Thursday, December 20, 2012
Cartoons - Triumph of the Nerds
The internet has unleashed a burst of cartooning creativity
As the newspaper industry continues its decline, the funnies pages have decoupled from print. Instead of working for huge syndicates, or for censored newspapers with touchy editors, cartoonists are now free to create whatever they want. Whether it is cutting satire about Chinese politics, or a simple joke about being a dog, everything can win an audience on the internet.
This burst of new life comes as cartoons seemed to be in terminal decline. Punch, once a fierce political satire magazine whose cartoons feature in almost every British history textbook, finally closed its doors in 2002. The edgier Viz magazine, which sold a million copies an issue in the early 1990s, now sells 65,000. In the United States, of the sprawling EC Comics stable, only Mad magazine remains, its circulation down from 2.1m in 1974 to 180,000. Meanwhile, the American newspaper industry, home of the cartoon strip, now makes less in advertising revenue than at any time since the 1950s.
As the newspaper industry continues its decline, the funnies pages have decoupled from print. Instead of working for huge syndicates, or for censored newspapers with touchy editors, cartoonists are now free to create whatever they want. Whether it is cutting satire about Chinese politics, or a simple joke about being a dog, everything can win an audience on the internet.
This burst of new life comes as cartoons seemed to be in terminal decline. Punch, once a fierce political satire magazine whose cartoons feature in almost every British history textbook, finally closed its doors in 2002. The edgier Viz magazine, which sold a million copies an issue in the early 1990s, now sells 65,000. In the United States, of the sprawling EC Comics stable, only Mad magazine remains, its circulation down from 2.1m in 1974 to 180,000. Meanwhile, the American newspaper industry, home of the cartoon strip, now makes less in advertising revenue than at any time since the 1950s.
Technology in 2012: year in review
Technology has never been more important than it is today, and it has shaped 2012 in ways that few could have imagined at the beginning.
2012 saw some odd trends too – you may have heard a lot of doom about BlackBerry, but this morning, just as it announces new results, its shares are basically unchanged year-on-year; Apple’s are up 40 per cent. Google, meanwhile, has expanded into areas that see it challenge Apple much more directly, from music to tablets, while Samsung, the world’s most popular brand, has finally called a truce in the lawsuits it’s fought with Apple. Finally, too, 4G launched to make mobile phone networks faster, although 2013 is when it will become mainstream.
2012 saw some odd trends too – you may have heard a lot of doom about BlackBerry, but this morning, just as it announces new results, its shares are basically unchanged year-on-year; Apple’s are up 40 per cent. Google, meanwhile, has expanded into areas that see it challenge Apple much more directly, from music to tablets, while Samsung, the world’s most popular brand, has finally called a truce in the lawsuits it’s fought with Apple. Finally, too, 4G launched to make mobile phone networks faster, although 2013 is when it will become mainstream.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Social Media & Viral Marketing Saving the Film Industry
With the rise of online piracy, the film industry's annual ticket sales have been on a downward trend for the past decade. Yet, the silver screen has managed to stay afloat because of the very thing that undermined it in the first place: the Internet.
An infographic by law firm Allmand Law reveals how Hollywood is using social media and viral marketing to compensate for declining ticket sales. For example, cloud computing -- when combined with digital films -- saves the industry money on shipping costs by eliminating the need to transport physical copies of films between studios, theaters, distributors or advertisers.
What's more, the movie business is no longer exclusively in the business of movies, with tie-in products such as video games and toys generating profits for studios
An infographic by law firm Allmand Law reveals how Hollywood is using social media and viral marketing to compensate for declining ticket sales. For example, cloud computing -- when combined with digital films -- saves the industry money on shipping costs by eliminating the need to transport physical copies of films between studios, theaters, distributors or advertisers.
What's more, the movie business is no longer exclusively in the business of movies, with tie-in products such as video games and toys generating profits for studios
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Mayan apocalypse mania grips Russia
Officials try to calm fears as Russians buy up emergency supplies before the Mayan calendar runs out on Friday
Alexander Kolomeyets, the deputy head of Russia's Association of Independent Psychiatrists, lamented the apocalypse-mania that has gripped his country. "There are people who are prone to mental epidemics and I think that most of them are in our country," Kolomeyets said in an interview with local media in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk.
"What's happening in our country can be a lot scarier than the end of the world – so any negative information sticks. The more primitive the society, the stronger it lends itself to psychological epidemics. I think in this case our country isn't very civilised."
Alexander Kolomeyets, the deputy head of Russia's Association of Independent Psychiatrists, lamented the apocalypse-mania that has gripped his country. "There are people who are prone to mental epidemics and I think that most of them are in our country," Kolomeyets said in an interview with local media in the far eastern city of Khabarovsk.
"What's happening in our country can be a lot scarier than the end of the world – so any negative information sticks. The more primitive the society, the stronger it lends itself to psychological epidemics. I think in this case our country isn't very civilised."
Hobbit December record, Skyfall close to a Billion Worldwide
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set a new December opening weekend record, though its debut failed to reach the inflated levels many were anticipating for director Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth.
3D showings accounted for 49 percent of ticket sales, which is about on par with most major releases right now. Warner Bros. isn't currently providing a breakdown for the high-frame-rate (HFR), though a distribution executive there suggested it had the highest per-screen average among the three main formats (2D, 3D, HFR 3D). That may not sound overly convincing, but IMAX is reporting that HFR did $44,000 per-theater compared to $31,000 at regular IMAX 3D locations. Overall, IMAX contributed an estimated $10.1 million (12 percent) this weekend.
Even with direct competition from The Hobbit, Skyfall still hung on well and only dropped 39 percent to $6.56 million. It's now earned $271.9 million, and a total north of $290 million seems like a done deal.
