Business Communications Management

Got Something to Say But Don't Know How to Say It?

2011-09-27T14:05:00.004+10:00

Then let us help with professionally written web site content designed with SEO in mind.

Our team has been writing engaging and effective web site copy for the Internet since 1997 – we’ve been around longer than Google!

Regularly updated web sites that have valuable information for their audience is rewarded by search engines with better rankings. The more frequently your web site is updated, the more search engine spiders will be back to catalogue what’s new.

But I don’t have anything to add!

Many business owners see their web site as simply online brochure. However, your web site, in conjunction with social media can be a powerful communication tool, enabling you to reach more customers and create develop a brand loyalty.

You'll have plenty to say to your customers in the form of product and service education as well as the opportunity to share success stories and testimonials.

Choose the frequency:
Web site updates

Monthly
Fortnightly
Weekly

Facebook updates

Weekly
Daily
Three times a day

Twitter updates

Weekly
Daily
Three times a day

Package One
We spend up to one hour with you or your team to brainstorm and get the information for the updates

Up to one hour to write the content/posts and to

Update the web site every month
Update your business Facebook page four times each month
Update your business Twitter account four times each month

Just $220 incl GST

Package Two
We spend up to 90 minutes with you or your team to brainstorm and get the information for the updates

Up to 90 minutes to write the content/posts and to:

Update the web site every fortnight
Update your business Facebook page each week day during the month
Update your business Twitter account each week day during the month

Only $330 incl GST

Package Three
Up to two hours with you or your team every month to brainstorm and get the information for the updates
Up to three hours to write the content/posts and to:

Update the web site every week
Update your business Facebook page three times each week day during the month
Update your business Twitter account three times each week day during the month

For the low fee of $550 incl GST

Don't see anything here that meets your business needs? Then contact us today for a custom made package, just for you!

Why Social Marketing Won't Work For Some Business

2011-09-23T09:25:00.004+10:00

Last week we discussed social marketing in business and canvassed some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Without a doubt social marketing offers some great advantages for business. The good news is that's free. The bad news is that social marketing requires a commitment from people to use it effectively.

We've come to the conclusion that social marketing is a lot like content management system web sites - people go to the time and expense of having one created, but then they never update it!

There are a number of reasons for that:

It's not my job - business owners and managers aren't really sure who to assign to the job. Is it the role of the boss to update Facebook and Twitter? Should it be a marketing function? What about leaving it to admin person to do between taking calls, making calls, doing the bookkeeping, chasing accounts and providing clerical support?
It's lovely... now what do I do with it? - Even if the business does have the resource to use social marketing, there is frequently a lack of understanding about how best to make social marketing work.
I hate writing! - Sure, we were all taught the basics of grammar, syntax and sentence construction in primary school - some may vaguely remember something about nouns, verbs and adverbs. But writing is more than just an assemblage of words - it's about the communication of ideas, concepts and emotions designed to elicit a response. In business, that's about reaching new customers and building relationships with existing customers. Writing a skill that people have to various degrees, but is what you have enough to promote your business?
I hate deadlines! - Using any type of marketing requires a commitment to deadlines. This ensures consistency of your message. As anyone who has had the role of writing a company newsletter with attest, deadlines can be menacing creatures and can cause untold frustration.

That's why we recommend - as with all communication media (web sites, print, TV, radio, social media) - to work with professionals.

Not only with they be faster, more efficient, more cost-effective than using a non-specialist, but they will also be more results driven.

Just one last thing, thanks to one of our close friends:

Q: How many sub-editors does it take to
change a light bulb?
A: Too.

News Limited Rebrand Must Be More Than Skin Deep

2011-09-22T10:41:00.001+10:00

The Financial Review reported yesterday leaked news that ‘Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has briefed local ad agencies to help improve its (Australian News Ltd) brand image among consumers, advertisers and media buyers’.

If News imagines a rebranding and spin alone will mend its broken relationship with readers, advertisers and buyers, it is as misguided as governments that think the only problem with policies roundly rejected by the electorate is ‘the messaging’.

‘No’ usually means just that and in the case of News Ltd they have some work to do behind the scenes that doesn’t involve ad agencies to arrest the tide of cynicism towards not only their brand but also – to be fair – towards traditional news outlets generally.

The Sydney Morning Herald notes that News Ltd has indeed looked within itself for answers as it moves towards the new name of ‘News Australia’ and the introduction of paywalls for online versions of its titles. Interestingly, SMH reports:

According to the (leaked internal marketing) brief, News Ltd reflects and fights for "the values of middle Australia", but employee research last year had discovered a "misalignment" between the values the group espoused and that which it enacted.

‘Employee research’? ‘Misalignment’?

Indeed, other research over many years has found the values of those who write the news are distinctly different to those who receive it.

The significant disconnect between the beliefs and aspirations of those telling the stories and those reading them, and the way in which the story tellers inject their personal biases and agendas into much of what they write is a major issue that has worsened in recent years. Readers feel abused and insulted when even supposedly ‘straight’ news reporting hectors and criticises them ‘between the lines’ or, worse still, openly and disparagingly.

Additionally, anecdotal evidence suggests readers are much more media savvy than ever before and many are becoming tired of the increasingly hysterical nature of reportage and the popular media’s obsession with vacant celebrity.

To rebrand and attempt to spin its way out of the situation would likely be effective but only in the short term. For a resolution to the deeper malaise, News and other media organizations need to corral comment back onto the editorial pages and get back into the business of reporting the news soberly and without colour.

Five Ways The Internet is Ruining Our Culture

2011-09-19T12:28:00.001+10:00

From the US media/political blog Pajamas Media.

If you went back through the whole of human history, for the most part you’d find people living in poverty and ignorance under one sort of tyranny or another. Travel was difficult, disease was rampant, wealth was sparse, scientific advances were slow and uneven, and parents had little reason to think their children would have a better life than they did.

This really started to change, at least in the parts of the world you’d want to live in, less than 150 years ago. Many of the life-altering inventions that we take for granted today were invented during that very limited time period. Just to give you a few examples, here are the years when the following inventions first became mainstream enough to be acquired by 75% of American households: radio – 1937, refrigerator – 1948, television – 1955, telephone – 1957, automobile – 1960, and the VCR – 1992. The Internet just hit that same magic mark in 2007 and the ramifications of that may be more serious than we realize.

We don't necessarily agree with all of the assertions here, but it does underscore an important point - technology is amoral (it's neither good, nor evil) but it can certainly can be used for either cause.

Smoke and Mirrors

2011-09-19T12:01:00.003+10:00

Oh dear, the serial publicity tarts at Recreate Yourself are back.

We reported on their amateurish, but highly effective (in terms of media salviation, at least) Brazilian waxing promotion in July.

Speaking of reporting, we really wish that the local newspaper would actually do some.

We would have thought that eager beaver reporters would be asking the following questions:

Did the company pay for appropriate imagery this time (instead of stealing a GQ magazine image of a celebrity)?
How much money did the last stunt porportedly raise for the Animal Welfare League?
The carbon tax legislation has only just reached Federal Parliament and is yet subject to debate - what does that have to do with waxing (or any other beauty services for that matter)?
Is promoting beauty salons a legitimate use of valuable news space? Shouldn't they be encouraged to advertise instead?

Building Social Capital In Business - Part One: Why Social Media

2011-09-14T09:38:00.008+10:00

There's an old saying, 'the more things change, the more the stay the same' and it's especially true in business.

Yesterday we attended an interesting business breakfast hosted by Wealthfarm at which Jeff White from White Echo about the profile and importance of social marketing for business.

Business owners need to examine where and when they spend their marketing time and dollars to ensure they get the maximum return on investment.

As we've discussed on other posts on this blog, today's consumer has changed their media habits substantially over the past 20 years.

They rarely buy a newspaper unless it is for something specific, they watch less television, spend more time on the internet and spend roughly the same amount of time exposed to radio, they will buy magazines in specific subject areas.

The internet has opened a whole world of opportunities for business owners to specifically reach their clients and potential clients through web sites, e-mail marketing and now social media which includes blogs, Facebook/Google+ and Twitter.

While all of this new technology might be daunting - especially if you don't spend a lot of time on the Internet for leisure - it does underscore one thing - the need for connection.

Since we're recycling old phrases, 'it's not what you know, but who you know that counts' takes on a whole new meaning when applied to doing business through social media.

This technology simply makes it easier to engage in conversation with your clients and potential clients - let them know about specials, recognise and reward great customers, share some interesting facts about business products and services.

Your customers become a proactive referral network, your business associates become an excellent source of information and distributed research.

A word of warning though, everything you do on the Internet is done in an open forum, everything you do is public. All you need to do is look at some celebrity social media missteps over the years to know that living your life (or running your business) in the glare of the spotlight can be embarrassing and sometimes even financially costly.

So, do the benefits outweigh the costs?

Let's look at the advantages:

Low Cost - the social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter etc) are free to use
Easy To Use - the interface is simple to use and intuitive - as long as you have some familiarity with the Internet
Be where your customers are - people of all ages are embracing social media (especially Facebook) at a phenomenal rate
Directly interact with your customers - you share information with your customers and your customers can provide instant feedback

The disadvantages:

Can be time consuming - develop a discipline in how and when you access your social media, especially if you've delegated this to a staff member. There is the risk that one can get fixation on every Tweet and every Facebook update. Or conversely, start using social media but then neglect it because it does require commitment to use
Can be dangerous - Businesses should have a protocol for social media use by staff responsible for updating pages - it's your reputation on the line. Everyone needs to be aware that there is no such thing as a private conversation on the internet. One injudicious post or photo could result in a law suit.
Can be confusing - Many business owners don't know where to start or how to use it effectively for business

We'll be discussing those points and offering some suggestions and ideas next week - but we'd also like to hear from you.

Does your business use social media?

You you use social media yourself to research products and services?

What do you like about social media?

What do you see are the challenges?

Death of newspaper found to be suspicious

2011-07-08T08:05:00.007+10:00

British and Australian journalists are in shock today as James Murdoch, scion of media emperor Rupert Murdoch, announced the shock closing of trash British tabloid News of the World.

The newspaper has had a long history, first starting as a newspaper for the newly literate working class of 1843 and then evolving into the sex, scandal and celebrity tattler under the helm of Rupert Murdoch himself in 1969.

As Australian columnist for Sydney's Daily Telegraph (owned by Murdoch's News Limited)Tim Blair has noted:

This was no convenient closure of an unprofitable masthead:

The title remains the UK’s biggest-selling paper, with a circulation of 2.66m in May this year …

The News of the World has been NI’s most profitable title for many years.

Hence understandable shock and amazement.

So why was the paper shut down?

The Australian (owned by News Limited) succinctly sums up issue:

The shock move comes after Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper was hit by allegations that it had hacked the phones of a murdered girl, the relatives of dead soldiers and hundreds of celebrities, politicians and royals.

Actually more than 'hit by allegations'. The assertions were true - unlike many of the assertions made about celebrities in NOTW pages over the years.

Two separate but related scandals sounded the death knell for "Screws Of The World" and both are to do with hacking.

The first, quoting The Australian again:

Scotland Yard said up to 4000 people may have had their voicemails accessed by the News of the World and added that it was probing claims that the paper had paid policemen for information.

The Royal British Legion said it was "shocked to the core" by claims in the Daily Telegraph that an investigator hired by the News of the World may have accessed the voicemails of relatives of dead soldiers.

It said it was dropping the tabloid as a campaign partner as it could not maintain its links with the paper if it had been "preying on families in the lowest depths of their misery."

The second concerns the murder of British teenager Milly Dowler. It is a complex story that involves the police fixated on prosecuting the girl's father for her death and ignoring evidence that an already convicted sex offender had means motive and opportunity was behind the crime. In June 23 this year Levi Bellfield was convicted of the girl's murder.

NOTW greatly contributed to the hampering of the case by hacking into Milly Dowler's mobile phone. At that time the police were unsure in the teen was simply missing or was dead. The private detective employed by NOTW's boss Rebekah Brooks deleted the backlog of text messages in order to monitor new messages that came in. The fact that messages were being deleted from Milly's phone gave both her parents and the police false hope that the girl was still alive.

Then came revelation of other hacking incidents initiated by the newspaper.

Unable to bear the weight of negative public opinion and advertiser boycotts, the NOTW will publish its last edition on Sunday with all proceeds going to charity.

So who are the suspects in the death of this newspaper?

Suspect 1 - Rebekah Brooks - News International's CEO

Obviously Ms Brookes, as she was directly involved in commissioning illegal acts - although, oddly, her actions are being defended by James Murdoch.

Rebekah Brooks, News International’s Chief Executive and the editor of the News of the World at the time of the Milly Dowler hacking, has said she is “sickened” by the allegations and has promised the “strongest possible action” against those responsible.

She added she has pledged her “full co-operation” with the police inquiry into the scandal.

Later in the day, James Murdoch said that he was satisfied with the “standard of ethics” of Ms Brooks.

Which is odd as it appears Ms Brooks has a direct link with the hacker in the Milly Dowling case.

And she won't even be defended by a News Limited colleague at The Times:

Roger Alton, Executive Editor of NotW's sister paper The Times, which is also run by News International, told the channel the news was 'very sad.

He said: 'It is too upsetting for words, that this fine paper has been shut down.'

'Some people at the News of the World might think it would have been better if Ms Brooks had been shut down rather than the paper.'

Suspect 2 - Rupert Murdoch

Also in the 'suspect's frame' is Rupert Murdoch himself.

Of course no one is suggesting that he had direct knowledge of the decisions of his senior editors to break the law, but he is responsible for establishing and condoning the culture that allowed this poisonous attitude to take root and flower.

Suspect 3 - NOTW world journalists and media industry

Also equally responsible are the newsroom colleagues who were undoubtedly aware of how some of their 'exclusives' were obtained. They accepted the practice and it continued.

It should be noted that a journalist's job is not to simply and accurately report on the events of the day for our consumption. It is to write a 'good story'.

What defines a 'good story' is based on newsworthiness. Newsworthiness is a story that has one or more of the following criteria - timely, topical, quirky, contentious, wide community interest.

However, there is no independent standard by which ‘newsworthiness’ is judged. It is the sole and arbitrary decision of the editor.

As we've discovered, what constitutes a 'good story' isn't necessarily true, isn't necessarily obtained honestly and isn't necessarily done to bring 'truth' to readers.

4. Accessory before and after the fact - the 2.6 million readership

Also an accessory before and after the fact in the death of NOTW are the 2.6 million Britons who bought the paper every Sunday - just as the millions middle class women who bought the paparazzi-filled women's magazines were in part responsible for the death of Diana, Princess of Wales back in 1997.

Every time you or I reward a media outlet with the purchase of newspaper, visit their web sites or give our attention to radio and television news, we justify the tactics journalists use to get their stories.

As former newspaper journalists (yes, for News Limited), Duncan and I will defend the very necessary role journalists play in aggregating events of the day and the work they do to ensure public officials do their jobs with integrity and for the benefit of the people. However, until journalists allow their work to be given as much transparency and scrutiny as they demand of others, then we will see more media outlets being similarly killed.

And that is no good for an honest, robust democracy.

Cat-astrophic Marketing Decisions

2011-07-07T07:42:00.004+10:00

The biggest marketing news on the Gold Coast this week has been the furore regarding a Gold Coast salon's attempt the drum up a bit of business while alleging to be raising money for charity.

The image, for those who are unfamiliar with it and who don't want to click the link, is of a headless woman in a black leather body suit with her legs spread wide and a cat strategically placed at her crotch - ha, ha, pussy, geddit? - and the text 'What's new pussycat?"

The concept is not original, the Singapore Cat Society and beauty supplier Ministry of Waxing did this more than a year ago (image may not be SFW).

That it stirred up comment is no surprise and whether the image is appropriate for display in a public environment is something that reasonable people can reasonably disagree over.

But there are a couple of very good lessons for businesses:

1. What is my motivation Clive? - even as a Gold Coast Bulletin reporter described critics of the poster as 'the fun police' on her Facebook page and the Australian Christian Lobby who were invited to comment questioned the appropriateness of the image, there is a little lesson to be learned from The Bible and the words of Christ.

Matthew 6: 1-4
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

In other words, if you are genuinely committed to a charity, then get on with it, don't make a big song and dance about it.

Or, if business is a little slow and you think a bit of free publicity will help keep the cash registers chiming, then go your hardest, but don't try to fool anyone that you're doing it for altruistic motives.

2. Ars Gratia Artis - means 'art for art's sake' not pinching someone's art for gratis.It seems our headless model has a name - quite a high profile name at that - Leighton Meester from the TV series Gossip Girl and the photo was pinched from a 2010 GQ magazine lingerie shoot.

When asked about the use of the image, the salon owner had this to say:

He said he had not specified which image to use in the campaign but had told his graphic designer the kind of thing he wanted and 'left it to him'. The graphic designer could not be contacted for comment.

