In advertising these days measurement is everything — how many people see a particular advertisement, when they see it, who they are. All of that is easy on the Internet, and getting easier in television and print.
Posters are a different story. For the most part, they are still a relic of old-world media, and the best guesses about viewership numbers come from foot traffic counts or highway reports, neither of which guarantees that the people passing by were really looking at the billboard, or that they were the ones sought out.
Now, some entrepreneurs have introduced technology to solve that problem. They are equipping billboards with tiny cameras that gather details about passers-by — their gender, approximate age and how long they looked at the billboard. These details are transmitted to a central database. (NYT)
will it catch on? watch this space
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Virgin Radio is no more
Scottish broadcaster SMG has sold its Virgin Radio rock station to the Times of India Group, one of India's largest media and entertainment firms, for £53.2m.
The Virgin name will disappear from the station, giving its new owner freedom to build online, TV, music and other spin-offs without having to consider branding restrictions imposed by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.
Perhaps more interesting is the significant 'loss' SMG made on the Virgin deal. Remember it paid Chris Evans £225m for the station in 2000 and 8 years later sold in for £53.2m.OUCH!
The Virgin name will disappear from the station, giving its new owner freedom to build online, TV, music and other spin-offs without having to consider branding restrictions imposed by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.
Perhaps more interesting is the significant 'loss' SMG made on the Virgin deal. Remember it paid Chris Evans £225m for the station in 2000 and 8 years later sold in for £53.2m.OUCH!
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
seth godin marketing tips - always handy
What Every Good Marketer Knows:
* Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.
* Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.
* Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.
* Share of wallet is easier, more profitable and ultimately more effective a measure than share of market.
* Marketing begins before the product is created.
* Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.
* Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing, though, that’s efficiency.
* Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.
* Products that are remarkable get talked about.
* Marketing is the way your people answer the phone, the typesetting on your bills and your returns policy.
* You can’t fool all the people, not even most of the time. And people, once unfooled, talk about the experience.
* If you are marketing from a fairly static annual budget, you’re viewing marketing as an expense. Good marketers realize that it is an investment.
* People don’t buy what they need. They buy what they want.
* You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.
* What people want is the extra, the emotional bonus they get when they buy something they love.
* Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.
* Traditional ways of interrupting consumers (TV ads, trade show booths, junk mail) are losing their cost-effectiveness. At the same time, new ways of spreading ideas (blogs, permission-based RSS information, consumer fan clubs) are quickly proving how well they work.
* People all over the world, and of every income level, respond to marketing that promises and delivers basic human wants.
* Good marketers tell a story.
* People are selfish, lazy, uninformed and impatient. Start with that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
* Marketing that works is marketing that people choose to notice.
* Effective stories match the worldview of the people you are telling the story to.
* Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.
* A product for everyone rarely reaches much of anyone.
* Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
* Marketers are responsible for the side effects their products cause.
* Reminding the consumer of a story they know and trust is a powerful shortcut.
* Good marketers measure.
* Marketing is not an emergency. It’s a planned, thoughtful exercise that started a long time ago and doesn’t end until you’re done.
* One disappointed customer is worth ten delighted ones.
* In the googleworld, the best in the world wins more often, and wins more.
* Most marketers create good enough and then quit. Greatest beats good enough every time.
* There are more rich people than ever before, and they demand to be treated differently.
* Organizations that manage to deal directly with their end users have an asset for the future.
* You can game the social media in the short run, but not for long.
* You market when you hire and when you fire. You market when you call tech support and you market every time you send a memo.
* Blogging makes you a better marketer because it teaches you humility in your writing.
Obviously, knowing what to do is very, very different than actually doing it.
* Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk.
* Making promises and keeping them is a great way to build a brand.
* Your best customers are worth far more than your average customers.
* Share of wallet is easier, more profitable and ultimately more effective a measure than share of market.
* Marketing begins before the product is created.
* Advertising is just a symptom, a tactic. Marketing is about far more than that.
* Low price is a great way to sell a commodity. That’s not marketing, though, that’s efficiency.
* Conversations among the members of your marketplace happen whether you like it or not. Good marketing encourages the right sort of conversations.
* Products that are remarkable get talked about.
* Marketing is the way your people answer the phone, the typesetting on your bills and your returns policy.
* You can’t fool all the people, not even most of the time. And people, once unfooled, talk about the experience.
* If you are marketing from a fairly static annual budget, you’re viewing marketing as an expense. Good marketers realize that it is an investment.
* People don’t buy what they need. They buy what they want.
* You’re not in charge. And your prospects don’t care about you.
* What people want is the extra, the emotional bonus they get when they buy something they love.
* Business to business marketing is just marketing to consumers who happen to have a corporation to pay for what they buy.
* Traditional ways of interrupting consumers (TV ads, trade show booths, junk mail) are losing their cost-effectiveness. At the same time, new ways of spreading ideas (blogs, permission-based RSS information, consumer fan clubs) are quickly proving how well they work.