3D showings accounted for 49 percent of ticket sales, which is about on par with most major releases right now. Warner Bros. isn't currently providing a breakdown for the high-frame-rate (HFR), though a distribution executive there suggested it had the highest per-screen average among the three main formats (2D, 3D, HFR 3D). That may not sound overly convincing, but IMAX is reporting that HFR did $44,000 per-theater compared to $31,000 at regular IMAX 3D locations. Overall, IMAX contributed an estimated $10.1 million (12 percent) this weekend.
Even with direct competition from The Hobbit, Skyfall still hung on well and only dropped 39 percent to $6.56 million. It's now earned $271.9 million, and a total north of $290 million seems like a done deal.
High-tech shopping
Bricks, bits and mortar
The app sends a message over the internet to a robotic system in the stock room. This locates a pair in the correct size and uses tensioned cables to drop it into a basket in one of the shop’s six large dressing rooms. When Babbage tried it, the whole process took less than the time to walk to the fitting room, around 30 seconds. If the jeans fit, customers can simply put them in a bag, swipe their credit card through a reader and walk out the door without ever interacting with another person.
“Soon, every item in the world will be sold like this,” Nadia Shouraboura says. “It will be bigger than Amazon.” In her upcoming stores, she plans to flog men’s shirts and shoes, too. Eventually, she hopes to launch a sister shop for women called Hointress. After all, some women hate shopping, too.
The app sends a message over the internet to a robotic system in the stock room. This locates a pair in the correct size and uses tensioned cables to drop it into a basket in one of the shop’s six large dressing rooms. When Babbage tried it, the whole process took less than the time to walk to the fitting room, around 30 seconds. If the jeans fit, customers can simply put them in a bag, swipe their credit card through a reader and walk out the door without ever interacting with another person.
“Soon, every item in the world will be sold like this,” Nadia Shouraboura says. “It will be bigger than Amazon.” In her upcoming stores, she plans to flog men’s shirts and shoes, too. Eventually, she hopes to launch a sister shop for women called Hointress. After all, some women hate shopping, too.
Twitter and Nielsen to publish new "social TV" ratings
(Reuters) - Nielsen Holdings NV, the television viewership measurement company, said on Monday it will partner with Twitter to publish a new set of ratings that measure chatter on Twitter about TV programming.
The new ratings, to be launched next fall, arrive at a moment when media and advertising industry executives say they are observing a shift in TV viewing habits that include the rise of "second screen" use.
But significant questions remain for advertisers over how best to interpret the data and whether a Twitter ratings system is meaningful at all.
In September, Nielsen ratings showed that TV viewership for Viacom Inc's MTV Video Music Awards, which coincided with the Democratic National Convention, plummeted by more than 50 percent from a year ago. Yet social media chatter tripled, according to the research firm Trendrr.
Brad Adgate, an analyst at Horizon Media, said advertisers will view the Twitter ratings as a useful layer of information about a show's popularity, but it is "not going to be close to the currency" of existing ratings metrics.
The new ratings, to be launched next fall, arrive at a moment when media and advertising industry executives say they are observing a shift in TV viewing habits that include the rise of "second screen" use.
But significant questions remain for advertisers over how best to interpret the data and whether a Twitter ratings system is meaningful at all.
In September, Nielsen ratings showed that TV viewership for Viacom Inc's MTV Video Music Awards, which coincided with the Democratic National Convention, plummeted by more than 50 percent from a year ago. Yet social media chatter tripled, according to the research firm Trendrr.
Brad Adgate, an analyst at Horizon Media, said advertisers will view the Twitter ratings as a useful layer of information about a show's popularity, but it is "not going to be close to the currency" of existing ratings metrics.
Discovery buys 20% stake in Eurosport
US factual broadcaster has the option of taking a controlling stake in the European company in two years
US factual broadcaster Discovery is moving into sports programming, paying $170m (£134m) for a 20% stake in Eurosport, with an option to take a controlling stake in the European company in two years.
Discovery's deal to take a stake in Eurosport group, parent of Eurosport International and Eurosport France, values the business at €850m (£690m). Discovery owns channels including Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
As part of the deal Discovery has the option to increase its stake to 51% in two years. If the company does TF1, the parent of Eurosport, has the ability to then exercise a put option over the remaining 49% to that would see Discovery take full control.
US factual broadcaster Discovery is moving into sports programming, paying $170m (£134m) for a 20% stake in Eurosport, with an option to take a controlling stake in the European company in two years.
Discovery's deal to take a stake in Eurosport group, parent of Eurosport International and Eurosport France, values the business at €850m (£690m). Discovery owns channels including Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet and the Oprah Winfrey Network.
As part of the deal Discovery has the option to increase its stake to 51% in two years. If the company does TF1, the parent of Eurosport, has the ability to then exercise a put option over the remaining 49% to that would see Discovery take full control.
Monday, December 17, 2012
The Future of Food
Food companies play an ambivalent part in the fight against flab
Fast-food chains, too, have spread far into developing markets. McDonald’s is now in 119 countries (see box at the end of this section). Yum! Brands, owner of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, derives 60% of its profit from the developing world, and there is plenty of growth potential left. Yum!’s chief executive, David Novak, explains that the company has 58 restaurants for every 1m Americans, compared with just two restaurants for every 1m people in emerging markets.
But even as they are expanding, food companies are keen to show that they take the obesity problem seriously. The International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), a trade group of ten giants including Coca-Cola, Mondelez and Nestlé, has given global promises to make healthier products, advertise food responsibly and promote exercise.
Fast-food chains, too, have spread far into developing markets. McDonald’s is now in 119 countries (see box at the end of this section). Yum! Brands, owner of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, derives 60% of its profit from the developing world, and there is plenty of growth potential left. Yum!’s chief executive, David Novak, explains that the company has 58 restaurants for every 1m Americans, compared with just two restaurants for every 1m people in emerging markets.