Let's deconstruct that for those who are not in the advertising creative industry.

Graphic designers are taught (even though it should also be common sense) that one does not go pinching photographs off the Internet for use in client campaigns.

It would appear that the salon owner had given the designer the Singapore Cat Society image to view as the cat used in his poster has been given a bow tie (in the Singapore ad, ladies who took advantage of the offer were given a bow tie-shaped temporary tattoo, hence the connection, although it is not known if Gold Coast customers are to be similarly stamped.)

Could it be the salon owner already had the image that was eventually used and the graphic artist assumed the client had permission to use it?

Using a licenced image of a newsworthy celebrity is expensive and for a mere $39 'Brazilian XXX wax' with $1 going to charity, it seems highly unlikely that the salon owner went to the trouble and expense of buying the image. If he had, then why cut off the celebrity's head?

So what is a graphic artist to do when given a very specific brief from a client?

The client could have arranged for a model to pose, but considering the lowball campaign ($39 wax/$1 to charity) it is unlikely the client would want to take the time and expense to arrange a shoot.
The graphic artist could access a royalty-free stock photography library. Looking at one of the stock libraries Business Communications Management uses regularly and using a basic search of 'woman, nude' a similarly posed photograph was on the first page of results. Cost to purchase: $51.

Could it be that the owner didn't even want to go to that modest expense of purchasing a stock photo?

3. Nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs - that should be the reaction of the salon owners and the Animal Welfare League.

French fashion houses and Hollywood celebrities are very particular about how images are used, so it should not be surprising if the salon owner receives a 'cease and desist' letter from Yves St Laurent whose body suit and gloves are seen in the picture and the representatives from both GQ magazine and Leighton Meester.

One recalls a newspaper colleague receiving a C&D letter from Chanel's lawyers 20 years ago for describing buttons as either Chanel or Chanel-like on a non-Chanel outfit.

4. All's well that ends well? - That remains to be seen. While the salon has achieved its aim of generating publicity for itself, whether it causes a run on 'Brazilian XXX' waxes is another thing entirely.

One hopes their waxing is less sloppy then their advertising execution.

Suburban Utopia

2011-06-13T10:54:00.002+10:00

Everyone in business today will have encountered the media sales pitch - 'buy advertising in our magazine/newspaper/TV network/radio station, we've got the demographic you're looking for'.

That is as it should be - business owners need to identify their target market down to knowing whether their audience is predominantly male or female, approximate age, their 'off the clock' interests and how they source information - in other words, demographics.

It's not a new concept but you'll find very few media pitches so charmingly and comprehensively described than this 1957 Redbook Magazine featurette called In The Suburbs.

Part sociology, part documentary, part sales pitch, In The Suburbs identifies the Redbook readership - twentysomething married adults with young children living in their first home in the suburbs.

While some reviewers on Archive.com have been disparaging of the film and the era, they completely miss the point.

The film was created to encourage business owners to partner with Redbook in various sales promotions aimed at the highly acquisitive segment of the market - new homemakers - and that's still a valuable demographic 55 years later.

Another interesting thing of note (in addition to the wonderful period clothes, household items and cars) is that Redbook claimed that it was a magazine that was read by men and women equally with subject matter as diverse as international politics and child rearing tips.

We've wracked our brains here thinking of any magazine publication today that appeals equally to men and women and that covers a wide range of tops.

The closest we could think of is Readers Digest, but even then, it's a title more likely to be read by those featured in this documentary and their now aging Baby Boomer children, rather than the equivalent twenty/thirtysomethings of today.

Tell us what you think in comments below.

Typecasting: Auditioning The Right Font

2011-06-10T11:00:00.006+10:00

Back in early 1980s in an early high school art class we were asked to list and identify up to five fonts.

Sure, there's... Times Roman, like a newspaper, then there's um, the medieval font, thing that The Courier-Mail uses, oh, oh um there's another one like they use in old movies and stuff and then there's one that looks like sausages.

No. Really.

Today's children could probably name at least a dozen by their correct name thanks to early familiarity with word processing programs.

But it's correct use is far from child's play. The right use of type is important for evoking moods and conveying a message - quite apart from the words created in that font.

That's why major corporations take the development of their branding seriously and trademark the result.

It's quite an art creating a typeface - just ask designer Mark Simonson In addition to creating, reviving and adapting various type styles, he's also written a fascinating article called Typecasting which looks at the use and misuse of font in film.

The anachronisms are difficult for a non-artist to spot but as Mark says:

Anachronistic typography in movies is certainly not one of the world’s pressing problems. At worst, it reflects badly on a film in a subtle way that suggests careless production values to the typographically aware, even when everything else is well-crafted. Getting the type right is not that hard, especially nowadays when so many historical typefaces are readily available in electronic form. Historical information on typography is easier to find than ever.

If a poor choice of font for a second's glimpse on the big screen can have an affect on a film's perception, then how much so does it affect business?

Corporate Amnesia?

2011-05-30T15:21:00.003+10:00

The team at Business Communications Management has spent the week talking about 'corporate memory'.

Corporate memory is an extremely under-rated aspect of business that is not well understood and that's a pity since it impacts on mission critical areas of business including intellectual property, marketing and business operations.

For many small and start up companies, corporate memory is something the business founder has - they were the ones refining the business process and making marketing decisions. Eventually, as a business grows and other people - both employees and contractors - bring their talents and enthusiasm into the business, corporate memory expands exponentially.

While all business owners are encouraged to codify and streamline business practices by developing operations manuals, corporate memory held by employees and long-term contractors are often ignored.

How many times has a new staff member gone to a long-term employee to find out how things really work - like which clients need extra attention and handholding or knowing which clients respond more promptly to a text message instead of an e-mail or voice mail - none of these things will be found in an operations manual.

Likewise for your contractors, we know of many businesses who don't have a clue where to find their company brand art files or if they actually exist anywhere other than on their web site. In these cases the print company actually has a better corporate memory about their client's marketing and branding collateral than the marketing manager.

A good corporate memory helps business owners weather the challenges of a stormy economy. For example, some of America's largest companies have gone back through 30 to 40 years of corporate history to refresh their brands. Click for a larger image of how Pepsi has reverted back to it's traditional logo and font for its new Cola product.

With the economy still uncertain consumers will return to familiar brands and products. In the case of major US manufacturers are using 'vintage'-inspired branding. In the UK, for example, traditional biscuits such as chocolate digestives (better known in Australia as chocolate wheatens) and custard creams are flying off the shelves.

Respecting corporate memory stops companies from sliding backwards through new people making old mistakes and alienating customers. It also streamlines business operations and can provide macro perspective as well as new ideas.

Best of all, it's a gold mine of information and recommendations that money can't buy.

Technology Reminds Us Of Our Common Humanity

2011-01-12T10:29:00.002+10:00

It seems that the predictions of three month ago have come true - south-east Queensland has experienced its worst flooding event since the infamous 1974 floods.

In addition to the city holding more than a million more people (911,000 compared to 2 million today), better and more instant communication has meant that volunteers can be mobilised, evacuations enacted and preparations put in place.

Reporting has adapted too as hour by hour the weather situation changes. Quick alert bulletins using Twitter and Cover It Live sate the public appetite for the very latest information.

Distributed news sources from people on the ground have given us some of the most devastating images from Queensland, but more optimistically able to provide assurances to interstate and international readers that family and friends are fine.

Web sites hosting copies flood maps and appeal information provide voluntary back ups to overwhelmed official web sites.

The Internet age has certainly proven its ability to serve humanity in a time of crisis.

But just so long as we remember, people are more than their online social networks and there will be more work to do to help rebuild Queensland long after #qldflood trends down on Twitter.

We encourage everyone to be involved in the weeks and months ahead - even after the pictures are off the front pages of newspapers and web sites.

Retailers Pay Price For Bad PR

2011-01-10T12:39:00.004+10:00

One of the biggest media attention grabbers over the Christmas new year break was the call from major Australian retailers to reduce or eliminate the GST-free threshold for goods bought online from overseas.

In Australia the threshold is $1000 while New Zealand and Canada offer a much lower threshold or have other sales taxes.

The campaign by Australian retailers has turned into a public relations disaster with master media spinner Gerry Harvey of Harvey Norman bidding a hasty retreat from the limelight after receiving a cyber-flogging from consumers.

Despite having millions to spend on the best PR agencies in the land, the retail coalition was no match for the succinct three point message coming back via online news story comments, Facebook and Twitter:

Consumers should be free to source the best price available for goods and services

Many Australian retailers haven’t effectively embraced the Internet era

The service at many Australian retailers is lousy

The mangled messaging from the retail coalition blames the consumer of being greedy and unAustralian and makes threats regarding employment – not exactly the best way to win over the people whom the politicians make a virtue of listening too.

Whether or not there is justification for reducing or eliminating the GST-free threshold, the PR damage has been done with the vast majority of people agreeing with the following sentiment (if not necessarily the language): "It becomes me, Gerry Harvey and Solomon Lew - billionaires, greedy, ugly, old, out-of-date c---s, and the people writing this seem to think we have been ripping them off for years and that we deserve this, (Harvey) told the (Sydney Morning) Herald."
There is also something of a high level of cynicism in the general public when retailers cry poor every year when they see their own wallets emptying and credit cards filling.

It’s difficult to find anything positive to say about the retail coalitions’ PR offensive – it was poorly timed, poorly conceived and poorly managed.

The other big story of the holidays has been the unrelenting rain and flooding across Queensland.
The team at Business Communications Management wish to say a big thank you to the emergency services teams including the SES who are performing an amazing service.

Anyone who can donate to the flood appeal or offer support in other ways should do what they can to support their fellow Queenslanders.

December gift from Business Communications Management

2010-12-01T09:55:00.002+10:00

It's December and time for another special offer from Business Communications Management:

OFFER TWO – DIY PUBLIC RELATIONS

Have you ever wanted try public relations as part of your business strategy but want to avoid the costs of having a public relations consultant on contract?

Why not try Business Communications Management’s DIY Public Relations program for only $660* a month!

You will receive:
An exclusive copy of Business Communications Management’s ebook And Now For The News
A four hour expert comprehensive and intensive media training workshop - at your premises or ours. You will learn:

How all forms of media operate

How to turn your information into newsworthy news (includes draft media release writing)

How to stage a successful press conference

Interview techniques for all media (including on camera training)

How to manage media in a crisis management situation

One hour e-mail/telephone consultation per week to review your media releases for six months

* Offer is an ebook, media training and phone/email consultation for six month for $660 including GST per month over 12 months (total $7920). Payment in this offer is via direct debit only.

Celebrity Interviews With Russell White

2010-11-29T09:34:00.003+10:00

Love anything to do with cars and interesting celebrity interviews?

Business Communications Management has been busy over the past few months uploading to You Tube a great selection of radio interviews conducted by our client Russell White from DriverSafety.com.au on his 4BC radio MotorTalk program.

Russell's great conversational style brings out the best in his interviewees which include Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber, Hollywood car designer George Barris (of Batman and Knight Rider fame), Top Gear's James May, V8 Supercar champion Russell Ingall, transport magnate Lindsay Fox as well as John Laws, the golden voice of radio and car aficionado.

If you'd like your business to be the star of its own show, sharing with your clients and prospective clients, the expertise that makes your company the first choice in your field, then contact Business Communications Management today to discuss how to use YouTube and other new media to enhance your business and make it more profitable.

Merry Christmas from Business Communications Management

2010-11-26T09:01:00.007+10:00

Business Communications Management would like to give your business not one but TWO special Christmas gifts this year.

For less than the cost of a Yellow Pages ad, a newspaper ad or radio campaign, Business Communications Management’s award-winning team puts the tools in your hand to make your business as successful as you know it can be.

Would you like to know more? Just give us a call for an obligation free meeting.

Today's special offer is Business Marketing Essentials and don't forget to visit us tomorrow for our second wonderful Christmas gift for business:

GIFT ONE
OFFER ONE – BUSINESS MARKETING ESSENTIALS
How does this sound? For less than $700 a month* you receive:

Logo/brand manual for existing brand

In RGB, CMYK, PMS
Guide for correct usage etc

Signage

Art design for external signage
Art design for roll up banner

Web Site

SEO Review
Expert Copywriting

Marketing Material

DL brochure/DM flyer design
DL brochure/DM flyer copy
8-page booklet design
8-page booklet copy
Folder design
Folder copy

Advertising

Written media placement strategy
Design and write copy for first print media advertisement
Write first radio script

* Offer is design and copywriting services for $690 including GST per month over 12 months (total $8250). Payment of this offer is via direct debit only. External costs such as printing and space booking charges are not included and if required, will be separately quoted.

10 Things I Hate About You

2010-11-24T15:39:00.003+10:00

Well, not you personally, but 10 things that clients hate about advertising agencies can make a tremendous difference to the success of a project.

All Business looks at both sides of the marketing equation with a revealing flip side - what agencies hate about working with clients. It's four years old but it is still as true as ever.

To address those challenges, Business Communications Management has launched it's four point guarantee:

Guarantee 1 – No nasty surprises. Plan your marketing budget with confidence, knowing all development costs in advance. Extras such as mail out postage, printing, media space charges are all quoted before being booked. Media Relations: other firms charge for phone calls and faxes. We guarantee you don’t pay for phone calls or faxes. We guarantee that you will never receive a ‘nasty shock’ at the end of the month.

Guarantee 2 - We guarantee results. In our strategic planning session we take the time to understand your business and together we will set benchmarks for your marketing. If you’re not happy with the results, you don’t pay.

Guarantee 3 – Senior consultants only, no juniors. We guarantee you will have the attention of senior consultants. Not all marketing companies treat their clients the same, other firms will often hand their valued clients to inexperienced graduates or juniors.

Guarantee 4 – We play nicely with others. Business Communications Management has a long-standing reputation for working well with other service providers and agencies on your behalf. After all, your service providers should be working for your best interests and not scrapping with one another.

If you're sick of doing business with agencies that fall behind time, spring suprise charges and won't back their work then you need to talk to us.

Business Communications Management is preparing for a bumper 2011, so book an appointment to talk to our senior consultants about your marketing plans and get a jump on the competition in the New Year.

Find Us On Facebook!

2010-08-05T12:48:00.007+10:00

Oh, you're still here?

Join the Business Communications Management team on Facebook.

And Now The News

2010-01-31T14:33:00.002+10:00

Ever wonder how a TV news stories were structured?

This is a fabulous (and hilarious) deconstruction has a couple of swear words (just a reminder not the have the volume up too high at work).

It is also a reminder that if you are looking for TV to promote their cause or business to have plenty of ideas for exciting footage.

Type Gets Al's Stamp of Approval

2010-01-19T09:52:00.003+10:00

There are millions of fonts in typography - some have a long standing tradition such as Times Roman, others are right to the minute.

Some are favoured for easy of readability in smaller typefaces (such as Times), others are more iconographic.

While most people have a choice of a dozen or so font sets with their word processing program, graphic artists can select from one from many thousands but the right choice for the job is just as important as selecting the right tool.

For instance:

l?...or ...I?

The first letter is actually a lowercase 'l' and the second is the capital I which always amuses us when we see Illinois written using Arial.

But in more serious applications - like Al Gore's sequel to his mega best seller An Inconvenient Truth - assuming context alone is not enough.

So Big Al gets one of his staffers to phone up the font foundary (that's what they're called - a throw back to the old days where typefaces were cast in lead for the movable type printers) and asks them to change the figure 1 so it looks less like an uppercase I.

Oh yes, the book is about to go to press so could they change this font in five hours please?

Not as easy as it sounds.

Changes to a well-established font family can change proportions, possibly resulting in the entire book needing to be retypeset, not to mention requiring every artist having the font Brioni to download a new character set to ensure the uniformity of text.

Find out more about this interesting story here.

It'll Never Catch On...

2010-01-14T10:52:00.003+10:00

At last, instead of wading through emoticons or drafting long apologetic e-mail to say that you didn't really mean to say what you just said, just use...

The Sarcmark, according to the UPI story goes at the end of a sentence to denote the prior use of sarcasm - just as a question mark denotes a question.

At a $1.99 software download, we think everyone will just love it and it won't be confused for a weird @ symbol and it will be the biggest thing since Tickle Me Elmo.*

* Please note, the above sentence is sarcasm.

Why The 'Oldy' Media Risk Being The 'Mouldy' Media

2010-01-14T10:06:00.002+10:00

A very interesting article by technology writer Tom Formeski which offers an interesting insight into how journalists see public relations (and by extension those who use PR companies). Here is Duncan's response:

Sorry Tom, but as a former journalist (12 years) and a current PR worker (10 years government and 8 years private), it seems clear to me you're pushing a mythical line when you suggest that journalists are pure as the driven snow, winkling out bias in search of the facts, and these poor innocents are often bamboozled by wicked, manipulative PR flacks who are out to hoodwink them or, worse, bribe them. The only real fact is, due to the overwhelming drive of human nature, most journalists write to their own biases and self-interest.

