robforshaw

Private Dick Movie

2007-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a taster of Private Dick Movie. See more at www.privatedickmovie.co.uk

Private Dick Movie

2007-07-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Latest viral offering from Condom Essential Wear Campaign.

The Third Age of Television

2007-02-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was at the Roundhouse for The Thinkbox event, ‘The Third Age of Television’ and what a fitting environment it is - vivid, slick and impressive - a venue itself brought back to life after near death experience. Will the TV and advertising industry come away from the event feeling it has experienced something similar, I thought to myself.

To kick the event off on a positive note, Tess Alps reassured the audience that TV is in good health. We are now watching more TV than ever with a record 2.2 billion TV commercial impacts last year. Even the dreaded (wonderful) PVR (10% of households) brings good news. In fact, PVRs increase our capacity to consume TV advertising as these households watch around 5% more TV advertising than the norm. What is more, 39% of them watch ads even in a time-shifted state (on play back).*

Am I hearing this right? The TV ad industry is in rude health. If times have never been so good then why is TV revenue down? Apparently, the answer is that we are being foolishly distracted and diverting our investment to channels that are less deserving like the Internet.

So what is TV’s case for an increase in investment? Here’s the science bit.

TV is powerful because our brains respond well to it and store the information as associations in the form of neurons. Effectively our responses become hard-wired.

We can even unpick this hard-wiring to help tackle tobacco and alcohol usage (the problem we so masterfully helped to create). Implicitly ad agencies know how the brain works and create ads that drive an emotional response. But we know this. We sing jingles, re-enact the dance moves and plod down to the shops like Pavlovian dogs.

So I listened to all this and just kept thinking one thing. TV is undoubtedly powerful stuff and I can’t dispute that but aren’t we forgetting that great content produced by say HBO can be delivered down a high bandwidth connection skipping the TV channel?

The Internet is certainly not going to change the fact that we love watching programmes like Lost and The West Wing. However, it will affect its delivery and this could bypass much of what is being discussed here today. While Bit Torrent is certainly not a mainstream application it does paint a scary picture for the industry when I can legally download film and TV content to watch when I want. And that’s without mentioning Microsoft, Google or Apple.

But just as I started to wriggle in my seat a fanfare announced ‘The Third Age of Television’. It is essentially TV content delivered across multiple platforms and devices. This we are reassured is going to be the Golden Age of Television. Okay now we’re talking.

We heard how both Sony and Guinness had taken a simple yet powerful TV idea and helped extent their reach through other channels. Encouraging users to take the content and manipulate it for their own purposes. We also heard that whilst the Bravia ad (balls I think) is the most watched TV ad on You Tube at around 3.5 million views this represented only half the total audience for its launch UK spot which ran at half time during Chelsea v Man U last season. It seems TV is not quite dead yet?

There was throughout, what was an excellent day, lots more to see and do but I got most from the discussion between Andy Duncan (Channel 4), Michael Grade (ITV) and Jane Lighting (C5). A lot more realism was displayed not surprisingly by these wise and dynamic leaders of commercial television. Perhaps the most insightful comment was from Michael Grade, in signature pink socks, who said that the Internet would be a very good thing for television. His case was that when TV launched they said it would kill movies. The film industry was so cautious they would not allow movies to air on TV for fear it would kill off cinema audiences. The first film did not air on UK television until 1960.

In fact, TV proved to be a catalyst for the film industry. TV and new technologies, that have emerged since, have all extended the value chain of the film and TV industry. A film now receives more revenue from DVD and computer games sales than box office receipts. The message was clear. TV had to embrace the Internet as a distribution channel to extend the value of its most important asset.

This was a fitting end to a great day but perhaps a little late on. I guess as Andy Duncan said, it is all about scheduling. The big guns were brought on last to keep the bums on the seats although this proved only moderately successful. Those that had left missed the best bit.

Overall I felt there would be winners and losers in this race. The winners would have a clear vision of how the Internet would help transform their business and those that will fail we continue to regard it as a threat. Google and Microsoft have no respect for history. I am sure the battle will be bloody but perhaps one of the most compelling in the history of media.

*Sorry, I didn’t note down the sources for these but I’m sure they’ll be on the web site.

Is blogging killing planning: LIVE AND UNPLUGGED

2007-02-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Following the debate that raged here at the excellent AdLiterate, there will be an IPA Strategy Group debate between John Grant and John Lowery at the end of March. More details to follow.

