Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Australia mines South African talent

The Age
Page: B10 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Tim Harcourt

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Australia has growing ties with South Africa (SA). Australian mining companies are active in SA, because both nations are rich in minerals. The Australian Football League (AFL) is involved in SA, sending its talent scouts there to look for sporting talent. Darren Beazley works for the Fremantle Dockers Club and is working in SA. He has raised sponsorship money from some SA companies, including Nkwe Platinum. The Dockers have a development zone in the north-west of Pretoria, where they recruit for talent. The AFL game has become popular in SA and many footballers from Australia have visited there

Howard ignored his own polling

The Sydney Morning Herald
Page: 1-2 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Mark Davis

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

The former Australian Government reportedly had secret research showing voter dissatisfaction with WorkChoices prior to the 2007 federal election. According to the research, which was conducted by Colmar Brunton Social Research, the former government's $A20 million WorkChoices advertising campaign only served to entrench apprehension about the legislation. Speaking to a Washington conservative think tank on 5 March 2008, Howard said the Australian Labor Party's decision to bring back unfair dismissal laws would "stifle employment and growth in small business"

Networks tuning into surprise ad revenue boost

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 69 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Australia's three main commercial TV networks have sold all of their advertising inventory for key programs for March and April 2008. The better-than-expected strength of Australia's capital city TV ad market has made the Seven, Nine and Ten networks confident about the half-year to 30 June. The success of the Ten Network's "So You Think You Can Dance" reality series, which is pulling in an estimated 1.5 million viewers twice a week, has contributed to the network's success. Ten is scheduled to release its interim results on 27 March

Alinta to push benefits of gas

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 75 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Christopher Jay

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Alinta runs a gas network in New South Wales. Alinta is arguing that Australia can cut its greenhouse gas emissions by using natural gas as an energy source. The Australian Government aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions significantly, in order to reduce global warming. Pulse Marketing Group is running a campaign to get more Australians to switch to natural gas, on behalf of Alinta. Alinta is arguing that switching to natural gas can cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 75%

Suck it in

BRW
Page: 62 : 6 March 2008
Original article by Jeff Jarvis

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

The internet is often used by dissatisfied consumers to vent their anger and write what they really think about a particular company. Businesses are advised to monitor the comments made by unhappy customers about their products and services. It makes sense to be proactive. Dell set up a website and invited customers to rate its products and write comments about them. In 2007, the company received 600,000 votes and 64,000 comments

E-Business

Vital parties denied e-conveyance input

The Australian
Page: 29 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Chris Merritt

LexisNexis Summary: E-Business

The Victorian Government's electronic conveyancing system will be adopted and modified by other Australian states. This follows a meeting of the state governments at the Melbourne office of law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques. However, organisations such as the Law Council of Australia and the Australian Bankers' Association still favour a national e-conveyancing system. The Law Council's John Corcoran says lawyers and bankers have concerns about the Victorian system, adding that any e-conveyancing system that is adopted needs to be acceptable to "key stakeholders"

Creating an effective national system is Rudd's challenge

The Australian
Page: 29 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Chris Merritt

LexisNexis Summary: E-Business

The Australian Government needs to show leadership by creating a national electronic conveyancing system. Victoria has spent $A40 million on the establishment of a system that has been boycotted by banks and solicitors. In early March 2008, all other states have agreed to establish a network of state-based systems based on the same model. The Victorian system has increased conveyancing costs. Banks want to deal with a single national system

Marketing Strategy

Firms draw curtain on star system

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 20 : 7 March 2008
Original article by Alex Boxsell

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

There is tension in Australian law firms between the firm and the "stars" within it. The firm has a brand and a reputation. If one lawyer becomes a star, then he or she might leave and take clients with him or her, to the detriment of the firm. Lawyers who have thought through this issue include Trish Carroll of Galt Advisory, the former head of marketing at Minter Ellison, and Michael Back of Freehills. Branding experts believe that law firms must build a brand, an image that people perceive to be excellent. Sue Kench of Mallesons Stephen Jaques noted that the Mallesons brand is very strong. The firm's lawyers are known to make life as easy as they can for clients by being available when needed. Marketers advise that law firms must "walk the talk" and actually practise the values they claim to have

Groove Accessories swamped with franchise inquiries

Inside Retailing
Page: 4-5 : 3 March 2008
Original article by Lyn White

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

Of the 47 stores within the Groove Accessories chain, only one, located in Surfers Paradise, is a franchise. However, the Brisbane-based lifestyle products retailer aims to have as many as 35 of its stores franchised by the end of 2008. It had aimed to start the franchise process in January 2008, but now hopes to start in March 2008. Groove Accessories' national visual merchandising and marketing manager, Jennifer Jedra says it has around 50 inquiries from potential franchisees, including one from South Africa. Groove Accessories was started in 2003 and sells products such as luggage, cosmetics and jewellery

Consumer Behaviour

Priced out of the market

BRW
Page: 10 : 6 March 2008
Original article by Chris Larsen

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Housing affordability has become a political issue in Australia. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently announced a number of new initiatives to deal with the problem of housing supply and the impact of rising interest rates on house prices. As the Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to announce further increases in the coming months, housing affordability is almost certain to deteriorate. The annual shortfall between housing demand and supply was estimated at 30,000 in 2007

Shop till we drop

BRW
Page: 19 : 6 March 2008
Original article by Sean Aylmer

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Capital expenditure data for Australia in the December 2007 quarter was released in the week ending 29 February 2007. The data revealed private new capital expenditure rose by 5.1 per cent, suggesting there is little likelihood of a recession in Australia in the foreseeable future. Capital expenditure had fallen in the previous quarter. Tony Meer, chief economist at Deutsche Bank, says that Australian household spending will need to be curbed over the next few years in order to prevent inflation getting out of control

Foxtel on the run

BRW
Page: 22-23 : 6 March 2008
Original article by Foad Fadaghi

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Foxtel, the Australian pay television operator, has reported its results for the six months to December 2007. Its pre-tax earnings increased by 62 per cent to $A165 million, while the number of its subscribers rose by 13 per cent during 2007. However, although now almost 30 per cent of Australian households are now Foxtel customers, there are a number of uncertainties facing its future. Telstra, which owns 50 per cent of Foxtel, may elect to start providing its own television content over the internet when an agreement that prevents it from offering rival box-top systems expires in November 2008. Meanwhile, with interest rates and mortgages increasing, consumers may decide that pay television is a luxury that they can no longer afford

Home Timber & Hardware takes on large format challenge

Inside Retailing
Page: 13-14 : 3 March 2008

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Australia's Home Timber & Hardware chain is fighting back against its major rivals, the Bunnings warehouse chain and Mitre 10. Home Timber & Hardware has already launched eight larger stores to outflank its rivals. Danks Holdings is the wholesaler that owns Home Timber & Hardware, Thrifty Link and Plants Plus. The MD of Danks, Graeme Danks, says overall sales for the group in the first half were flat, with a 1% increase that lifted revenues to $A303.5 million. Danks blames a decline in housing construction and falling consumer confidence for the relatively modest result