But even as they are expanding, food companies are keen to show that they take the obesity problem seriously. The International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), a trade group of ten giants including Coca-Cola, Mondelez and Nestlé, has given global promises to make healthier products, advertise food responsibly and promote exercise.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Billionaire Buffett aims to buy more newspapers
Warren Buffett, the billionaire who seems determined to single-handedly save the newspaper business, is reported to be keen on acquiring yet another smallish circulation daily title, the Allentown Morning Call.
He has spent more than $342m (£212m) to buy 80 newspapers, one of which is his hometown paper, the Omaha World-Herald. The majority of his titles came in a single acquisition earlier this year when he bought from Media General.
His publishing outfit is now headed by a former World-Herald staffer, Terry Kroeger, who doesn't mince his words when talking about the problems besetting the US newspaper industry.
"We've got to evolve with what people are looking for, and I think our industry has done kind of a crappy job with that," Kroeger, told Bloomberg reporter Edmund Lee.
He says the company's aim is to reintroduce newspapers to what they do best: delivering urgent local information that readers can't get elsewhere - and coaxing people into paying for it. It's essential to charge readers, he said. "You can't spend millions of dollars assembling something and then give it away."
He has spent more than $342m (£212m) to buy 80 newspapers, one of which is his hometown paper, the Omaha World-Herald. The majority of his titles came in a single acquisition earlier this year when he bought from Media General.
His publishing outfit is now headed by a former World-Herald staffer, Terry Kroeger, who doesn't mince his words when talking about the problems besetting the US newspaper industry.
"We've got to evolve with what people are looking for, and I think our industry has done kind of a crappy job with that," Kroeger, told Bloomberg reporter Edmund Lee.
He says the company's aim is to reintroduce newspapers to what they do best: delivering urgent local information that readers can't get elsewhere - and coaxing people into paying for it. It's essential to charge readers, he said. "You can't spend millions of dollars assembling something and then give it away."
From £2.72 a share to 2p – why HMV crashed
There is growing concern that, after a brutal 2012 for the high street that has claimed Comet, Clinton Cards and Peacocks, HMV could be next.
Once this was a great British company at the forefront of new technology. Now it is on the back foot. The rise of the internet and digital music services, such as iTunes, has rapidly eroded sales on the high street for HMV. The retailer has been slow to react to the digital revolution and the decline in sales shows no sign of slowing. HMV’s story is one that is depressingly familiar on the high street.
Once this was a great British company at the forefront of new technology. Now it is on the back foot. The rise of the internet and digital music services, such as iTunes, has rapidly eroded sales on the high street for HMV. The retailer has been slow to react to the digital revolution and the decline in sales shows no sign of slowing. HMV’s story is one that is depressingly familiar on the high street.
Friday, December 14, 2012
The best (and worst) media errors and corrections of 2012
Here’s the best and most notable of 2012′s media errors and corrections.
"If my annual tally of plagiarism and fabrication incidents is the depressing part of “Regret the Error”‘s year-end coverage, then this annual collection of the best of the worst in errors and corrections is the highlight.
That’s not to say the mistakes detailed below are minor or purely amusing; many are serious failures.
But it’s important to acknowledge the amusing and outrageous, and to collect them to help journalists avoid making the same mistakes.
I also want to celebrate the correction writers who went beyond the call of duty to offer something special."
"If my annual tally of plagiarism and fabrication incidents is the depressing part of “Regret the Error”‘s year-end coverage, then this annual collection of the best of the worst in errors and corrections is the highlight.
That’s not to say the mistakes detailed below are minor or purely amusing; many are serious failures.
But it’s important to acknowledge the amusing and outrageous, and to collect them to help journalists avoid making the same mistakes.
I also want to celebrate the correction writers who went beyond the call of duty to offer something special."
Mapping the digital agency universe of the UK
Explore the stars, planets and galaxies of the digital media industry in the UK with this infographic
Ever wondered what the digital agency landscape of the UK looks like? The stargazers of the media business will be interested in this graphic representation of the digital media universe in the UK, which brings together the galaxies (holding groups), the stars in each solar system (holding agencies) as well as planets and satellites which represent individual agencies.
Ever wondered what the digital agency landscape of the UK looks like? The stargazers of the media business will be interested in this graphic representation of the digital media universe in the UK, which brings together the galaxies (holding groups), the stars in each solar system (holding agencies) as well as planets and satellites which represent individual agencies.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Early Kickoff for Marketers at Super Bowl
Usually, marketers that decide to buy commercials during the coming Super Bowl wait until after New Year’s Day to start telling the public and press about their plans.
The reason the information is coming out so soon is the same reason that led many advertisers buying commercials during Super Bowl XLVI to tease the contents in advance and even provide entire commercials before the game: the rapid rise of social media.
The increasing interest among consumers in discussing and sharing Super Bowl spots on Web sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is encouraging sponsors to speak up sooner. Sponsors say they believe the additional publicity stimulates not only word of mouth, but also viewing of the commercials when they finally run in the game.
The average price that CBS is charging for each 30-second commercial in the game is in the range of $3.8 million.
The reason the information is coming out so soon is the same reason that led many advertisers buying commercials during Super Bowl XLVI to tease the contents in advance and even provide entire commercials before the game: the rapid rise of social media.
The increasing interest among consumers in discussing and sharing Super Bowl spots on Web sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is encouraging sponsors to speak up sooner. Sponsors say they believe the additional publicity stimulates not only word of mouth, but also viewing of the commercials when they finally run in the game.
The average price that CBS is charging for each 30-second commercial in the game is in the range of $3.8 million.
Gold-hunting in a frugal age
Austerity-battered Western companies are looking everywhere for growth
Multinationals are applying to rich countries the lessons learned from reaching customers in poor ones. Unilever has enjoyed success selling consumer goods in small portions to Indians whose grocery budgets could not stretch to Western-sized packets; now it is offering shrunken packs of detergent to cash-strapped Spaniards and modest packages of mashed potatoes to impoverished Greeks.
