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Opinion | Features
I was a fool and I'm sincerely sorry for my jokes about movie massacre
In this guest post, Bruno Bouchet explains how a series off ill-advised, drunken tweets making jokes about the Colorado massacre today lost him his job on Australia’s best known radio show.For years, I’ve been an avid reader of Mumbrella and have even fantasised about maybe one day having an article written around me on the site. Never in a million years did I imagine it’d be me writing an article about how I committed career suicide at the age of 26.
Infographic: Australian online spending trends
Local consumers are spending more than $2000 per year on online purchases according to data sourced for a new infographic on Australian ecommerce.
Using Twitter to rate Australian news sites
In this post QUT’s Axel Bruns discusses a new tool aimed at measuring the social media influence of news sites
News of significant job losses and organisational restructuring at Fairfax has thrown new spotlight onto the continuing transformation of the Australian media landscape.
Why winning cash still drives radio ratings
Radio stations have been giving away cash for decades but is it a successful incentive for listener loyalty asks Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis.In November last year Sydney’s 2Day FM used a $m cash giveaway to promote the second installment of the Twilight movie franchise. The competition was called Kyle and Jackie O’s Million Dollar Dawn Dig and gave a lucky winner the chance to dig up cash at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
According to Nielsen figures, during that survey period, the station clocked up an impressive 1,003,000 weekly listeners over the age of 10.
Post social? Same as it ever was
In this guest post, Jon Holloway wishes everyone would stop over-hyping social media and get on with doing their jobs.Post social?Hearing that a lot lately, interesting term, another fashion accessory for the advertising world. The whole ‘social media’ infection was the one of many bright shiny objects that our industry loves to obsess about, but is that the point, was it really only advertising that obsessed over the whole social evolution.
Culture. Powerful medicine
In this guest post, Peter Miller argues that management upheaval can give newsrooms a common enemy to unite againstIn the last couple of weeks I have enjoyed posts by Cathie McGinn on her giddying experience inside Photon, and by Anonymous from inside one of the Fairfax newsrooms, described by the correspondent as ‘toxic’.
These posts conjured up a conversation I recall with a gifted but aggrieved SMH journalist who joined ACP in the early 1990s after the Warwick Fairfax-led Tourang take over and subsequent shambles. She described leaving a great newspaper company that she described as having lost its soul.
Why are Australia's film distributors not using social media?
In an industry where being heard above superheroes and foul-mouthed teddy bears is near impossible, and finance isn’t readily available for above the line marketing, the opportunity to exploit free platforms such as Facebook and Twitter should be grabbed with both hands by film marketers and distributors.
Unfortunately, some Australian film distributors are still struggling with the potential of social media, to turn ripples into waves of that most valued word-of-mouth and push out a little extra content to intrigue prospective fans.
The Shire: a thin line between love and hate
The number one trending topic in Australia last night was #TheShire. The conversation on Twitter and Facebook continues this morning. It’s on most home pages, radio and indeed the real world. And the sentiment is undoubtedly negative. People are outraged, repulsed and furious about a range of issues: the show, the depiction of Sutherland Shire, the provenance of the people featured (to say they “star” in it might be going too far), what constitutes “dramality” anyway.Which I would say makes the first night of the show an unqualified success.
What's wrong with BMF?
BMF, one of the best ad agencies of the last decade has gone off the boil, argues Robin Hicks.There is a sinking feeling you get as a marketing trade hack when it is finally appropriate, after months of chronicling their decline, to describe an ad agency as ‘troubled’ in a story you’re writing about them.
Most recently, it was a description applied by pretty much the entire trade press to The (now dead) Campaign Palace.
I should be clear that it is not appropriate to describe BMF – for many years one of Australia’s leading creative lights – as ‘troubled’. But at the same time, it would struggle to lay claim to currently being Australia’s best agency.
Why paywall journalism is changing how journalists write
The introduction of online paywalls is changing the way journalists write and this means an audience adjustment says Tim Burrowes.
I was taught that the perfect length for an intro was 24 words – anything between 18 and 32 was acceptable, but 24 the ideal.
A romantic comedy with serious balls
Has an Australian filmmaker finally cracked the rarely attempted romantic comedy genre? Colin Delaney visits the set of Not Suitable for Children to find out if Oscar nominated, first time feature director Peter Templeman’s flick about testicular cancer has the balls to make it big at the box office.
A mismatched collection of twenty somethings loiter in front of a large old house in Eveleigh, south of Sydney’s CBD. Goths, surfers, hipsters and stoners make up the group. Inside it’s shoulder-to-shoulder with revellers filling hallways and stairwells. The event is not just thrown together either – flashing lights and disco balls suggest the members of this household take their parties seriously. And the amount of drugs and alcohol circulating certainly deem the environment unsuitable for children.
