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Opinion
Video: How to win new business
Mumbrella Question Time saw the panel asked the secrets of winning new business. Read more »
Let’s stop the anonymous vitriol
In this guest posting, Peter Bray, boss of The Brand Shop, takes issue with negative comments from anonymous posters on Mumbrella and elsewhere.
There are very few ads that I vehemently dislike. There are also very few ads that I really love. But most ads I see on Mumbrella and other blogs I can usually take something from, whether it is information about the brand, a bit of inspiration or a “watch out”. I’m open to learning as much as I can from others, and encourage those around me to do the same.
My basic assumption, however, is that because an ad has been produced by a professional agency, and had the approval from the client, then the end result must be doing something right. Therefore, without knowing the practical rationale behind the ad, for me to have a strong opinion about whether it is great advertising would be kind of arrogant. There is a reason that awards shows ask for information about why an ad was created: they are rarely judged on end product alone.
So as someone who enjoys watching the work that our industry creates, I am stunned at the level of vitriol stemming from some people’s comments in both this blog and others. Read more »
Read his lips
This is several weeks old, but worth a look. It’s certainly an original way to deal with media criticism.It features Air NZ boss Rob Fyfe responding to weekly current affairs magazine The Listener using the medium of sign language. Read more »
Let’s not be too positive just yet – the nail is still there
It’s more than a year since News Ltd’s marketing boss Joe Talcott used the memorable analogy of a dog whimpering on a nail to describe the structural change the industry needs to go through. Read more »
The AdNews numbers that mislead the market
It’s always a tad tawdry when competitors attack each other, but I hope you’ll bear with me…
Whether cynically or through incompetence, AdNews has been misleading its advertisers by providing them with data that seems to suggest they have six times their true online audience.
Allow me to present the evidence. Read more »
Technology will help us own the agenda – all day, every day
In this opening speech to the Future Forum of the Newspaper Publishers Association, News Ltd CEO John Hartigan argued that news organisations have the opportunity to become more rather than less relevant.
Today I want to talk about a tipping point that heralds the most exciting era for journalism. The most exciting era ever.
This tipping point is already upon us. It has arrived at lightning speed, with the explosion in demand for mobile devices.
I am not consigning newspapers to the scrapheap. Not by a long shot.
But this tipping point is going to change journalism forever. In my opinion, very much for the better. Read more »
The real time shit sandwich detector
In this guest post, Clive Burcham of The Conscience Organisation, relishes the instant feedback of social media.
I’ve been making brand driven content since 1996 and often I’ve been so close to the work that I couldn’t tell the difference between if we were chomping on a shit sandwich or savouring the crème de la creme. From an audience perspective, we wouldn’t know the difference for weeks or months. What excites me most now is that we know within 24 hours if we’ve developed shit or cream. Read more »
SMH shows how to make a home page takeover work
When you’re a commercial organisation, balancing the needs of consumers with the need to make money through ads is tricky.
Among the organisations that sometimes goes the wrong way in my view is Fairfax, with its autostart video ads, for instance.
But today, a bit of unreserved praise Read more »
Inside the Foxtel factory
Having been at the launch of Foxtel’s new season the other night, nine points occur… Read more »
ABC News 24 – a handy service for niche journalists
It may not have many viewers yet, but ABC News 24 saves specialist journos having to leave their desks, argues Delimiter’s Renai LeMay
When media commentators discuss the future of journalism, they usually agree on at least one thing: It will involve much fewer generalists and more reporters dedicated to exhaustively covering niche fields. Read more »
The seven ages of Carlton Draught’s Made From Beer
Today sees the launch of “Slow Mo”, the latest instalment of Carlton Draught’s irreverent Made From Beer series.