* People all over the world, and of every income level, respond to marketing that promises and delivers basic human wants.
* Good marketers tell a story.
* People are selfish, lazy, uninformed and impatient. Start with that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.
* Marketing that works is marketing that people choose to notice.
* Effective stories match the worldview of the people you are telling the story to.
* Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.
* A product for everyone rarely reaches much of anyone.
* Living and breathing an authentic story is the best way to survive in an conversation-rich world.
* Marketers are responsible for the side effects their products cause.
* Reminding the consumer of a story they know and trust is a powerful shortcut.
* Good marketers measure.
* Marketing is not an emergency. It’s a planned, thoughtful exercise that started a long time ago and doesn’t end until you’re done.
* One disappointed customer is worth ten delighted ones.
* In the googleworld, the best in the world wins more often, and wins more.
* Most marketers create good enough and then quit. Greatest beats good enough every time.
* There are more rich people than ever before, and they demand to be treated differently.
* Organizations that manage to deal directly with their end users have an asset for the future.
* You can game the social media in the short run, but not for long.
* You market when you hire and when you fire. You market when you call tech support and you market every time you send a memo.
* Blogging makes you a better marketer because it teaches you humility in your writing.
Obviously, knowing what to do is very, very different than actually doing it.
11th Hour fails to captivate
Channel 4's 11th Hour DiCaprio documentary written about here failed to attract the viewers last night
It was somewhat embarrassingly beaten by Meerkat Manor on BBC2, which was watched by 1.3 million viewers, a share of 6% between 7.50pm and 8.15pm. Why are we surprised? Animal docs have always been big pullers havent they. Shame there wont be a planet for them to live on unless we wise up!
It was also beaten by the cricket highlights on Channel Five, which attracted 900,000 viewers and a 5% share between 7.15pm and 8pm, for coverage of England's third-dad fightback in the second test against New Zealand.This isnt surprising either is it? Its rare engalnd show some real grit on the sports field and they did and it was worth a look.
That said some 800,000 people did tune in and you know what thats 800,000 who are better informed and perhaps more tuned in to the serious threat we pose to the health of the world.
It was somewhat embarrassingly beaten by Meerkat Manor on BBC2, which was watched by 1.3 million viewers, a share of 6% between 7.50pm and 8.15pm. Why are we surprised? Animal docs have always been big pullers havent they. Shame there wont be a planet for them to live on unless we wise up!
It was also beaten by the cricket highlights on Channel Five, which attracted 900,000 viewers and a 5% share between 7.15pm and 8pm, for coverage of England's third-dad fightback in the second test against New Zealand.This isnt surprising either is it? Its rare engalnd show some real grit on the sports field and they did and it was worth a look.
That said some 800,000 people did tune in and you know what thats 800,000 who are better informed and perhaps more tuned in to the serious threat we pose to the health of the world.
Monday, 19 May 2008
Metro International
News today that Metro International has sold a stake in Metro Sweden to its main competitor, Schibsted. £350SEK for 35% of Metro Sweden marks an interesting new commercial strategy for PMJ, the new CEO of Metro International. Is this a case of any port in a storm to generate cash to improve the financial performance in the short term, or a bold and dynamic route-map for the future?
Time will tell whether this is a blueprint to be rolled out across other territories, it certainly makes sense in some, but maybe not in all. Metro are no strangers to JVs, operating a JV and franchise model in a number of countries, so the history and experience of this type of working exists within the business.
It will be interesting to see how the partnership works on raising margins in Sweden in the next 12 months, and whether the investment pays back quick dividends.
Time will tell whether this is a blueprint to be rolled out across other territories, it certainly makes sense in some, but maybe not in all. Metro are no strangers to JVs, operating a JV and franchise model in a number of countries, so the history and experience of this type of working exists within the business.
It will be interesting to see how the partnership works on raising margins in Sweden in the next 12 months, and whether the investment pays back quick dividends.
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Yahoo now has a real battle on its hands
Having beaten off Microsoft Jerry Yang of Yahoo has gotten an even tougher battle on his hands....
Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire investor and activist shareholder, has decided to move ahead with plans for a proxy fight at Yahoo and will propose a dissident slate of directors (NY Times)
We bet Jerry is wishing he had taken Bill's multi $bn offer. Mr Icahn is as someone put a pain in the arse investor! He makes Microsoft look attractive!
Bon chance Jerry
Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire investor and activist shareholder, has decided to move ahead with plans for a proxy fight at Yahoo and will propose a dissident slate of directors (NY Times)
We bet Jerry is wishing he had taken Bill's multi $bn offer. Mr Icahn is as someone put a pain in the arse investor! He makes Microsoft look attractive!
Bon chance Jerry
IIth Hour on C4 - May 25 - tune in
Channel 4 is to broadcast The 11th Hour, the polemical documentary about the environment fronted by Leonardo DiCaprio.