I was especially struck by this:

"The job of a journalist has always been one of trying to sort through many biased information sources and end up with a fair and accurate story... they know how to deal with the information they receive, what to use and what to leave behind. That’s what quality journalism is all about. That’s the role of a gatekeeper... But if certain news stories can rise to prominence because of manipulation by PR or other agencies — then the important role of the journalist, as society’s gatekeeper, becomes seriously compromised."
So journalists are 'gatekeepers', eh? A rather interesting public admission of what many of my former colleagues and current acquaintances generally keep amongst themselves.

However, their profession would actually be a lot more 'quality' if they weren't gatekeepers. It would mean, for example, that the international 'Climategate' scandal of falsified data by climate scientists in the UK and US (a story that broke in December) might actually be reported in Australia rather than being the subject of a virtual news blackout in that country due to their mainstream media's political bias.

In fact, in advocating the role of journalist as gatekeeper, what you're cheering on is exactly what is killing the old media, causing newspaper revenues to fall and jobs to be lost daily - it is that people have learned to get their information from a wider variety of sources on the internet and then sort that information through the filters of their own biases. And that's human nature too.

Playing Chicken

2010-01-14T09:50:00.004+10:00

Everyone's favourite political advocate Sam Kekovich goes to air with his new advertisement:

Now Sam's being 'lamb-asted' (tee, hee) by vegetarian rival Frys:

Unfortunately not as funny as Sam and it goes on waaaay too long, thus losing its effectiveness as a spoof.

Short is sweet, like this:

Apology, Clarification, Correction...

2010-01-14T09:16:00.003+10:00

If one considers the Internet to be the world's biggest library, then it's sometimes worthwhile going over to the 'newspaper' section.

Perhaps, more specifically, the newspaper corrections section.

We've all made mistakes, journalists included and those errors can stem from a unseen typo (and now, spellcheckers won't always pick them up), to more serious errors of fact stemming from a misheard quote in an interview or simply plain ignorance.

Most journalists just cross their fingers and hope the error either go unnoticed or unremarked on.

If it doesn't, they also hope that the angry person at the other end of the phone can be placated (who knew there were so many ways of spelling Smith, um Smyth, er Smithe, oops sorry, Smythe)?

The most serious types of errors require an apology, sometimes referred to as 'clarifications' (we personally believe newspapers don't use word 'apology' to avoid legal admissions).

But thanks to the wonders of the Internet, those apologies, corrections, clarifications are forever archived for us to view. Here's our favourite 11 from from web site 11 Points:

The Ottawa Citizen and Southam News wish to apologize for our apology to Mark Steyn, published Oct. 22. In correcting the incorrect statements about Mr. Steyn published Oct. 15, we incorrectly published the incorrect correction. We accept and regret that our original regrets were unacceptable and we apologize to Mr. Steyn for any distress caused by our previous apology.

Oops...

2010-01-08T10:55:00.002+10:00

The advent of digital television has brought new stations to our dial but as the latest ratings show, there is still only 24 hours in a day and only so much time to watch television in:

While the launch of digital channels on major networks Channel 7 (7Two), Channel 9 (Go!), Channel 10 (OneHD) and public broadcaster ABC TV (ABC2 and ABC3), as well as SBS Two, has added variety to the TV viewing landscape it has also increased the number of shows watched by no viewers.

In the same week last year there were as little as three programs daily recording a zero reading, which included Planet Rock Profiles on ABC2 on January 4.

Now the tally of unwatched programs is as many as 24 programs a day.

Well that's not strictly true, any program with less than 1000 viewers is rated has having no views. Also keep in mind that ratings are extrapolated from a limited sample. So if there no Spanish speaking newshounds with the black box recorders in the sample, than it is going to be very likely that the SBS news shows will not rate.

The good news is if you're looking for niche television advertising for your product or service, than these new digital channels might be worth a look.

Just like the early days of payTV where the only commercial breaks were for self-promotion, these new digital channels also have a lot of filler that the networks would be keen to turn into revenue of some kind.

The important thing to remember is know your audience and their interests.

Cognitive Dissonance At Work

2010-01-08T10:25:00.002+10:00

A horrible accident:

"I've never seen such an accident before, he's split between two palm trees not much wider than the vehicle, missed the bollards, gone over two concrete walls and still managed to collect two victims."

The 33-year-old driver of Kewarra Beach suffered a fractured vertebrae and is still undergoing medical treatment.

Police are investigating whether it was a medical-related issue amid reports of the vehicle earlier being driven erratically in the inner city.

Witnesses said the driver was "frothing at the mouth" with his "eyes rolling back in his head" moments after the crash.

And a life is lost:

Donal Bolton, 23, was about to head home after a year in Australia when he and his girlfriend Justine Walsh, 22, were hit by the out-of-control vehicle as they sat in a crowded mall in the heart of Cairns.

Police on the scene are stunned by the actions of witnesses:

POLICE yesterday condemned the ghoulish behaviour of dozens of tourists who filmed the dying moments of an Irish backpacker killed by an airborne car in a "freakish" accident in Cairns...

...Sen-Const Ezard yesterday slammed the ghoulish behaviour of countless bystanders who filmed the unfolding drama.

"It's an absolute tragedy, someone's been killed, and people are more concerned with taking photographs than helping victims," he said.

"It's a sad indictment on society, fairly morbid behaviour, just so they can stick it up on YouTube."

And the media reports on the officer's dismay.

But doesn't the media actually encourage this?

NEWS.com.au wants you to be involved in breaking the news. When news happens and you are there, let us know by sending us your pictures, video and news tips. From images and video of extreme weather events to reports of politicians' behaviour on the campaign trails, your contributions will help report the news to the nation. How to send your news...

Change to Small Change

2009-11-04T10:28:00.002+10:00

While newspaper proprietors are wringing their hands over the drop in circulation in the light of free access to news via the Internet, the Gold Coast Bulletin dips its toes into the 21st Century with it's 'Smart Edition'.

Using the same Flash driven technology that online retailers have been using for electronic delivery of catalogues during the past decade, the Bulletin is offering the full editions of its paper - articles and advertisements - but unlike the print edition which is $1 during the week, the electronic version is $2 per edition (You'll have to hunt around the help and support page to find pricing).

Is it good value?

Still, it's cheaper than back in 1981 when the San Francisco Chronicle was trialling 'electronic publishing'. Using a dial up modem it took two hours to download text only at a charge $5/hr - all for a 20 cent newspaper:

And The Price Is Criminal Too

2009-11-03T15:35:00.003+10:00

WHEN the Hells Angels saw their "death head" logo on a Mambo sweatshirt, they reached not for the baseball bats of stereotypical bikie lore, but for their lawyers, in a bid to protect their intellectual property...

... The offending garments were a child's hooded sweatshirt and a sugar-pink mini-skirt.

Why would you put a bike gang's insignia on children's clothing?

It's a Joke Joyce!**

2009-11-03T11:11:00.003+10:00

Some people are sensitive souls for whom the most minor criticism puts them in either a full-on rage or a state of morbid depression.

But you don't usually expect those people to have a long career in the soul destroying entertainment industry.

The exception is Stephen Fry:

In the realm of Twitter insults, it was at the far end of mild. “Much as I admire and adore the chap, they are a bit ... boring,” a Twitter user called brumplum wrote Saturday, speaking of the tweets of Stephen Fry, the British writer, actor and television personality...

...In any case, after brumplum sent his mildly critical tweet, Mr. Fry somehow found out about it, and it made him feel terrible. It made him feel so terrible, he tweeted, that he was considering quitting Twitter altogether on account of all the “aggression and unkindness around.”

When Mr. Fry’s followers heard of his distress, they tended to do two things: offer their support and criticize his perceived antagonist. And suddenly Richard from Birmingham, who says on his Twitter profile that he writes “one-line movie reviews, and more,” found himself the target of a stream of unpleasant, even abusive, tweets. Among the most upsetting, to him at least, were those from the well-known British actor and comedian Alan Davies. Mr. Davies, who is a friend of Mr. Fry’s and has more than 104,000 Twitter followers, called Richard a “moron,” and worse.

Oh dear.

It does underscore the less than polite nature of public discourse when it can be conducted under the veil of semi-anonymity of blog posts and tweets and it represents a strong reputation management risk for businesses as well as individuals.

Further more, in this particular case, it demonstrates there are high profile people who, shall we say. have a less than, ummm, robust personality and attitude to criticism, no matter how mildly phrased.

** If our site suddenly comes under a DDOS attack, then start looking at fans of Stephen Fry, the comedian of middling talent.

Better Campaigns Going Cheap, Cheap

2009-11-02T14:36:00.002+10:00

Major corporations are looking for better bang for their buck with the global head of marketing for Kimberly-Clarke, Tony Palmer, warning agencies to deliver 'faster, better and cheaper'.

He says with wealth of media to cover, campaigns that meet the above three criteria are going to attract major clients as they try to shorten the 'non-working' time between creative approval and the campaign going live.

Instead of a big stick, Palmer points to a carrot:

He continued: “It’s not something to be taken lightly, we have to work out how to do it properly, it needs to be done in a way that preserves the agency. There is, I believe, a big opportunity for agencies to be smarter, get a percentage of the cost savings and actually turn something into a revenue stream that is not currently a revenue stream by working smarter.”

Very laudable aims and when done with an effective brief and creative in mind, it can work exceedingly well.

Business Communications Management has created numerous successful campaigns on a shoe-string budget, but even business owners need to be realistic.

After all NASA encountered very expensive and embarassing problems with their 'faster, better, cheaper' program of the 1990s.

Truth In Advertising...

2009-11-02T14:14:00.002+10:00

Proof that business owners need to be careful about the promises they make - both real and implied.

The following story is also proof that someone, somewhere, will be willing to try it on:

AN Indian man claims he has been cheated by the cosmetics firm that makes popular deodorant Lynx after failing to land a girlfriend for the past seven years.

Vaibhav Bev has been using Lynx deodorant since 2002, in the hope the company's promotional campaign - which features scantily clad women throwing themselves at men - had some basis in real life.

Could other factors be involved?

But India's leading compensation lawyer Ram Jethmalani said: "There is no data to substantiate the supposition that unattractive and unintelligent men don't attract women.

"In fact, some of the bestlooking women have been known to marry and date absolutely ghoulish guys.

"I'd suggest the firm settle this issue out of court."

Hmmmmm.

While we're on the subject, Jacqui avidly bought Impulse body spray as a teenager but did not receive one flower as a result of using it, despite the promise implicit in this 1982 ad:

http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=impulse+deodorant&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=dF7uSqDxMqWO6APX0NDlCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA

Perhaps there is a case to answer after all?

Are there any advertisements you remember where you experience failed to live up to expectations of the campaign? Write a comment below.

Leaving A Bad Taste

2009-10-19T08:28:00.003+10:00

Apparently there's a saying amongst drug dealers 'don't get high on your own supply', but one might argue that The Foundry, creative agency for Jamiesons Brewery, sampled too often of their client's product to come up with a campaign for boutique company's raspberry ale.

The tag line was cute - 'anything but sweet' - but the creative execution of 'Ho White' naked in bed with seven sated dwarfs (nah, we're not going to use the image here) has raised eyebrows as well as sharpened the pens of Walt Disney's lawyers.

Unsurprisingly the campaign has generated swathes international publicity.

It's a cheaply executed stunt to generate cheap laughs but is that kind of shock marketing sustainable? Does it assist the client company in the long term?

We would suggest not, especially since one of the key marketing planks, the campaign web site anythingbutsweet.com.au has been hastily pulled down, leaving Jamiesons with nothing more than an amateurishly slap-dash, unprepossessing web site.

While Jamiesons are revelling in the publicity, not surprisingly there is nothing on The Foundry's web site boasting of the Ho White campaign.

The explanation by the agency to B&T Weekly seems surprisingly disingenuous considering the pedigree of their other clients. Surely they must have realised that Disney fiercely protects its intellectual property:

According to the reports The Foundry has had “a little bit of contact” with Disney over its ad. Although the campaign was due to have already launched, Simon Burrett, managing director of The Foundry, told B&T Today that the campaign is on hold as there are “adjustments we have to make”.

He would not disclose whether these adjustments are due to conversations the agency has had with Disney.

Burrett said: “I can’t comment on what conversations we might have had with Disney or anyone else. We have no intention of upsetting Disney. It’s a campaign based around Snow White the fairytale.”

Note to creatives, the Snow White story might very well be in the public domain but the physical rendering of the characters is distinctly Disney.

Yes, Virginia, The Camera Does Lie

2009-10-12T14:00:00.004+10:00

Just about everyone has a passing familiar with photo editing software PhotoShop, even if they've never used it.

For industries just as ours it's useful for adjusting images to make them look their very best, but like with any piece of equipment, it can be used for good or ill.

Or in the case of fashion designer Ralph Lauren's art room, make a perfectly lovely size-8 model (see at right) look positively freakish.

Take a close look at the unnatural smallness of the waist and the insectile arms.

When picture was picked up by the PhotoShop Disasters blog, Lauren's people got miffed and demanded that the picture be taken down before sheepishly admitting that yes, it was theirs and yes, it was awful:

"For over 42 years, we have built a brand based on quality and integrity.

"After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body.

"We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the calibre of our artwork represents our brand appropriately."

Judging by the comments in The Courier Mail about this story, not many people believe the spin.

A couple of comments included:

Gay men DON't like women. I would have thought that was obvious. Why should we buy their stupid fashions when it's clear they are at war with the natural looks of a woman?
Posted by: June of 11:20am today

and

What's the bet that the person who retouched the photo is anorexic themselves?
Posted by: Daryl Saal of Toowoomba 4:38pm today

Which raises an interesting point.

Today, outrageous couturier Karl Lagerfeld has come out saying that 'no one wants to see curvy models'.

Perhaps his aversion to curves comes as a result of his own draconian diet regime:

“...I suddenly wanted to dress differently, to wear clothes designed by Hedi Slimane,” he said. “But these fashions, modeled by very, very slim boys—and not men my age—required me to lose at least 40 kg. It took me exactly thirteen months.”

Oh well, that's haute couture for you.

But PhotoShop can be a lot of fun as the team at Time Magazine discovered when they created a six image gallery of all the other awards that US President Barack Obama might be eligible for, following his surprising Nobel Peace Prize gong.

Healthy Media Management

2009-10-09T13:56:00.002+10:00

Have you ever wondered what to do if your organisation was faced with a hostile audience and an unsympathetic media?

US private health insurance fund, United Health Group faced just that situation this week when supporters of President Barack Obama's public health system picketed their offices.

A note-perfect memo from the company to its employees can be found here.

While the author of the Hot Air blog says the employees should have been free to comment to the media, we at Business Communications Management vehemently disagree. In any organisation one or two people at most should have sole responsibility for media communications to ensure that the message remains consistent.

If you don't already have a media management policy, just let us know and we'll send you a template FREE of charge.

You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet*

2009-10-09T13:31:00.005+10:00

Sigh,
I guess we wouldn't be a media blog unless we made some observation about the Hey, Hey It's Saturday (screening on Wednesday) scandal.

After all, everyone else is.

Just a few observations:

1. Hey, Hey It's Saturday is not known for its high brow humour.

2. The show's producers should have realised that in today's inter-connected world everything is available to everyone everywhere.

3. Australians are culturally different to Americans and have a different sense of humour.

4. Is one of the critics of the skit the same Whoopi Goldberg who said Roman Polanski didn't 'rape-rape' a 13-year-old girl?

5. Does this herald the end of female impersonators because they're 'offensive'?

6. Our lives are pretty damned comfortable if this is all we have to worry about.

*The line is from Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer in which the actor played a scene in black face

Trust Me, I'm A Blogger

2009-10-06T07:59:00.003+10:00

One of the benefits of new media - social networking, blogging, tweeting - is that marketers are able to drill down to find just the right target market for their client's goods and services.

Good news is some advertisers will supply product for review including books, software, home and beauty products in the hopes that you'll like the product and favourably write about it because you've got the audience and you're word is more credible than just an ordinary journalist's.

It's something that journalists have been doing for years, and the Carling-Rodgers household still has 'freebie' promotional products getting on for 20 years old from their reporting days.

The bad news is, for American new media mavens is their regulatory body, the FTC will now wield a big stick over disclosures with fines of up to $11,000 for non-disclosure.

As blogger Ed Driscoll points out:

Where does the FTC’s jurisdiction end? If I get a free tube of toothpaste in the mail and say nice things about it on Twitter, Facebook, or in a PTA meeting, do I have to disclose it as a freebie or pay the $11,000 fine the FTC imposes? What kind of disclosure can one fit into a 140-character Twitter message, anyway?

While no one would object to knowing if a reviewer has received product for free or is being paid one of the anomalies under the regulations is that there is no equivalent mandate for journalists.