It’s been quite a run – from the highly awarded Big Ad, to the comedy of Flash Beer, to the debacle of the abortive banned Tingle campaign. These are the seven ages of Made From Beer… Read more »
Real consumers don’t have ‘brand conversations’. They use search
In this guest posting, Simon van Wyk argues that much as marketers might wish otherwise, most consumers don’t have emotional connections with brands
I have a background in marketing, but my understanding of branding seems at odds with the 2010 opinions I see from social media commentators, marketing and advertising agencies. Read more »
Hot, censoring atheists: Google’s insight into what punters think about pollies and journos
One of the charms of Google is autocomplete, where it takes a punt on what you’re going to ask, based on what the rest of the world has been wondering previously.
And it certainly gives a few insights into the high quality of political debate about the Labor leaders in the run up to the election.
Take NSW premiere Kristina Keneally… Read more »
The copyright-busting election
This is rapidly turning into the copyright-infringing election. Read more »
Digital Fail: The gaping void in digital training is failing our industry
In this guest post, Amnesia Razorfish’s Iain McDonald warns that the industry has fallen badly behind on digital training.
Before I get accused of trolling with that headline, I’ll state what I think is obvious: The current education system isn’t producing or nurturing enough ‘digitally skilled’ individuals to sustain a growing a digital economy. Read more »
Why passing the change baton to journalists is not a good idea
Dr Mumbo loves it when bureaucrats escape into the outside world, so it’s been a delight to see an internal AMP Capital Investors memo, replete with jargonese, make it into the wild, particularly into the hands of journalists.
The fun began an hour or so ago, with an internal note from head of organisational investment Madeline MacMahon, in which she accidentally copied the organisation’s press list. (To avoid spamtards, Dr Mumbo has deleted the email addresses).
From: Madeleine.MacMahon
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:07 PM
To: Adam.Tindall; Mark.Beardow; Analisa.Kirby; Jacqui.Sullivan; Paul.Foster; Karma.Wilson; Shane_Oliver_Media_List;
Subject: UIH – a change to the change lead
Hi all
As you know I’ve recently taken on the role of Head of HR in addition to my role of Head of OD i.e. Sharon has combined these roles into one. The result of this change is that I need to reduce my involvement in some areas and increase it in others. Hence, over the next few weeks I’m going to pass the UIH Change Lead baton over to Kate Donnelly.
Kate is currently the HR Manager for MAG, Listed Assets and International Business. She is a very effective operator and I have every confidence that she will add a great deal to the team over the next phase. This role will allow her to develop her strategic HR skills and get to understand other areas of the business. We will be making some changes to Kate’s workload in other areas to ensure she can deliver in this role.
It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that building an outstanding unified investment house is still a central focus for me but I just need to lift myself out of some of the detail and put some fresh eyes on some of the people related changes.
We will transition this change over the next month so I’ll start bringing Kate along to our meetings from next week onwards. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks
Mads
Head of Organisational Development
AMP Capital Investors
Five minute’s later, The Herald Sun’s Craig Binnie spotted the potential for fun:
From: Binnie, Craig
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:12 PM
Good luck transitioning this change. Good luck at the HR and OD and UIH. Seems a shame Sharon combined the roles because the world will not be the same now.
Then Fairfax’s online small business editor Helen Westerman joined the debate:
From: Helen Westerman
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:16 PM
Fair go Craig, acronyms have died and they should be remembered respectfully.
Helen Westerman
www.mysmallbusiness.com.au
And SMH’s Jacob Saulwick had these kind words to say:
From: Jacob Saulwick
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 9:18 AM
Good luck with managing the change process.
But The West Australian’s business reporter Louise Burke had her own theory:
From: Louise Burke
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 11:20 AM
Or is it changing the managing process?
Louise Burke| Business Reporter | The West Australian
By which point Mads had realised that she was rapidly going viral and tried to put a stop to it:
From: Madeleine.MacMahon
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:16 PM
To: Shane_Oliver_Media_List
Subject: Email sent in error re: UIH change to change lead
Dear all
Please ignore and accept my apologies for the email that you just received. It was sent to you in error.
