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Opinion | Features
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.
Savage counsel - JFDI
Hi Chris,I run a medium-sized agency that is doing pretty well. As the leader, I am finding my workload just seems to go up and up. I am struggling to stay motivated and particularly to tackle the bigger and tougher challenges I have to face every day. How do I keep up the energy when there just seems so much to do? How do you do it?
Productive, successful executives are those able to consistently tackle difficult and big challenges. It’s a constant struggle for me so I know how you feel. How do the successful leaders do it?
Q&A with Brett Clegg
Brett Clegg, group director – business media, Fairfax Media, in a Q&A that first appeared in Encore, on the journo who refuses to work with him – his wife.Who is the most powerful person in Australian media and why?
Hard to go past Rupert Murdoch. He controls the single largest and most diverse portfolio and is intent on leveraging its scale (and, of course, influence). He’s an innovator and his will to win is obvious to all.
Tim Tam bus goes on ‘Love More Than One’ tour of Australia giving away 200,000 biscuits
Arnott’s has launched a campaign to promote its treat packs, kicking off with a branded bus tour that starts in Melbourne.
Free Tim Tams, anyone?
Headed for Warrnambool, the bus will be ‘sharing the love’ by giving away roughly 200,000 Tim Tams, available in eight different flavours, on its way around Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales for three weeks.
The experiential campaign, devised by Mango, comes nine months after the brand gave away roughly 100,000 Tim Tams in an experiential stunt at Martin Place in Sydney, where the biscuits hung from trees.
The ‘Love More Than One’ bus’s movements can be followed on the brand’s Facebook page.
The campaign culminates in a new TV ad that goes on air tomorrow, which is Valentine’s Day.
The TV ad, created by DDB Sydney, will run around The Voice, Downton Abbey, The Block: All Stars, My Kitchen Rules, Parade’s End, and Packed to the Rafters.
Susanna Polycarpou, Arnott’s brand director said in a press release: “Tim Tam is the only chocolate biscuit that stirs emotion in Australians that’s beyond reason. We’re celebrating the magical love of Tim Tam by creating a unique experience for our fans to enjoy. We would love Tim Tam fans to visit us as we travel around the country and join in the fun by helping to share the Tim Tam love.”
Credits:
DDB
ECD: Dylan Harrison
Creative Group Heads: Madeline Smith and Jen Speirs
Art Director: Richard Apps
Copywriter: Andrew Allsop
Managing Director Strategy and Innovation: Leif Stromnes
Senior Strategic Planner: Michelle Martignoni
Managing Partner: Kate Sheppard
Business Director: Claire Birrell
Agency producer: Brenden Johnson
Director of Social Media: James Quinlan
Community Manager: Sohail Bhatia
Mango:
GM: Claire Salvetti
Senior Execute Producer: Brooke Pilton
Producer: Richard Holt
TV Production:
Production House: The Feds
Director: Josh Logue
Producer: Karen Watson
Post Production House: Heckler
Music: “Are you ready?” by Kate Miller-Heidke (Sony)
Media: MEC
Group Business Director: Tony Newby
Business Director: Rebecca Twist
Campbell Arnott’s
Brand Director: Susanna Polycarpou
Marketing Manager, Tim Tam: Leigh Coleman
Brand Manager, Tim Tam: Laura Hindson
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Comments
13 Feb 13
9:37 am
Cute work and nice idea. Not revolutionary, but entirely appropriate for the brand.
13 Feb 13
10:03 am
It’s funny, if McDonald’s or the kid’s sugary cereal companies did this there’d be universal outrage. Yet, a chocolate biscuit manufacturer (which I’m assuming is equally bad for your health) can do it and it’s considered “cute”. Strange times we live in….
13 Feb 13
10:29 am
There would only be outrage from those who are unable to stop clutching pearls and thinking of the children.
You seem to be suggesting that this is aimed at kids. Tim-Tam’s previous efforts in Martin Place, a business area, coupled with the talent in the ad and the tone, suggest you are mistakenly trotting out a trite and fallacious view of food advertising.
13 Feb 13
10:30 am
Frank,
Nice idea – let’s only advertise Water from now on as everything else is detrimental to your health if you have too much of it.
While we’re at it let’s go back to black and white ads so colours can’t impulse people.
What a fun world that would be
13 Feb 13
10:34 am
@Frank
A very good point raised there sir.
I guess the Tim Tam’s brand is warm and fuzzy. It is a sentimental brand. They are biscuits that you can only (ind of) buy in Oz.
Where as KFC / McDonald’s etc are global and everywhere – a bit like Influenza.
Nice sugar verses evil sugar, in terms of the brand perhaps?
13 Feb 13
10:34 am
(‘kind of’)
13 Feb 13
10:47 am
I didn’t find this to be particularly impressive… it’s just OK. The production quality of the ad seems low, and the size of the small product is dominated by the people holding it – took me a while to understand the point / idea behind it. Can’t help but think there is a better idea out there to help illustrate the new product. But hey, they’re giving away free chocolate – I doubt consumers will complain!
13 Feb 13
10:57 am
Frank, old fella, there is a difference between a Tim Tam and a Big Mac or a bowl of sugary cereal. Can you guess? That’s right, a Tim Tam is smaller, doesn’t substitute for proper mealsand doesn’t exploit kids, or really dim adults.