The first rule of community management: Do not delete
Any community manager worth their salt would probably agree that one of the first rules of community management is this: D.N.D.Do Not Delete.
It’s almost incredible to me that we continue to see brands screw up their social media responses. The industry is no longer in its infancy and there have been enough disasters to learn from that you’d assume anyone paying attention would know what not to do. And yet…
The numbers suggest that The Shire will be a hit
A couple of months back, Google Analytics launched an addictive new feature.You can watch, in real time, exactly how many people are on the site, where they’re being referred from, and – best of all – which stories they are looking at.
So up on the wall we have a 42 inch plasma screen showing the real time state of play.
Government needs to remind people of when the dams ran low to sell the carbon tax
In this guest post, Tom Donald argues that reminding Australians of the days of drought is the way to sell the carbon tax.Innovators and marketers need to understand the context in which people experience their creations much better. Failing to do so leads to the generally dreadful state of Australian cinema, and most TV ads being virtually unwatchable.
Pandora Radio is back in Australia
A little piece of joy at Mumbrella House this morning.Pandora Radio is back.
Overnight, founder Tim Westergren emailed Pandora’s former Australian subscribers with the good news that after five years, it was returning.
Australian box office results postponed due to Colorado shootings
Australia’s film distributors have postponed the release of the weekend box office results until tomorrow morning following the Colorado shootings during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises on Friday.
The announcement came from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia, the body which administers the box office results, at the request of Roadshow Films, the Australian distributors of the film.
Kyle & Jackie O producer Bouchet fired over Batman massacre gags
Kyle & Jackie O producer Bruno Bouchet has been fired by Today FM after making jokes on Twitter about the weekend’s cinema shootings in Colorado. He told Mumbrella today that at the time he did not realise the seriousness of the situation, and had been drinking.
A spokesman for the network said that Bouchet had been terminated because his comments violated the network’s social media policy.
Bouchet, a guest and talent producer, was with the show for two years. His duties included an on air role including the weekend Producers Edition of the Kyle & Jackie O Show.
The jokes were quickly removed. They were spotted by Jocks Journal over the weekend, which wrote on its Facebook page:
“Very, very sad to read Bruno Bouchet’s Tweets (five ‘gags’) on the tragedy in America involving the killing of 12 people and up to 40 injured persons at a Colorado cinema. Bouchet, who is the Guest and Talent Producer on Kyle & Jackie O’s breakfast show, twittered these ‘so called jokes’ just minutes after the news broke. Mate, I think a ‘Twitter’ apology would be appropriate – not to me or your Twitter readers who may be offended – but to the US families who are grieving today over the loss of loved ones.”
Jeremy Simpson, 2Day FM’s Sydney general manager said in a statement: “Southern Cross Austereo has a strict social media policy that all staff must adhere to, and Bruno’s activity on Twitter was in breach of this policy. It is for this reason that Bruno’s employment has been terminated, effective immediately.”
Bouchet – a popular figure within the industry – told Mumbrella: Read more »
Media agency Pearman rebrands
Independent media agency Pearman has overhauled its visual identity and launched its first company website.
The Sydney-based agency, which ranks 15th in the Nielsen rankings of Australia’s top-billing media buyers, has also repositioned as having ‘Boutique agency service with large agency experience’. Read more »
Radio United to reunite three years on from digital launch
Three years after the launch of digital radio in Australia, the nation’s radio stations are to once again come together in a joint national broadcast.
The event will see live broadcasts from Sydney’s First Fleet Park, Melbourne’s Federation Square, Brisbane’s King George Square, Adelaide’s Victoria Square and Perth Cultural Centre. Read more »
Crown Casino launches Busby Berkeley-styled promo
Melbourne’s Crown Casino has launched a new campaign promoting its program of events, Carnivale.
The kaleidoscopic animated piece directed by Curious Film’s Syd Garon by agency Clemenger BBDO is reminiscent of 1930′s Busby Berkeley films. Read more »
Fairfax strikes leader Marcus Strom joins journalist’s union
The man who led the Fairfax strikes has joined the journalist’s union as a campaigner.
Marcus Strom led industrial action against plans to outsource Fairfax production to New Zealand in May as Fairfax house committee chairman.
He started at the Media Alliance last week having taken a year of unpaid leave from Fairfax, where he was deputy foreign editor on The Sydney Morning Herald. Read more »
TBWA’s Lorenzo Bresciani joins DDB Melbourne as head of planning
DDB Melbourne has appointed Lorenzo Bresciani as head of planning.
The former DDB London planning head joins from Whybin\
Profero eyes Australia expansion, global boss: ‘Never say never’ on selling
Profero global CEO Wayne Arnold
Digital agency Profero is gearing up for expansion in Australia.