Regards
Madeleine
Head of Organisational Development
AMP Capital Investors
As Binnie kindly put it:
From: Binnie, Craig
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 12:22 PM
No need to apologise. You made everyone’s day
But Fairfax’s Scott Rochford didn’t want the conversation to end quite yet:
From: Scott Rochfort
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:20 PM
By combining the HR and OR roles do you get an upsurge in the salary space?
Meanwhile, Nine’s Joanna Townsend was too busy producing 60 Minutes to join in the fun:
From: Townsend, Joanna
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 11:49 AM
Quiet news day guys?
Joanna Townsend Producer 60 Minutes
Which of course left her open to this from the Herald Sun’s Binnie:
From: Binnie, Craig [mailto:BinnieC@heraldsun.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:54 PM
Nope. We are just able to do more than produce one show a week
The SMH’s Saulwick probably put it best:
From: Jacob Saulwick
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 11:55 AM
Zing.
And somewhat harshly, Rochfort adds:
From: Scott Rochfort
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:39 PM
This might be too complicated for Sixty Minutes to investigate.
Dr Mumbo sincerely hopes there’s more to come.
Update: Indeed there is. Much, much more. Sadly there are a few grumps out there, including Sara Webb of Thomson Reuters and Sky News’ Carson Scott:
From: sara.webb
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:48 PM
Grateful if you could drop me from this message group thanks
From: Carson Scott Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:51 PM
Ditto.
Cheers
From: KAROLINA MIZIOLEK, BLOOMBERG/ NEWSROOM
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 11:03 AM
Please remove me from this message group.
Thank you
But those with a sense of humour too, including The Age’s Eric Johnston and Fairfax’s Daniel Hurst:
From: Eric Johnston
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:54 PM
Keep me on it.
From: Daniel Hurst
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:55 PM
Keep me on it too!
From: Scott Rochfort
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:56 PM
Thought Sky News and Reuters were onto this. Does anyone know if AMP are providing any updates or media briefings on this?
From: Binnie, Craig
Sent: Thu Mar 04 13:58:47 2010
Subject: RE: UIH – a change to the change lead
I’ve got other journalists asking to be put on the list
From: Chris Reason, Seven
At: 3/04 11:01:41
If the loop continues on like this, they can take my spot.
From: Scott Rochfort
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:06 PM
Can you remove me from the people who do not want to be included on this list…
From: Klan, Anthony The Australian
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:09 PM
I’m with Scott.
From: Scott Rochfort
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:10 PM
Bugger. Didn’t now Klan was onto this yarn. Thought I had to myself.
From: Klan, Anthony
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:16 PM
We can probably still get away with the exclusive tag. Surely?
From: Louise Burke
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:15 PM
*know*
Louise Burke| Business Reporter | The West Australian
From: Scott Rochfort
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:17 PM
OK OK. Know. Suppose I’ll never get a subbing job.
And the AFR’s Bernice Han was another member of the fun police:
From: Bernice HAN
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:05 PM
thanks, please remove me from this message group too.
To which the ABC’s Neal Woolrich had a question about the AFR’s daily column:
From: Neal Woolrich
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:09 PM
If I add something really funny, will it get me into “Rear Window”?
From: Jacob Saulwick
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:13 PM
No, that will get you out of “Rear Window”
From: Peter Kerr wanews
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:18 PM
Wouldn’t be hard given how lame everything else has been
OMG! LOL!
this is probably an exercise in futility, but please remove me from the list as well.
From: Jacob Saulwick
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:00 PM
I’m bringing some friends in.
And a finance-focused zinger:
Stephen Long ABC
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:10 PM
I hear that AMP is bundling and tranching all these exotic HR-type acronyms and trading them as Collateralised Acronym Securities, or CACs for short.
