Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Charity riders feel wheely good

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 8 : 15 March 2008
Original article by Ashley Midalia

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Australian financial services firm Portfolio Partners is a frequent sponsor of cycling events. CEO Craig Bingham also is a board member of Cycling Australia. Many executives especially in the real estate and investment management sectors cycle to work or on the weekend, and in March 2008 a group of 36 such businessmen undertook the "Chain Reaction Challenge". The charity ride went from Canberra to Melbourne, covering 1,000km in one week and raising in excess of $A800,000

Seven beats the Olympic $100m mark

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 14 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

The Seven Network has negotiated $A100 million worth of advertising revenue for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. By the end of the Games on 24 August 2008, the Australian TV broadcaster expects another $A40 million in revenue. Seven has sold four "partnership" deals for $A8.4 million each and nine sponsorships for $A5.5 million each. It is negotiating with a 10th sponsor. The deals cover advertising on Seven, TV broadcaster SBS and the Yahoo!7 website

Free View meeting

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 50 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Australian television networks are banding together to promote digital television under the FreeView brand. In mid-March 2008, a meeting was held between the Ten, Nine and Seven networks, SBS, regional TV networks and the ABC. They discussed the FreeView brand, its launch and marketing strategy. FreeView is also intended to stem the growth of pay-TV, which accounts for 28% of TV viewers. The Seven Network is hesitant over the branding because of its own plans to introduce the digital recorder TiVo in mid-2008

Audience tracking to boost outdoor ads

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 51 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

A new audience tracking system for outdoor advertising should lift the sector's media advertising share by six per cent by 2012. A similar program to the one announced on 14 March 2008 has operated in Great Britain for over 10 years and has resulted in an increased market share of between four and 10 per cent. Advertising revenue in Australia's outdoor advertising sector increased by over 12 % in 2007 to around $A428 million. Some reasons for this growth were new technologies such as digital signs and the incorporation of Bluetooth, and new advertising sites in shopping centres and airports

Products & Services

RCG woos fitness queen Lorna Jane

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 18 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Sue Mitchell

LexisNexis Summary: Products & Services

RCG Corporation is talking about buying the Lorna Jane active-wear stores. On 14 March 2008, RCG chairman, Ivan Hammerschlag, refused to confirm negotiations but he did say that the company would have $A2 million available after the sale of its King of Knives stores is finalised in late 2008. RCG, which owns Athlete's Foot, has also considered purchasing Paul's Warehouse and Barbecues Galore. Minor shareholders have expressed concern at the strategy of RCG, as the athletics area is dominated by major brands which Lorna Jane does not stock

Rush for cash has produced great rate deals for savers

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 41 : 15 March 2008
Original article by Debra Cleveland

LexisNexis Summary: Products & Services

Interest rates of eight per cent and above mean that term deposit accounts are enjoying renewed popularity. Banks trying to secure cash for home loans are offering improved term deposit accounts. Andrew Willink, of RateCity, reports that Macquarie Bank, RaboPlus and BankWest Direct offer the best 90-day deposit rates. "Hybrid" deposit accounts featuring transaction capabilities, such as Citibank's "Ultimate Saver Deposit" and Suncorp's "Everyday Option", are fairly new on the Australian market

E-Business

Online growth slows

BRW
Page: 67 : 13 March 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: E-Business

Expenditure on online advertising in Australia rose by 34.5 per cent in 2007, compared with around 10 per cent for advertising overall. However, growth in the $A1.35 billion online sector was less than expected, and compared unfavourably with that of more than 60 per cent in the previous three years. Along with signs that growth is slowing, a major concern for the online sector is its inability to come up with an audience measurement system that will satisfy advertisers and marketers

Marketing Strategy

It's more (or less) what it seems

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 49 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

The media advertising sector is not happy with the level or type of service being provided by market researchers. On 14 March 2008, the techniques for measuring audience viewing were described as inadequate and anachronistic. The dissatisfaction comes from the industry's inability to keep up with the media changes on the internet and time-shifted viewing. Media market research in Australia does not measure the viewing of the new high-definition television stations, is sticking with a diary-based system in some circumstances, and maintains the status quo

Outcry over $28m export aid shortfall

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 4 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Tracy Sutherland

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

The Australian Government is operating an Export Market Development Grants scheme for small and medium businesses. For those firms spending between $A15,000 and $A150,000, a rebate of 50% is available. However, the bureaucratic burden originally attached was so severe that the program's budget of $A150m per annum was usually not depleted. This changed in 2007 after amendments by the then federal government, and as result in March 2008 there is a funding shortfall of $A28m combined. An increase of $A50m is not due until two years later, and lobbying has started to convince Small Business Minister Craig Emerson more money is needed

Getting tools to people who want to go green

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 18 : 15 March 2008
Original article by Mark Fenton-Jones

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

Many Australians lack knowledge of how to live more sustainably. Connection Research reports that eco-friendly housing is not a familiar idea to a significant number of first-home buyers. Guidelines on permissible environmental claims in marketing have been issued by the competition regulator. Eco-retailer Todae has over 8,000 online customers for its sustainable products and services. The firm opened a store in Sydney in 2003, while Biome Living recently opened its second outlet. Todae is achieving sales growth of 100 per cent per annum

Consumer Behaviour

Party's over as auctions take a hammering

The Australian
Page: 6 : 17 March 2008
Original article by John Stapleton

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Property market observers say a slump in consumer confidence contributed to the fall in auction clearance rates on the weekend of 15-16 March 2008. The majority of Australia's capital cities experienced a sharp fall in clearance rates, although there were more homes on the market in most cities. The clearance rate in Brisbane fell to just 23.7 per cent, while Sydney and Melbourne had clearance rates of 48.3 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. Michael McNamara of Australian Property Monitors expects clearance rates to continue to fall during 2008

Fast track to a degree

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 33 : 17 March 2008
Original article by Joanna Mather

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Generation Y wants to learn quickly, and earn while doing so. Jessica Lourigan hopes to complete a business degree in two years rather than three, while also working full time. Lourigan is enrolled in a bachelor of business course with APM College of Business & Communication while working as a publicity co-ordinator with David Jones. In response to this trend more public and private higher education providers are offering accelerated degrees

When brokers are missing lunch, you know it's starting to hurt

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 2-3 : 15 March 2008
Original article by John Kehoe

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Some Australian businesses report that the interest rate rises of February and March 2008 are having an impact. Scott Rovey, of officesupplies.com, says business customers have reduced their spending on stationery. Bernie Brookes, the CEO of Myer, reports that sales in areas such as homewares have fallen. Tony Giannakis, of The Graham, says regulars are visiting the Port Melbourne restaurant less frequently. Caterina Tarchi, of Sydney's Machiavelli, notes that fewer stockbrokers are visiting the upmarket establishment