Launch Group

Media Release: ANDY X: Andy Warhol’s 40 minutes of fame

2012-02-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Rocky Horror creator launches online tribute on 25th anniversary of Warhol’s death

World first exclusive online release of art film

19 January 2012: Sunday Pictures, in association with DLSHS and ScreenLaunch announces the global online launch of Jim Sharman’s new visual experience ANDY X on February 22nd, 2012.

ANDY X is a 40-minute musical reverie about legendary artist Andy Warhol. Blending a unique filmic structure of song, verse and montage, Sharman explores Warhol’s life from his death-bed in a New York Hospital on 22 February 1987.

This online film experience marks the return of iconic Australian director Jim Sharman to the screen, albeit an online screen. Best known for pushing conventional boundaries with his theatre, opera and cult cinema creations, including the musical extravaganza The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sharman breaks new ground again exclusively releasing his tribute film online.

On choosing to launch the film in this way, Jim said, “Online movies are a new art form and their potential is evolving, yet cyberspace seems the perfect place to explore the Warhol enigma. I imagine Warhol would have loved the net, and we’ve enjoyed creating this unique 40 minute portrait, or ‘cinematic séance’ with Andy Warhol”.

Given the global audience, the film will be launched 25 years from the very minute of Andy Warhol’s death at 10.21pm in Sydney or 6.21am time in New York at andyxthemovie.com

Esteemed film critic Richard Kuipers has described the film as “a poetic and pulsating eulogy… Sharman takes us on a ride to stimulate and excite everyone from Warhol buffs to those who might have only heard the name and know it has something to do with soup cans.”

Jim Sharman said part of his motivation for creating ANDY X was to explore the world of the most influential twentieth century artist, one whose legacy will continue to inform the future: “Warhol’s ideas still feed our increasingly globalized world and it makes him a fitting subject for online meditation.”

The film was developed and directed by Jim Sharman from a script by Stephen Sewell and an original music score by Basil Hogios, with lyrics by Sewell and Hogios. ANDY X stars rising young stars Akos Armont and Sheridan Harbridge; with Nick Simpson-Deeks, Gillian Jones and David Denis.

On February 22nd 1987 - Andy Warhol died.
On February 22nd 2012 – ANDY X is born.

- Ends -

For further information:
Alexandra Fletcher, ScreenLaunch: alex@launchgroup.com.au
+61 9492 1000 / 0412 666 168.

About ANDY X
ANDY X is an online film adventure that combines a hybrid of cabaret, opera, art installation, portraiture, and the desire to evoke Warhol’s imagery while avoiding imitation. The 40-minute piece is a playful and original exploration of the life and death of legendary artist Andy Warhol.

About Jim Sharman
Jim Sharman is an international stage and screen director whose work has encompassed film, a range of theatre from Shakespeare to Patrick White, operas by Mozart, Britten and Stravinsky and musicals including Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Rocky Horror Show. He is the author of the memoir Blood and Tinsel and is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most influential and outstanding directors.

Sir Richard Branson talks on Carbon

2011-07-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Speech:

Questions:

TEDxSydney Returns in 2011

2011-02-02T20:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday 28 May 2011 at CarriageWorks, Eveleigh

Media Release
Applications Open March 2011

2 February 2011: TEDxSydney, the annual ideas event will return to CarriageWorks, Eveleigh on Saturday 28 May 2011. Globally acknowledged as one of the world’s most influential new media brands, TED and its offshoot TEDx program is a US based not-for-profit enterprise devoted to the propagation of “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

TEDxSydney 2011 will provide a speaking platform to around 20 of Australia’s leading innovators, thinkers, global leaders and change makers. This year’s line up will include: two inventors, a Sydney historian, an astronomer, an anthropologist, an international arts ambassador, a public health specialist, a philosopher and an award-winning designer. Full speaker details will be released closer to the event. Speaker nominations can be made via the TEDxSydney website.

Through its free www.TED.com website, TED gives millions of knowledge-seekers around the globe direct access to the world's thought leaders. A number of the speakers from TEDxSydney 2010 will soon be featured on the TED.com website. The first of these talks, by Rachel Botsman on “The Rise of Collaborative Consumption,” is already on the site.

How to participate:
Anyone can participate in TEDxSydney 2011 and all events are free. Around 800 people can attend as members of the LIVE Bay 17 audience. Individuals can apply to be included within that group when applications open in March, via the TEDxSydney website.