While this is a US story, one can't imagine that it will be long before Australian regulators get the same idea - which would be fine as long as all 'broadcasters' were in the same boat, because you can be sure that Today Tonight and A Current Affair reporters didn't go back empty handed when covering stories on hair straighteners, moisturisers and farm fresh vegetables.

Will It Work? No Idea.

2009-10-05T12:42:00.003+10:00

News Brieflets:

Editor of gossip mag Woman's Day, Fiona Connolly says she's planning to bring credibility back to the magazine.

It reminds us when Ray Martin took a second tilt at hosting A Current Affair announcing that he would bring sober, credible journalism back.

One suspects Ms Connolly will have the same success as Martin.

Ad expenditure is expected to fall another 5.8% next year reports B&T Weekly.

But Nine CEO David Gyngell (married to sometime ACA host Leila McKinnon) is talking the numbers up.

Say Cheese!

2009-10-02T11:18:00.004+10:00

We like to address some of the important questions in life here at Business Communications Management.

And thanks to friend Steve Gregory, one of the biggest has been definitively answered:

Cheese or Font?

Sure, we all know Arial, Times New Roman and Comic Sans but how about Warnock?

Cheese or Font?

We'll give that one to you - it's a font

What about Kaseri?

Are you sure?

Play the game here.

Cat-ch Me If You Can

2009-09-30T11:24:00.002+10:00

Here's a little palate cleanser from all seriousness of the previous posts - Simon's Cat.

Simon's cat is a series of hand drawn cartoons by British animator Simon Tofield and anyone who owns a cat will get a real giggle from this insightful (and delightful) shorts.

Here's the first below:

Post No Bills

2009-09-30T11:11:00.002+10:00

We've reminded readers before about being careful about having a staff member or bookkeeper automatically paying bills.

According to the Federal Government Scam Watch web site, the rip-off goes like this:

You receive a letter that looks like an invoice for the registration or renewal of a domain name.

The domain name listed in the invoice is very similar to your actual domain name, but may have a different ending. For example, it may end in .net.au instead of .com.au or the .au at the end may be missing.

The domain name may be correct, but the letter is not from the company that you previously used to register your domain name.

In the most recent case, it's not a domain registration but an online directory listing:

ONLINE business directory company Australialink has been banned from continuing a scam where it sent out fake invoices and then threatened legal action against businesses that refused to pay.

The Federal Court, by consent order, has banned company's director, Rachel Louise Dargie, and general manager, Desmond John O'Keefe, from sending out similar letters for seven years.

In the meantime, the court has left open the door for victims of the scam to take legal action against company.

Sadly, the scammers are from the Gold Coast.

Media Case Study: From Little ACORNs Big Scandals Grow

2009-09-21T15:42:00.009+10:00

Did you hear about the latest White House scandal?

You know, the one involving the community organising group to which current US President Barack Obama invested so much of his time as a consulting lawyer before he was elected to the Senate?

The same community organising group that mobilised its base to campaign for the Democrat candidate at the 2008 Presidential elections?

No surprise really. While the Australian media breathlessly reported just about every sneeze in the George W Bush White House, it seems there's nothing of note in the Barack Obama presidency unless one is fascinated by the First Lady's buff biceps.

Unfortunately there is something more serious to report than Bush's malapropisms.

ACORN - the community organisation which has been so instrumental in framing Obama's public persona and getting him elected has been stripped of its federal funding, the US Census Bureau and the IRS has delisted ACORN and serious questions are now being asked in light of an investigation that revealed ACORN community organisers were willing to assist a pimp and a prostitute bring in underage girls from El Salvador, find them subsidised housing from which to run a brothel and to claim child support for the girls.

In anyone's language that's a big story, especially now it appears that the White House is doing everything is can to disassociate itself from the group that was instrumental in getting the current US president elected.

So why aren't you seeing this on your TV screens or your daily newspaper?

Well the story behind that is also a scandal of national interest proportions.

The undercover video was shot not by the leading TV news networks in the US but by two university students who dressed up as the aforementioned pimp and prostitute and who put the scenario to not one but more than half a dozen different offices in different states.

As with many items that make the news these days, the footage went up on YouTube where it then went global - without any help from the mainstream media which only reacted when the Democrat dominated Senate voted to strip taxpayer funding by overwhelming margin of 83-7 after learning about the scandal from talkback radio.

While the head of ACORN is claiming entrapment, Andrew Breitbart, head of independent media web site Biggovernment.com, has come out to say that he supported the young filmmakers to prove a point about 'big media'.

If the media, as expected, pretended that the story didn't exist, they'd have another debacle on their hands comparable to the failure to report the shocking views of the White House's "green jobs czar," Van Jones.

If they invested in the story, I told Mr. O'Keefe, they would do ACORN's defense work. I told him the focus needed to be on the message, not the messenger. Otherwise, the mainstream media would attempt to direct attention away from the damaging video evidence.

While not to suggest that Obama had any direct knowledge of this scandal, it is important to note the close relationship between his election campaign and the organisation, which is also under fire for falsifying voter registrations.

I suppose it's no surprise that the Australian media are taking little interest in the story when even the most venerable of US journalistic institutions, the New York Times had to be publicly humiliated by its public editor (a sort of reader ombudsman) into investigating the scandal.

The bottom line to remember when dealing with the media is that there is no objective standard for what is 'newsworthy'. Newsworthy is only what a news editor/chief of staff deems newsworthy.

Bummer

2009-09-08T09:05:00.001+10:00

Strange and unfortunate things happen when the sub-editor changes headlines between editions.

The End Of The World Is Deny?

2009-09-03T15:32:00.004+10:00

Presenting powerful images is a potent way of getting an important message across.

But it comes at a risk. Go too far, and you risk alienating the very audience you're trying to reach, already made cynical as a result of having their fill of gratuitous imagery.

Then there is also the question of taste.

Take a look at the World Wildlife Fund advertisement at right created by international agency DDB's Brazil office.

The text, which is difficult to read says:

“The tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9/11. The planet is brutally powerful. Respect it. Preserve it.”

The advertisement was released this week and attracted - unsurprisingly - criticism for being insensitive and misleading.

Here's where it gets curious and confusing, but the web site Ad Week has been doing a great job in keeping the chronology straight.

1. On the Tuesday WWF denies the ad has anything to do with them
2. Research reveals the ad was created last year and received an international award (mention of which has been stripped from the award organiser's web site)
3. DDB and WWF then issue a joint statement to say that the ad was a one off mistake.
4. Further research reveals that not only a print version was whipped up, a video version exists too.

Both DDB and WWF deny that they had anything to do with the development of this ad - yet it's DDB's title card at the beginning of the clip and there's a heck of a lot of CGI going on in there for it to be an amateur production.

Decide for yourself:

Who's telling the truth? Who's lying?

Just one last thing to note is, if the Earth is 'brutally powerful', then are we mistaking in believing in 'man-made' climate change?

Suicide Pact?

2009-08-26T09:52:00.004+10:00

From The Australian Business Pages:

FAIRFAX Media chief executive Brian McCarthy said yesterday the 2008-09 financial year had seen the "worst environment" he had ever experienced in the media sector, after the company posted a significant fall in full-year operating profit.

Mr McCarthy also indicated he was open to holding talks about co-operation with rival publisher News Limited -- publisher of The Australian -- about the possibility of joining forces on any plan to charge for news on the internet.

We've discussed the follies of charging for internet content before and have maintained the best way of monetising the Internet is provide free content and demonstrate value for advertisers looking for the demographic.

It's not surprising that News Limited, co-owner of Foxtel, has seen paid content as a way to double-dip - in the case of payTV, billing the punters for access and then making them sit through ads to get to the content.

And just another question, and perhaps some of our readers with a knowledge of law might offer their opinion - is a joint plan by two dominant players in the media market place to set pricing model a form of anti-competitive collusion?

The ACCC certainly thinks so:

The chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called on Fairfax and News Ltd to consult with it before the two media giants enter into talks regarding the introduction of paid-for online content models...

...The consumer watchdog’s chairman told B&T Today that competition issues would need to be resolved before a deal could take place. “I would think it would be best for them (Fairfax and News Ltd) to talk to their lawyers and to the ACCC before they talk to each other,” Graeme Samuel said.

Client of the Month: Yuen's Fruit and Vegetable Specialists

2009-08-26T09:02:00.005+10:00

Congratulations to Business Communications Management client, Yuen's Fruit and Vegetable Specialists.

The company is just about to open its second store at Tweed Heads, opposite Centro Tweed.

If you haven't experienced the outstanding quality and value of Yuen's fruit and vegies then we've got some great incentives for you.

Spend $50 on fruit and vege at the store and you'll receive a $5 gift voucher. You can use that off your next purchase. Also with a purchase of $25 or more, you receive a handy trolleybux keyring token which can be used wherever coin operated trolley locks are installed.

Trolleybux are also a great branded item for businesses that are looking for constant brand or product recognition.

Give Business Communications Management a call today to see whether trolleybux is the right promotional tool for your business.

You'll find Yuen's Fruit and Vegetable Specialists on the corner of Markeri Street and Sunshine Boulevard, Mermaid Waters and from September 17 Wharf Street Tweed Heads, opposite Tweed Centro.

Hello? 'Stats You?

2009-08-17T14:58:00.003+10:00

From B&T Weekly: While magazine sales are down, publishers are excited about effectively audited web stats for their sites.

All media outlets set their rates based on the popularity or otherwise of their product and with Rupert 'belwether' Murdoch hinting at paid content on web sites independently verifiable data is vital for courting advertising agencies and marketing managers.

Master of Your Domains - Check Before You Renew

2009-08-13T09:24:00.002+10:00

Alert to all Business Communications Management clients, suppliers and colleagues - beware of any correspondence, either by letter or e-mail regarding your domain name registration.

This week one of our clients clients paid $249 for a .com domain name in the mistaken belief they were renewing their .com.au domain name.

According to the Federal Government Scam Watch web site, the rip-off goes like this:

You receive a letter that looks like an invoice for the registration or renewal of a domain name.

The domain name listed in the invoice is very similar to your actual domain name, but may have a different ending. For example, it may end in .net.au instead of .com.au or the .au at the end may be missing.

The domain name may be correct, but the letter is not from the company that you previously used to register your domain name.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is well aware of companies that use this scam.

It has successfully prosecuted one company over the scam a few years back, and IT professionals on the Whirlpool Forum are aware of another company that is running the same scheme today.

1. We recommend that our clients keep their hosting and domain name renewal information in the same place as their insurance renewal information.

2. Double check anything that looks like a renewal or an invoice to ensure that it is with your current provider and not someone looking to poach your business and charging you an inflated fee to do it.

3. If you're not sure who looks after your domain and hosting renewal, then give Business Communications Management a call and we can find out for you.

4. If you are not currently hosted or have your domain with us, ask us for a price before you renew. You might just be surprised how much you can save.

New Idea, No Idea

2009-08-13T09:01:00.003+10:00

NEW Idea has apologised to Bec Hewitt for a story labelling her brother as the new "special guy" in her life - but the magazine will still fight to protect its sources.

It's one thing for the media to protect sources where their information is accurate and in the public interest, but why would one protect sources that have got it so spectacularly wrong?

The Hewitts clearly have the money to fight an obviously egregious error, but that not so for the rest of us.

So, what do you do when the media gets something wrong about you or your organisation?

Business Communications Management recommends stopping to evaluate the error before giving the editor a piece of your mind.

There's an old saying, 'don't argue with the man who buys his ink by the gallon', because he'll always get in the last word.

If the error is a misspelling of a name or an incorrect title, just chalk it up to experience.

If the error affects the reputation of the organisation, then calmly phone the news editor/chief of staff and explain how the reporter (or subeditor's) error harms the business and ask them what can be done. Do not made demands.

The chief of staff may guarantee that he will run a letter to the editor from you, make a clarification or arrange a 'make good' piece. (A make good piece is one in which another (correct) story about your business is run in a timely fashion).

Or he may offer nothing at all. And in that case, the best thing to do is use the opportunity to directly contact your database with the correct information as part of your marketing.

If the reporter's error is very serious, seek legal advice before taking any action, although be warned threats of defamation action are made against media outlets several times a week and are considered by some journalists to be a badge of honour.

So who 'watches the watchers'? There is the Press Council, made up of former journalists, however their judgements tend to favour the media outlets and admonishments are not backed by any legal standing.

Two And A Half Times The Tedium?

2009-08-10T14:34:00.003+10:00

As a network executive you know you're in trouble when everyone associates you with just one program.

Network Ten has cast off the shackles of being known simply as The Simpsons Channel, now Nine is having to battle the reputation of being the Two And A Half Men Channel after less than stellar ratings for some of its early evening Australian programming.

Suggestion to Nine executives: Bring back Sale Of The Century/Temptation.

It seems like we're not alone in that sentiment (scroll down to comments).

Family-friendly Equals a Friendly Bottom Line

2009-08-04T08:34:00.004+10:00

Looks like Network Ten is experiencing a little bit of the wash from the vile Kylie Sandilands and Jackie O radio stunt of a couple of weeks back.

News this morning reveals that the ratings for Australian Idol audition episodes were 20% down in the key Sydney market.

With Ten belatedly realising that 'family friendly = runaway ratings' by ditching Big Brother and bringing in MasterChef they have, in binning Sandilands, managed to stave off Austereo's fate of losing marquee advertisers in Optus, Qantas and American Express.

The lessons here are clear.

If you're looking for the maximum reach with your advertising dollars, then you put them where families feel the most comfortable.

If you want to expand your audience, you do not keep going for more lurid, outrageous antics.

That might impress your peers and critics but they offer lousy return on investment.

As an example, films from Hollywood which are rated G and PG earn a greater return on investment than films in other categories.

A new study by The Nielsen Co. found that the PG-rated movies with the least profanity made the most money at the U.S. box office.

In fact:

While the average G-rated film earned a profit of US$79 million, the average R-rated film earned only $6.9 million. The trend is even noticeable in the PG and PG-13 categories: the more suitable films are for family viewing, the higher their return is. The average PG film earned $28.3 million and the average PG-13 film earned $23.5 million...

...Even on return on investment (ROI), not just bottom line profit, family-friendly films are also investor-friendly. According to the analysts commissioned by Dove, Kagan Research, a California media business research firm, the ROI on G-rated films produced between 2000 and 2003 was a staggering 94.5 per cent, while the ROI on R-rated films was only 28.7 per cent.

Isn't that a good incentive to create a better social environment too?

Shopping For Better Business

2009-08-03T09:44:00.003+10:00

it may have taken a while but one of Australia's largest companies has realised that it cannot continue to do the same old thing and till continue to do good business.

Supermarket stalwart, Coles, has finally admitted that European import Aldis and the impending arrival of America's Costco is affecting the bottom line with news today that market competition is a good thing.

Considering Coles and Woolworths controls 80% of the nation's pantries, the belated revelation that competition improves quality (as well as drives down prices) actually comes across as amusing:

Gosh, gee says Coles marketing manager Joe Blundell:

It's staggering that supermarket retailing in a country like Australia that is so into food should be so backwards -- it's not right," Mr Blundell said.

"If you get different players all competing with each other it definitely raises the game."

The answer:

"Our marketing philosophy is quite simple, which is about listening to customers and making improvements that really matter and moving the bar," Mr Blundell said.

"So when we do something like the value meals campaign it's because customers have said we enjoy cooking at home but some of us have quite tight budgets and so can you help us out."

The value meals campaign, in which Coles ads feature low-budget meal ideas and recipes, was recently named by newspaper industry body The Newspaper Works as one of the most effective print advertising campaigns in the country.

Kudos to Coles, but it is an ample demonstration how large companies take longer than small companies to adapting to changing markets.

Also, as a part of Coles' self-examination, the You'll Love Coles home brands will have the names phased out. According to reports You'll Love Coles was seen as extortion not exhortation.

Still the silly pseudo-testimonials did hit the right note with entire discussion strings devoted to chronicling them.

Media brieflets

2009-07-30T09:28:00.002+10:00

Media news brieflets:

From B&T Weekly - How much for a logo for your enterprise? $1000? $2000? More?
According to some Melbourne design companies, the new city of Melbourne logo is worth only $35,000 instead of the $240,000 paid to the winning company.

Peter Singline of Brand DNA is one of the ones who are not amused:

That within 3 days anyone living in Melbourne who was not dead from the neck up would know that Melbourne has a new logo. Robbie you have succeeded where many others fail. A huge launch! But in doing-so you have made fun of a brand we all love and to me that suggests deep down you don’t understand branding. Branding is something you either get or don’t, and I am sorry Robert you don’t get it.

Perhaps if the team had come to Business Communications Management in the first place, we would have developed branding for the southern city at even a fraction of $35,000.

