will roll within Nova’s Group Programming for this very, very bad call.

Beckala
7 Dec 09
8:58 pm

I’m a big Merrick fan so I was really hoping that they would put him with someone worthy – but Ricki Lee, oh dear god! I really truly doubt I’ll be able to tolerate it – hell, i’ll give it a try, but she annoyed me enough the first year she was on Idol, let alone when she was ‘hosting’ it as well – I really don’t understand why they would hire her, of all people.

Not familiar with ‘Dools’, so will pass judgement when I hear it.

But all in all, not happy at all, dreading the morning commute next year, because there will just be nothing worth listening to!

Josh
7 Dec 09
9:57 pm

Dools! please tell me your kidding!!!
ricki-lee??? nova????
I can’t hack 2 minutes of that putrid commercial radio, no money could be worth working there every day!
Enjoy back anouncing lady gaga and rihanna! No Pharoahe Mouch here Dooley!!!
I’ll be happily enjoying myself on triple j. Admittedly, a little less now Mr Dools is gone.

p.s. where is bones??? WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF BONES!!!

Thurman
8 Dec 09
8:50 pm

First of all, everyone dissing dools can go jump. Second of all, loved his drive show, when he said he was leaving Triple J I felt like a mate of mine was moving overseas perminately. But to hear that he was goin to join merrick watts made me sick, Rosso was way funnier than Merrick, he was just corny, and to hear that Dools is going there is just awful. I might switch on to nova for the first show just to hear what he has to say for himself, but then straight onto Tom and Alex.

P.S.

Nova plays the worst music over and over again.

Janet
9 Dec 09
4:32 am

You can see the guilt in Dools’ eyes in this photo. Going to miss him big time!! Oh well… if reading your discussions off a script based on what the ‘sponsors’ like, no swearing, no artistic imput allowed, then good for you! Goodbye random callers, hello pre recorded calls from Karen the Nova janitor. Goodbye sh*tty trivia, hello lame made up stories that are not funny at all. Goodbye genuine interesting interviews with artists, hello claiming new music first, when triple j plays music months before nova, even before you can buy it. I’ll be sticking with triple j. love triple j

Ellie
9 Dec 09
9:58 pm

Ugh. So upset. Dools was so awesome on Triple J. I remember once he claimed to not be familiar with who Lady Gaga is… I guess he’d better get familiar pretty quick, as that’s the sort of sh*t he’ll be playing on Nova, between the ads and Ricki’s vapid warbling.

Ross
12 Dec 09
11:15 am

this pisses me off. dools was epic on triple j, i can’t believe he sold out theres no way ill be able to listen to nova and its sucks that the idiots that listen to it get to have him on their radio station.

Stormy
16 Dec 09
2:45 pm

I’m with you. Kick Deborah Cameron off 702 and leave Wendy Harmer where she was. Nice to have Angela Catterns back though.

Nath
18 Dec 09
11:31 pm

So sad to hear Dools leaving the J’s. You’re too good for nova Dools! Go back to Triple J one day