Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

DDB takes a gamble on role of film

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 50 : 14 July 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Advertising & Promotion Campaigns

Australian advertising agency, DDB, will build a tourism marketing campaign around a forthcoming film. DDB won the creative component of Tourism Australia's three-year $A180 million account. The two groups met in early July 2008 to discuss the first campaign, which will focus on Baz Luhrmann's film, "Australia", which will open in November. However, the success of the film is not guaranteed. Tourism Australia's previous campaign created great controversy and did not greatly increase tourist numbers or spending

Products & Services

ACP rejects doubts over fashion mag

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

LexisNexis Summary: Products & Services

ACP Magazines is confident that its new weekly fashion magazine will reach its sales targets. The Australian issue of "Grazia" will be launched on 21 July 2008. Pat Ingram of ACP has admitted that the magazine market is difficult at the moment but believes that the target of 80,000 copies a week is realistic. The magazine will be a mixture of fashion, news and celebrity news. Some $A7 million will be spent on marketing during its first year. An advertising campaign began on 13 July

Blessed are the 100,000 iPhone geeks

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 7 : 12 July 2008
Original article by Chris JenkinsTracy Lee and Ben Woodhead

LexisNexis Summary: Products & Services

Apple has released its third generation (3G) iPhone device in Australia, with some 100,000 units sold on the first day. The mobile telephone is especially popular with male consumers in their 30s, who can choose between the three telco providers of Singtel Optus, Vodafone or Telstra. Fourth rival Hutchison will evaluate the handset for future use on its "3" network. The large number of new registrations on 11 July 2008 caused a temporary breakdown in the computer systems of Optus, which is also said to offer the best subscriber plan for the iPhone

Marketing Strategy

Emotional Telstra makes the connection with customers

The Australian
Page: 34 : 14 July 2008
Original article by Simon Canning

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

Bill Obermeier has overseen Telstra's building of an emotional link between its brand and its customers. Obermeier has been director of brand, advertising and sponsorship for three years. A study of customers led to a better understanding of segments of the market and the use of emotion to communicate with customers. Obermeier says the launch of the Next G network moved the brand forward. An advertising campaign was needed to provide international validation, as Australians do not value local achievements. Obermeier will step down in August 2008

Social networking with no boring bits

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 51 : 14 July 2008
Original article by Noelle Waugh

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

An increasing number of organisations are using online social networking sites for advertising. Packaged goods company, Unilever, ran a successful trial for the Cornetto ice cream brand on social networking sites and blog forums over the summer of 2007-08. It was part of an online seeding strategy before a tradition advertising campaign. There are some risks in the use of social media, but a number of companies are creating dialogues with consumers through social media and user-generated content

Hotel freebies a pearl of sales wisdom

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 6 : 12 July 2008
Original article by Lisa Allen

LexisNexis Summary: Marketing Strategy

A number of Australian hotels are offering extras with their accommodation to counter a slump in consumer spending. Rising fuel costs and a general tightening of discretionary incomes are forcing the operators to advertise packages especially for the weekends in the capital cities, when business travel cannot be relied upon to prop up occupancy rates. Among the special packages available are those for expectant mothers and their partners, or those that include free golf course entry or theatre tickets. The Sofitel hotel on the Gold Coast even advertises a pearl valued at $A510 as part of its deal that costs just $A585 per night

Consumer Behaviour

Emotional Telstra makes the connection with customers

The Australian
Page: 34 : 14 July 2008
Original article by Simon Canning

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Bill Obermeier has overseen Telstra's building of an emotional link between its brand and its customers. Obermeier has been director of brand, advertising and sponsorship for three years. A study of customers led to a better understanding of segments of the market and the use of emotion to communicate with customers. Obermeier says the launch of the Next G network moved the brand forward. An advertising campaign was needed to provide international validation, as Australians do not value local achievements. Obermeier will step down in August 2008

Games trump movies, music

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 47 : 14 July 2008
Original article by Ben Woodhead

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Video games now equate to a $A1.6 billion industry in Australia as women and older people take up the technology. Research shows that there was a 53% increase in video games sales in the 2007-08 financial year, triple the previous year. Indications are that the gaming sector is growing faster than movies and DVDs. The growth has been put down to new games that do not follow the "shoot 'em up" format and to the merging of technologies in the latest gaming consoles

Seven banks on Olympic deluge

The Australian Financial Review
Page: 48 : 14 July 2008
Original article by Neil Shoebridge

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

The Seven Network is expected to advertise its new programming heavily during its coverage of the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. Seven is losing to the Nine Network in the ratings battle. Media analysts believe Seven may win the ratings year, but Nine's positive trend is expected to continue. The Ten Network has not been performing as well in recent months, and its success is dependent on its upcoming "Australian Idol" season and new dramas. Ten has lost 3% of its crucial under-40 viewers, while Nine has ranked number one in the 18 to 49 age demographic

More stores for City Beach

Inside Retailing
Page: 6-7 : 7 July 2008
Original article by Lyn White

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

Chris Somerville says that Perth shoppers are different to those on the east coast of Australia. Somerville, the marketing manager of Brisbane-based beachwear retailer City Beach, says that while the average shopper in Sydney or Brisbane will be carrying two or three bags, Perth shoppers will be walking around with five or six. City Beach, which has 52 stores across a number of Australian states, will be soon be opening a new one in suburban Perth and another at Airlie Beach in northern Queensland

Victorian retailers convicted over unsafe toys

Inside Retailing
Page: 14 : 7 July 2008

LexisNexis Summary: Consumer Behaviour

A visit by Consumers Affairs Victoria (CAV) to a toy shop in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh has led to a conviction in the Melbourne Magistrates Court. Ai Min Ling and David Sun, directors of Best B Pty Ltd, were convicted under section 33 of the Fair Trading Act of selling unsafe toys. The CAV inspection of their store found over 2,700 products that did not meet safety standards. The two directors were released on good behaviour for 12 months, required to pay CAV's legal costs of $A1,500, place advertisements in two newspapers, and implement compliance training for relevant staff