Also from B&T - Coca-Cola gives media lessons to agencies:

Speaking at the Advertising and Marketing Summit at Sydney’s Luna Park this morning, (Coke's global creative director Ivan) Wicksteed who was behind Coke’s ‘Happiness factory’ concept for the global drinks giant said: “This (Happiness factory)was about creating IP, which is what agencies need to do more of. Create something that you can reap financial reward from. If you can create IP and enter into a relationship with your clients, that is the ideal place to be.”

From TV Tonight - Media mates cover for one another:

Last night was a golden opportunity for The 7PM Project to connect with its audience. It led its bulletin with the news of yesterday’s awkward radio stunt by Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O...

...But there ended the analysis, lasting just 25 seconds.

Here was an opportunity to discuss a hot topic that hit the new show’s demographic right between the eyes. The story had emerged from an FM radio show, it involved a teenager and it spoke to a very serious topic.

Unfortunately there was nobody invited to speak to parenting, duty of care or media responsibility, let alone issues of rape.

Like it or not, yesterday was a day when caring for children was put front and centre on the agenda. It could have led to a wider discussion on child welfare with a psychologist, or spokesperson from a Rape Crisis Centre. Or if that was too hot, then some insight into responsible broadcasting perhaps?

Was this so quickly moved on because Kyle is a TEN personality?

For those not familiar with the incident, columnist Andrew Bolt has his say here.

It's one of the reasons why Business Communications Management is proud to be supporters of Gold Coast radio 107.3FM.

Life's too short to listen to crap.

The Mirror Has Two Faces

2009-07-28T08:57:00.002+10:00

We all know the camera never lies, right?

Well indeed it can - and today it's aided and abetted by the magic of Photoshop.

The latest to fall under the media lens for a bit of Photoshoppery is 1960s British super model Twiggy - the face of London mod.

40 years on, she is the face of beauty brand Oil of Olay, but there's been a little bit of controversy over the advertisements:

With slight jowls and only hairline wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, Twiggy does indeed look good for her age.

However she bares very little resemblance to pictures, apparently of her, recently distributed to advertise Olay, whose catchphrase is 'Love the skin you're in.'

Airbrushing expert Michelle Facey of Facey Media said the amount of work done to wizard away the signs of aging in the advert picture was 'a sham' and 'totally misleading to the customer'.

She said: 'I think they have really gone overboard. Its a sham. I did not realise she looked so different in real life.'

Personally, we believe Michelle's criticism on that image is a bit harsh but we believe she does have a point with the Marks and Spencer photoshoot located further in the story.

As long as people realise they can't always believe what they see, there is nothing wrong with having a little fun - like the contestant in the Worth1000.com Photoshop contests.

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

2009-06-29T12:53:00.002+10:00

With this weekend's news being dominated by the death of pop singer Michael Jackson, it's also worth taking a time to reflect what his death says about the priorities of the news media and the speed at which information travels on the worldwide web.

Now for the news
While the death of Michael Jackson has dominated the airwaves since Friday morning (Australian time), the story first broke on the Internet on the Hollywood gossip web site TMZ.

“We are totally wired in this town,” Harvey Levin, the site’s editor in chief, said in a telephone interview Friday.

The Jackson news was easily the biggest scoop in TMZ’s nearly four-year history. Kurt Andersen, a journalist and cultural critic, said the story was highly indicative of the evolving editorial practices that media outlets are grappling with.

Among many journalists, “there’s still this residual but not yet vestigial instinct to think ‘Oh, it’s just TMZ, let’s wait for The Associated Press or The New York Times or The Los Angeles Times before we can say it’s true,” he said, adding: “I don’t think in, say, five years, that will be the case.”

Which adds to 'verification before publication', the extra burden of doing so in shorted time frames.

Now, being unable to break the news, the traditional media takes the fall back position of endless follow up with nanny, the ex-wife, the doctor, the bereaved fans - all of which shoves other genuine news items far, far down the running order.

Is it too late to do a moonwalk back to a time when entertainers were merely reported on the entertainment page?

We Won!

2009-06-29T11:20:00.002+10:00

Thank you to the judges and the organisers of the 2009 Gold Coast Media And Corporate Club Award organisers!

Business Communications Management won Best Promotion or Public Relations Campaign for Fatality Free Friday at the gala ball event at Conrad Jupiters on Saturday night.

Also a big thanks to event founder Russell White from Driver Safety.com.au for being such a pleasure to work with.

More pictures from evening when we receive them from the organisers.

Awards Time

2009-06-25T08:58:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to Brisbane advertising agency CumminsNitro for picking up the big awards - Golden Lions - at the Cannes advertising awards.

The company was behind the supremely successful viral marketing campaign 'The Best Job In The World' created to heighten tourism interest in Queensland and, specifically, Hamilton Island.

The campaign attracted international interest with its aspirational theme and it is estimated $200 million worth of publicity was generated.

A little closer to home, Fatality Free Friday, the road safety campaign developed by Business Communications Management for Russell White and DriverSafety.com.au is a finalist in this year's Gold Coast Media And Corporate Club Awards (the MACCAs) which will be announced on Saturday night at a Gala Ball to be held at Conrad Jupiters.

Business Communications Management won Best Advertising Agency at the awards in 2007 for its 'Sucked In' storm water safety campaign developed for the Gold Coast City Council.

However... sometimes even the big companies get it wrong.

In the US, fast food giant Burger King is copping quite a ribbing over its decidedly phallocentric 7-inch burger/sub advertisement.
Yes, the link is work safe but it's certainly no exercise in subtlety.

The Knives Are Out

2009-06-22T09:07:00.002+10:00

As a business owner or marketing manager you want to be certain that you're investing your advertising dollars wisely and stitching up a deal with a popular television show is a good way of having your brand associated with something everyone's talking about.

But it does become fraught with risks.

The good:

Australian Master Chef, the reality TV franchise from the UK has been a hit with local viewers - so much so that perennial third place getter, Network Ten has bumped one time leaders Nine into third place.

The reason for Master Chef's ascendancy is fairly simple to explain:

It's an increased interest in 'home based' activities as a result of uncertain economic times, combined with a competition show that isn't based on exploiting dysfunctional people exhibiting the worst of human nature (like Big Brother).

"I wouldn't discount Big Brother coming back at some point, never say never, but on this show there is less of the aggressive or nasty television," (Ten's chief programming officer David) Mott says.

"Without a question (aspirational television) is what people want. We were amazed that people trying out for this show have great careers but what they are doing isn't their love, being a chef is."

It seems like the audience agrees, with last Sunday's show screening to an audience of 1.96 million. Not bad investment.

The bad:

Funnily enough, also screening on Network Ten is stalwart of late night television, David Letterman.

Advertisers might be forgiven for thinking that they might be pretty safe with the experienced Dave but over the past few weeks the host has been hammered with complains after his ill-considered show opening monologue:

On June 8th 2009 Mr. Letterman "joked" that a female Governor of the United States is "slutty" and worse still, "joked" about her 14 year-old daughter and statutory rape by an adult baseball player. He continued his slander of this young girl during his June 9th show, likening her to a prostitute.

Advertisers on the show were quick to review the value of their advertising spend and big names such as Southwest Airlines and the Embassy Hotel chain have withdrawn their advertising from the show.

The controversy over the comments has given Letterman's show its biggest boost in years but still couldn't beat its rival The Tonight Show in a contest it has been consistently losing for a year.

The lesson? Know your audience and know the program you earmark for your advertising dollar and remember that in this Internet age, it doesn't take a lot of effort for disgruntled viewers to make their voices heard.

In The News

2009-06-18T14:11:00.003+10:00

News brieflets:

From B&T Weekly:

Mobile campaign sites are underperforming in terms of holding consumers’ attention past the initial click through, according to a new study on mobile advertising effectiveness.

From The Courier Mail:

THE broom has swept through Nine Brisbane with long-running shows Extra and Weekend Extra axed and veteran newsreader Bruce Paige announcing his retirement.

Extra staff were told of the news yesterday morning with Nine CEO David Gyngell confirming last night that while most would be redeployed, six permanent staff would be made redundant.

From TV Tonight:

The ABC today announced key elements of its new kids, channel ABC3, to launch by Christmas.

Aimed at 6-15-year-olds, with a core demographic of 8-12-year-olds, ABC3 will air between 6am-9pm offering dramas, adventure series, music, wildlife, quiz shows, comedies, Indigenous programs, news and sport.

All Your (Knowledge) Base Are Belong To Us*

2009-06-15T13:51:00.004+10:00

Few things in life are free - one of the great exceptions has been the Internet.
Once the cost of Internet connection is paid, all but the most specialised databases of information were available to find.

But can it be supported? Will we see a paid model for content?

Rupert Murdoch has flagged that payment for news content online is just around the corner:

Mr Murdoch, who has announced plans to charge readers of his publications online, also said “you're going to have to pay for your favourite newspaper on the web”.

The days of free news online were “going to stop,” he said.

“I believe newspapers will be selling subscriptions on the web,” he said.

“A (newspaper) website will be vastly improved, much more in them and you'll pay for them.

“There's a case that newspapers rushing on to the web to try and get a bigger audience and get more attention for themselves have damaged themselves,” he said.

“Now they're going to have to pull back from that and say `Hey, we're going to charge for this'.”

Going a step further is Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive of IAC, the interactive services company which operates a collection of more than 30 Internet sites which produce $1.5 billion a year in revenue.

“I absolutely believe the Internet is passing from its free days into a paid system. Inevitably, I promise you, it will be paid,” Diller said in a keynote discussion opening up the Advertising 2.0 conference held at his company’s futuristic glass building alongside the Hudson River in Manhattan. “Not every single thing, but anything of value.“

The fact that content and services on the Internet so far have been largely supplied for no charge is “an accident of historical moment that will be corrected,” he said, in an era of “creative chaos” that will span the next three to five years.

Remembering that use of ATMs was once completely free, as was having a bank account, there may be some merit in the claim.

It does raise an interesting point - who, apart from the media, trades in so exclusively information that people are actually willing to pay money for it?

With the exception of specialist researchers the answer is no one. Even consultants of various hues are more than willing to share general information free of charge over the Internet but it is a good, quick way of marketing and building credibility by giving a taste of their expertise.

Every business has expertise it can share to its target market and the general public that generally enriches our knowledge-base.

And because very few people will try DIY brain surgery because of something they've read on Wikipedia, they're more likely to go for the expert practitioner for the execution of the complex task.

They'll determine which expert to use by how helpful and transparent they appear - that's why the majority of information will be available free of charge.

A commenter in the ZNet story mentions:

Blogging is only interesting if it starts with an actual piece of news that some Princeton trained journalist spent two weeks researching and writing about.

Maybe so, but how much more interesting and credible will the blog be if the information was linked directly to the source instead of through the often unreliable filter of the media?

* Title explanation

Blowing Smoke

2009-06-09T08:27:00.004+10:00

AUSTRALIA'S advertising industry is facing a comprehensive and unprecedented push to ban unhealthy food and alcohol advertising, from the eight inquiries kicked off in the 18 months since the Federal Government was elected.

If fast food and alcohol advertising makes us obese binge-drinkers, then why haven't we evidence of this 'epidemic' earlier when cigarettes, alcohol and fast food advertising was allowed open slather?

Surely advertising alone can't be to blame - what about the increase in sedentary leisure pursuits and occupations? What about general overeating as a result of an abundant supply of relatively cheap food?

What about the breakdown of social mores that encourage overindulgence in just about anything and everything?

Hence an interesting side topic on the reason why there appears to be so many unhappy relationships, may have a direct corollary to the issues of obesity and binge drinking and their attendant health and social problems:

Researchers have found an increasing number of clinical narcissists in our society:

According to researchers, there’s a groundswell of narcissism in our society. In a new book, The Narcissism Epidemic, psychology professors W. Keith Campbell and Jean Twenge chart the dramatic rise in the number of Americans who have a clinical narcissist personality disorder. These are people who are more than just a little bit self-regarding. In a nationally representative sample of 35,000 Americans, one out of 16 respondents registered as a narcissist on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. These are people who agreed with statements like: “If I ruled the world it would be a much better place,” or, “I will never be satisfied until I get all that I deserve,” and, “I find it easy to manipulate people.”

So, what's wrong with 6% of the population being narcissists?

Narcissism functions on a continuum, which means that because more people register on the extreme end of the spectrum, there’s a surge of people in the general population—in the median area—that are displaying narcissistic traits.

If this is equally true of Australians, then wouldn't we as a society be better off treating the disease rather than symptoms?

Did the Flintstones really encourage a generation to take up smoking?

Will putting R-Ratings on films that depict smoking, really address the issue?

Perhaps instead of banning junk food and alcohol advertising, we take a look at the society we're creating and do the hard yards on personal responsibility and thoughtfulness towards others.

After all it's frightening, when as American commentator Dennis Prager noted six years ago:

"Decades of lecturing around America and of speaking with parents on my radio show have led me to an incredible conclusion: More American parents would be upset with their teenage children if they smoked a cigarette than if they cheated on a test...

...When I was a boy, I attended baseball games where most spectators smoked, but none cursed. Today there is no smoking at ballparks, but obscene language is shouted out with impunity. We have traded in opposition to firsthand cursing for opposition to secondhand smoke.

So, ask your children if they think you would be more disappointed in their smoking or their cheating. If your child responds "smoking," you are morally failing your child. If you are pleased with that answer, the situation is even worse. If enough Americans prefer that their children cheat than smoke, we are a doomed society. Nor can the issue be avoided by claiming you don't want your child to either smoke or cheat. That just means you can't say that cheating is far worse than smoking. You are another American led to believe that healthy and decent are synonymous.

UPDATE: From B&T Weekly:

"More than a dozen organisations representing Australia’s advertising, marketing and media industry have welcomed a government report on obesity which called for a community response to the obesity issue...

...The report called for better urban design to encourage people to be active and a greater focus on teaching children the importance of healthy eating and exercise, as its main recommendations.

Importantly for these organisations there was no call for any ban on advertising, though there was a recommendation for developing better public health campaigns
about obesity and the benefits of healthy lifestyles."

What does that tell us about our society that we need advertising to tell us something so self-evident?

Parkinson Asks The Right Questions

2009-06-04T10:04:00.002+10:00

Veteran talk show host Michael Parkinson has said his piece on the state of television.

Now on holiday in Australia, he's said it again.

Good on him.

Nine Scores Own Goal In Pursuit of Ratings

2009-06-04T08:57:00.006+10:00

The Nine Network might now officially be called 'the network that eats itself'.

Last month it was NRL commentator Matthew Johns. When news aired of a seven year old sexual indiscretion last month, the heat of spotlight was so great that he was axed from the network but not before getting a public, flagellation by tabloid show host Tracey Grimshaw - an interview that proved very lucrative for ratings.

This is despite the fact that Nine knew all about the incident before Johns was hired as a commentator and despite the fact that the network hired brother Andrew Jones who admitted to being a prolific illegal drug taker during his playing career.

This only came to light when Johns was arrested in the UK in 2007.

Now hungry for ratings, Nine (having slipped to number two behind the Seven Network in the news department) looks around for another person to make a meal of, today devouring another of its NRL commentating team, Ben Ikin.

It seems that Ben's father, businessman Alan Ikin is struggling in a number of business deals and investors are skittish about losing their money.

The story isn't breaking, business news observers have been aware of the ailing business ventures for some time - this is from a January story:

The buyout allows all existing removal contracts to be honoured by the new management team of four which assumes the day-to-day operations of the business from today.

In the meantime, administrator Nick Combis, of Vincents, is working with creditors on a deed-of-company arrangement for Ikin Move It Pty Ltd.

Mr Ikin has vowed he would repay all creditors in full.

It is unclear how much is owed to creditors, among them the Australian Taxation Office.

Ikin Move It Pty Ltd's financial problems stemmed from its relocation into new headquarters at Burleigh Heads last year from Varsity Lakes.

Should Ben Ikin be responsible for his ole dad's woes?

Journalists need think long and hard about what is news, what is gossip and what is muck racking.

There are plenty of journalists are full of integrity, there are others who are just full of it, but the advantage they have over the rest of us is that they can expect their colleagues to protect their positions.

However with the Internet being the 24/7 gossip clearing house, people with a basic Google search can find their fill of rumours and or indiscretions involving on air presenters - most of which you won't find leading the 6pm bulletins or breathlessly followed on tabloid TV.

There is the old warning: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." It's one well worth remembering.

UPDATE: Oops:

TRACY Grimshaw has fired back at foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay's vicious verbal assaults about her, saying she was absolutely miserable when she learned he'd described her as an old ugly pig and lesbian.

Dick Smith's 'Hip' Replacement

2009-06-01T08:34:00.005+10:00

Every big organisation rebrands at some point.

The latest is electronics retailer Dick Smith.

TV advertisements over the past six months and the corporate web site have featured the rebranded logo and now it's the turn of the stores.

The rebranding gains a new font and loses the face of its founder, entrepreneur Dick Smith, whose geeky visage been front and centre for decades - even surviving the purchase by Woolworths 20 years ago.