In collaboration with CarriageWorks and Julian Morrow, the TEDxSydney forum will return in the CarriageWorks foyer. Open all day for the public to attend, the forum will include a large-screen simulcast of the event as well as live interviews and other exclusive content.

For those who can’t attend in person, TED devotees from Australia and around the world will also be able to tune into the event via a free, live webstream.
TEDxSydney is licensed by Sydney retail pioneer, Remo Giuffré (REMO General Store) and is being organised by his General Thinking network of thinkers and other collaborators from around Australia. The Executive Producer for 2011 is once again Janne Ryan.

For a full list of the organising committee see: http://www.tedxsydney.com

“TED is a unique learning environment which pays homage to the potency of ideas,” said Giuffré. “Speakers are invited to the stage based on the merit of their ideas and TEDxSydney continues this tradition. For TEDxSydney we felt that we would establish a platform for local thinkers, doers and storytellers. We consider our role to be that of talent scouts; unearthing people from this part of the world who inspire and, through their ideas and actions, make a powerful contribution to life on earth.”

TEDxSydney is made possible by the generous contribution of its partners, sponsors and volunteers. Major partners for TEDxSydney 2011 already include UTS Business (Knowledge & Design) and the ABC (Media & Video Production). The full sponsor line-up will be announced next month.

-ends-

Media: Fleur Brown, Ph: +61 419 270 863, e: fleur@launchgroup.com.au

About TED: TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California, with simulcast in Palm Springs; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to organize local, independent TED-like events around the world; and the TEDFellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities. Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TED. TED2011, "The Rediscovery of Wonder," will be held February 28-March 4, 2011, in Long Beach, California, with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs, California.
About TEDx: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including TEDxSydney, are self-organised. More info http://tedxsydney.com/

Support White Balloon Day - Tuesday 7th September

2010-09-05T17:08:00.001-07:00

Support White Balloon Day - Tuesday 7th September

With over 1,000 children sexually assaulted in Australia every week, leading child protection advocacy group Bravehearts is calling on Australians to wear white and donate on September 7, White Balloon Day to help protect children and break the silence surrounding child sexual harm.

This year’s event marks the 14th annual national awareness and fundraising campaign, for ‘White Balloon Day.’ Staged during Child Protection Week (Sep 5th – 11th), the humble white balloon has become synonymous with child protection and this special day has evolved into Braveheart’s signature national event.

Queensland Police called White Balloon Day a ‘phenomenon’ after they recorded a staggering 514% increase in disclosures about child sexual assault during the White Balloon Day campaign period in 1999 - not long after the initiative was established. This significant increase demonstrates that awareness and support are fundamental to help ‘break the silence’ about child sexual assault and to help prevent other cases from occurring.

Bravehearts Founder and Executive Director, Mrs Hetty Johnston is encouraging Australians to rally behind the cause to help more Australian children and their carers get the support they need.

“Show Australia’s kids that you care; help us teach children that child sexual assault is never their fault, that it’s all right to say no and we will believe and support them. By supporting White Balloon Day you are demonstrating that our nation has zero tolerance toward those who would harm our children,” said Mrs Johntson.

White Balloon Day is a day of recognition, awareness and support for the victims of child sexual assault and the principle fundraising initiative which enables Bravehearts to educate, empower and protect all Aussie kids.

White Balloon Day is supported by the ‘Celebrities that Say No’ campaign. Bravehearts celebrity ambassadors include Anthony Mundine, Angry Anderson, Phil Gould, Craig Lowndes, Mick Doohan, Rachael Birmingham, Laura Vesquez (Home & Away), Rebekah Elmaloglou (Home & Away), Shane Webcke (former Brisbane Bronco) and Carla Bonner (Neighbours) – all of whom who have come together to show support for the need to protect all Australian children.

“You don’t need to be wealthy to be a part of this historic movement in child protection,” says Mrs Johnston. “Support the children you know and love. No matter how big or small; every contribution counts. From simply showing your support by wearing white on Sept 7th, or getting your school or workplace involved and making donations; we can all do our bit to make

Australia

the safest place in the world to raise a child.”

“We all have a choice. We can do something or we can do nothing.

Australia

’s children are relying on us to do something,” she said.

