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Opinion | Features
Disclosure in Social Media: How transparent should bloggers be?
In this guest post, blogger and digital creative Laura McWhinnie argues for more disclosure in the bloggersphere.
The bloggersphere has always been a bit like the Wild West. Bloggers could post about products to their heart’s content without having to disclose their relationship with the brand. This meant that consumers had no idea who was behind the marketing messages influencing their purchasing decisions. But in 2009 that all changed
Liars, cheats and thieves
Is our industry full of cheats and liars or do people of honour who stand by their word still exist in business? In an article that first appeared in Encore, Cameron Boon investigates. The recent court case involving Paul Fishlock suing his former employer The Campaign Palace brought into focus more than just the struggle of one man. It highlighted that there are some in adland whose word cannot always be relied upon.
Q&A with Adshel's Rob Atkinson
Online trading is the next big thing says Rob Atkinson in a piece that first appeared in Encore. Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Harold Mitchell because of his influence and the footprint he has left. He’s built a huge brand in Mitchells, offloaded it into Aegis, Aegis has obviously done extremely well to be then sold on to Dentsu. So if you think about it, he is very much a father figure of the industry.
Making it overseas
Is the best way of being successful in Australia not be here at all? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Lee Zachariah speaks to Aussies making it big abroad.I always wanted to work in New York,” says Julian Cole. “I thought it was the number one place to work in advertising; a lot of the best campaigns were coming out of there. So I moved over and was lucky enough to have a couple of interviews in the first couple of weeks.”
Cole’s story is indicative of the somewhat contentious idea that the best way to be successful in Australia is to not be in Australia any more.
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.
Australian public has ‘lost faith’ in Ten, claims former sales chief Mike Morrison
The Australian public has lost faith in Ten, and now faces its main competition from secondary channels while Seven and Nine enjoy a duopoly over the market, the man who was briefly the company’s chief sales officer has claimed.
Mike Morrison – whose short tenure lasted from January to June last year after he struggled to win over media agency executives – is now MD of ad agency Innocean. This week Ten said Morrison’s claims were incorrect and naive.
Morrison told Mumbrella: “There has been a shift in the TV industry in Australia, and now we see Seven and Nine with a duopoly position in the market.
“There came a point where the Australian public no longer trusted Ten, and Ten is now competing with subscription TV channels.
“Ten’s relationship with the Australian public has fundamentally shifted,” he added.
Ten had a poor year in the ratings, with its struggles triggered by the failure of Everybody Dance Now which it eventually axed. The network has been focusing on stabilising its audiences this year with a share of total free-to-air viewing ranging from 10% on a poor night to around 15%. However it performs better in its key advertising demographics of 16-39 and 18-49.
With media agencies keen to keep Seven and Nine honest, Ten’s current chief sales officer Barry O’Brien appears to be bringing in a greater share of advertising revenue than the network is achieving in audience share, although it is still struggling.
Secondary digital channels such as Go, Gem, 7Mate and 7Two tend to achieve shares of around 3-5%
Ten issued a statement to Mumbrella in response to Morrison’s comments. A spokesman said:
“Obviously, the views and opinions of a former Ten employee are not objective or up to date. It’s worth noting that Mike Morrison was only at Network Ten for five months, and he has not worked here for more than eight months.
“We don’t know the context in which Mike Morrison made his comments. But to say Ten has “lost the trust of the Australian public” is absolute nonsense.
“Yes, Ten had some unsuccessful programs last year. But we also had many successful programs, such as Offspring, Modern Family, Homeland, The Biggest Loser, MasterChef Australia, Ten News At Five, The Project, Bikie Wars: Brothers In Arms and so on. Already this year we are seeing good results, particularly in our core target market of people 18 to 49, from programs such as Elementary, Africa, NCIS and the Sunday episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals – and the year has only just started.
“Eleven remains a hit among people aged under 40, and One remains a robust channel, particularly in its target market of men 25 to 54.
“Our focus this year is one delivering a consistent, stable program schedule, one that is absolutely based on the trust people have in the Ten brand.
“Our research shows Ten has absolutely not lost the trust of Australians, and the strong opening numbers for new shows such as Africa and Elementary prove that is the case. Consumers see Ten as a strong, youthful brand.
“As for Mike Morrison’s apparent comment about Ten now competing against the digital channels, that is rubbish. Even the most cursory glance at the broad ratings numbers proves that is absolutely incorrect and completely naïve.”
Last night, Ten suffered another blow, with Glee delivering one of the lowest network peak time audience of all time.
Morrison left Ten suddenly in June last year. He had been the first major hire of Ten CEO James Warburton, but his non-television experience – with Y&R Brands and Sapient Nitro – raised eyebrows.
Innocean has struggled to win business beyond founding clients Kia and Hyundai, but Morrison said he had his eye on “not big, but blue chip targets” to add to the client list.
“Of course we want to grow, but not at all costs,” he said. “I’ve been in a number of firms where the pressure to deliver results quickly is extreme.”
“We are taking a measured, ordered approached to growth. It has to be good for our staff and good for our culture,” he said.
Robin Hicks
This story first appeared in the tablet edition of Encore. To download click on the links below.
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Comments
21 Feb 13
1:11 pm
Seriously… “trust”?
Adland is fooling itself and its customers by talking about trust and relationships in modern media.
People dont have relationships with channels, they have shows that appeal or they feel a need to be aware of, but it is not a relationship and there is no trust (excluding some respect for news shows).
People dont watch channel nine because its channel nine, they watch the SHOWS. Put the cricket, AFL whatever on 10… people watch it.
this is increasing with the fragmentation of the media, most times now, people dont even know what channel they are watching.