There are plenty of reasons for Western business to resist the new gospel of frugality. Why look at the bottom of the pyramid when there are still millions of people in the middle? Why risk introducing cheap brands that could cut into sales of your existing ones?
But the forces of frugality are nevertheless powerful. The rich world is ageing. By 2030 a quarter of Europeans will be over 65. Lean emerging-market firms are challenging Western ones in everything from white goods (Haier) to telecoms equipment (Huawei) to baked goods (Bimbo).
Multinationals are applying to rich countries the lessons learned from reaching customers in poor ones. Unilever has enjoyed success selling consumer goods in small portions to Indians whose grocery budgets could not stretch to Western-sized packets; now it is offering shrunken packs of detergent to cash-strapped Spaniards and modest packages of mashed potatoes to impoverished Greeks.
There are plenty of reasons for Western business to resist the new gospel of frugality. Why look at the bottom of the pyramid when there are still millions of people in the middle? Why risk introducing cheap brands that could cut into sales of your existing ones?
But the forces of frugality are nevertheless powerful. The rich world is ageing. By 2030 a quarter of Europeans will be over 65. Lean emerging-market firms are challenging Western ones in everything from white goods (Haier) to telecoms equipment (Huawei) to baked goods (Bimbo).
Hispanic television in America - Lights, camera, acción!
Media companies are piling into the Hispanic market. But will it pay off?
Univision is still the biggest Hispanic network, beaten in prime time only by four networks in English—ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox—according to Nielsen’s ratings. Bought by private-equity firms in 2006 for $13.7 billion, Univision has launched new channels and digital initiatives, and is expected to go public in the next two years. It is aimed at Hispanics of Mexican origin, who are around two-thirds of the Hispanic population in America, and imports telenovelas from Mexico; Telemundo makes its own, and caters to Caribbean Hispanics.
Emilio Romano, the boss of Telemundo, insists it is a “big validation of our business” that media giants are piling into its market. But is this wise? Although the population of Hispanics is growing, they actually spend less time watching television than other groups in America, and watch more on mobile devices, which is trickier for media firms to earn money from. Advertisers pay half the average price for spots on Hispanic television, mainly because Hispanic families’ median income of around $40,000, although growing, is still a third below the average American household’s.
Univision is still the biggest Hispanic network, beaten in prime time only by four networks in English—ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox—according to Nielsen’s ratings. Bought by private-equity firms in 2006 for $13.7 billion, Univision has launched new channels and digital initiatives, and is expected to go public in the next two years. It is aimed at Hispanics of Mexican origin, who are around two-thirds of the Hispanic population in America, and imports telenovelas from Mexico; Telemundo makes its own, and caters to Caribbean Hispanics.
Emilio Romano, the boss of Telemundo, insists it is a “big validation of our business” that media giants are piling into its market. But is this wise? Although the population of Hispanics is growing, they actually spend less time watching television than other groups in America, and watch more on mobile devices, which is trickier for media firms to earn money from. Advertisers pay half the average price for spots on Hispanic television, mainly because Hispanic families’ median income of around $40,000, although growing, is still a third below the average American household’s.
New American law stops TV advertisers from turning up the volume
The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act has come into effect
The loudness of television adverts was first examined by American legislators in 1984 when regulators ruled that there was no objective way to quantify and control it – leaving advertisers free to turn the volume up.
The loudness of television adverts was first examined by American legislators in 1984 when regulators ruled that there was no objective way to quantify and control it – leaving advertisers free to turn the volume up.
10 Most Innovative Viral Videos of 2012
This year in viral video, advertisers either broke new ground or just got better at old concepts.
This year in viral video, advertisers either broke new ground or just got better at old concepts. Red Bull went to the edge of space with Felix Baumgartner's freefall 23 miles to Earth, which certainly qualifies as breaking new ground. On the other hand, Cartier's bejeweled panther was so sumptuous as to feel brand new.
Elsewhere, an independent filmmaker from New York took a refreshing route within the well-tread travel video genre, with a personal and inspiring execution for Nike. Innovation even made its way to Davenport, Iowa and Sweden, where Will Ferrell's rogue ads for Old Milwaukee Beer befuddled everyone.
But what is clear from this year's top 10 is how passion — for a company, brand or creative concept — continues to drive innovation in viral video advertising.
This year in viral video, advertisers either broke new ground or just got better at old concepts. Red Bull went to the edge of space with Felix Baumgartner's freefall 23 miles to Earth, which certainly qualifies as breaking new ground. On the other hand, Cartier's bejeweled panther was so sumptuous as to feel brand new.
Elsewhere, an independent filmmaker from New York took a refreshing route within the well-tread travel video genre, with a personal and inspiring execution for Nike. Innovation even made its way to Davenport, Iowa and Sweden, where Will Ferrell's rogue ads for Old Milwaukee Beer befuddled everyone.
But what is clear from this year's top 10 is how passion — for a company, brand or creative concept — continues to drive innovation in viral video advertising.
YouTube’s 20 Most-Viewed Ads of 2012
2012 is coming to an end, so it's time to recap the 20 most-viewed ads on YouTube this year.
The most-viewed commercial was a Nike ad featuring some of the biggest soccer stars in the world going up against a huge crowd of unknown players. Volkswagen continued its successful series of Star Wars-themed ads, while Old Spice somehow placed four commercials in the top 20.
The most-viewed commercial was a Nike ad featuring some of the biggest soccer stars in the world going up against a huge crowd of unknown players. Volkswagen continued its successful series of Star Wars-themed ads, while Old Spice somehow placed four commercials in the top 20.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Best of the Guardian's Media Network
To celebrate the festive season and to say goodbye to 2012, we've rounded up our top articles of the year for your reading pleasure.