How Australians can participate in White Balloon Day

It’s simple: Wear white, Buy a balloon, Donate

Other fun ways people can take part in White Balloon Day include:
• PURCHASE WHITE BALLOON DAY PRODUCTS through any MYER or Salvos store. Bravehearts encourages all Australians to purchase an official white balloon from any MYER or SALVO’s store around the country and to wear white to show support for victims, to help shift attitudes around an historically taboo subject, and to break down the stigma and silence associated with child sexual assault.
• FLY A WHITE BALLOON on 7th September from your home, letterbox, business or community organization.
• ORGANISE AN EVENT such as a morning/afternoon tea at your home, school or workplace.
• GET YOUR SCHOOL INVOLVED by entering the ‘White Gate’ schools competition and go in the draw to win $2500 cash for your school. Visit whiteballoonday.com.au <http://www.whiteballoonday.com.au/> for entry details.
• CREATE YOUR OWN FUNDRAISING PAGE by visiting www.everydayhero.com.au/event/WhiteBalloonDay2010 <http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/WhiteBalloonDay2010>
• VOLUNTEER by emailing whiteballoonday@bravehearts.org.au to indicate your interest.
• MAKE A DONATION online by phoning 1800 BRAVE1, or via the Bravehearts website
$10.00 donation <http://www.bravehearts.org.au/Donations.ews> = preventative education for 1 child in a school or day care centre
$25.00 donation <http://www.bravehearts.org.au/Donations.ews> = a crisis telephone call with a qualified Bravehearts counsellor
$50.00 donation <http://www.bravehearts.org.au/Donations.ews> = a one-on-one Bravehearts counselling session for a child in crisis.
• GET OTHERS INVOLVED by encouraging your schools, community groups, workplace or church to hold a ‘Wear White day’ for a gold coin donation, symbolising the innocence and purity of a child. Let your imagination run wild to think of fun ways to help us educate, empower and protect our children. Remember to email Bravehearts your photos from White Balloon Day so that they can be included on the Bravehearts website.

For more information and details on where to purchase official white balloons:
White Balloon Day http://www.whiteballoonday.com.au
Bravehearts http://www.bravehearts.org.au
Bravehearts You Tube Channel http://www.youtube.com/bravehearts

Environment Key Election Issue for Next Generation of Voters

2010-06-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Media Release

Environment Key Election Issue for Next Generation of Voters
• Little gap between preferences for next PM - Rudd (28%), Gillard (23%) & Abbott (20%)
• The environment most important national issue for teens

22nd June 2010 – New research released today by teen social media outlet Habbo Hotel, www.habbo.com.au, reveals Australian teens believe the environment is the most important issue for our country. Although most Australian teens would vote for the Labor party and Kevin Rudd in the next federal election, there is divided opinion as to who would make the next best Prime Minister.

The nationally representative online study of more than 2200 teenagers, aged between 12 and 18 years, was conducted by Habbo Hotel in May 2010. A quarter of the survey respondents are eligible to vote within the next 12 months.

Key findings of the Federal Election Survey include:

Next Prime Minister
• More than a quarter (28%) of respondents chose Kevin Rudd as the best next Prime Minister, followed by Julia Gillard (23%) and Tony Abbott (20%). Teens in the ACT chose Tony Abbott, in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS teens chose Kevin Rudd and in SA and VIC, Julia Gillard, was the preferred next Prime Minister.

National issues
• When asked what the most important issues for Australia are, 29% of respondents chose the environment and climate change issues. This was followed by the economic recovery (20%), health (19%), education (13%), defence (4%), national broadband network (4%) and transport (4%).

Next federal election winner
• 36% of teens believe the Labor Party will win the next federal election, followed by the Liberal Party (26%), the Greens (8%) and the National Party (5%).
• 28% of respondents would vote for the Labor Party at the next election, followed by the Liberal Party (20%), the Greens (15%), the National Party (5%) and an independent (5%). Political conversations
• 51% of Australian teens talk about politics, the election and national issues with their friends.
• Over two thirds (67%) of respondents said that their parents do talk to them about politics, the election and national issues.

Jeff Brookes, Regional Director Asia Pacific, Habbo’s parent company Sulake, said, “It’s interesting to see the voting preferences and predictions of teens in particular states. The research indicates that in a two party preferred vote the majority of teens in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania & Queensland would vote for the Labor Party and that the majority of teens in ACT, New South Wales, Western Australian and the Northern Territory would vote for the Liberal Party.