And this comedy message:
From: Tee Ming San [mailto: @sph.com.sg]
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:16 PM
Hi all ,u send the wrong person , don’t send me anymore .
And:
From: Newman, Geoffrey
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:20 PM
me same. you email me long time
Wealth Editor
The Australian
From: Fiona Carruthers
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:23 PM
Same goes for me. You are going to cause Sydney’s media outlets to melt down.
From: Rupert Murdoch [mailto:rupert.murdoch@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:19 PM
Enough.
R
From: Eric Johnston
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:23 PM
For a second a chill wind went through southbank.
From: Mark Story
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:34 PM
I’m on deadline with four publications today and this is really steaming my buns – please DESIST these emails unless you owe me money
From: Michael Evans
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 2:35 PM
mmmmmmmm, steamed buns ….
From: Scott Rochford
Sent: 2:39
Still waiting for something funny from Neal Woolrich.
From: Tee Ming San
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 1:40 PM
pls don’t me anymore !
March 4th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
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Comments
4 Mar 10
1:39 pm
I suddenly have an admiration for Mr Saulwick.
4 Mar 10
1:42 pm
too funny
4 Mar 10
2:09 pm
I read this wondering why you’d bothered posting it – nothing scandalous or interesting in the original email – but was pissing myself by the time I got to the responses from the journos.
Remember the good ol’ days when to accidentally reach an unintended audience directly in this fashion you’d have to accidentally photocopy the letter, accidentally stamp and address all the envelopes, and then accidentally put them all in the mailbox? Ah, email, you really have revolutionised the way we communicate…
4 Mar 10
2:11 pm
brilliant.
4 Mar 10
2:59 pm
It’s an IB for sure. Irrefutably brilliant.
4 Mar 10
3:00 pm
I reckon Craig Binnie wins for sheer awesome snarkiness. Love it.
4 Mar 10
3:01 pm
I just had my best laugh for the day
4 Mar 10
3:01 pm
Communicating the transitioning of managing the handling of change is always fraught with diffculties
4 Mar 10
3:04 pm
“To avoid spamtards, Dr Mumbo has deleted the email addresses”
All except Tee Ming San at Singapore Press Holdings that is. Launch the spambots!
4 Mar 10
3:25 pm
I wish I was on that list. Love it.
4 Mar 10
3:27 pm
Craig Binnie! Bring some of that humour to our email exchanges please!
4 Mar 10
3:38 pm
Shows how petty journalism has become in Australia … It’s all tabloid and Lara Bingle and poke fun at people … C’mon guys … publishing a bunch of people’s email conversation is just lame.
4 Mar 10
3:43 pm
That was brilliant. hahahaha needed a good belly laugh
4 Mar 10
3:44 pm
Stephen Long – I think I may now love you. Just letting you know.
4 Mar 10
3:48 pm
@Alex S,
While I don’t disagree with your sentiments about Aussie journalism, I think you’re missing the point in this case: it’s not supposed to be journalism, it’s just opportunistic comedy. And it’s bloody hilarious.
4 Mar 10
3:49 pm
I can’t believe noone picked up the gem in Mad’s follow up :
“Please ignore and accept my apologies for the email that you just received. It was sent to you in error.”
So how do you ignore and accept her apology at the same time? Clearly it’s a slow news day at my desk too…
4 Mar 10
3:50 pm
Tee Ming San writes for a chinese newspaper in singapore, you really can’t blame him!
4 Mar 10
3:53 pm
Makes me think I should re-jig my media releases to appeal to the business journos.
4 Mar 10
3:54 pm
I laughed so hard that a little bit of wee escaped !
Well done Mr Mumbo.
4 Mar 10
3:56 pm
Thankyou Geoffrey Newman, you made my day!
4 Mar 10
3:59 pm
And the gold medal goes to Craig Binnie.
Honourable mention to Geoffrey Newman – Tee Ming San was just making sure that the story had a happy ending.