Marking the 25 days of the advent, here are some of the most read, most shared and most discussed Media Network contributions of 2012:
Marking the 25 days of the advent, here are some of the most read, most shared and most discussed Media Network contributions of 2012:
Data scientists take byte out of Mad Men
With its depiction of three-martini business lunches and a plot centred on the “creative types” who ruled the 1960s advertising world, the Mad Men television series defined the archetype of the industry. Not any more.
Marketers have long mined consumer information – ranging from public records data about how much a person’s house is worth to surveys about whether they are married or have children – to send direct mailings and make telephone pitches to people most likely to buy their products. Even the “mad men” drew on panel-based research about the television shows people watched, the radio stations they listened to and the newspapers and magazines they read.
Marketers have long mined consumer information – ranging from public records data about how much a person’s house is worth to surveys about whether they are married or have children – to send direct mailings and make telephone pitches to people most likely to buy their products. Even the “mad men” drew on panel-based research about the television shows people watched, the radio stations they listened to and the newspapers and magazines they read.
Big data’s renewed heft in the advertising industry, however, came partly
as a result of a concurrent disruption of the
advertising business as smartphones spread and consumers digitised their
lives.
(You may need to register to view the article)
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Internet goes Mobile - Live & Unplugged
In 2013 the internet will become a mostly mobile medium. Who will be the winners and losers?
The year 2002 was a turning-point for the telephone, invented 126 years earlier. For the first time, the number of mobile phones overtook the number of fixed-line ones, making the telephone a predominantly mobile technology. During 2013 the same thing will happen to the internet, just 44 years after its ancestor, ARPANET, was first switched on. The number of internet-connected mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, will exceed the number of desktop and laptop personal computers (PCs) in use, according to figures from Morgan Stanley, an investment bank. There is not a direct correlation between devices and people, because many people use multiple devices, both fixed and mobile. But IDATE, a consultancy, reckons that the number of people accessing the internet via mobile devices will overtake the number using fixed-line connections in mid-2014.
The year 2002 was a turning-point for the telephone, invented 126 years earlier. For the first time, the number of mobile phones overtook the number of fixed-line ones, making the telephone a predominantly mobile technology. During 2013 the same thing will happen to the internet, just 44 years after its ancestor, ARPANET, was first switched on. The number of internet-connected mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, will exceed the number of desktop and laptop personal computers (PCs) in use, according to figures from Morgan Stanley, an investment bank. There is not a direct correlation between devices and people, because many people use multiple devices, both fixed and mobile. But IDATE, a consultancy, reckons that the number of people accessing the internet via mobile devices will overtake the number using fixed-line connections in mid-2014.
The New Power of Television
Over the past decade, experts across the advertising world have proclaimed the demise of TV
However, we are now witnessing a phenomenon that is breathing new life into TV. In fact, you could even argue that the future for TV has never looked so healthy. And it is all down to social media – the very thing that many thought would be a further nail in TV’s coffin. Social media is having a profoundly positive impact on TV viewing as a new group of highly-engaged TV viewers is using social media to talk about TV programming and advertising and to influence the content and brand choices of their social peer group.
However, we are now witnessing a phenomenon that is breathing new life into TV. In fact, you could even argue that the future for TV has never looked so healthy. And it is all down to social media – the very thing that many thought would be a further nail in TV’s coffin. Social media is having a profoundly positive impact on TV viewing as a new group of highly-engaged TV viewers is using social media to talk about TV programming and advertising and to influence the content and brand choices of their social peer group.
Beyoncé signs 'unique' $50m brand ambassador deal with Pepsi
The former Destiny's Child star's very own Pepsi challenge involves allowing her face to appear on cans and bottles and an ad campaign timed to coincide with the release of her new album
Whether it’s Rihanna hollering “Everybody say HTC! Say Budweiser! River Island!” during her recent 777 tour or the hosts at last night’s Jingle Bells Ball getting the crowds at the 02 Arena to cheer louder for BlackBerry than for Girls Aloud or The Wanted, brands and music seem to be forging ever closer (and more profitable) relationships.
Whether it’s Rihanna hollering “Everybody say HTC! Say Budweiser! River Island!” during her recent 777 tour or the hosts at last night’s Jingle Bells Ball getting the crowds at the 02 Arena to cheer louder for BlackBerry than for Girls Aloud or The Wanted, brands and music seem to be forging ever closer (and more profitable) relationships.
But the biggest signifier of the enmeshing of worldwide domination of our beloved popstars with the interests of what they can persuade us to buy came today with the announcement that Beyoncé Knowles, 31, is the new global brand ambassador for Pepsi in a deal reported to be worth $50 million
Google Zeitgeist reveals the top search terms of 2012
Whitney Houston topped Google's list of the most searched-for people in 2012, ahead of the Duchess of Cambridge, the search giant has revealed.
Google releases its Zeitgeist search list annually to show how
trends in search have changed in the previous year. Google eliminates the
searches that are the same every year, such as 'email', to identify the terms
that have seen the biggest increase on previous years.
The top search trend for 2012 was Euro 2012, with searches for the football
tournament coming in ahead of searches for Olympic tickets. Other trending terms
included Natwest online, which made news this summer with a technical outage
that lasted for days, iPad 3 and Gangnam Style, the Korean pop hit that became a
viral success.
The newspaper industry
After years of bad headlines the industry finally has some good news
IN A recent issue of the beloved comic book, Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent, quits his job as a journalist at the Daily Planet because the paper has gutted its news coverage. Is the outlook for newspapers really so dire that even superheroes have given up on them? Ever since 2006, when The Economist asked on its cover who had “killed the newspaper”, the industry’s pains have only intensified. Advertising has plunged. Readers have kept moving online. Revenues of newspapers continued to fall, dropping to $34 billion last year in America—only about half of what they were in 2000.
