Idea that new readership survey would save the day was naive says Newspaper Works boss
The boss of the industry body for Australia’s major newspaper groups has said publishers expected too much of the ability of its new readership metric to maintain advertising spend.
Were media agencies too hasty in turning away from print?
The comments came from Mark Hollands, CEO of The Newspaper Works, which led the development of new readership survey EMMA – Enhanced Media Metrics Australia.
Speaking at the Publish conference, Mark Hollands told the audience: “The idea that this data was going to save the day, to be honest, was a little bit naive.”
Instead, it was more important than ever for sales teams to impress agencies and advertisers with their creativity when they present to them.
“The solutions and great ideas in the room capture the advertiser. I don’t suggest you put data in the room or even a 30 per cent discount in the room, you put magic in the room.
“That’s what really gets everyone excited and everything else lines up behind it.”
But Nicole Sheffield, CEO of NewsLifeMedia argues that media agencies demanded more than that. “You still have to measure magic. Any medium needs measurement. Magic is what connects with consumers,” she said.
Referring to fellow Publish Question Time panellist Nicole Turley – chief investment officer at media agency Mediacom – Sheffield said: “When I’m sitting across from Nicole and I say ‘look at all the magic’. They say ‘look at the numbers’.”
Turley said: “What we need to do is move away from circulation and readership. We need to understand more about that consumer – what else they do, what else they have in their lives.
Turley also admitted that media agencies may have been too “hasty” in turning away from print advertising.
“As we saw digital really blossom and grow more as a format and understand the audiences there was a haste for advertisers to go where the eyeballs where, where it was more accountable, more actionable,” she said.
“I look at the metrics we have now and all the data and insights around those audiences and thinking of one customer or audience view, if you were to rewind a few years ago, I don’t think the drop off would have been as hasty.”
Miranda Ward
Miranda Ward worked for Mumbrella from 2013 to 2017, eventually becoming deputy editor. Miranda joined Mumbrella in September 2013 from Sky News.
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How very strange. None of these people seem to be making sense at all.
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@Numbers they seem to be saying one thing then saying the opposite. No wonder print is where it is.
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Things are getting a littel worrying when “magic” is the propsed solution.
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excuse me EMMA
but isn’t that your overstated reach claim?
and the radical reader numbers
what is your game?
so excuse me EMMA
but I’m a Emma too
and you’re givin’ Emma a bad name
Emma like you
so I’m taking the EMMA
from out in front of your name
cause it’s a EMMA like you
that puts the rest of us to shame
excuse me EMMA
can’t you see your readers dying
you say that you’re replacing them
EMMA who are you defying?
excuse me EMMA
won’t you take a look around
EMMA just look up
and you will see audience comin’ down
excuse me EMMA
but I’m a Emma too
and you’re givin’ Emma a bad name
Emma like you
so EMMA when you’re rattling
on heaven’s gate
let me tell you EMMA
by then it is too late
cause EMMA when you get there
they don’t care for your jabber jaw
all they’ll want to know, EMMA
Is how many saw
excuse me EMMA
but I’m a Emma too
and you’re givin’ Emma a bad name
EMMA like you
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EMMA was a total waste of time and money. Print is not dead, nowhere near it, but instead of investing in editorial and great journalism, publishers wasted it on trying to fool agencies and clients with crap research.
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@JD: it is far easier to try to game the measure than to make a valuable product. Managements at Fairfax and News have been taking home big bucks for years on the basis of spurious measures. In fact it is amazing that they are still spruiking total audience numbers that have not a thing to do with business performance. Emma was perhaps the most blatant of these furphies.
Of course you can’t begrudge a man his odd Maserati but I do wonder how the people who are supposed to be watching (board directors, super fund investors) have somehow ignored the extent to which “magic” has been the main game.
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