Stop kidding yoursleves agency and marketing superstars. Its all about the product.
21 Feb 13
2:00 pm
It’s a very long credibility stretch for the views on a past employer of anyone who occupies a position for 4-5 months to be taken too seriously. There is a big enough challenge for Mike to genuinely broaden Innocean’s client base, by isolating a distinctive and compelling offering for this Kia/Hyundai dominated agency. Respectfully, I suggest he more thoughtfully apply his intellect, energies, and passion to this formidable task.
21 Feb 13
2:09 pm
Ten lost the plot when it wandered away from core television values and started allowing ratings race tactics and hype to take the lead.
Ten was once a highly respected network with good Australian content and a solid grip on television’s core principles.
It will fall over entirely and it will end up on the, network for sale scrap heap, with a “best offer” price tag, if it doesn’t start thinking about what it actually is and where it it might be headed.
Family entertainment, good quality news coverage and drama and comedy, produced in a responsible way.
Provide a valuable and viable replacement for magazines. Forget about trying to be innovative; yes I said forget about it.
get back to being a good producer of television again, then think about a small corner you may devote to innovation.
I am available to discuss this any time.
21 Feb 13
2:20 pm
I haven’t lost faith in Ten. It’s just that apart from Masterchef and Modern Family it has no shows that interest me.
None.
Seriously.
21 Feb 13
2:30 pm
Surely the public don’t care about loyalty to networks , just programs and Ten has some good ones.
Their news is tragic and light weight. That could be vamped up and 7 & 9 still kill them by having ‘current affairs’ at 6.30pm shows that can pull punters who then stay for awhile after.
Mumbrella claimed 7 was ditching Today Tonight and I said ‘big mistake’ and was correct. Listen to me.
21 Feb 13
2:42 pm
It’s a reasonably fair call. I think Ten can argue otherwise when they aren’t regularly the number 4 station. When you put your wife on a show and then it tanks it doesn’t really look like you know what you’re doing. Good management should not only be done it should also be seen to be done.
21 Feb 13
3:02 pm
Earth calling Ch10 “Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee Glee”
21 Feb 13
3:16 pm
Now we have trust issues with Ten! What a load of bs. People just watch shows that they like. Ten will get back on it’s feet once it finds the right mix. No wonder Morrison didn’t last in the job.
21 Feb 13
3:25 pm
Ten regards the Project as a success? There’s your problem,Ten has cpmpletely lost touch with reality.
21 Feb 13
3:40 pm
Rule number 1. Don’t pay out your former employer when you clearly failed!
Zero credibility
21 Feb 13
3:48 pm
Smoke & mirrors.
21 Feb 13
4:25 pm
To bad mouth your former employer – no matter how long you were there for – is never a good career move.
21 Feb 13
9:28 pm
What an appalling error of judgement by Mr Morrision.
Equalled only by the judgement of Innocean to employ him in the first place.
What a fools.
One more month tops.
22 Feb 13
12:02 am
Morrison, seriously.
22 Feb 13
9:57 am
By all accounts Mr.M was a very good “advertising” man. His brief
stint working for a media owner proved to be an unfortunate
error of judgement for both parties. There are media agency planners and buyers
with 18 months experience who’s views I would value more highly.
Stick to what you know Mr.M.
22 Feb 13
10:50 am
As a regular TV viewer, I couldn’t care less about the channels and their brand. All I care about is good quality entertaining shows like MKR. All this trust and faith in channels is BS. I will watch whichever channel with entertaining shows.
22 Feb 13
12:05 pm
What an idiot!!!
Firstly, who ever bags a former employer
Secondly, the bloke was there for 5 minutes and what a crap 5 minutes it was:
Thirdly, Ten will rise from this, there are good people there and like everything, their time will come. Remember when 7 was the basket case
Look forward to seeing the huge client wins he brings in ..oh but wait, we need to be patient because he does not want to do anything that is not good for staff or existing clients…. last time I checked, winning business was the greatest motivator for staff in any business and shows existing clients that your service is appealing to other great like minded businesses
You really stuffed up here MM
22 Feb 13
12:18 pm
People still watch telly, on the box? Weird
22 Feb 13
12:23 pm
I’m not sure anybody is arguing that Mike’s analysis of 10 is accurate. it’s a joke of a channel right now, milking Masterchef to death and otherwise churning out low rent American tat and poorly conceived Australian content.
also not sure we should necessarily be getting after Mike for this headline. There’s a good chance that that was a small part of an interview about Innocean which Mumbrella has decided to take hold of a lead with because it has more opportunities for controversy.
22 Feb 13
12:43 pm
How long did Mike last at Sapient Nitro? I think it was four months. Add less than a year at 10 and with a track record like that in your last two jobs I’d advise severely limiting my public criticisms of anyone until I’d built a little bit of success at Innocean.
23 Feb 13
2:45 pm
@paul……yep that sums it up.
TV as we have known it is done. Ironically Ten is actually ahead of its time. Seven, Nine etc you’re all f***ed. it’s simply a matter of time. You’ll still exist but not the way you have been used to and you’re going to have to change your business models…. The numbers don’t add up anymore and I hate to tell you but its going to get worse.
Bring on the opportunities this creates for those of us who aren’t billionaires and actually have to compete on a (relatively) level playing field.
25 Feb 13
12:50 pm
@Oscar “Surely the public don’t care about loyalty to networks , just programs and Ten has some good ones” – a comment that nails it (loyalty to a network? As if most people have that) followed by “Mumbrella claimed 7 was ditching Today Tonight and I said ‘big mistake’ and was correct. Listen to me”. Um ‘listen to me’? Seriously?