Yet things have started to look a bit less grim, particularly in America. Revenues from advertising are still falling, but those from circulation have at last started to stabilise. At some papers, such as the New York Times, circulation revenues this year are forecast to offset the decline in advertising for the first time in at least five years.
IN A recent issue of the beloved comic book, Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent, quits his job as a journalist at the Daily Planet because the paper has gutted its news coverage. Is the outlook for newspapers really so dire that even superheroes have given up on them? Ever since 2006, when The Economist asked on its cover who had “killed the newspaper”, the industry’s pains have only intensified. Advertising has plunged. Readers have kept moving online. Revenues of newspapers continued to fall, dropping to $34 billion last year in America—only about half of what they were in 2000.
Yet things have started to look a bit less grim, particularly in America. Revenues from advertising are still falling, but those from circulation have at last started to stabilise. At some papers, such as the New York Times, circulation revenues this year are forecast to offset the decline in advertising for the first time in at least five years.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Eurovision - More Countries Quit Contest
Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Poland have all said they are ‘very unlikely’ to take part in the cheesy singing contest that has become a European institution.
The rush of nations pulling out comes after Spain’s entrant for the 2012 contest was urged to sing badly and not to win, to avoid any risk of having stage the competition in 2013.
Bosses of Spanish public television told pop star Pastor Soler ‘to throw’ her entry amid massive government spending to reduce the huge national debt.
The rush of nations pulling out comes after Spain’s entrant for the 2012 contest was urged to sing badly and not to win, to avoid any risk of having stage the competition in 2013.
Bosses of Spanish public television told pop star Pastor Soler ‘to throw’ her entry amid massive government spending to reduce the huge national debt.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Forbes - The Most Overpaid Actors In Hollywood
In past versions of our overpaid actors roundup, we looked at each actor’s films over the last five years. This year, we cut back to the last three years to give the list a more contemporary focus.
That dropped Drew Barrymore from the top 10, but not because she has anchored any smashes lately. Barrymore was our worst-performing actor last year — her films earned only 40 cents for each $1 she was paid. However she hasn’t starred in three big releases over the last three years. We don’t count ensemble films where there is no clear star like Barrymore’s 2009 film He’s Just Not That Into You, which was actually a hit.
That dropped Drew Barrymore from the top 10, but not because she has anchored any smashes lately. Barrymore was our worst-performing actor last year — her films earned only 40 cents for each $1 she was paid. However she hasn’t starred in three big releases over the last three years. We don’t count ensemble films where there is no clear star like Barrymore’s 2009 film He’s Just Not That Into You, which was actually a hit.
Psy Will Make $7.9 Million This Year From 'Gangnam Style'
Gangnam Style, which is racing towards 1 billion views on YouTube, will net pop star Psy at least $7.9 million this year, according to a report
Despite the unprecedented YouTube success of Gangnam, Psy won't even make $1 million from the video itself. The Associated Press cited TubeMogul, a video and ad-buying platform, which estimates Psy will make $870,000 from ads shown during the video. Google takes about half of the ad revenues. With about 880 million views for the video at present, that nets out to $0.001 - one-tenth of one cent - per view.
Despite the unprecedented YouTube success of Gangnam, Psy won't even make $1 million from the video itself. The Associated Press cited TubeMogul, a video and ad-buying platform, which estimates Psy will make $870,000 from ads shown during the video. Google takes about half of the ad revenues. With about 880 million views for the video at present, that nets out to $0.001 - one-tenth of one cent - per view.
The Pope v Twitter: can he overtake Lady Gaga?
Social media experts say the Pope will be lucky to break into the top 20 of the site’s most followed people
Nearly 32m people follow Lady Gaga on Twitter; just behind her is fellow popstar Justin
Bieber. Of the top 10 users, eight are celebrities, from Kim
Kardshian to Taylor Swift and Rihanna.
Only Barack Obama, with 24m followers and YouTube
(20m) break the mould.
Where, therefore will the Pope’s new account, @pontifex, get to in the rankings? His
closest religious rival on Twitter is the Dalai
Lama. His 5million followers put him below Ryan
Seacrest, FC Barcelona, Tyra
Banks, Paulo Coelho, Russell
Brand and a range of celebrities so famous you’ve almost certainly never
heard of them. Let's hope it's quality, not quantity of followers that count.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Apple Launches iTunes Store in Russia
Apple on Tuesday launched a Russian version of its bestselling iTunes Store, but the online music shop so far offers a limited selection of Russian songs because the U.S. company has failed to sign agreements with all domestic copyright-holders.
"We just received an offer from Apple to work with them through the Russian Authors Society or First Music Publishing House, and we were very surprised by this approach, Alexei Kozlov, director of the Navigator Records label, told Vedomosti. "This is why we temporarily halted putting albums from our catalog on iTunes."
Navigator Records owns the rights to the songs of artists including DDT, Melnitsa, Zveri, Kalinov Most, Splin and Vladimir Vysotsky.
"We just received an offer from Apple to work with them through the Russian Authors Society or First Music Publishing House, and we were very surprised by this approach, Alexei Kozlov, director of the Navigator Records label, told Vedomosti. "This is why we temporarily halted putting albums from our catalog on iTunes."
Navigator Records owns the rights to the songs of artists including DDT, Melnitsa, Zveri, Kalinov Most, Splin and Vladimir Vysotsky.
How Nestlé dealt with a social media campaign against it
How Nestlé dealt with a social media campaign by Greenpeace against its KitKat bar brand
By early this year, Mr Blackshaw had set up a “digital acceleration team” as part of Nestlé’s efforts to monitor social media sentiment 24 hours a day. When the team sees problems, the communications unit co-ordinates the company’s engagement with the relevant parties, such as suppliers, campaigners, governments and consumers. In addition, Nestlé executives from across the globe visit the digital acceleration team centre at the headquarters in Switzerland, to learn about managing social media communications and digital marketing.