While the name is still considered to be worth millions as a retail brand, the face and the word Electronics were dating the business, according to national marketing manager Brent Allan.

"I was the man who removed the face," Allan says.

"The head was very old and daggy. I didn't have any reason to keep it. And Electronics meant jugs, kettles and stuff."

Two years ago, a Boston Consulting study revealed "most people's dads" shopped at Dick Smith, Mr Allan says.

"It was not a brand of choice and it was known for bits and bobs," he says.

According to Duncan, coming from a generation who were hands-on in building and repairing electronics, the 'bits and bob' were the great appeal of Dick Smith stores, rather than cheap stereos that could be bought at any other electrical retailer.

The need to "persuad(e) teenage boys that Dick is hip" has the same potential for disaster that US automaker Oldsmobile found with their late 1980s PR campaign "Not Your Father's Oldsmobile".

In the United States, the catchline has become a joke, parodied by journalists looking for a pop culture shorthand to other companies, like Canadian Club, who have tapped into the deep irony of the campaign:

Who wants to be associated with such a voice? On the complete flipside, is the great new campaign from Canadian Club with the tagline "Damn Right Your Dad Drank It" which is ballsy, confident and shows great father/son insight. When a man is confident of his own path in life, he can look back at his dad's achievements with renewed respect, not a desperation that he wants to be so different.

The campaign alienated older, loyal buyers and did indeed attract younger buyers but that came at a price:

"Not Your Father's Oldsmobile" played a role in this alienation, and recent Olds ad efforts continued it. An Olds dealer said last year's Super Bowl ad for Alero "looked like a Gap commercial (full of) kids in goofy jeans."

The new cars Olds developed also alienated its core. Some dealers pleaded with division managers to offer a "bench" seat for the Intrigue to accommodate three people in the front. Olds brass refused, saying that a bench seat (and the accompanying shifter on the column) wasn't consistent with its sportier, import-fighting mission.

But as one dealer explained: "We gave up a lot of good old customers in the change. They were older customers, but they liked the product and they let you make a profit. So now we sell Aleros to young people. The problem is I've got to find four Alero buyers to make the return I did on one Ninety-Eight."

Now with the brand tettering on extinction as General Motors prepares to file for bankruptcy, might one wonder how the developers of the campaign feel about their part in the demise of a once great brand?

Guilty as charged. But come on, doesn’t the spot make you feel all warm inside? “Not your father’s Oldsmobile” was comfort food, like fish sticks and meatloaf. In the words of Bart Simpson: “Craptacular!”.

Very nice...

Sneeze, Oink, Oink

2009-05-28T16:56:00.004+10:00

You have to hand it to them, when the media get fixated by an idea, then there's no changing their one track minds.

Here's a quote from a Gold Coast media person from his social networking page:

...sitting outside the Gold Coast hospital watching for people wearing masks. You wouldn't guess how many have offered to go buy a mask and walk by for me !

Someone else replied:

...that's what i've done for the last two days, where were you then?

The lead story in just about all of the media outlets over the past week has been an increase in swine flu infections in Australia.

At right you'll see a screen shot of today's Courier Mail front page, complete with infection 'counter'.

That's the number of people infected mind you, not the number of people who've died.

In Australia, the flu season claims 3000 lives on average - that's double the road toll. The number of people who died from swine flu in Australia is zero.

According today's news from Agence France Presse, 104 people have died worldwide in this outbreak. That's all.

For comparison, around the world 6000 people die on the job each day, 18,000 children die from hunger each day, 3000 people die each day in car crashes.

Why the fixation on this relatively minor medical situation?

It's about "news value", one of the least well defined concepts in modern marketing.

News value is, effectively, the subjective opinion of one person in a newsroom (usually the news editor) who marshals the assets of the newsroom towards one particular story or angle.

In the small world in which many journalists inhabit, the fixation on one story spread faster than, pardon the pun, swine flu.

The problem with ramping up hysteria is the media undermines its credibility. Here are a couple of comments from today's Courier Mail article:

Yawn! No we have a flu counter on the home page. If we had a counter of how many people each year die of Malaria the counter would read between 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 after 12 months.
Posted by: Jon of Eatons Hill 3:07pm today

Who cares...? For heaven's sake, it's just one strain of flu amidst so many others. Many more people die annually in Aus and overseas from other flu strains than from this one, it's not even that bad. It's all a media buildup.
Posted by: Roger of Brisbane 3:42pm today

Can we post the numbers of the people who have got the good old garden variety flu next to the Swine Flu? I am yet to understand the difference between the two and why there is so much fuss. People worldwide die of the garden variety flu every year.
Posted by: K of Birkdale 4:26pm today
Comment 72 of 72

I wonder if they will decrement the Flu Counter on the front page when an 'INFECTED' person is given the all clear?

Posted by: Bored IT Worker of a Boring Office 4:25pm today
Comment 71 of 72

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby

2009-05-27T10:09:00.003+10:00

While we've sometimes been critical of the media, we've also acknowledged that they play an important role in disseminating information - which we need to keep our elected official accountable.

When the journalists do they job well, society benefits:

When Thomas Jefferson said he preferred newspapers without government to government without newspapers, he wasn't referring to anything we'd recognize as our local paper, says Stephen Bates, professor of journalism at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Slate contributor. The pre-modern press was captive of political parties, and their pages were filled with partisan fodder. What Jefferson was applauding was the newspapers' capacity as a forum for debate (and sometimes slander), not exposé...

When they do it badly, we get days and days of the 'chk-chk-boom' girl.

But what happens when 'media management' turns into message control?

The ABC's Media Watch addressed the issue on Monday:

...the TV networks - and we spoke to all five - believe it's getting harder than ever for them to do their job...

...And to make matters worse, they all said, media people from the PM's office have taken to dropping round to the press gallery at around 10am to find out what stories they're working on.

If the office doesn't like the news agenda, it quickly finds a new story to feed the chooks.

Columnist Andrew Bolt, who worked on Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke's campaigns is more than a little concern with the spin:

Yes, Rudd has also done good things, particularly in education and Aboriginal affairs. But spin is the essence of his prime ministership, dictating not just presentation but policy. Spin, spin, spin—only suddenly, there’s little traction.

Fabulous result for Fatality Free Friday

2009-05-27T09:34:00.005+10:00

It's been a long time between posts on the Business Communications Management blog, but we have a good excuse - no, really!

Fatality Free Friday events have been the focus of the team and we're delighted to say that all events went without a hitch.

The picture on the right is from special Fatality Free Friday event in which 1600 pairs of shoes, each pair representing a life lost on Australian roads.

Organised by Fatality Free Friday sponsors 4BC, whose support has been absolutely Sterling, the event was attended by Queensland Police, Corrective and Emergency Services Minister, Neil Roberts, MLA, 4BC's morning announcer Jamie Dunn and representatives from all the media outlets in Brisbane.

Check out all the activities and pictures on the Fatality Free Friday web site.

Fatality Free Friday is on May 28 next year and we're already working on a program to assist community groups and schools to take a more active role.

For everyone who assisted us this year, a big thank you.

Gold Coast Bulletin Gets Caught Up

2009-05-05T09:48:00.006+10:00

Here's a news story that you won't see in the pages of our city's local newspaper, despite the paper being assiduous in reporting about other companies' struggles:

The entire staff on Queensland's second largest newspaper are being forced to re-apply for their jobs before management decides which 23 workers to sack.

Twenty reporters, sub-editors and photographers, as well as three clerical staff, will be culled from the News Ltd-owned Gold Coast Bulletin in the next three weeks, management confirmed today.

Unlike other redundancies at the newspaper over the years, adding to the angst of staff is the expectation that they have to reapply for their jobs.

Public servants all over the nation know what that feeling is like.

The Bully has suffered greater than most in the general advertising downturn because of its symbiotic dependence on the real estate market.

Business Communications Management's own sources reveal that the paper's three most senior photographers staff have taken redundancies which, after 25 plus years of service for the one publication, amount to a very tidy, cash-in-hand amount.

Gold Coast Bulletin staffer Cate Swannell give the final tally on her blog:

five from photographics, four from sport, three from admin/clerical, four from our sister weekly, the gold coast sun, one from business, four from features, one from art, and one from the back bench of the newsroom.

if there is any positive to come out of this, it seems to be that our management has resisted the urge that many american papers seem to have to succumbed to, and has not purged the copy desk.

subeditors are at the heart of a newspaper’s quality control. without them, the paper is exposed to all kinds of claims of crappiness, not to mention the threat of really fucking up legally.

Cate's right (lack of sentence case not withstanding), but forgets to mention one other important aspect of a sub-editor's work - local corporate memory.

With the majority of journalists at the newspaper under the age of 30 and the rest having only lived on the Gold Coast for a short time, sub-editors with a bit of local knowledge and history are invaluable.

One recalls one former journalist colleague who had no idea the local radio station was Sea-FM and spent an entire story calling it C-FM - and that was the least of the quality control issues...

UPDATE:
THE New York Times has postponed its threat to close the Boston Globe after reaching agreement with six of the seven unions at the newspaper on cost-saving measures.

Awards Logies and Food Bogies

2009-05-04T13:17:00.002+10:00

News brieflets from the ad world:

You just can't lose - Protestors against junk food advertising by using advertising agency...

Was Big Brother hostess Gretel Killeen Worst. Logies Host. Ever?

AOL to go AWOL in Time

2009-05-01T14:01:00.003+10:00

The story from today's Australian media section about the break up of AOL-Time Warner brought back a flood of memories of early this century when a little start-up Internet company took over a media giant.

And that's where the story started to get interesting.

Not long after, the Internet's fortunes started to get a little wobbly as speculators realised that the "www" was a capital and resource hungry beast that would require plenty of feeding and nurturing if it was to realise its potential.

Only a few had the business savvy and the stamina for it.

So what was the true story.

Here are a couple of differing, but interesting perspectives - they're a couple of years old but still very timely:

The Best Deal Ever: AOL Time Warner from Broadcasting and Cable:

When the deal was cut in 2001, AOL was headed for disaster. The dotcom crash was coming and Case's team had been cooking the books, playing all sorts of games with advertisers to substantially overstate the company's growth. When that unraveled AOL would have absolutely met financial disaster, probably Chapter 11.

Wall Street, regulators and - most importantly - Time Warner's Gerry Levin and Dick Parsons hadn't figured this out. They all thought AOL would continue to soar. So Case was able to use his overinflated new media currency to buy control of Time Warner's solid, healthy old media assets.

But did Time Warner really end up with a dog?

Tim Mullaney from Business Week disagrees:

The lesson: By the time this deal was done, the real bubble was a cable bubble, much more than an Internet bubble. The price of cable assets fell apart and stayed down. The price of Net assets had mostly fallen apart before AOL-Time Warner closed, got worse for a while, and then rebuilt.

But the real ways Time Warner wrecked AOL are more subtle.

Today, Time Warner attempts to disentangle itself from a series of what proved in hindsight to be ill-advised investments.

From The Australian:

TIME Warner gave the clearest sign yet that it plans to move beyond its disastrous 2001 merger with AOL, saying it expects to press ahead with a spin-off of all or part of the ailing Internet unit.

Time Warner chief executive Jeff Bewkes Picture: Bloomberg
Jeff Bewkes, who took the CEO reins 15 months ago, has been pushing through a vision of the media company as a slimmed down parcel of mostly television and film businesses. The company has already spun off its cable-TV service business.

Executives cautioned that an AOL spin-off isn't cemented, but a decision on AOL is expected "very soon".

What will be interesting to see is how the popularity of watching video on line will affect film and television revenue models and how old media will merge with new media.

A Dish Served Hot

2009-04-30T14:04:00.002+10:00

While the Internet is great to communicate with customers, it also provides the opportunity for customers to send feedback the other way.

Today News.com.au takes a look at web sites critical of major corporations:

AN ONLINE audit of Australia’s favourite brands has revealed dozens of hate websites set up by livid customers and ex-employees.

Hundreds of angry messages are posted each week on sites including Dell Hell, Qantas Sucks World, Fitness First Sucks, McSucks, I Hate Banks and AmexSux, lashing out at poor service, faulty goods, high charges and more.

And while the article goes into some depth over the need for corporations to manage their online profile, it fails to mention potential legal issues authors of these protest sites face if some of their rants (or that of their followers) run into should expressions of disdain head into defamatory territory.

As a complainant, the best way to deal with any complaint is to the source first and foremost. If you have no other redress, by all means share your opinion with others but exercise a little commonsense and restraint.

Read All About It!

2009-04-29T16:38:00.002+10:00

News brieflets:

Put some pork on your fork - Australian Pork has moved quickly to assure consumers that Australian pork doesn't have swine flu and the current outbreak has nothing to do with eating tasty, tasty piggy products.

Paper boy starts new route on TV - Lachlan Murdoch’s private company, Illyria Nominees, will hold 9.1% of Prime Television when new shares are issued, the broadcaster said today.

Spin Cycle

2009-04-28T14:16:00.004+10:00

anyone who watched Tracey Grimshaw's interview with disgraced swimmer Nick Darcy will have received a very interesting lesson on media management.

1. Journalists are never your friend. All they're after is a good story. One can reasonably assume that the media were slapping Darcy on the back and calling him 'mate' after his Beijing Olympics qualification. Today is a different story.

2. Journalists always have a bias. They may be biased towards you and your cause or they may be biased against it. Never go into an interview believing they are completely unbiased. Being completely unbiased is a completely unnatural state for every human being - we all have biases.

3. Journalists have subtle ways of showing you their bias. In the print media, journalists use emotionally-laden words to weight the story in a particular direction. In electronic media every verbal miscue, pause or stutter will be either edited out if they like you or left to linger if they don't.

4. Journalists always get the last word. See explanation above - after all they control the final product and can make it look any way they wish.

Being aware of these issues and more is all a part of Business Communications Management's media training program.

Stimulating Reading

2009-04-27T08:56:00.002+10:00

It seems like Federal Government's 'stimulus package' has become the phrase of the year with other organisations simulating 'stimulus packages' too.

As people stop to think before they spend, businesses are looking at being creative in attracting clients and encouraging them to spend.

Latest cab off the rank is Google, which is offering a scintillating $75 towards a Google Ad Words campaign. It mightn't sound a lot, which some people are complaining about, but hey, it's better than nothing.

Other businesses are spring boarding marketing campaigns on encouraging people to throw some of their stimulus money their way:

I felt it was important for newsagents to respond in some way to marketing from electrical, furniture and other outlets chasing the stimulus money.

And much of that product is made overseas.

Still, there are many people grateful to Mr Rudd for returning some of their money to them:

...women's fashion chain Crossroads was busy yesterday holding a Rudd-O-Rama sale.

The advertising, which featured a large poster with Kevin Rudd on disco roller skates, had created a great deal of interest among customers.

"I had one lady come in to the shop and buy quite a lot of new clothes," Ms Ebrahim said. "As she was leaving she looked at our sign and said, 'Thank you Mr Rudd.' "

Doesn't that sound just a little, well, creepy?

Alone In A Chat Room Full of Strangers

2009-04-24T08:29:00.004+10:00

Have you ever spoken without thinking?

Ever regretted it?

Undoubtedly one of the advantages of the Internet and digital technology is instantaneous communication, but it does come with a downside.

Following up from a February interview in which Baroness Susan Greenfield, an Oxford neuroscientist has pointed out the dangers of children living their lives almost completely online - and it has nothing to do with obesity.

In it she said:

Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientist has warned.

Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centred.

The claims from neuroscientist Susan Greenfield will make disturbing reading for the millions whose social lives depend on logging on to their favourite websites each day.

In her latest piece for Britain's Daily Mail, Baroness Greenfield goes further:

By the middle of this century, our minds might have become infantilised - characterised by short attention spans, an inability to empathise and a shaky sense of identity.

One effect, the fragmentation of our culture, is already occurring: the violent videos posted on YouTube.

Steps must be taken to stop this - to safeguard the mindset of the next generation so that they may realise their potential as adults.

The Baroness identifies four neurological and psychological factors that an unregulated and over exposure to an online environment.

The whole article is well worth reading.

Just one more quote:

Social networking sites satisfy that basic human need to belong, as well as the ability to experience instant feedback and recognition from someone, somewhere, 24 hours a day.

At the same time, this constant reassurance is coupled with a distancing from the stress of face-to-face, real-life conversation.

Real-life chatting is, after all, far more perilous than in the cyber world as it occurs in real time, with no opportunity to think up clever responses, and it requires a sensitivity to voice tone, body language and even to physical chemicals such as pheromones.

None of these skills is required when chatting on a networking site. In fact, one user told me: 'You become less conscious of the individuals involved (including yourself), less inhibited, less embarrassed and less concerned about how you will be evaluated.'

Indeed.

So imagine Twittering with no keyboard interface at all - from your mind to your screen?

