Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Controversy flares, but sponsors stick with the Games

The Sydney Morning Herald
Page: 35 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Julian Lee

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

The Australian Olympic team's key corporate sponsors have downplayed concerns over the controversy surrounding the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Many sponsors stress that they are supporting the Australian team rather than the Olympics, and believe that the general public will recognise this. While the spokespeople of some sponsors have noted their company's support for human rights, the general view of sponsors is that the issue of Tibet is a political one and their focus is on giving support to the Australian athletes

A tough gig - and someone fresh will have to do it

The Sydney Morning Herald
Page: 35 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Paul McIntyre

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Finding a replacement for the head of Australia's chief advertising association will be a challenging task, given current scrutiny of a range of sensitive regulatory issues. Alcohol marketing, children's marketing, junk food marketing and environmental marketing have been topics of much public discussion in early 2008, prompting outgoing chair of the Australian Association of National Advertisers Ian Alwill to call for a replacement from outside the food industry. The two most likely candidates come from diverging backgrounds. One is from media group News Limited and was the former McDonalds marketing head, while the other is with the Commonwealth Bank

Lights to go out on CDMA

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 13 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Tracy Lee

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Telstra will close down its CDMA mobile telephone network on 28 April 2008. A broad advertising campaign about the shutdown was announced on 23 April. Telstra has also appointed two new directors, John Mullen, the CEO of DHL Express, and the CEO of National Australia Bank, John Stewart. These appointments will need shareholder approval at the telco's November 2008 annual general meeting

Products & Services

Brand names riding in to help feed the digital beast

The Sydney Morning Herald
Page: 35 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Paul McIntyre

LexisNexis Summary: Products & Services

Television production companies suspect that brand-funded programming will be the solution to increasing demand for content from 2009. Critics are concerned that the quality of television will be greatly compromised by the move, defended by media companies as necessary due to an additional 350 hours of upcoming weekly airtime to fill. Former Nine Network director and founder of Abundant Media, Paul Waldren, stated that networks are wary of filling airtime with cheap shows, and will be looking at branded media in order to acquire quality, well-funded productions

E-Business

Prime merges key assets to set up new digital strategy

The Australian
Page: 31 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Lara Sinclair

LexisNexis Summary: E-Business

Prime Media Group will undergo reorganisation in order to create a single digital group from its existing online assets. The new arm will combine assets from Destra, iPrime, Becker Group and Magna Pacific to include video web sites, internet TV, branded content and DVD distribution. The move comes swiftly after Prime took control of Destra in April 2008, following the latter's loss of $A900,000 through the collapse of stockbroking firm, Opes Prime

Marketing Strategy

Learning how to live with micro-fame

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 64 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Clive Thompson

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

Technology has created micro-celebrity, which has led to the development of new social skills. People become micro-celebrities when they become very well known to a small group through websites and blogs. Some feel that this will force people to be overly concerned with their public image. However, people are adapting to micro-fame by developing social skills. They are using public relations techniques to manage their identity

Consumer Behaviour

Time for a wealth rethink

Independent Financial Adviser
Page: 27 : 21 April 2008
Original article by Kevin Bailey

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Financial planners need to adopt a proactive stance on their clients' attitudes to wealth. Planners should teach their clients about the difference between wealth and affluence. In "The Millionaire Next Door", Thomas Stanley and William Danko report on the habits of wealthy individuals. These include living below their means, valuing financial independence above displays of social status, having economically self-sufficient children and selecting the right occupation. By contrast, the goals of "hyperconsumers" tend to revolve around purchasing status goods

Canaries in retail coalmine signal that Reserve should ignore inflation jump

The Age
Page: B10 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Malcolm Maiden

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Former Reserve Bank of Australia board member, Solomon Lew, spoke out against further interest rate rises on 23 April 2008. Lew's comments coincided with the release of inflation figures which showed a 4.1 per cent annual increase in consumer prices. According to Lew, a five per cent drop in sales by specialty apparel retailers in March and falls of up to 25 per cent at some stores suggest 2008 will be a very difficult year. Lew said the poor figures were caused by industry-wide fire sales and difficult trading conditions

How CPI shopping list has changed

The Age
Page: A6 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Tim Colebatch

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Australian consumer spending has changed since 1948. People had less money and there were fewer things to buy. The CPI then covered only 25 product categories. Food and clothing comprised a little over 50 per cent of all spending, compared with less than 20 per cent in 2008. Meals out and takeaway food, not a separate category in 1948, are now the largest food category. Other new categories are bank charges, holiday travel and home entertainment equipment

Cynics, take note: Summit reveals the opinion-makers' priorities

The Australian
Page: 24 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Bernard Salt

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

It is certain that some of the agenda of Australia's "2020" summit will end up as government policy. Participants from Generation X and younger were some of the most active agents of change on issues such as social inclusion, the environment and indigenous Australia. The summit is a great indicator of Australia's future social and cultural agenda, at least for the intellectual elite. This group's preference for numbers became evident, with the need to measure and monitor progress towards goals discussed in the climate change group and talk of "evidence-based decision-making" by other groups

Melbourne saddles up

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 14 : 24 April 2008
Original article by Mark Phillips

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Melbourne is experiencing a boom in cycling commuters. Figures from Bicycle Victoria on 23 April 2008 have bicycles at 10% of CBD traffic. Melbourne has the highest number of people riding to work, at 42% compared with 31% in Adelaide and 18% in Sydney. The Melbourne figures equate to 17,845 bicycle commuters every day. The topography of Melbourne makes it ideal for cycling, and new office buildings are now accommodating this growing trend through designated bike racks and even clean towels for cycling commuters