Union Jack
Originally uploaded by sopheava

Will Australia follow the UK’s push to make it a crime for companies to misrepresent themselves as consumers in their online marketing.

According to the GAWKER online magazine, it’ll be an offense in the UK to blog, use brand ambassadors or seed viral ads while "falsely representing oneself as a consumer."

From my perspective, I am all for the proposed laws. Critics may talk about free speech, but in the end blogging is about trust.

Surely, it must place Australian bloggers who are contracted to set-up fake blogs that hype UK owned products open to prosecution, fines and ultimately, gaol.

So, what of Australia? The fact is I haven’t heard anything in our local press or the blogosphere.

In order to maintain the trust of consumers, we need to start a solid and sensible debate to bring in good laws that fit with the realities of the blogoshere. Rather than wait for a scandal that’ll be used as a political football.

Read the GAWKER online magazine article and if, like me you agree with the UK’s new laws, please write a post on the subject. Lets lead the debate!

In my role as Director of Interactive Media at Sticky Advertising, I spend a hell of a lot of time looking at, creating and advising clients on Viral Campaigns.

Then it is hardly surprising, given what I do that I’m a huge fan of this Art – if its done correctly.

Here’s my top ten viral campaigns. But what’s your favourite?

Enjoy:)

somewhere in chinatown
Originally uploaded by Julalo

Is the Victorian Government wasting money rebranding the Grampians region?

As reported on the ABC’s website: Grampians Marketing says it hopes a major new advertising campaign will rejuvenate the region’s image among potential visitors.

The Victorian Government announced yesterday that $700,000 will be spent on advertising in Victoria and South Australia.

"Its conveying the feeling the Grampians is a great place to get fit, relax, to enjoy the fresh air, to leave the stresses of the modern world behind," he said.

THE loudest cries wins when it comes to place branding, but if the money is only for fancy television and print advertising, then it isn’t the answer! Branding a nation, region or a city is more than pure advertising.

According to Simon Anholt, one of the worlds leading experts on place and nation branding:

"There is the common misconception that branding is simply a communications strategy, a tagline, visual identity or logo. It is much, much more. It is a strategic process for developing a long-term vision for a place that is relevant and compelling to key audiences. Ultimately, it influences and shapes positive perceptions of a place."

What do you think?

After all the glitz and glamour and razzamatazz of Kevin Rudds 2020 Summit, I would like nominate this new energy saving light-bulb idea, showcased in this Greenpeace advert.

I especially like the bike headlight, please enjoy:)

- N – Weird
Originally uploaded by EEY

As reported by our very own Media Hunter, the first Newcastle radio survey of 2008 has seen NXFM soar to unprecedented heights while competitor NEWFM sank to new lows.

NXFM won the survey with a share of 23.5 followed by stablemate KOFM on 18.8. 2HD was third on 15.1, while ABC1233 ran fourth after fall to 10.4. Triple j was fifth with 6.9, beating NEWFM for the first time as they sank to 5.6.

The cumulative audience result were even more stark with NXFM now reaching a massive 189,000 listeners, followed by KOFM 151,000, ABC1233 97,000, 2HD 91,000, and NEWFM 86,000.

To continue reading this article…

After the poor TV ad’s from CommBank, RaboPlus new Australia TV ad is refreshing and worth an award – which one, don’t ask me.

Titled: Affluents Anonymous – it depicts a fictitious self-help group for people afflicted with the problems of serious wealth. I like it because it has a clear message, entertains and smacks me right between the eyes. Most importantly, it clearly tries to positions itself in the minds of the consumer.

Please enjoy:)

The bank has even a blogger – Bryan Inch is Head of Financial Services for RaboPlus Australia and New Zealand and you can talk to him anytime. Well, I think its him who answers! IS that right Bryan?

Also, if you are the rich type, please remember that Newcastle is home to not one, but two super yacht builders.

Franck Muller
Originally uploaded by Andrew Kung Photography

Game on!

At last, Drew McLellan has announced the timetable for the 275 co-authors to complete their piece of the Age of Conversation; "Why don’t they get it?" book.

Even though this is a global project comprising of 275 of the leading market brains, I’m proud to say little old Newcastle, in regional NSW has two contributors – Craig Wilson (Media Hunter) and me. Craig Wilson is the owner and driving force behind the succesful Advertising Agency – Sticky Advertising.