It's no longer the realm of science fiction - or bad Clint Eastwood movies - reports Live Science:

Twitter messages are so short - a 140-character limit - that you have to really think about what you want to say.

For Adam Wilson, thinking is all he has to do.

Earlier this month, Wilson thought of a tweet (the name for a post to the social networking site) and poof, his computer read his mind and sent the darn thing. At just 23 characters, Wilson's message, "using EEG to send tweet," was done with a computer setup that interprets brain waves.

Scientists are extolling the technology as a breakthrough for people with limited mobility.

But as everyone knows, today's cutting edge technology is tomorrow's children's play thing.

Mind-control games may be the coming thing: Mattel plans to demonstrate a Mind Flex game (also due this fall), which uses brain-wave activity to move a ball through a tabletop obstacle course, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday.

In the Force Trainer, a wireless headset reads your brain activity, in a simplified version of EEG medical tests, and the circuitry translates it to physical action. If you focus well enough, the training sphere, which looks like a ping-pong ball, will rise in the tower.

Technology is wonderful but it is a tool and it should be used safely and sensibly - certainly not at the expensive of the wonderful, exciting, fulfilling, frustrating and maddening interhuman relationships.

The face to face kind, not the Facebook variety.

Now For The News

2009-04-23T08:50:00.003+10:00

News brieflets:

Magazine Industry Goes Online For Members - from
B&T Weekly:

In February, the MPA (Magazine Publishers of Australia) announced it had slashed its marketing activities including advertising campaigns in order to focus on disseminating data from its members.

The new website, which aims to provide a central point of contact between the MPA and the broader advertising industry, comes as the magazine sector battles crippling
economic conditions.

Revenge is a dish best served cold - Observes television industry blog TV Tonight:

Advertisers, you have been warned.

“What they don’t understand is the networks will come back and do them over so royally they won’t know what’s hit them,” one industry executive, who did not want to be named, has told the Sydney Morning Herald.

The comments come after networks have taken a hiding in the economic downturn and the diminishing advertising dollar.

Wow. What a quote, if accurate. And rather revealing of the pain the networks are suffering.

But something that should be observed is that so much media to choose from, who's to say that TV will make a come back? Unless media organisations have a spread across a variety of media, either through outright purchases or strategic alliances, they're going to struggle to consolidate viewers which sets the benchmark price for advertisers.

Bev Brock: Patron of Fatality Free Friday

2009-04-22T09:01:00.005+10:00

Business Communications Management is delighted to announce the Bev Brock - trainer, road safety advocate and long-time partner to the great Australian touring car driver Peter Brock - is the first patron of Fatality Free Friday.

Fatality Free Friday is a road safety campaign developed Russell White, managing director of DriverSafety.com.au with the support of Business Communications Management.

Fatality Free Friday is genuine grassroots community road safety campaign that encourages people to 'take the pledge' to be safe on Australia's roads.

What makes the campaign unique is that it provides specific action each of us can take to ensure that we and our loved ones aren't road trauma statistics. It encourages accountable personal responsibility.

If you haven't already, then make sure you visit the Fatality Free Friday web site, register your support and download the pledges for yourselves and your workplaces.

Who's Minding The Fourth Estate?

2009-04-20T08:24:00.002+10:00

Last week we took a look at the use of You Tube to get a message across without the media's filter.

So, what happens when the media decides it doesn't like the commentary surrounding the professional conduct of one of its reporters?

It tries to shut down the video.

Here's the background - American taxpayers have been rallying around the country to protest against the Federal Government's stimulus package and proposals to increase taxes to fund what they describe as 'pork barrel' projects.

Using the theme 'tea party', from the iconic Boston Tea Party of 1773 from which came the rallying cry 'no taxation without representation', these 2009 protesters are demanding the same thing - greater accountability over the spending of tax revenue by elected officials.

It sounds pretty straight forward, but not the way CNN's Susan Roesgen tells it. Her report on the Illinois rally was criticised in a video follow up by a group called Founding Bloggers who attended the same rally as Roesgen and further recorded crowd reaction to her live cross.

Within days of Founding Bloggers' video going viral amongst Tea Party supporters, CNN issued a DCMA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) which asserts copyright over the piece of news footage Founding Bloggers used.

Can CNN do that?

Well, yes and no according to copyright lawyer and former journalist Ben Sheffner:

CNN does own copyright in its own news footage and, as a general matter, has the right to demand its removal from YouTube. However, as to this particular video, I think Founding Bloggers has a very strong fair use defense. The purpose for Founding Bloggers' posting of the CNN footage is crystal clear: to comment on and criticize CNN's reporting on the "Tea Party." Such a use is right in the heartland of the fair use doctrine; the statute specifically mentions "criticism, comment, [and] news reporting" as protected uses that are "not an infringement of copyright." 17 U.S.C. § 107. To quickly run through the four fair use factors as they apply here: 1) the use is transformative (for critical comment); 2) the CNN footage is factual, not fictional, and was previously broadcast; 3) the amount used is small in relation to the whole CNN broadcast; and 4) any effect on the market is minuscule (and if fewer people watch CNN because this video causes them to think less of its coverage, that's simply not cognizable harm). Many fair use cases are difficult, close calls--but, given the facts as I know them, this is an easy one.

Australia has similar fair use protections and the four fair use factors outlined above, pretty much operate here in Australia too.

But always be aware of how much and for what purpose you are using someone else's material otherwise there a copyright issue - plagiarism - that you will have to face.

Funny As A Funeral?

2009-04-17T08:32:00.003+10:00

A poll from British newspaper The Daily Mail not surprisingly discovered that My Way by Frank Sinatra is one of the most popular songs to be played at funerals.

But there were a number of surprise inclusions:

Television and radio music also features on the burial playlist: theme tunes from popular programs like Top Gear, The Benny Hill Show and even the Radio Four Shipping Forecast music, which many people fall asleep to at night.

Here at Business Communications Management can see the appeal of the Benny Hill Show theme - or more correctly, Yackety Sax.

There is growing acknowledgement across Internet chat rooms that 'Benny Hill Music Makes Anything Funny'. This blend of film, advertising and news footage with a musical theme is known as 'mash ups' and, as one might expect, some work better than others.

Here are two of our favourites:

From Spielberg's War of the Worlds:

From the horror film Friday the 13th:

What A Tangled Web...

2009-04-16T08:32:00.004+10:00

Business Communications Management has noted the benefits of social networking sites for business for a little while now, so let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good - Kleenmaid Directors' Response on YouTube

THE directors of collapsed whitegood company Kleenmaid have posted a video on YouTube in an "Official Address to the Nation".

The video, posted this morning, features unapologetic directors Andrew and Bradley Young addressing customers and thanking them for their patience.

Without going into the issues behind Kleenmaid's receivership, the use of YouTube to get out a message unfiltered by the media is one of the best uses of new media.

While journalists endeavour to get both sides of the story, their primary interest in getting a 'good' story - one which may not be in the best interest of you or your company.

The Bad - Lawyers In Vogue Take On Twitter

THE tweets have turned to squawks in the offices of Vogue Australia, where fashionable feathers are flying over a fake page on Twitter.

"Damien Woolnough is outraged by the fake Vogue Australia Twitter page," Woolnough, the magazine's online editor, wrote on Twitter.

Vogue Australia has engaged its lawyers in an attempt to shut down the page, and the magazine contacted Twitter, the free social networking site, to demand the material be removed, The Australian reports.

It seems like 'snooze, you lose' when it comes to Web 2.0.

Says a commenter:

Perhaps this is just a person wishing to express the generic phrase "Vogue Australia" meaning "hip" or "happening" Australia. Actually companies have no legal right to simply take-over words from the English language. It would be very interesting to see this person fight back by claiming that no relationship exists to Vague Australia for fashion purposes. In fact, Vogue Australia would then have no right to continue threatening that person because they registered the name... all in all I find this article really quite arrogant and written without any real understanding for legal process...
Posted by: IP Lawyer of Melbourne, Australia 1:45am today

It will be interesting to see what emerges from this since prior use and intent will play a large part in the outcome.

The lesson for businesses is clear, register and use this new technology before someone else beats you to it.

In 2001, prior to starting Business Communications Management, Jacqui created a PR gold mine for the IT company she worked for after being alerted by a media outlet that someone from the company had registered peterbeattie.com. The registration, done as lark with no ill-intent by a young network engineer. By the end of the week the team had registered robborbidge.com and queenslandelection.com and created a nation-wide buzz.

The Ugly - Debt Collector Wracks Up $25,000
A US Debt collector who harassed a debtor on her MySpace page - which can be publicly viewed - has been fined $25,000 for harassment.

Debt collectors are not permitted to publicise your debt or discuss it with anyone other than you. They can only phone you between certain hours. If you ask them to deal with you by letter, they must do so.

Quite apart from that, there is the risk that the communication - the post on the MySpace wall - could be deemed defamation.

If you'd like to know more about the media or how the Internet can work more effectively for your business, then call us today.

Half day media training programs are available with special discount rates available for company bookings.

One Has Potential To Be A Good Sport

2009-04-15T09:39:00.003+10:00

The ratings are in for the first free-to-air commercial digital channel, Network Ten's sports channel One:

One, the first commercial free-to-air digital standard definition channel to launch, drew its highest rating audience over the past two days last night with One Week at a Time, drawing an audience of 59,000.

So, is that a good result?

Industry magazine B&T Weekly quotes Ben Willee, managing director of media agency Initiative Melbourne:

“I think Ten will be a bit disappointed with those figures. Quality programs drive viewership and if you look at the 300,000 that Fox Sports gets for the NRL, One has a long way to go. They would probably be expecting to average around the 100,000 mark for their shows before they make money out of it.”

But to be fair, Fox Sports has had about 15 years to build up to those audience numbers and the idea of sub-stations off the big three networks is a concept still foreign to many entrenched television viewers.

The good news about these additional stations is the ability for advertisers to even more effectively select programming choices that appeal to their target audience - it's the model pay TV has been using for years.

In a time when businesses are looking to maximise their dollar, television could be worth a second look.

One Cupcake Can Kill

2009-04-14T08:28:00.003+10:00

All advertising agencies and marketers use fear in one form or another when selling a message:

Hurry! Don't Miss Out

Speeding: No One Thinks Big Of You

So, how far is too far when using fear in an advertising campaign?

The answer appears to be in Britain's Department of Health's multi-million dollar campaign:

The Department of Health spent £500,000 on two advertisements aimed at mothers, and placed in women's weekly magazines.

One - which shows a picture of a young girl of healthy weight and appearance, biting into a fairy cake, and captioned: "Is a premature death so tempting?" - has provoked a backlash from parents, chefs and obesity experts.

The article goes into extensive coverage into why the campaign is so objectionable.

Two quotes stand out:

Mark Wallace, campaign director of the Taxpayers' Alliance attacked the sums being ploughed into Government public information campaigns.

"These kind of nanny state adverts have boomed so much in recent years and it is a total waste of taxpayers money," he said. "People do not pay their taxes in order to be heckled by the state about how they live their lives".

Quite.

But more disturbing is the second quote:

Of the dozens of mothers who took part in the site's discussion about the advert, none spoke in its favour.

Several expressed fears that their over-the-top health messages were leaving children terrified, and at risk of developing a complex about food.

One, who said she was "infuriated" by the "terrible and simplistic" adverts described her child as already being "brainwashed" by exaggerated messages about healthy eating promoted by schools.

She said: "Her dad gave her sugar on her cereal and she became very upset about dying."

Helping reduce health issues of obesity is a laudable aim, but when children are terrified by food, it's a pathology, not a health goal. Much better that children go out and actively play while adults get a bit of exercise to reduce the calorie 'input/output deficit'.

This campaign is a prime example of the brickbats governments use to try to modify public behaviour.

As any advertising professional will tell you fear can only sell so much. Far, far better to encourage the behaviour you want to see with positive reinforcement. Our own government's Gofor2and5 campaign is much more engaging.

Yes, Business Communications Management has used the fear factor in campaigns before with the award-winning Sucked In Campaign for the Gold Coast City Council where we created a horror-movie teaser trailer to attract an audience of teenage boys.

This difference being the threats weren't exaggerated and once the target market experienced the 'gotcha moment', there was humour to ensure that the message was received positively.

Yes, But Is It Art?

2009-04-09T08:36:00.004+10:00

Ever throw a party and no one came?

Sad, but unlikely because surely you'd only invite people you knew and liked and who liked you in return.

Sometimes business can be like that - you have a really good idea or skill, throw open your doors and wonder why no one is knocking down in the rush.

It doesn't take too long to realise that you have to market your business to people who are wanting to buy and, in order to do that, you have to spend time finding out who, if any actually want what you have to sell.

A Melbourne sculptor today is learning the costly lesson of producing something people don't appear to want:

A BRONZE statue of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin could end up overseas because no one in Australia wants to buy it.
Controversial sculptor Mitch Mitchell has now approached TV queen Oprah Winfrey and the Discovery Channel to see if they are interested.

Mitchell, who is at the centre of an Easter row over his sculpture of a naked young woman on a crucifix, is stunned at the rejection of his Irwin tribute...

...The larger-than-life sculpture, with an asking price of $85,000, is stored at a Richmond studio. Once a buyer is found Mitchell will make the finishing touches before having it cast in bronze.

Hmm, after reading the comments in The Courier Mail, perhaps Mitch "Squared" really doesn't want to know what potential purchasers might think:

Why pay $85,000 to some artist just cause it's Steve Irwin - no one asked him to make the statue. Let the market prevail.
Posted by: Seadrift 8:27am today

It hardly looks like Steve. Very junky, if some mug overseas wants to buy let them, but lets not have it hanging around here.
Posted by: Ian Holthouse of Woombye 8:16am today

Donate it. You will get more business. Its sad you want money for it. Art is now greedy too. Try boxing academy's they might want it.
Posted by: Wild Child of City of whingers Brisbane 8:06am today

Ouch!

Those who attended the Executive Alliance marketing presentation last Wednesday got plenty of good ideas and tips from speakers about how to effectively target your audience. If you weren't able to make it, you can find the notes right here.

The Slow Lane of the Information Super Highway

2009-04-08T08:58:00.003+10:00

There's much discussion this morning over the Federal Government's announcement that they will build Australia's new you-beaut broadband network without private enterprise involvement if necessary.

It's being billed as Australia's largest public infrastructure project - greater than even the Snowy Mountain Scheme of the 1950s.

The project does provide the opportunity to create a fibre optic network that will replace the copper lines that have been in use since the beginning of telephony.

It's all very laudable but as Opposition spokesman Malcolm Turnbull notes:

"If, as the industry analysts say, this would require households who are currently paying say between $40 and $50 a month for broadband, to pay $150 a month for broadband, where is the evidence households will do that?" Mr Turnbull asked.

On top of that, a significant number households and businesses in Australia's fastest growing city, The Gold Coast, can't even get ADSL2, let alone anything faster.

Is there any guarantee that Telstra (which still controls the exchanges) will pass on any of this turbo-boosted Internet out to the regions?

Or is it a pipedream?

Adland News Brieflets

2009-04-07T08:45:00.002+10:00

News brieflets from B&T Weekly:

The Tic Tac Tactic - Tic Tac has launched its first digital campaign and is using iPhone and Facebook applications to promote a limited-release brand,Bold!, that will hit shelves today...

... The iPhone application, which can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store, allows users to transform their iPhone screen into a Tic Tac pack. After choosing one of three original Tic Tac flavours – orange, peppermint or spearmint – users
can tilt their phones left or right to make it look and sound like the real product

News from News Magazines - News Magazines has folded its bimonthly Parents magazine and announced its men’s sports title Alphawill no longer use News Limited’s metropolitan daily newspapers for distribution...

...The men’s sport title was down 16% in circulation year-on-year in the latest circulation results.

Net More Value From Advertising

2009-04-06T08:30:00.003+10:00

Last week Business Communications Management looked at the slowing advertising market in the off-line media, and it looks like the Internet is not immune.

According international media buying company GroupM, ad revenue is not going to grow at 30% plus as it has done in previous years.

GroupM, the media buying division of the advertising company WPP Group, said last week that it expected ad spending on the Internet to rise by 6.7 percent globally this year. That compares with an expected 4.4 percent plunge in overall ad spending.

As we noted to an audience of Gold Coast business owners at last week's marketing seminar hosted by the Executive Alliance, now is the time to exploit bargains as all forms of media are looking to forge deals to fill timeslots and spaces.

It seems we're not alone in that advice:

But (Adam Smith from Group M) said the very effectiveness of Internet advertising was keeping spending in check. In a slack market, advertisers have more places to turn, and that puts downward pressure on prices.

“We’re finding better and better ways of doing it for less and less money,” Smith said. “If Google gets too expensive, then we do something different.”

That at the heart of our advice: 'do something different'.

Give us a call, we can help you do it.

It's The (un)Real Thing

2009-04-03T08:48:00.002+10:00

Coke rots your teeth, right?

