-
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 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.
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?
The new Westpac ad may be great – but you’ll have to take their word for it
Westpac is VERY proud of its new marketing postitioning. And achingly modern with its PR too.
So modern in fact, that it’s issued an Interactive Media Release – one of the first that Dr Mumbo has been sent
They’ve got all of their social media bases covered.
There’s even You Tube video of marketing manager Andrew Seagar talking about how great the ad is…
… and brand director Jee Moon agreeing with him…
… and Group Executive Peter Hanlon agreeing with both of them.
You can even read their bios (or two of them, anyway).
Sadly, there’s some kind of rights problem, so they can’t actually show the ad online, which is something of a pity for an interactive press release about an advertisement. So we’ll have to take their word for it on what a jolly good job they’ve done.
May 8th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
-
Follow Us
-
Email Newsletter
Latest Jobs- PHP Web Developer - Melbourne, VIC
- Senior Marketing Consultant (1367) - MELBOURNE
- Sr Designer/Group Head (1366) - MELBOURNE
- Account Executive (freelance) - 1365 - MELBOURNE
- Group Account Director (1364) - MELBOURNE
- Account Director (1363) - MELBOURNE
- Account Executive/Manager - 1360 - MELBOURNE
- Account Director (1358) - MELBOURNE
- Project Manager (Design/Web) - 1355 - MELBOURNE
- Graphic Designer (mid-weight) - 1361 - MELBOURNE
Comments
8 May 09
4:11 pm
That is too funny…
8 May 09
4:19 pm
But the press release doesn’t mention anything about the videos being made in the 80′s…
8 May 09
4:23 pm
lets hope the production values of the ads are a bit better than these vids. not overly impressed with lamo tagline “the bank you can bank on”…..hope they didn’t pay to much for that little gem of thinking
good on ‘em for trying something new with interactive release, pity execution not thought through
8 May 09
4:27 pm
the only thing better than a carefully curated, legally approved, non offensive to anyone quote is a carefully curated, legally approved, non offensive to anyone quote filmed on a cheap handycam and put online.
look out youtube servers
8 May 09
4:37 pm
At least they’re not pretending to be different
8 May 09
5:14 pm
This is hilarious…
I particularly love the part of their interactive media release where they say ‘The campaign re-introduces the phrase ‘We’re a bank you can bank on,’ providing a subtle nod…’. I don’t really see what part of that phrase is meant to be ‘subtle’.
I also agree with Zac, what a great return to the 80′s!
8 May 09
5:34 pm
I am amazed that they chose an out-of-date technology- the incandescent lightbulb, as a symbol of their NEW campaign which is outlawed now by even the Australian government?
8 May 09
5:38 pm
maverickwoman not to mention how hackneyed the light bulb is in the first place
8 May 09
6:45 pm
Couple of quick tweaks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1VdASGXFAU
Now Westpac, you’re using the power of the internets.
8 May 09
7:51 pm
Marklen – I salute you…
9 May 09
7:34 am
Oh dear…
9 May 09
1:22 pm
Always happy to see another major corporation embrace online.
But are they taking the piss with those YouTube videos? Fake digital wallpaper by Target, badly chroma keyed behind handycam talking heads, foreheads shining in desperate need of makeup. Did they want it to look like the office junior shot them in-house?
Is it some subtle satire? Westpac marketing during the GFC? A dig at YouTube UGC? Some kind of nefarious experiment in hypno-marketing?
10 May 09
12:37 pm
Who was responsible?
10 May 09
8:59 pm
awful, absolutely awful, and I’m talking about the clips not the ad which I have just seen on their website and which does nothing for me.
Last time you told me ‘my future was your future’ but I take it now you think my future is so worthless you no longer want to be associated with it?
A bank you can bank on. Great, thanks, really means something to me that. I presume we will be subjected to more inane commercials showing how we can bank on them to not follow the RBA rates down, give us such great credit card rates, etc etc.
Please please please though, whatever ads you release next, can we not have these awfully produced clips from undoubtedly overpaid and underworked marketing people trying to pretend they are so cool and clever.
What’s funny is that presumbably there is a hierachy thing happenning here anyway and so one of the three will not be there for the next ad, that one being the one whose daft idea the clips were – my moneys on the bald ugly one, at least the other two made some sense!
11 May 09
1:53 pm
Can anyone remember Westpac’s “Who can you bank on?” campaign?
All singing, jingling, elbows and knees acting and dancing.
Glad to see the palace re-cycling old junk. Quite green of them really.
11 May 09
2:09 pm
Just watched the ad… so can anyone else see the irony in Westpac being;
The “Bank you can bank on.”
The “Jumper in case” –
The “Safety bar… not the rollercoaster”
While at the same time….
Being at the forefront of online social media…
First to market.. in their online strategy…
Telling you… (Before you can actually see it televised) that they are Great… and Revolutionary marketers…
while at the same time being;
“Factor 50” (more like aged 50) … that “stick to the path”
I think the line that sold me was
“The Iron that is definitely switched off”
… In other words not switched on??
11 May 09
2:12 pm
Marklen, I’m with Tim….bloody genius!!!
11 May 09
2:34 pm
I just thought in the first clip that there was this spooky ghosting Christ-like halo around that blokes head! Maybe this is the second coming for Westpac!
Speaking of financial institutions – and I can’t remember which brand it is – there is an ad floating around where they talk about how times are tough and how they recognise how important our dwindling savings are, followed by the tag-line “We want what you want”.
Damn right they do. I want my money … and quite clearly they want my money as well !
11 May 09
3:15 pm
westpac, putting the “W” in bank
11 May 09
5:57 pm
Great to see a bank telling us how great it is…sure, great bank, love some of what you do – but can someone ring me from Westpac so I can share my customer service feedback about the disastrous experience we had with a branch when we got our $500K worth of home loan?
Consultant had no interpersonal skills, left other customers’ personal details on the screen (which we could see!), had snot hanging out of his nose, his phone rang constantly (which he ignored), insisted on us completing a credit card application (which we told him we didn’t want) and an inflatable Santa next to his desk was so loud we could barely hear what he was saying…
Can’t help but feel cynical about the ads as a result.. consistency in your customer service would be a great start before splashing about ad dollars!
11 May 09
6:00 pm
In addition, if a bank thinks that if it tells us how great it is often enough and loud enough, do they truly believe we will all start to believe it?
12 May 09
12:35 pm
But enough about me, let’s talk about what you think about me. Signed W.
13 May 09
2:10 pm
This is pretty hilarious.
How anyone could ever have thought putting the exectuive team into a video press release was a good idea!
Did I just walk into a heavy carpeted 1980s community branch building society?
And you can totally imagine the politics around each person being involved. Why do all 3 of them need to be in their own video?!
Stupid waste of money that damages the brand not builds it.
17 May 09
7:08 pm
Westpac add: “We’re factor 50″
What the hell is that suposed to mean?
Is it in relation to the sunscreen index or someother finance world crap?
17 May 09
7:11 pm
the new west pac commercial.
“the bank you can bank on”.
I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what they are suggesting when they say ‘we are not on a first date’.
thanks.