Community Focusing on the people behind the headlines

About this blog

M&M’s Blog goes behind the headlines to offer a running commentary on the business dynamics within the international media and marketing industry. The M&M editorial team joins forces with industry experts and local market heroes to balance a bird’s eye view of global trends with the importance of local insight.

Print

• The problem in the Middle East

  21 May 2012

  Last week I was invited to the Middle East Media Forum put on by Adnative. The briefing brought together an interesting mix of stakeholders from the Middle East who spoke about the opportunities in the region for advertisers and squashed some possible misguided assumptions about the population in the region.

  HSBC’s global head of media Suresh Balaji spoke about how to target the business elite in the Middle East and why marketers shouldn’t ignore the region. Online media owner Zawya and mobile specialists InMobi peddled their wares and banged the drum for digital in the Middle East – both talking a good game except for the fact that it was proudly announced at the beginning of the session that the Middle East is probably one of the few regions where print rules the roost. And, this is where the Middle East’s media problems lie.

  Attracting international advertisers to the Middle East is by no means a hard sell; the population in this region is educated, wealthy, have cash to splash and are receptive to advertising. Keeping the advertisers is where the issues begin. Why? Measurement.

  Despite the apparent love affair with print, a long-term relationship with audits and verified circulation numbers is yet to bloom. Which brings up that question which is well established in mature ad markets: ‘What is the return-on-investment?’ From what I heard; it is hard to find. To be fair, there are the EMS Middle East measurement numbers – but with a current frequency of every two years this is hardly anything to celebrate when it comes to delivering accountability.

  One Middle East media owner sitting in the audience, said by his own admission, that the region “needs to get better” when it comes to measurement and at offering clear ROI to potential advertisers. When he launched his magazine, he said, he put audit measures in place from day one – which drew criticism and scepticism from others in the region.

  In order to attract the international ad dollars they desire Middle East media owners need to communicate in the same language that international brands understand – the language of irrefutable numbers.

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Measurement, Print, Measurement, ROI & effectiveness

• News of the World – telling your Coulson from your Murdoch

  13 July 2011

  There is a great article in this week’s Newsweek about the News of the World hacking scandal and the potential fallout for News Corporation written by Carl Bernstein – the king of covering a scandal and potential cover-up.

  In an ode to Carl the cover story is even called ‘Murdoch’s Watergate’.

  However, while the feature is great – not too long, to the point and insightful – the accompanying ‘World Web’ graphic at the bottom of the piece is a little more puzzling.

  Is it me or does Andy Coulson look exactly the same as James Murdoch – even down to the suit!

  Thoughts?

  

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Print

• Who's better CNN or BBC World News?

  24 March 2011

  Now is your chance to decide!

  Last year National Geographic was crowned the most creative of the TV bunch and Google the best ROI provider of the online players, now it is time to tell us who is the best in 2011.

  M&M’s industry wide survey aims to understand more about the international media landscape as part of its remit to report upon and inform the international media community.

  The linked survey below is designed to uncover attitudes towards different media channels in 2011, analyse spending trends and understand how different media owners are evolving in an increasingly complex media environment. We will use the data gathered to give back to our readers valuable intelligence into the changing media landscape throughout 2011.
  
  Your anonymous participation will only take up to 10 minutes of your time - and all respondents will be entered into a prize draw to win an Xbox and Kinect or 1 of 5 Powermats.

  Click Here to cast your vote

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Creativity, Online, Agency/ client relationships, Reputation, Print, TV, Remuneration, Consumer insight

• Retro books and modern technology

  24 February 2011

  Books are taking a bit of a kicking at the moment. E-readers, Kindles, Nooks and iPads have elevated the e-book from minority technology to widely adopted phenomenon. Amazon.com famously reported that sales of e-books out performed new hardback releases for the first time in 2010.

  So for perhaps the first time since the creation of television, books as form of media have a serious rival. The question now for traditional publishers is – how can books ensure they appeal to consumers hungry for more digital devices and content?

  Arguably, one of the strongest USPs of a book is its tactile nature. You can hold a book, fall asleep with it, take it to the beach or clutch it on the train on the way to work. While they cost over £100, you can’t doze off with your Kindle on your lap for fear of someone pinching it.

  So if one of the book’s strongest USPs is the fact that it isn’t new and digital, and that people are attracted to books as classic items to cherish – free from software updates or back-up files, then this campaign for Brazil makes the point beautifully. 

   

   

  Typewriters, with a sheet of paper bearing a simple advertisement, were located amongst banks of demonstration model laptops at a computer store.

   

  

   

  Spotted on creamglobal.com

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Josh Colley

  Tags: Print

• Defending the Canadians

  23 September 2010

  As the resident Canadian on the M&M Team it is often up to me to defend anything that is said about or comes out of Canada, such as why Canada is not actually “US light” and why maple syrup tastes amazing on everything!  

  However, this time I hang my head in shame.

  Toronto – my old stomping ground – is currently in the middle of a monumental mayoral race. It has all the usual characters running, the cynic, the do-good liberal and crazies on the side. It also apparently has a mafia boss, or a mayoral candidate that would simply like to be thought of as one.

  The Italian Canadian candidate Rocco Rossi, who is pretty much an outsider in the race, has launched a new ad campaign that depicts him as a mobsters and uses terms such as “Goodfella” and “Wise Guy”. The campaign gets even better with radio ads that feature a Godfather-sounding supporter talking about how Rocco is better than the typical politician who is not a “typically Goodfella.”

   

  Now, as much as I loved the Sopranos there is one thing that Italian’s hate and that is being depicted as Mafioso’s. And, surprise, surprise the Italian Canadians are not happy about it.

  What on earth was he thinking? I for one have no clue.. but then again, I am not a Wise Guy. 