In the documentary, which the channel will transmit on May 25, leading scientists, environmentalists, politicians and activists advance the argument that the Earth is facing environmental disaster, and ask what can be done.
I've seen it and its really really worth watching. It doesn't whinge or whine, it doesn't bash business (too much) nor does it expect us to give up living the way we want to. What it does do is give practical and achieveable advice on how to deal with biggest single threat to our civilisation.
stay in and tune it
In the documentary, which the channel will transmit on May 25, leading scientists, environmentalists, politicians and activists advance the argument that the Earth is facing environmental disaster, and ask what can be done.
I've seen it and its really really worth watching. It doesn't whinge or whine, it doesn't bash business (too much) nor does it expect us to give up living the way we want to. What it does do is give practical and achieveable advice on how to deal with biggest single threat to our civilisation.
stay in and tune it
Polar bear listed as threatened
Finally.
Polar bears will be listed as threatened under Endangered Species Act.
Surely now time to act on protecting their environment as well. Senseless to protect the bears without protecting their environment
Polar bears will be listed as threatened under Endangered Species Act.
Surely now time to act on protecting their environment as well. Senseless to protect the bears without protecting their environment
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Battle for the streets of New York- least interesting outcome (or maybe not)
Cable opeartor Cablevision acquired Tribune’s New York paper Newsday and free daily amNewYork. The company had a big cheque book paying $650m for the paper, more than the $580m Murdoch’s Newscorp was willing to pay.
On the surface this looks the dullest of the possible outcomes.It would have been much more fun for Murdoch (NY Post) or Zuckerman (NY News) to have been the winner as it would have intensified the already fierce daily battle for the streets of new york.
However we have long thought that a local metropolitan newspaper and a local cable channels was a winning combination. Well with Cablevision owning Newsday and amNewYork we will be able to see first hand whether its infact a profitable tag team capable of withstanding the enormous pressure imposed by the big local media beasts.
On the surface this looks the dullest of the possible outcomes.It would have been much more fun for Murdoch (NY Post) or Zuckerman (NY News) to have been the winner as it would have intensified the already fierce daily battle for the streets of new york.
However we have long thought that a local metropolitan newspaper and a local cable channels was a winning combination. Well with Cablevision owning Newsday and amNewYork we will be able to see first hand whether its infact a profitable tag team capable of withstanding the enormous pressure imposed by the big local media beasts.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Fascinating battle for streets of New York
Third bidder for Newsday & amNewYork
After Murdoch’s News Corp. (New York Post, Wall Street Journal, local TV) and Mortimer Zuckerman (New York Daily News), also Long Island firm Cablevision will be bidding for NY newspaper Newsday. In this sale free daily amNewYork is included.
Cablevision, owned by the Dolan family, is offering $650m - $70m more than both other bidders - for the Tribune owned company, although the sale would also include some estate and other assets. Cablevision operates cable, telecommunications and Internet businesses on Long Island, including cable and online news service News 12. (Chicago Tribune)
While Newsday is losing money, which all bidders see reduced because of synergy effects with their own operations, amNewYork is making a profit.
Reuters: newspapers will go free
Reuters reported today that a slight majority of newspapers editors think that newspapers will be free in the future because that’s the only way to compete with the internet. The report was conducted by Zogby International for the World Editors Forum and Reuters.
Repondents are more leaning to free than a year ago while Europeans are the moste careful: “56 percent of respondents believed that the majority of news, be it via print or online, would be free in the future. That was up from 48 percent who answered yes a year ago. Those leaning towards the free model mostly came from ‘emerging’ newspaper markets in areas such as South America, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia where 61 percent of respondents believed news would be free. Respondents in Western Europe were less likely to believe in news becoming free, with 48 percent of news executives thinking it likely, while North American editors were on par with the average.”
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
tgi50
Some of you may have read recent marketing trade press reports that Market Evolution joint principle Toby Constantine was leaving to set up tgi50, a marketing channel focused on the fifty plus age group.
Well the reports were in part true and in part false (surprise surprise)!
Its true Toby is setting up tgi50 but he isn't leaving Market Evolution to do! tgi50 is in fact being set up alongside Market Evolution as a sister company.
tgi50's considerable research and strategic development needs will be handled by Market Evolution and the two businesses will share infrastructure and resource.
Toby will continue to play a central role in serving Market Evolution's growing client base and Market Evolution will provide sisterly services for tgi50 (!).
So there it is straight from source.
Well the reports were in part true and in part false (surprise surprise)!
Its true Toby is setting up tgi50 but he isn't leaving Market Evolution to do! tgi50 is in fact being set up alongside Market Evolution as a sister company.
tgi50's considerable research and strategic development needs will be handled by Market Evolution and the two businesses will share infrastructure and resource.
Toby will continue to play a central role in serving Market Evolution's growing client base and Market Evolution will provide sisterly services for tgi50 (!).
So there it is straight from source.
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