(You may need to register to view the article)
By early this year, Mr Blackshaw had set up a “digital acceleration team” as part of Nestlé’s efforts to monitor social media sentiment 24 hours a day. When the team sees problems, the communications unit co-ordinates the company’s engagement with the relevant parties, such as suppliers, campaigners, governments and consumers. In addition, Nestlé executives from across the globe visit the digital acceleration team centre at the headquarters in Switzerland, to learn about managing social media communications and digital marketing.
(You may need to register to view the article)
The World in 2013 - Media Pressures
Time for repentance and new ideas
Two commercial sectors, meanwhile, will have much to cheer in 2013. Television advertising, long predicted to evaporate in a multichannel, digital environment, looks strong. BSkyB will compete with the BBC to export television across the globe. Commercial broadcasters are searching for another “Downton Abbey”, a thoroughly British costume drama actually made as an American co-production. Even as Downton’s last swish of silk disappears, advertisers will pursue its audience of prosperous female viewers.
The new golden age of radio will continue with a revived commercial side likely to make still more money in 2013. Capital Radio, headed by Stephen Miron, is creating young bands and hosting big concerts, as well as playing noisy tracks to cabbies and teenagers. Mr Miron has shown that a well-targeted station with attractive add-ons can win listeners. The proliferation of whizzy digital devices is good for radio. Fresh ideas and some commercial innovation are even better.
Two commercial sectors, meanwhile, will have much to cheer in 2013. Television advertising, long predicted to evaporate in a multichannel, digital environment, looks strong. BSkyB will compete with the BBC to export television across the globe. Commercial broadcasters are searching for another “Downton Abbey”, a thoroughly British costume drama actually made as an American co-production. Even as Downton’s last swish of silk disappears, advertisers will pursue its audience of prosperous female viewers.
The new golden age of radio will continue with a revived commercial side likely to make still more money in 2013. Capital Radio, headed by Stephen Miron, is creating young bands and hosting big concerts, as well as playing noisy tracks to cabbies and teenagers. Mr Miron has shown that a well-targeted station with attractive add-ons can win listeners. The proliferation of whizzy digital devices is good for radio. Fresh ideas and some commercial innovation are even better.
OMG! Texting turns twenty
Happy bday txt msg! :D
ON DECEMBER 3rd 1992 a young Vodafone engineer wished his boss "Merry Christmas" by SMS (short message service). This is widely regarded as the first ever text. (Tapping out 07734 on a calculator, turning it upside down and handing it to someone does not count.) Since then, texting has become a global phenomenon, growing particularly rapidly in the early-noughties when America finally embraced the medium and Chinese mobile subscriptions took off. According to Portio Research, a market-research firm, 7.8 trillion text messages were sent in 2011 and the number is expected to increase. The growth of social networks in recent years such as Facebook and Twitter (based on the SMS format) and services such as BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp (which offer free or cheap texts) are seen to herald the death of SMS. Portio predicts a decline in texting around 2016 as the mobile market reaches saturation and rival systems become more popular. Yet for the moment, people's thumbs continue to peck at the fingerpad to send texts, as the number of mobile subscribers worldwide continues to grow.
ON DECEMBER 3rd 1992 a young Vodafone engineer wished his boss "Merry Christmas" by SMS (short message service). This is widely regarded as the first ever text. (Tapping out 07734 on a calculator, turning it upside down and handing it to someone does not count.) Since then, texting has become a global phenomenon, growing particularly rapidly in the early-noughties when America finally embraced the medium and Chinese mobile subscriptions took off. According to Portio Research, a market-research firm, 7.8 trillion text messages were sent in 2011 and the number is expected to increase. The growth of social networks in recent years such as Facebook and Twitter (based on the SMS format) and services such as BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp (which offer free or cheap texts) are seen to herald the death of SMS. Portio predicts a decline in texting around 2016 as the mobile market reaches saturation and rival systems become more popular. Yet for the moment, people's thumbs continue to peck at the fingerpad to send texts, as the number of mobile subscribers worldwide continues to grow.
Internet Traffic - Video Takes Over
On November 23rd Psy, a South Korean pop star, claimed the title for the most-watched online video
His goofy, rodeo-dancing “Gangnam Style” clip was viewed more than 805m times, surpassing Justin Bieber’s “Baby”. Psy’s sudden success underscores a broader trend: video has become the dominant form of (fixed-access) online content. Three years ago audiovisual entertainment was less than 30% of peak-time internet traffic in North America. That share has since doubled, says Sandvine, a consultancy. Web-browsing’s share has shrunk by two-thirds. Netflix accounts for a third of American peak-time traffic. YouTube is the world’s biggest purveyor of online videos, not all of them filmed in Seoul.
His goofy, rodeo-dancing “Gangnam Style” clip was viewed more than 805m times, surpassing Justin Bieber’s “Baby”. Psy’s sudden success underscores a broader trend: video has become the dominant form of (fixed-access) online content. Three years ago audiovisual entertainment was less than 30% of peak-time internet traffic in North America. That share has since doubled, says Sandvine, a consultancy. Web-browsing’s share has shrunk by two-thirds. Netflix accounts for a third of American peak-time traffic. YouTube is the world’s biggest purveyor of online videos, not all of them filmed in Seoul.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Authenticity is crucial when it comes to content
If brands believe in the advertising content they're creating, ensure that it both holds its own among other entertainment and is culturally credible, then the sky's the limit
Branded content has a long and esteemed history. In simple terms, many of history's renowned "creatives", such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Shakespeare, all took commissions for "branded content". The great and the good have always wanted to be associated with the work produced by the most innovative artists. Today, brands are increasingly playing the role of patron. Brands have a well-established and accepted role in the music industry, but this is spreading to film, theatre, comedy, sport, art, television drama, space travel – the list goes on. Even Tesco has its own Youtube channel.