“What these results reveal is that Generation Z are deeply concerned about the environment. If the political parties want to speak to the next generation of voters, they must do so about environmental and climate change issues. Australian teens are in touch with what’s on the national agenda, talking to their friends and parents about what issues matter to them. Previous research Habbo has conducted with Australian teens has indicated that the Next Generation are not back seat drivers – they want to be involved in helping to maintain the environment.

“We have been conducting research on Generation Z for two years and have observed that the next generation of voters are conscious of the global financial situation and its impact on their families, interested in social issues affecting Australians as well as the world globally, have a strong spirit of humanitarianism and they care about equality”, said Brookes.
-ends-
To see the full media release, complete with poll charts, visit:http://launchgroup.posterous.com/

Media Information: Emily Venardos +612 9492 1033 or mobile: 0413 743 737.

About Habbo: Habbo Hotel is the world’s largest virtual community for teens. Users join by creating a fully customized online character called a Habbo. From there, they can explore wide variety of spaces and millions of rooms created by other users in the virtual community, play a variety of games, connect with friends, decorate their own rooms, and have fun through creativity and self expression. Currently there are Habbo communities in 31 countries on six continents. To date, over 168 million characters have been created and over 16.5 million unique users worldwide visit Habbo Hotel each month. Habbo Hotel is run by social entertainment company Sulake. www.habbo.com.au
www.sulake.com

GREATER SYDNEY PARTNERSHIP LTD APPOINTS PETER HOLMES A COURT FOUNDING CHAIRMAN

2010-03-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

The Directors of the Greater Sydney Partnership Limited announced today the appointment of Peter Holmes a Court as Founding Chairman.

The Greater Sydney Partnership is an independent, not-for-profit, limited company, with seed funding from the NSW State Government and other public and private sector stakeholders. The three founding partners are the Committee for Sydney, the Sydney Business Chamber and the Tourism & Transport Forum.

Greater Sydney Partnership Director Christopher Brown said the Partnership has grown out of eighteen months work researching the views, interests and ideas of stakeholders within Australia and around the world.

"Peter Holmes `a Court was a natural choice for the role of Chairman. Peter is both a passionate ambassador for Sydney, and a wonderful representation of our next generation of Australian leaders. He has a breadth of experience here and overseas as a business leader, an entrepreneur, an advisor to government and a community advocate," Brown said.

"The new independent structure will ensure the significant work completed to-date will be allowed to flourish in an apolitical environment, exclusively focused around the interests of greater Sydney."

The launch of the Greater Sydney Partnership will take place on 30th April at Carriageworks, Sydney.

Welcome to Future Forum

2010-01-27T19:56:00.000-08:00

"The Future of Television"

How we are likely to consume television in future years?
What will drive this change?
How quickly can we begin to enjoy the furit of technological developments within Australia and overseas?

Join our free live interactive webcast featuring:

Mark Scott - Managing Director ABC

James Scott - Managing Director, Media and Entertainment Industry APAC, Accenture

Mikael Borglund - CEO, Beyond

Rob Leach - Head of MCN Connect, MCN

Chris Albrecht - Editor, NewTeeVee.com

Moderated by Bridie Barry - Sky News Business Channel & Media week co-host

Friday 29 January 2010 at noon - Register here -->http://www.viocorp.com/future_forum

Register to tune into Viocorp's free online broadcast, for a lively debate on the future of Television.

FAREWELL NOUGHTY, MAKE WAY FOR THE "TEENIES" - Community-minded Gen Z will stamp its identity on the next decade

2010-01-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Media Release

FAREWELL NOUGHTY, MAKE WAY FOR THE "TEENIES"

Community-minded Gen Z will stamp its identity on the next decade

5 January 2010: It's no surprise Australia's next generation of teenagers have given their imprimatur to names like "the Teenies" or the "Teenties" for the decade ahead. With Generation Z poised to vote,enter the workforce, and become the focus of consumer targeting, this will be their decade.

Other names for the new decade, suggested in a recent survey of more than 2,000 Australian teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years, included: "the uncertainties" and the "tormenting teens." The online research was conducted last week by the world's largest virtual world for teens, Habbo Hotel. A combination of virtual world, game and social media site, Habbo Hotel has more than 4.4 million registered characters in Australia and more than 155 million worldwide.

