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Opinion
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 While on Twitter I noticed someone saying that Australia’s NBN is already outdated.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.
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.
We’re not like Barbara the bank manager, ANZ tells consumers
Barbara the unhelpful bank clerk features in a new ANZ ad from M&C Saatchi Melbourne, in which a customer discovers that in bank world what you see is rarely what you get.
The Paul Middleditch directed ad, which broke at the weekend, features comedian Genevieve Morris.
Credits:
- CLIENT Paul Riley (Head of Retail Product Marketing); Linda Manos (Senior Manager Brand & Advertising); Melissa Hendrickson (Senior Manager Marketing Deposits); Lucy Gribble (Senior Advertising and Integrated Campaigns Manager)
- CREATIVE Steve Crawford (Creative Director); Doogie Chapman (Senior Copywriter); Tony Leishman (Senior Art Director)
- ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR Kimberley Milburn (Group Account Director) Daniel Loukidis (Account Director)
- AGENCY PRODUCER Karen Muxworthy
- EDITOR Peter Whitmore. The Editors.
- POST PRODUCTION The Editors
- DIRECTOR Paul MIddleditch, Plaza Films
- PRODUCTION CO PRODUCER Peter Masterton, Plaza Films
- SOUND Barry Stewart Sound Reservoir
January 18th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
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Comments
18 Jan 10
9:37 pm
I would actually suggest that Barbara is an excellent representation of an ANZ staff member.
FAIL – due to reminding me why I don’t bank with ANZ
18 Jan 10
9:40 pm
It’s a good ad but another example of a product/service that simply doesn’t live up to its promise.
19 Jan 10
5:24 am
This is definitely the ANZ bank
19 Jan 10
8:52 am
a bank doing this ad is like a doctor using a band-aid on my severed arm……totally failing to address the real problem
19 Jan 10
9:49 am
Smiling ANZ staff welcoming customers??? Where??? Barbara simply reinforces most normal peoples perceptions of the real world of Australian banking and even highlights the great fee rip off that they all indulge in… Weird strategy … no wonder a stretch target for all banks is to be the least hated
19 Jan 10
10:37 am
“Maybe if we say we’re not like every other bank, then people will believe us, even thouhg we’re not”
Again the marketing department trying to address consumer issues via advertising whilst leaving the actual issues in the too hard basket.
Everyone knows that every Bank and Telco’s main priority is to extract every last cent from us whilst smuggly smiling at you from behind ads like this.
19 Jan 10
12:16 pm
Better off spending all the production & media money on branch staff bonus payments for consumer rated feedback on their smiles, attitude, friendliness and general customer satisfaction.
Don’t boast about it, actually DO IT.
19 Jan 10
11:32 pm
UNBELIEVABLE!
Barbara personifies what all my experiences in ANZ have been like. No joke. I have had this EXACT conversation with different ANZ staff a number of times!
Way to kick dirt in a customers face.
Well produced and witty ad -wrong product/bank! FAIL
20 Jan 10
9:01 am
ANZ’s new brand strategy is obviously trying to make ANZ seem more approachable with the ‘We live in your world’. The problem is that the only way they’re trying to prove that is by saying ‘We live in your world’ there are no specific, tangible prove points that make that believable, if anything it alienates me because I think, do they?
Westpac’s ‘local branch manager’ campaign is achieving a brand position of approachable, understanding & they live in our world but by inferring it and talking about the tangible reasons – Local branch managers name, personality, face & what that branch deals with specifically – creative & media working well together.
Westpac WIN – ANZ FAIL!
20 Jan 10
9:02 am
If the ad above simply included 5 seconds about what ANZ are changing to be more like this, then maybe we’d believe & try them out.
20 Jan 10
9:14 am
This is a risky approach, as the negativity of the Barbara message often stays with the customer, especially for those who have had bad experiences with the bank.
As SimonT said, Westpacs ‘real staff’ approach, though done 1000 times before and launched at the same time as an ill advised rate rise, is better. Maybe more focus on benefits, rather than the competition, would have stood them in a better place in the consumers mind.
21 Jan 10
9:58 am
It’s just lippy on a piggy. Away with your aspirational nonsense please, give me something real.
21 Jan 10
10:37 am
i thought the ad was good – i’m an ANZ customer and am always really happy with the service I get which is a welcome change from my old bank
21 Jan 10
10:56 am
freaking hilarious though not sure if it can live up to it’s promise.
21 Jan 10
11:13 am
Seems a bit hypocritical on ANZ’s part, I received service that very much resembled the lady in the ad. I’ve had an ANZ card for 3 years and now that my debt is nearly zero, I cant wait to dump them, St George IMHO better by a country mile. Well at least the St G staff at Newtown are.
21 Jan 10
2:43 pm
The colour scheme of the “Bank” that Barbara works for looks remarkably similar to the CBA colours….
Subtle dig at the competition, eh? LOL!
22 Jan 10
11:40 am
I absolutely love Barbara.
27 Jan 10
9:46 pm
Babara you are so awesome! well done fantastic acting unbeliveable….. a ha ha lol
“when i said no i ment no with a silent k…. ha ha genious
27 Jan 10
9:51 pm
OMG!?!? I just saw the secound add to this and it is sooo funny…. classic quote….. Guy: “i would like to speak the manager…”
Barbara…. “umm yer(she looks around behind her) that would be me”
LOL! ver hard to explain have to see it 4ur self..
29 Jan 10
12:35 am
Great Ad…actually i came across this article which has ANZ as one of the leading for customer service.
http://www.smartcompany.com.au.....tings.html
2 Feb 10
9:02 pm
Does anyone know where I can view the second ad online with Barbara sitting in the office with the guy in a green shirt? It is too funny.
3 Feb 10
12:38 pm
Babs is the perfect representation of an ANZ branch manager! Similarly to the ad, I approched a branch manager about lodging a complaint (after several months of email wars). The response I got was:
“There are several ways we can address your issue :
Phone : Customer Response Centre on 1800 805 154 ( 8.00 am – 7.00 pm weekdays )
email ; yourfeedback@anz.com
or write to ; ANZ Customer Response Centre
Locked Bag 4050
South Melbourne , Vic 3205″
She really should have followed up with a “…not my problem!…”
Must admit though…the ads are a cracker!!
5 Feb 10
4:05 am
This is why I’m with as credit union. This ad just sums up the reason I’ll never end up with a bank. Barbara represents pretty much every bank manager and most head offices when you call them on your home phone.
Fail = ANZ
ANZ = Fail