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Print, TV

• What!?! Murdoch isn’t a Commie Loving Lefty?

  18 August 2010

   

  To my shock and horror it was revealed today that Rupert Murdoch’s New Corporation donated $1m to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) in the US. I don’t know about you but I never saw News Corporation as the type – you know, Conservative leaning.

  The donation will support the candidates running in the up and coming November elections.

  Understandably this donation has come under fire due Murdoch’s mammoth influence on the US and for that matter the international media landscape.

  The executive director of the Democratic Governors Association, Nathan Daschle, has been quoted as calling the donation “stunning”, mostly due to the fact that Murdoch’s Fox News runs under the slogan “fair and balanced”.

  However, News Corp has rebuffed the criticism: “News Corporation believes in the power of free markets and organisations like the RGA, which have a pro-business agenda, support our priorities at this most critical time for our economy,” said Jack Horner, vice-president of corporate affairs and communications at News Corporation in New York.

  All jokes a side, it is one thing for Murdoch to donate money to political organisations in his name but an international corporation with the remit of delivering “fair and balanced” news is a whole other matter.

  I would love to see how Bill O’Reilly would push this through his ‘No Spin Zone’.

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Online, Print, TV, Sponsorship

• Times readers have vanished! I wonder why?

  17 August 2010

   

  The revelation that the Times and Sunday Times have lost 1.2million readers since it started charging for content doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

  A business model which charges people for something which they can get elsewhere for free is hardly going to work, but News International have gone completely silent since the paywall went up, failing to release any figures on what’s happening on the other side of the wall. There silence is ominous- the less they say about how the pay wall is working, the more people will talk.

  The latest figures come from Comscore, and previous (negative) figures have been given by Experian Hitwise, but no figures can tell the full story except those from News International themselves. Are they biding their time until the figures show some kind of increase? Are they desperately trying to think of some positive spin they can put on the prospect of a falling readership? Do they just not care about falling numbers?

   Apparently ‘the response from advertisers has been positive’. Having to subscribe to a website means that advertisers have more information about a person, and the more information they have, the more valuable it is to them. Perhaps Times subscriber is worth double a Daily Mail reader. Good for advertisers then, but not for journalists or readers, and it depends who News International decide the Times is actually for. They, and other online newspapers, need to find a business model that combines all of them, not excludes one or the other.

  A major flaw of this new business model is that no one can link to Times content through blogs or Twitter, and it no longer appears in online news searches. It’s this link economy which gives meaning to online content, and without meaningful content, what’s the point? Without it people will soon forget that the Times actually exists and it will disappear into irrelevance, and advertisers will realise that it’s not just about accessing readers information, it’s about engaging with them through meaningful content in the online world.

  Then again, who can tell if their advertising is going well or not when they won’t tell us what is going on behind the wall.

  Published on behalf of Lynsey Barber

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Business models, Print

• What race is your editor?

  29 July 2010

   

  Well mine is white, and it is never really an issue here at M&M. However, Essence magazine has just hired a white fashion editor in the US and it is causing all sorts of controversy.

  The 40 year old publication is a lifestyle and fashion magazine that caters to and celebrates black women, and now it has its first white editor.

  According to Essence’s editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray, Elliana Placas joined the publication six months ago to run the fashion section on a freelance basis, proved her worth, and has since been hired permanently.

  The brouhaha over Placas’ appointment started when a former Essence employee posted a comment on her Facebook page criticising the decision. Michaela Angela Davis wrote: “It's with a heavy heart I've learned Essence Magazine has engaged a white Fashion Director. I love Essence and I love fashion. I hate this news and this feeling. It hurts, literally.”

  There has been widespread criticism and support for the appointment, plus some overt racism about the issue. Burt-Murray has defended her decision, saying that Placas has enthusiasm and respect for the Essence audience and brand, and that the decision in no way diminishes her commitment to black women and their issues.

  I can’t honestly say where I stand on the issue, but I do know that I interview chief executives and chief marketing officers on a regular basis and I have never experienced half of the things that they have – does that mean my ability to write a story about them or relate to them is diminished?
  
  I think I may feel a bit better about the issue if she had been picking clothes and make-up shades that would never suit a black woman’s shape or skin colour. But that has not happened, there is just outrage because she is white, and seeing how she has been there for six months already readers obviously like her advice.

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Print

• Black is Back!

  20 July 2010

  

  Publisher's hide your dailies, our favorite media mogul turned convict has been granted bail by the federal appeals courts pending an appeal of his fraud conviction.

  In 2007, Conrad Black was convicted of defrauding Hollinger International shareholders to the tune of $6.1m. He was sentenced to six-and-a half years and has served more than two.

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Print

• Wallpaper hands over the reigns

  04 May 2010

  Wallpaper, the magazine for design and fashion buffs the world over is turning to its readers to create their own magazine cover for the August issue of the mag.

  Both subscribers and non-subscribers will be able to log-on to wallpaper.com and select and manipulate a wide selection of images, graphics and patterns to design their personalised cover. Once happy with the design, readers can buy their bespoke copy.

  Rolex, the media partner for the issue, is also allowing readers to customise its ad on the back cover.
  

  Bespoke publishing has started to become more common place over the past year. While it can be costly it can be a great way to interact with consumers. The Wallpaper brand is perfect for this type of initiative due to the type of reader it attracts. It may even encourage those that don’t regularly read the magazine to pick it up.

  It would be interesting to see what the circulation numbers for the August issue are compared to other months. However, Wallpaper is not known for being the most forthcoming when it comes to revealing those kinds of figures.

  Comments (0) | Permalink

  Posted by: Martina Lacey

  Tags: Creativity, Print

2. 1
3. 2
4. Next page