Indepth research by Habbo Hotel into the attitudes and behavior of Generation Z suggests a more cautious, conservative and community-minded group of young adults is emerging, in contrast to the fame and fortune seeking Generation Y.[1]

"Generation Z is certainly emerging as more of a 'we' generation than the 'me' generation,, said Jeff Brookes Regional Director Asia Pacific, Sulake (Sulake owns Habbo Hotel). "On the whole, they have a strong sense of community and social justice values, and they tend to see through the superficial fairly quickly. For example, they are more likely to see their parents as role models, rather than celebrities or sporting stars. They also regard fairness and the absence of discrimination in the workplace as more important than money or status.

"Despite a high level of concern around issues such as the sustainability of the environment, they are showing up as cautiously optimistic overall," he said.

Key research findings around Generation Z:

Generation Z's most popular goal for 2010 is "just being happy." Also on the New Year's list were resolutions around friendships, fitness and school performance. The classic New Year's resolutions around: weight, romance and money were much lower down the list.
Most teens summed up 2009 as "a year full of surprises." However, any doom and gloom outlook caused by the global financial crisis was absent from teens responses with only 6% calling it "a sad year." More teens claimed it was their "best year ever" (11%) than 4% classifying it as their "worst year ever" (4%). "a difficult year" (15%) as those who claimed it was "a fun year."
The majority of teens (31%) said they are excited about 2010 with 23% saying they will "just wait and see" what the year holds for them and 19% saying they weren't sure what to expect. 15% of teens surveyed said they were nervous about 2010.

Environmental issues:

81% of teens say they are concerned about the environment
Almost one third claim they're more worried about global warming than their parents
Only 11% are happy about the job world leaders are doing about global warming issues; 20% are happy with the job the Australian political leaders are doing
90% of teens believe Australia should be investing in renewable technologies
85% believe they could personally be doing more to help the environment.

If Australia lowers the voting age, will teens vote?

More than half (51%) of teens under 18 said they would be interested in voting and having their say, 6% were unsure and only 13% said no they would not be interested in voting. A further 27% said they wanted to vote - but only when they turn 18 years old.
Almost 66% of Australia's teens say they are interested in politics.
Half (50%) of Australia's teens say they will make independent choices about who they vote for - without the influence of their parents. 22% say they haven't decided whether they will follow their parents voting habits, and 10% say they don't know who their parents vote for.

Teenglish - Habbo's top 25 Buzz teenglish words for 2009:

1. diss - Disrespect
2. fail - Either to show disapproval for something or when someone does fail at something. Sometimes spelt with a "ph" and "epic fail" (or "epic phail") is the highest form of failing.
3. ftw - For the win, used to show enthusiasm for something i.e kittens FTW
4. hai - Hi
5. idc - I don’t care
6. idk - I don’t know
7. ily - love you
8. irl - In real life
9. jks - Jokes
10. k or kk - Ok
11. meh - Indifference, couldn’t care less
12. noob - A new person, newbie but often used to make fun of anyone they don't like
13. pwn, pwned, pwnage - To own someone, beat them at a game or when someone has been taught a lesson.
14. plz - Please
15. props - Proper respect
16. rents, rentz or rentals - Parents
17. rofl - Roll on the floor laughing
18. soz - Sorry
19. srs - Serious, seriously
20. sup - What's up? What's happening? (Normally used: "hey sup")
21. tbh - To be honest
22. totes - Totally
23. ty - Thank you
24. w.e - Whatever
25. zomg - Something even more amazing or shocking than omg

-ends-

Further information: Sally Robertson (02) 9492 1089 or mobile: 0400 927 003

About Habbo Hotel: www.habbo.com.au Habbo Hotel is the world's largest virtual world for teens. Users join by creating a fully customized online character called a Habbo. From there, they can explore many public spaces and thousands of rooms created by other users in the virtual world, play a variety of games, connect with friends, decorate their own rooms, and have fun through creativity and self expression. Currently there are Habbo communities in 31 countries on six continents. To date, over 155 million characters have been created and over 15 million unique users worldwide visit Habbo Hotel each month.