Each author has been asked to select one of eight topics that falls under the "why don’t people get it?" theme. 

In the next day or two, Drew will send out the submission guidelines and the release that needs to be signed and returned by each co-author. There is still 35 authors that have not signed up for a topic, but that won’t be a problem.

But for now….here’s the schedule (our best educated guess):

Age of Conversation ‘08 schedule

1. March 15 Authors announced, topics introduced
2. March 23 Author list publicized
3. March 26 Reminder of Bum Rush sent
4. March 29 Bum Rush
5. April 1 Topic list closed
6. April 12 Release sent to all authors/"rules" sent to all
7. April 14 Topics assigned to anyone who has not selected their topic
8. April 15 Topic list sent to all authors (so you can see what your topic is)
9. May 15 All chapters due
10. May 16 Editing/reviewing entries begins
11. June 15 Edits/requests for re-works etc. out to authors
12. June 30 All copy finalized
13. July 15 First design/layout due
14. August 1 Layout finalized
15. August 15 Lulu proofs in hand, final edits made
16. August 21 (or so) Book is released

sexy
Originally uploaded by Big-heaD

As a huge follower of Al Ries and Jack Trout’s position on brand positioning, I had to read Mark Ritson’s latest article in the ‘Professional Marketing’ magazine, attacking Australian marketer’s.

To tell you the truth, I usually dump the Australian Marketing Institute’s ‘Professional Marketing’ journal in the bin or donate it to my doctors waiting room, but this time, I got passed the usual suspects Chairman and CEO intro and read on.

Good old Mark, lays into Australian marketers by writing that we are hopelessly inept when it comes to brand positioning.

At first, I felt outraged…but then again, I was born in Warrington, UK – so he wasn’t talking about me, thats okay then.

Marketers are fully aware of the extraordinary growth in communication clutter, its how marketers have to deal with it…thats the problem. Too many of todays marketers are not educated and groomed in the importance of branding, differentiation and positioning.

Most importantly, the typical Aussie business whether its small, medium or large hasn’t fully bought into the marketing and branding thing.

In addition, Marketers are increasingly being marginalised as brand champions, key decision-makers or influencer’s, replaced by Director’s with huge ego’s, senior managers that have never heard of the term branding and my favourite…the senior executives mate or wife, who’s done a bit of marketing.

The size of the business doesn’t matter, I’ve seen and heard it all.

Mark Ritson is perfectly right in pointing out the endemic problem with brand positioning, Australian corporates do have a tendency to follow rather than differentiate. This leads to what Mark calls the ‘usual suspects’ in positioning statements.

The usual suspects in Australian positioning statements:

• Quality: 70% prevalence
• Innovative: 60% prevalence
• Value: 60%
• Integrity: 50%
• Trust: 50%
• Sustainable: 20% (but gaining fast)

My favourite has to be quality.

Go and visit Mark Ritson site, he’s written some great articles…and they make you think!

Marketers should be seen as brand custodians or high brand priests, venerated by those above and below…is that too much to ask?

How can this problem be solved…shoot all the lawyers and accountants on boards? Too risky! Then, it must be education and for more marketers to climb the corporate ladder and attain board positions.

I wish I could give you a link to Mark Ritson’s full article, but ‘Professional Marketing’ and the AMI seem to struggle with modern marketing and communication technologies and strategies.

That’s my dig at the AMI for the month.

Some people hate them…some people love them!

Here’s the Commonwealth Bank’s newest TV ad…this time, its with a boxing Kangaroo and featuring Australia’s Tempany Deckert. What do you think?

dices
Originally uploaded by Dreambagz

According to the busy people at Tourism New South Wales, business visitors are anyone that has the following purpose to visit:

• work travel for transport crews,
• business or other work,
• attendance at conferences, exhibitions, conventions or trade fairs, and
• training and research related to employment.

International business visitors to NSW for the year ended September 2005, NSW received 423,600 business visitors or 54% of all business visitors to Australia and 3.6 million or 45% of all business nights in Australia. Spending $567 million.

Tourism NSW proudly boasts that Sydney received 96% of all business visitors to NSW, a grand total of 406,064 visitors – compare that number with the Hunter Valley figures including Newcastle, only 7,160.

Sounds like the International business community is missing the boat on Newcastle or is it, Newcastle missing the boat?

This begs the question: How much money does Tourism NSW budget to promote Newcastle?