Sydney is the network’s Asia Pacific hub for creative, strategy and technology, and global CEO Wayne Arnold has said he wants the Australian business to build scale to serve the region.
Profero has traditionally grown organically, but recently acquired an Hispanic marketing agency in the US, and since AKQA sold to WPP in June Profero is the world’s largest independent digital agency network.
Arnold, who was in town last week, did not rule out launching an office in Melbourne or making an acquisition. Read more »
Harper’s Bazaar appoints Thelma McQuillan as fashion director
Fashion bible Harper’s Bazaar has hired former Grazia staffer Thelma McQuillan as fashion director.
McQuillan had held the role at Harper’s when the magazine first launched in Australia.
She was previously fashion director of Grazia Australia and contributing fashion editor at British Grazia. Stylist David Bonney will replace McQuillan at Grazia Australia. Read more »
Mark Coad returns to media as CEO of PHD
Mark Coad is returning to the media world as CEO of media agency PHD after nearly three years at the helm of creative agency Clemenger Harvie.
Coad is seen as one of the most accomplished media operators in Australia and was credited with completing the turnaround of media agency OMD in his previous role.
The CEO role at PHD was not initially filled when Barry O’Brien, now chief sales officer at Ten, departed. The senior ranks at PHD are otherwise unaffected including Toby Hack remaining as MD.
Meanwhile Clemenger Harvie Melbourne will relaunch as CHE Proximity – less than a year after changing its name from CHE back to Clemenger Harvie. GM Chris Howatson will become managing partner which at 27 makes him one of Australia’s youngest agency bosses.
Coad’s strong Melbourne connections will also be a boost for PHD which recently launched its Victorian operation to support new $120m client ANZ. Read more »
Sydney Opera House partners TEDx
The technology, entertainment and design festival spin-off TEDx has partnered with Sydney Opera House for its fourth annual Sydney event.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that provide an experience of TED at a local level.
The event will be held in the Concert Hall before a live audience of over 2,000, simulcast throughout the public areas of the Sydney Opera House and also be streamed live globally. Read more »
M&C Saatchi’s brand consultancy Re hires Jason Little as creative director
M&C Saatchi’s brand consultancy Re has hired Jason Little as creative director.
Little moves after a six-year stint with Landor Associates, latterly in Paris, to a role that has been vacant for 12 months. Read more »
Seven News in social media backlash after deleting grieving mum’s angry comments
Seven News has apologised after it deleted comments from its Facebook page from a mother angry at the network’s coverage of her daughter’s death.
Seven claims it deleted the comment from Linda Goldspink-Lord “in error”. At the time of deletion, more than 32,000 people had liked the comment, and 2000 had commented.
Seven has also made the unusual claim that it has the means of reinstating the comments which were left over the weekend.
The comment from Mrs Goldspink-Lord accused the network of intrusive reporting of her 13-year-old daughter Molly Lord’s accidental death neat Wollongong in NSW on July 11. She stated: Read more »
Virgin Mobile invites Aussies to be part of Doug Pitt’s entourage
In the next phase of Virgin Mobile’s Fair Go Bro campaign featuring Brad Pitt’s brother, consumers will be given the chance to be part of Doug Pitt’s entourage for his first visit to Australia.
The promotion allows people to nominate themselves and four Facebook friends to be among Pitt’s entourage. Entrants will see themselves and their friends featured in a mock magazine spread that they can then download and share.
The promotion will be supported by a TV campaign running on free to air and pay TV. Read more »
Masterchef heads for strong series finish
Finals week of Masterchef got off to a strong start for Ten on Sunday night, with the show dominating in the key advertising demographics of 16-39, 18-49 and 25-54.
The show rated well ahead of any other in each demo.
In 16-39, it pulled in an audience of 582,000 – 76% bigger than the next show which was Ten’s Modern Family with 330,000. Read more »
Carat Melbourne appoints Gavin Ashcroft as general manager
Gavin Ashcroft and Simon Ryan
Carat Melbourne has moved Gavin Ashcroft to the new role of general manager.
Ashcroft joined the agency in 2006, and most recently ran accounts including Disney, adidas, Nintendo and Mattel. Read more »
Mark Britt steps in as IAB interim chair
Mark Britt, CEO of ninemsn’s digital parent Mi9 is to chair the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
The IAB is the voice of the advertising interests of Australia’s digital media owners. Read more »
McDonald’s launches Spotify Facebook first
McDonald’s is claiming a media first by launching a Spotify application on its Facebook page.
‘The Social Playlist’ enables people to introduce their friends to the McDonald’s Facebook page, help create the playlist, and reward them with the chance to win a 12-month Spotify premium account. Read more »
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