4 Mar 10
4:01 pm
You forgot to delete Rupert Murdoch’s email address
4 Mar 10
4:01 pm
“From: Rupert Murdoch [mailto:rupert.murdoch@hotmail.com]
Enough.
R”
This is disturbing. Rupert Murdoch uses Hotmail.
4 Mar 10
4:15 pm
Eric Johnston gets my vote!
4 Mar 10
4:16 pm
Well, there’s no way you’d catch Rupert using gmail!
4 Mar 10
4:17 pm
Absolutely frickin hilarious! Wish I was on the list! I have AMP super – maybe I could ask to be included next time. Like there’ll ever be a next time!!
4 Mar 10
4:18 pm
I’m impressed with Rupert. I thought he only knew about MySpace.
4 Mar 10
4:20 pm
Please put me on your message group mailing list! My buns are steaming in anticipation.
4 Mar 10
4:21 pm
Madeleine MacMahon – unsuspecting internet sensation for March 2010? Hope this gets mainstream: funny enough to do so.
4 Mar 10
4:42 pm
Love it: “By combining the HR and OR roles do you get an upsurge in the salary space?”.
Why can’t we have more fun like this?
4 Mar 10
4:47 pm
@ Andrew Wislon
I wish I could agree with you, but I still think it’s lame in this instance. And as opprtunistic comedy it’s still lame – everyone trying to make a wisecrack … all the usual banter / toilet humour / rupert jokes … is more tired and more ho hum than coprorate jargon.
4 Mar 10
5:19 pm
My personal favourite:
From: Binnie, Craig
Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:54 PM
Nope. We are just able to do more than produce one show a week
Bahahahahha. I love journalists.
4 Mar 10
5:21 pm
I reckon investing time reading that has added to my quality of life!
4 Mar 10
5:23 pm
@ Alex S
Why are still reading it then?
4 Mar 10
5:41 pm
priceless! why can’t the rest of the media be this entertaining?
4 Mar 10
6:01 pm
Another star is born
Guesing Madeleine.MacMahon will now be on Sydney’s A list for parties, hosting a reality TV show … ?
Along with that chic chic a boom chick
4 Mar 10
11:38 pm
Exquisite in its painfulness, that slip of the distribution list. On the plus side I see merchandising opps looming on the horizon (in lieu of bonus unfortunately for mm).
5 Mar 10
7:17 am
Funny! A much better use of my blackberry reading these than actually working. I wonder if this is all just a clever PR trick hmmm
5 Mar 10
9:50 am
Clare Werbeloff just got replaced – Click Click Newsroom
5 Mar 10
1:22 pm
Absolutely hilarious. Props to Jacob and Craig for stirring the pot. Pure brilliance
5 Mar 10
1:42 pm
Bahahahahahahahahahaha! What a great end to the week.
5 Mar 10
3:36 pm
Ah ’tis a good day on Mumbrella, with this and the dodgey PR/publicist story’s comments.
Good on you for sniffing these out Tim and love the fact you left Rupert’s email on there (if it really was him)
5 Mar 10
5:33 pm
I skimmed that, but it seems that nobody commented on “put some fresh eyes on some of the people related changes”. What language do these “change managers” speak? Do they take what they say seriously? Do they expect anyone else to? Thank (insert deity of choice here) for journos who send it up.
8 Mar 10
2:31 pm
Okay it’s not often I actually genuinely do laugh out loud in front of the computer, but this had me in fits. Thank you!
8 Mar 10
8:11 pm
In the future one thing is certain
Some HR people will get promoted
Some will deserve it and some won’t
Some people will have access to email lists they shouldn’t and some won’t
Some will watch as investment houses attempt to unify – freeze pay and lay off more staff
With AMP Capital broadcast emails there is no reason why those people can’t be you.
19 Mar 10
4:36 pm
My only experience of dealing with AMP was working with a client whose title was ‘Catalyst for Magic’
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