HSBC: Green Sale

2007-01-03T02:37:00.000-08:00

I have huge admiration for organisations who put themselves out there on the big issues. It is hard enough getting people to stack the dishwasher at GU let alone mobilise a global organisation around such a prickly issue - especially for a bank. But they said to hell with it and just did it. So a good early victory for the brand in a category dancing on a headpin desperate to achieve distinctiveness.

In case you haven't seen the TV/online ads they have done a 'Green Sale' donating a proportion of each product to helping tackle climate change. Take a look.

Digital Marketing: Predictions for 2007

2007-01-03T02:27:00.000-08:00

Here's some predictions for US Internet marketing in 2007 courtesy of eMarketer. Interesting to note: no mobile, no wi-fi, no search, so it looks a lot like 2006. Anyhow, take a look and see what you think.

Online Ad Spending Will Hit $20 Billion
Some Money and Lots of Hype for Online Video Advertising
Social Networks Are Set for a $1 Billion Windfall
Downloadable Games Will Get Hotter
Thirty-Seven Million Strong: A 'Minority' Bigger than Canada
Mobile TV Arrives
US B2C E-Commerce Will Cruise Past $200 Billion
The Retail Power of Word-of-Mouth
Broadband Services Will Matter as Much as Speed
DVRs Pump Up TV Viewing

Online Ad SpendingTotal US spending on Internet advertising will reach at least $19.5 billion in 2007. This is 19% more than total spending in 2006. This rate of growth is sharply down from the 30% or more that has been the norm for several years. However, even this reduced level of year-on-year growth would be considered spectacular for most industries. With total US advertising spending projected to grow by a mere 1.4% in 2007, the shift to the Internet is clearly set to maintain its heady momentum in 2007.

Online Video AdvertisingInternet video advertising will get more media play than dollars in 2007. eMarketer projects that spending on this format will total $775 million in 2007. To put this figure in perspective, remember that it represents only 4.0% of projected US online ad spending. Although marketers are increasingly keen on including video in their online ad campaigns, they will continue to face a shortage of appropriate premium placements.
Social NetworksWorldwide ad spending on online social networks should top $1 billion in 2007, up from an estimated $445 million this year. Fueling this growth will be factors such as international expansion, "niche" networks and Google's deal to supply search technology to MySpace.

Video Game DownloadsDigital downloading of video games will take off in 2007, and by 2010 this distribution method will account for 22% of all worldwide game software revenues. Besides online stores pushing the new generation of games consoles, look for Time Warner's GameTap service to position itself as the HBO of PC gaming, focusing on original content to drive its subscription service. Video-on-demand (VOD) marketers may find their skills in demand for promoting these platforms, which play on subscriber taste for instant gratification via download.
Hispanic and African-American Internet UsersThe number of African-American and Hispanic Internet users in the US will rise to 37 million, from 35 million in 2006. This market will continue to grow faster than the total US online population for several more years, giving advertisers with the imagination to reach out to them fresh opportunities. (The population of Canada is 33 million.)

Mobile TVMobile TV took its first baby steps in 2006 with professional content. The World Cup offered a first glimpse of what the broadcasting future for mobile might look like, and in 2007 another crucial element will be added to the mobile-TV mix — user-generated content (CGC). Given the impact the Web equivalent of this development has had in 2006, advertisers and marketers are likely to face a dizzying array of new choices.

US B2C E-CommerceUS B2C online sales will comfortably pass the $200 billion mark in 2007, reaching a new record total, which eMarketer projects will be $223 billion. Online retail sales will account for $132 billion of this, with online travel accounting for $91 billion. Some of the impetus for this growth will come from existing online buyers increasing their spending. A significant force driving online travel sales is the demand from travel-loving and relatively affluent baby boomers.

Word-of-MouthThe influence of consumer generated content (CGC) on US consumers' purchase decisions will continue to grow in 2007. A recent study from market research firm Compete found that consumers were more likely to be swayed by CGC than by information coming directly from brand advertisers and marketers.

Broadband ServicesWhen broadband emerged, it was distinguished from dial-up by its always-on nature and the greater bandwidth available to users. These characteristics were seen as reason enough to trade up from dial-up. Now, however, broadband is about value-added services and is driven by providers bundling voice, video and data together. Services such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) are approaching the 30% penetration range. eMarketer predicts that one in four broadband households in 2007 will subscribe to a VoIP service, rising to nearly 40% of broadband households by 2010.