It can also make you fat, right?

Well, no, yes and maybe...

According to a recent series of 'myth busting' print advertisements, Coca-Cola stated that Coke wouldn't rot teeth or make you fat, despite the things your mother told you to get you to stop drinking so much fizzy drink as children.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission begged to differ:

"After seeing the Myth Busting campaign, the ACCC was immediately concerned about the misleading messages it was likely to send to consumers and in particular, to mothers who are often the decision makers about family nutrition," the ACCC said.

"Coke's messages were totally unacceptable, creating an impression which is likely to mislead that Coca-Cola cannot contribute to weight gain, obesity and tooth decay.

"They also had the potential to mislead parents about the potential consequences of consuming Coca-Cola."

This raises several interesting questions:

How far is too far in extolling the virtues of your product or service?

Are mothers really that dim that they can't make sound and appropriate choices on their family's nutrition?

Hungry Like The Wolverine

2009-04-03T08:26:00.003+10:00

Playwright and media tart Oscar Wilde rightly observed: “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”

So what are we to make about news today that large slabs of the film have been leaked onto the Internet?

THE latest Wolverine film, starring Hugh Jackman, has been hit by one of the worst cases of movie pirating, with an incomplete version posted on the Internet almost a full month before its launch.

The FBI is investigating the leak of a copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

A high-quality work print has surfaced on Internet file-sharing websites, and hundreds of thousands of people have already downloaded it, the Herald Sun reports.

With Hugh Jackman riding high on the popularity of his Oscars hosting gig and the leading man turn in the film Australia, leaking the film in which he plays X-Man Wolverine (a character he's made his own) is unlikely to damage box office.

What is interesting is the comments string below the story in which there is a robust comment about the 'morality' of downloading pirated movies.

Some justifications include that actors are paid too much, movies cost too much to make, ticket prices are too expensive but does that justify taking something that doesn't belong to you?

Can we change human nature or is it up to music, book and film producers to develop even more sophisticated ways of preventing piracy?

Or is this hoopla all about creating an advance buzz for a film?

What are your views?

Don't worry, this is an 'official' trailer:

Ad World Brieflets

2009-04-02T08:51:00.003+10:00

News Brieflets from B&T Weekly:

Australian newspaper sales fall (but not by much) - less than 1% compared to UK papers' 12% and US newspapers' 17.7%. Check out our story on Tuesday about the dire straights of the industry.

Nine struggles to find a digital TV model that pays - TV advertisers have become concerned about the fragmentation of the viewing audience because of pay TV and the new free-to-air digital channels. Nine's response? Buy space on the main free-to-air station, receive bonus spots on the digital channel for free.

Really Ripping Radio Offer

2009-04-01T08:50:00.002+10:00

Every wanted to test radio advertising and thought it was too expensive?

Fear not! Business Communications Management is delighted to present a special offer from our friends at radio station 1073FM.

Buy 100 spots on radio and get another 100 free! The ads will run right across radio, giving you maximum reach.

Whether you have a time sensitive campaign or just want to create better brand awareness to a family audience, this is a pretty good deal for just $2200 including GST.

For more information, just contact Renee or Hayden at the station on 5537 3957 and tell them that Jacqui and the team at Business Communications Management sent you.

But hurry, the offer expires at 5pm today.

If Dead Tree News Fell In The Forest, Would Anyone Hear?

2009-03-31T08:28:00.004+10:00

Back in 1997 a journalist colleague announced to us that newspapers would be dead in 10 years - everyone would be getting their news on portable devices linked to the Internet.

He was roundly scoffed by the majority of his determinedly ink-immersed brethren.

Ten years on, newspapers aren't exactly extinct yet but he was right. With Internet connected phones and newspapers putting more and more news on web sites, it is quite possible to keep up with the latest without buying a dead tree edition.

In the United States, perhaps one of the robust news markets it's not technology that may put an end to some titles, but the economic downturn.

Case in point is the US Star Tribune, the metropolitan paper for Minneapolis. It has teetered on the brink of closure for a number of years but has also rushed to put most of its content, including breaking news stories on its web site.

All laudable, but the advertising revenue of the site is not enough to carry the capital-intensive print edition as editor Nancy Barnes announced on Saturday:

I'm not sure anyone knows what the right answer is for our business right now. What I do know is that good journalism, the kind an enlightened community like the Twin Cities demands and appreciates, cannot be produced for free. I also believe that we, as an industry, have to drive more value into our printed papers so long as we continue to deliver news that way.

At least the 'Strib', as it's known, has decided to back its own abilities, unlike other newspapers who have gone to the US Government for money.

This is the same US Government renowned for bailing out mortgage companies, insurance companies and car companies to the tune of billions and billions of dollars.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With many U.S. newspapers struggling to survive, a Democratic senator on Tuesday introduced a bill to help them by allowing newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks.

"This may not be the optimal choice for some major newspapers or corporate media chains but it should be an option for many newspapers that are struggling to stay afloat," said Senator Benjamin Cardin.

A Cardin spokesman said the bill had yet to attract any co-sponsors, but had sparked plenty of interest within the media, which has seen plunging revenues and many journalist layoffs.

Cardin's Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits for educational purposes under the U.S. tax code, giving them a similar status to public broadcasting companies.

Under this arrangement, newspapers would still be free to report on all issues, including political campaigns. But they would be prohibited from making political endorsements.

Uh-hmmm, there's all sorts of trouble brewing in that scenario.

Imagine, for instance, the Federal Government decided to effectively 'own' The Australian or the Sydney Morning Herald?

Jack Schafer writing for online magazine Slate poses the question, do we actually need newspapers?

When the conversation turns to democracy, I turn to Adrian Monck, who rejects the idea that newspapers play an irreplaceable role in the institution's well-being. Indeed, American democracy survived its first century without much in the way of the investigative and accountability journalism we associate with newspapers. That kind of journalism didn't start to spread until the end of the 19th century. When Thomas Jefferson said he preferred newspapers without government to government without newspapers, he wasn't referring to anything we'd recognize as our local paper, says Stephen Bates, professor of journalism at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Slate contributor. The pre-modern press was captive of political parties, and their pages were filled with partisan fodder. What Jefferson was applauding was the newspapers' capacity as a forum for debate (and sometimes slander), not exposé...

...The insistence on coupling newspapering to democracy irritates me not just because it overstates the quality and urgency of most of the work done by newspapers but because it inflates the capacity of newspapers to make us better citizens, wiser voters, and more enlightened taxpayers. I love news on newsprint, believe me, I do. But I hate seeing newspapers reduced to a compulsory cheat sheet for democracy. All this lovey-dovey about how essential newspapers are to civic life and the political process makes me nostalgic for the days, not all that long ago, when everybody hated them.

So what does that mean for Australian newspapers?

Well things are looking so bad at the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne's The Age that there's a web site protesting the threatened retrenchment of journalists and a wage freeze as a cost-cutting measure:

It is fundamentally unfair that Fairfax reporters, sub-editors, photographers, artists, designers and web producers have had their wages frozen soon after executive managers were rewarded with a 45 per cent increase in bonuses alone - from $1.5 million in 2006 to $2.2 million in 2007.

Quality journalism matters. It is important that working journalists at Fairfax are able to keep Australians informed without fear of retribution from their corporate managers.

News is important and so the profession of journalism, no matter what changes exist in technology there will always be a role for news gathering.

Whether outdated technology should be subsidised is another matter all together.

What do you think? Let us know in comments.

Twitter Offers Tweet Revenge

2009-03-30T13:08:00.004+10:00

NEWS BRIEFLET:

Anyone doubting that business ought to take social networking sites seriously, should read this story from today's News.com.au:

A TWO-line Twitter post pushed my mortgage application from the Commonwealth Bank's "to do" list to an urgent priority.

The post said simply: "CBA f#$&ked up our loan approval so we're still waiting to exchange contracts".

One hour and 17 minutes after it went live I was contacted by someone offering help to solve my problem. That person was the head of Commonwealth Bank's customer service team.

There's the old business truism that one disaffected customer will influence at least four others.

But never has it been so easy to spread that disaffection.

Running Rings Around Advertising Agencies

2009-03-30T08:52:00.003+10:00

It's long been an industry practice for advertising agencies to 'pitch' for work.

When it comes to high end accounts, agencies may spend tens of thousands of dollars preparing concepts for a job they may not get.

But advertising agencies in the UK are completely askance at being told they will have to effectively 'pay for the privilege' of winning the account for London's 2012 Olympics.

...sources said they soon discovered that they would need to become a tier-three sponsor at a cost of nearly £10m if they wanted the honour of developing the London Games' official advertising campaign.

Two major advertising groups have told The Sunday Telegraph that they are now not interested in pitching for the account, although they refused to be named.

While the Olympics can be a great medium for in-kind sponsorship - the Visa/Jackie Chan advertisements for the 2008 Beijing Olympics spring to mind - advertising agencies pitch to businesses, not the general public, so what good is a tier-three sponsorship to publicise their brand to a majority of people who will never use their service?

To put this in perspective, it's like an architect expected to supply at his own expense, a scale model of a building before being appointed the job and then being expected to contribute to constructing the ground floor of a building he can never use.

In the midst of a recession and with the UK advertising market in serious decline, some agencies say they cannot afford the financial commitment. It was last night unclear whether agencies will get paid if they
undertake more work.

Doesn't sound like a good deal to us.

Monkey Business

2009-03-30T08:33:00.003+10:00

Caught Cadbury's new advertisement last night:

We rather thought it looked familiar:

Turns out that even ole Phil's was a knockoff of the original:

It looks like Cadbury's Australian agency's laziness has poisoned what was an entertaining advertisement with a rather neat execution of animatronics.

Ironic really, since the advertisement was part of a UK campaign to repair the reputation of the glass-and-a-halfers which had poisoned people for real.

So why do it? After all, we Aussies do have access to 'teh intertubes' and know a viral campaign when we see one. Why recycle unless you're going to do more than recut footage? Surely Australians aren't that parochial?

Finally, do you know what they call people who hang around with musicians?

Drummers.

OPINION: Leadership needed to boost Australian business

2009-03-27T08:14:00.003+10:00

WEEKLY OPINION:
While many businesses are looking at a quiet 2009 it would seem that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

A lecture on the Gold Coast last month by Professor Ian Harper from Access Economics suggested that there would be signs of economic recovery by 2011.

It's an observation picked up by Harold Mitchell, advertising industry doyen and founder of Mitchell Group Communications:

“If history repeats itself, as it so often does, then we will have a tough year in 2009 overall, and we all know that and we’ve known that for some time. I believe we’re going to climb out of this downturn more quickly than the doomsayers would have us believe.”

Which is just as well, since the media sector is labouring under a weak advertising market as business takes stock of its marketing plans.

But Mitchell is right on this though:

Mitchell claimed that for Australia the major problem to be faced is one of confidence both in businesses and consumers.

“We look at confidence levels, business and consumer, and they are at the lowest levels ever. What’s going on? It’s not unemployment, it’s not high interest, it’s confidence. So that’s why we say if you can do things to turn the confidence around, it can happen so quickly.”

Quite right and that requires a leadership that we've yet to see at a federal and state level.

During both elections the parties now in power campaigned on economic doom and gloom.

Unless our leaders look less like deer caught in the headlights than people with a plan, then there is a risk that economic uncertainty and lack of business and consumer confidence will last longer than anyone would like.

How To Save A Life

2009-03-26T15:26:00.002+10:00

Would you like to know how to save a life?

Business Communications Management is proud to be involved in the national road safety campaign Fatality Free Friday for the third year running.

This year the theme is How To Save A Life and here is our promotional video:

You can take part by signing the Pledge or becoming a pledge partner.

Now For The News

2009-03-26T08:26:00.006+10:00

News brieflets:

Twitter or simply a twit?: A Telstra employee may lose his job for criticising his company using the social networking site Twitter, despite using a pseudonym.

What policies do you have in place regarding staff use of the Internet, social networking sites and criticising the company or its practices. Tell us in the comments section below!

Smart or silly?: Better Homes and Gardens publisher Pacific Magazines has decided to go bold with an expected September-October launch of a new magazine aimed at the 25-54 female demographic.

Women's magazines haven't fared too well over the past year pointing to a fall in discretionary spending on magazines.

Fusion Strategy's Steve Allen said:

“We are used to seeing 1% drops in each audit, but many are two times that in this audit,” Allen says.

Indeed. The number of weekly magazines sold have dropped by over three million or 6.7% in the 2008 quarter compared with the same time last year.

Faring worst was the Pacific Magazines title Famous which lost 18.4% of its circulation.

For businesses wishing to reach the female demographic on a national basis, a drop of circulation is a mixed blessing. Be sure to nail down the very best deal from each title and use any savings to explore other options such as special interest web sites.

Business Marketing Seminar

2009-03-25T09:25:00.002+10:00

You've heard of social marketing - you may even have your own Facebook account to keep in contact with friends, but have you ever thought how sites like of MySpace, Facebook and Twitter could actually help your business?

Jacqui Carling-Rodgers from Business Communications Management will be discussing this, as well as other marketing related strategies at the Executive Alliance on Wednesday, April 1.

The seminar will also feature Brett Craft from Bastion Craft and Eddie from Creative Copywriting at take place in the Hydrate Bar at Royal Pines Resort at Ashmore.

If you'd like to book, visit the Executive Alliance web site for details.

SPECIAL 3 FOR 1 OFFER: April Only

2009-03-25T08:25:00.005+10:00

Effective direct marketing is one of the best marketing tools boost new business.

Business Communications Management makes it easy with this special offer:

We will create three double-sided DL (210 x 99mm) flyers ready for you to take to your printer (or we can arrange printing for you [print charges apply]).

Three offers (expertly designed and copywritten) allows you maximum flexibility to increase sales from existing clients as well as encourage new sales from new customers.

Three offers means you can plan 2009's entire direct marketing program in one with a fresh promotion ready to go every 12 weeks!

Best of all, you keep the art work which means it's ready for reprinting at any time.

Normally our professional service would cost $1320 including GST but for the month of April you receive all of this for a great price of $825 including GST.

BONUS: We'll even throw in a screen-ready PDF of each offer so you can e-mail your database and put the offer up on your web site.

You supply:
-- your logo (in a suitable format for printing)
-- your images (in a suitable format for printing and you must hold copyright)
-- information for each offer

You get:
-- Expert design (single design across all three flyers to aid consumer recognition and retention)
-- Expert copywriting
-- Art files ready to take your printer (or we can arrange printing at an additional fee)
-- PDFs ready for e-mailing

$825 incl GST.

*Feel free to send this offer to a business colleague. Every referral will receive a bottle of Sirromet red wine.

Industry News 23 March 2009

2009-03-24T09:11:00.002+10:00

BREAKING NEWS FROM B&T:

Sensis sheds 200 jobs

'Secret payments scandal' heads to court

New News From Business Communications Management

2009-03-23T09:52:00.000+10:00

The team at Business Communications Management believes it's never too late to have a few new year's resolutions.

This year we're following up with last year's experiment of instituting a policy of 'three things before 10.30am'.

The concept is simple - each person nominates three things they intend to complete before 10.30 each morning.

We've found that it boosts productivity and everyone experiences a sense of accomplishment.

If you're looking for a time management kick along, this might be something you can introduce into your organisation.

The most interesting comment that came from our discussions on New Years Resolutions is the desire to make a difference in the community, so Business Communications Management has launched its theme for 2009:

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.
Albert Einstein

We have some very exciting plans for the year including working with our clients to achieve fantastic results.

Clients for January include:

Aussie Loan Arrangers
Australian Driver Trainers Association of Queensland
DanAUS
Driver Safety.com.au
Executive Institute of Management
Gated Security Systems
Pronto Commissions

We also have some exciting community and business projects for the coming year:

Fatality Free Friday
Road safety is a complex issue but we believe that if drivers consciously think about road safety and safe driving for just one Friday in the year, that day's toll - statistically about 5.3 deaths - could be reduced to zero.

That's our aim. Not a single road death in Australia for just one day. Just one Fatality Free Friday.

Sundale
Anyone who has lived on the Gold Coast for more than 20 years will remember the iconic Sundale Shopping Centre. It was first shopping centre on the Gold Coast and it opened on March 26, 1969.

Sadly Sundale doesn't exist any more. The site is now home to the Brighton On Broadwater apartments.

Business Communications Management is creating a web site where people can contribute photographs and stories about this much loved Gold Coast icon.

If you have pictures and stories, let us know - we'd be delighted include them on this exciting new web site.

Business eBooks
Business Communications Management will have two e-books for sale before the end of February.

The first is a comprehensive overview of the media - how it works and how to make it work for your business through effective media relations and media crisis management strategies.

The second title looks at how to set up a trade show exhibition and the best ways to market at events and how ensure your attendance is profitable.

The third looks how couples manage their time and relationships when they run a business together.