Branded content has a long and esteemed history. In simple terms, many of history's renowned "creatives", such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Shakespeare, all took commissions for "branded content". The great and the good have always wanted to be associated with the work produced by the most innovative artists. Today, brands are increasingly playing the role of patron. Brands have a well-established and accepted role in the music industry, but this is spreading to film, theatre, comedy, sport, art, television drama, space travel – the list goes on. Even Tesco has its own Youtube channel.
DVR Use One Factor in Networks’ Low Ratings
If you ask several of the top programmers in network television what is going wrong with their ratings this season, they offer a litany of answers: jarring schedule disruptions from debates, election night and Hurricane Sandy, for instance, as well as the ever-increasing defections toward delayed viewing and away from the nightly schedules that have defined network prime time since the days of radio.
“The point the networks make is that the DVR is revolutionizing viewing,” said Brad Adgate, director of research for Horizon Media, a media buying company. “But that is masking the fact that the new shows they put on this fall just aren’t that good. There are better shows on cable.”
“The point the networks make is that the DVR is revolutionizing viewing,” said Brad Adgate, director of research for Horizon Media, a media buying company. “But that is masking the fact that the new shows they put on this fall just aren’t that good. There are better shows on cable.”
Nordic giant Schibsted wants to be world's No 1 for online classifieds
Norwegians reckon the online free ad market is up for grabs
Le Bon Coin's revenue stream is made of three parts: premium services (you pay to add a picture, a better ranking, tracking on your ad); fees coming from the growing number professionals who flock to LBC (many car dealerships put their entire inventory here); and advertising for which the primary sectors are banking and insurance, services such as mobile phone carriers or pay-TV, and automobile. Although details are scarce, LBC seems to have given up the usual banner sales, focusing instead on segmented yearly deals: A brand will target a specific demographic and LBC will deliver, for half a million or a million euros per annum.
Le Bon Coin's revenue stream is made of three parts: premium services (you pay to add a picture, a better ranking, tracking on your ad); fees coming from the growing number professionals who flock to LBC (many car dealerships put their entire inventory here); and advertising for which the primary sectors are banking and insurance, services such as mobile phone carriers or pay-TV, and automobile. Although details are scarce, LBC seems to have given up the usual banner sales, focusing instead on segmented yearly deals: A brand will target a specific demographic and LBC will deliver, for half a million or a million euros per annum.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The Economist 2012 Daily chart Advent calendar
A round-up of the year's most popular graphics and charts
WELCOME to our Daily chart Advent calendar, a collection of the 24 most popular maps, charts, data visualisations and interactive features published on our site this year. You'll find one behind each door, with a new door available to open every day until Christmas Eve, when our most popular infographic of 2012 will be revealed. There's also an entirely new graphic behind door number 25—a Christmas gift to all our readers who've been good this year.
Season's greetings from everyone at The Economist.
WELCOME to our Daily chart Advent calendar, a collection of the 24 most popular maps, charts, data visualisations and interactive features published on our site this year. You'll find one behind each door, with a new door available to open every day until Christmas Eve, when our most popular infographic of 2012 will be revealed. There's also an entirely new graphic behind door number 25—a Christmas gift to all our readers who've been good this year.
So bookmark this page, and visit us again
tomorrow to continue counting down the days.
Season's greetings from everyone at The Economist.
United Stations
Cross-border collaboration between TV companies and creatives is producing drama with global appeal
The worldwide dominance of US TV drama over the past 20 years has resulted in international audiences becoming familiar with and now even expecting the long-arc, box-set-friendly US format. Homeland was just as anticipated in Italy, Germany and Sweden as it was in the US. There is a growing taste for foreign drama in America too. Homeland was a remake of Israeli drama Hatufim; The Killing (as it is known in the UK – Forbrydelsen, or “The Crime”, is the Danish title) was remade with a Seattle setting. Other foreign-inspired shows are in the pipeline. “It’s a natural evolution,” says Balcer. “The proliferation of cable channels in the US has meant that there are so many hours to fill that; creative as US writers are, they can’t fill them all.”
The worldwide dominance of US TV drama over the past 20 years has resulted in international audiences becoming familiar with and now even expecting the long-arc, box-set-friendly US format. Homeland was just as anticipated in Italy, Germany and Sweden as it was in the US. There is a growing taste for foreign drama in America too. Homeland was a remake of Israeli drama Hatufim; The Killing (as it is known in the UK – Forbrydelsen, or “The Crime”, is the Danish title) was remade with a Seattle setting. Other foreign-inspired shows are in the pipeline. “It’s a natural evolution,” says Balcer. “The proliferation of cable channels in the US has meant that there are so many hours to fill that; creative as US writers are, they can’t fill them all.”
Simon Kuper - Brazil’s goal: a clean sheet
Hosting the World Cup and the Olympics is meant to showcase a transformation: Brazil is attacking corruption
However, it does depend what you count as corruption. Brasília’s stadium will have 70,000 seats. After 2014, it will become a white elephant, because no local team draws even 5,000 spectators. Several other stadiums under construction are equally pointless, says the Danish pressure group Play The Game. This squandering of public money has been shrouded with falsehoods by Rousseff’s government. Brazil’s sports ministry has forecast an economic boost worth more than $70bn from the World Cup – a claim that almost every sports economist would dismiss. Surely misleading your population is a form of corruption too?
However, it does depend what you count as corruption. Brasília’s stadium will have 70,000 seats. After 2014, it will become a white elephant, because no local team draws even 5,000 spectators. Several other stadiums under construction are equally pointless, says the Danish pressure group Play The Game. This squandering of public money has been shrouded with falsehoods by Rousseff’s government. Brazil’s sports ministry has forecast an economic boost worth more than $70bn from the World Cup – a claim that almost every sports economist would dismiss. Surely misleading your population is a form of corruption too?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)