DVRs and TV ViewingThe alarmist claims that digital video recorders (DVRs) and video-on-demand (VOD) would cause the death of TV and the loss of billions of dollars worth of advertising dollars are increasingly looking just plain wrong. TV distribution and access are changing and audiences are increasingly fragmented. However, every challenge presents an opportunity. More people will watch more TV and video content in the future, not less. They will just be doing so in different ways — via the TV, the Internet, the PC and their portable devices. eMarketer predicts that VOD will be in 30% of US TV households by the end of 2007 and that DVRs will be in 30% of TV households by 2009.

Happy New Year, Happy New World

2007-01-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

For me 2007 will be guided by my ability, that of my family and the business to engage with the small matter of climate change. Over the Christmas period I realised that enough was enough. Maybe it is being around the kids.

While I do the normal stuff like turning off lights, turning down thermostats etc. I decided that this is way too easy - I need to be doing more. So I'm going to look into alternative modes of transport, electric, LPG etc as I still like to get out of the city with the kids amongst other things. When I find out something cool I'll let you know.

But I figured I should also be looking at the food I eat and what it's packaged in. Last year at GU we tried a 'Soup Club' which lasted a few weeks but should be resurrected. It involved everyone bringing in home-made soup rather than buying from M&S/Pret etc. It was great.

So if you do read this ("mum") then think about what you can do, to do your bit and if you need anymore convincing that the world is in trouble please go and buy/rent this film. It may just change your life and could help change a whole lot more.

Top 10 Internet Acquisitions in 2006

2006-12-20T12:48:00.000-08:00

1 YouTube by Google , $1.65 billion
The year's biggest valuation is also the most debated: Is YouTube going to be a steal at Google's purchase price once it becomes the future of TV, or a growing source of legal hassle as more networks request to have their content removed?

2 Massive by Microsoft, $200 million-$400 million
The gaming industry's most active in-game advertiser was a wise investment for Microsoft, which was a minor player in the crowded market.

3 Atom Films by Viacom, $200 million
A move criticized by some as a me-too acquisition by Viacom, which shelled out $200 million for the seven-year-old web company. But Viacom did get a global digital media officer out of the deal-Atom CEO Mika Salmi.

4 DMarc by Google, $102 million
DMarc marked Google's entry into the radio-advertising business. The deal was valued at $102 million upfront but could be worth as much as $1.2 billion, depending on how dMarc performs over three years.

5 Xfire by Viacom, $102 million
Xfire's social-networking, instant-messaging and gaming-information services so impressed Viacom it was willing to shell out upward of $100 million.

6 Platform by Comcast, $80 million
The Platform is a cornerstone of Comcast's fledgling online-video play. The broadband-services provider cost the cable company in the neighborhood of a rumored $80 mil.

7 Grouper by Sony, $65 million
Sony gave copyright-shirking YouTubers a run for their money by purchasing this legit video-sharing site. Should its main competitor ever go down in a sea of lawsuit-induced flames, expect Grouper to emerge as the next major player.

8 JotSpot by Google, $50 million
Google's venture into the wiki world was a questionable move for a company that has been notoriously low on ad inventory. Offering JotSpot's previously paid services free to users also raised questions of monetizing possibilities.

9 Petfinder by Animal Planet, $35 million
The year's biggest (and cutest) no-brainer was the announcement that Animal Planet would unite TV fans and pet owners to help locate long-lost animal friends. Petfinder could give a dog a bone or five thanks to the $35 million buyout.

10 Wired.com by Conde Nast, $25 million
Better late than never. Nearly a decade after its initial purchase of the tech mag, Conde Nast finally put its hot print property under the same roof as its web counterpart.

As featured in Ad Age.

xpapr: Awesome new user generated wrapping paper

2006-12-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

A piece of work from Grand Union in time for Christmas.

Live 105 Morning show I don't know why but this just makes

2006-12-18T16:32:00.000-08:00

Live 105 Morning show

I don't know why but this just makes me feel warm inside. The guy is a genius.

robforshaw

Private Dick Movie

Private Dick Movie

The Third Age of Television

Is blogging killing planning: LIVE AND UNPLUGGED

HSBC: Green Sale

Digital Marketing: Predictions for 2007

Happy New Year, Happy New World

Top 10 Internet Acquisitions in 2006

xpapr: Awesome new user generated wrapping paper

*Live 105 Morning show* I don't know why but this just makes

Live 105 Morning show I don't know why but this just makes