13 Feb 13
11:21 am
Veg muncher – you’ve explained it to me intelligently and succinctly…. Look, I’m not some perverse anti-sugar campaigner (although I would object to my 4 year old kid being handed Tim Tams). It’s just funny how some junk food brands are seen as warm and fuzzy (Tim Tams or Coke or Magnum ice-creams) where others (Mc Donald’s, Fruit Loops and Winfield Cigarettes) are seen as the work of the Devil. Again, strange ethics we have….
13 Feb 13
11:54 am
Great work guys, the hits keep on coming for this brand.
13 Feb 13
12:58 pm
That bus looks pretty cool. Does anyone know who put it together?
13 Feb 13
12:59 pm
Hi hey hey,
Just checked, and DDB – Arnott’s ad agency – designed the bus artwork.
Cheers,
Robin – Mumbrella
13 Feb 13
1:02 pm
@ Groucho… I think you’ve missed the argument. It being it’s okay to hand out Tim Tams and it’s not okay to handout cheeseburgers (regardless of where they sit on the mealtime food pyramid.)
13 Feb 13
1:05 pm
This is interesting from the Herald today – “Profits before health” and I quote: “ALCOHOL and processed food companies are employing the same tactics as Big Tobacco to increase their profits at the expense of people’s lives”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national.....z2KjzLCxIU
13 Feb 13
1:46 pm
Frank – you really need to learn some critical thinking, logic and reason. Google conflated argument and come back to us, dear chap.
JB – you’ve missed any point that was made. Maccas gave away free Cheeseburgers on Australia Day. I missed the universal outrage. Could you explain *why* it’s not OK to hand stuff out?
13 Feb 13
2:07 pm
For some reason the marketing world has got flipped on it’s head – this campaign is presented as “experiential”, “culminating in a tvc”…….seems to me the reverse is true in terms of those Australians who will be exposed to it.
A heap will see the tvc, launched logically on V-Day, while a relative handful will be touched by the bus, and even less will bother to follow it’s progress on facebook (hello, who doesn’t have a life??!!).
Since when did the promotional/giveaway element become the lead story around a campaign, and how is a bus driving around giving free stuff away interesting in and of itself? (we got amazing results for you….the uptake of people wanting free chocolate biscuits was beyond our wildest expectation)
Does it come down to which agency submits the release to trade media?
13 Feb 13
2:23 pm
love it!
13 Feb 13
4:32 pm
The Voice, Downton Abbey, The Block: All Stars, My Kitchen Rules, Parade’s End, and Packed to the Rafters.
Would people that watch these sort of programmes eat TT’s? Find out soon s’ppose…………
13 Feb 13
4:44 pm
@JB, my point is that a Tim Tam has a lot less sugar and fat than a cheeseburger, or a bowl of sugary cereal and therefore to suggest they area equivalents is quite incorrect. I don’t condone either but since my body demands fat & suger I’ll take the lesser!
13 Feb 13
5:16 pm
Adgrunt you made me laugh! classic
TempTin you’ve nailed it – the reason the story leads with the bus is because we’re apparently all jaded when it comes to TVCs and besides, “integrated campaigns” involving Big Vehicles are more likely to win awards and facile industry praise
Just look at NAB’s ‘break-up’ campaign as a prime example…how many people do you think read the opening tweet, or saw the pretend bankers tied to trees in a Sydney park? a poofteenth of those who saw the full page “Dear John” break-up ads which effectively admitted that NAB had been colluding with the other banks to the detriment of its customers for years…
13 Feb 13
5:20 pm
Ad Grunt… Save for your condescending insults, I never said I had a problem with handing stuff out; in fact, I regard “product in hand” as the best possible marketing you can do. All I was merely suggesting – as reflective of the Herald article I posted – that heavily processed sugary foods (ie Tim Tams) are playing a huge role in obesity, diabetes, cancers and early death; and here we have a company on a tour through regional Victoria handing out “200,000″ such items that do just that. You don’t question that? In fact you called it “cute”. Sorry, forgive my scepticism, but I have a huge problem with that and the way that is marketed. But suck those Tim Tams up my man and pat your fat belly why you do it…
14 Feb 13
9:07 am
And this from today’s The Age… Again highlighting the unfettered dangers of the junk food industry and the urgent need for it to be controlled. Tim Tams aren’t fun, they’ll kill ya in the end….
http://www.theage.com.au/opini.....2edb2.html
19 Feb 13
12:57 pm
“We would love Tim Tam fans to visit us as we travel around the country” … How can you say that when you’re NOT actually travelling around the country at all ? Mooching around the SouthWest of Australia corner doesn’t count as “around the country”.
NOTHING counts till you come to QUEENSLAND !!
We want the bus in Brisbane !
We want the bus in GoldCoast !
We want the bus in Noosa !
We want the bus here, too !
25 Feb 13
10:33 pm
Come to the better part of Australia Qld!! I agree – hardly a trip around Australia. I’m sure you’ll get lots of fans in Brissie.
26 Feb 13
8:05 pm
Oh my!!!! I can see outrage has started for this side of the country and I will join!!
;-);-)
Do Queensland tastebudds not also deserve a visit from this OH SO WONDERFULL BUS? Cmon