[1] Comprehensive online research on thousands of teens in Australia and around the world demonstrates there is a sub generation of youths with markedly different characteristics and value systems to that of their Gen Y predecessors. The findings are part of nine separate surveys, each of which included an average of 2,000 participants aged 12 to 18 years‐old undertaken by Habbo Hotel during 2009. The research was conducted by Habbo Hotel Australia and developed and analysed by Launch Group.

The Next Generation has Landed

2009-12-15T21:38:00.000-08:00

Youth Forum Releases Unique Research Defining "Generation Z"

Informed purchasers: Gen Z love advertising, but research carefully before deciding
Gen Z cares less about fame & fortune than Gen Y & more about enjoying their work
Brands must align with Gen Z values: altruistic, environmentally aware & community-minded

Move over Baby Boomers, enough of Gen Y, 'Generation Z' is the influential new consumer group to watch, Singapore's leading marketers, government representatives and top youth brands were told at the Next Generation forum.

The Forum unveiled the results of more than 12 months of research into the characteristics, values and media and brand consumption habits of Singapore youth currently in the teenage demographic - otherwise known as Generation Z.

The comprehensive online research features responses from thousands of teens in Singapore, South East Asia and around the world, and demonstrates there is a sub generation of youths with markedly different characteristics and value systems to that of their Gen Y predecessors. (Generation Y is a globally recognised name for the high profile generation of youth currently aged between 19 and 30 years old.)

For more information and to view the entire press release please press the link:
GenZFINAL.DOC

Launch Group Supports Movember

2009-11-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

Movember is a fantastic Aussie initiative (now gone global). This annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlights men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. (See: www.movember.com)

Mo Bros, supported by their Mo Sistas, start Movember clean shaven and then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache. During Movember, each Mo Bro effectively becomes a walking billboard for men-s health and, via their Mo, raises essential funds and awareness for Movember's men's health partners - The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative.

Launch Group share this classic and clever MO-vertisement ... in honour of all the Mo Bros. (Don't mind the subtitles.)

Visit --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2EdEDVej2A&translated=1

NEW RESEARCH: The Financially Responsible Generation, With an Appetite for Credit

2009-10-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

Half of Australian teens already saving for cars and houses

More than a third of Australian teens pay their own mobile phone bills

'Credit 101' still required to educate teenagers about credit and debt

New research jointly released today by Veda Advantage, Australia's largest credit bureau, and teen researcher Habbo, reveals our next generation of spenders. Generation Z are happy to save, and are more cautious about spending than their Gen Y predecessors, however they lack in some areas of financial knowledge.

The nationally representative online study of almost 2000 teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years, conducted by teenage researcher Habbo found Australian teenagers have strong convictions about paying bills on time, and 'do not like owing people money at all' - even if it's to their parents.

For the survey results and to view the entire press release please press the link: VedaHabbo.docx

For more information about Habbo please visit: http://www.habbo.com.au/

For more information about Veda Advantage please visit: http://www.vedaadvantage.com/

'FORGET ME KNOT DAY' - 13th November: Support Australian Adult Survivors to Untangle the Knot of Child Abuse

2009-10-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Friday 13th November is ASCA's 'Forget-me-knot Day', when all Australians are encouraged to show their support for more than two million adult Australians personally affected by childhood abuse, as part of an International Week For Prevention of Child Abuse.

The knot in 'Forget-me-knot' Day is symbolic of the 'tangle' of childhood abuse, which in most cases is a lifelong challenge for the adult to unravel. For this largely ignored group, untangling the knot of childhood abuse is often a solitary, confusing and complex task.

ASCA's 'Forget-me-knot Day' raises awareness of this struggle, and gives all Australians an opportunity to donate, and help adult survivors to reconnect with their community.

To view the entire press release please click the below link: ForgetMeKnotDay.doc

For more information please visit: www.asca.org.au/forgetmeknot

Move Over Gen Y: New Research by MCN and Habbo on has some surprising revelations [VIDEO]

2009-05-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

The young ones

Forget the baby boomers, move aside Gen Y: the next generation is here and ready to make a difference.
[02:00] news.com.au | 13 May 2009

Watch the video from news.com.au here

THE NEXT GENERATION HAS LANDED : Youth Forum Releases Unique Research Defining "Generation Z"

2009-05-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

THE NEXT GENERATION HAS LANDED

Youth Forum Releases Unique Research Defining "Generation Z"

12th May, 2009 - Move over Baby Bombers, enough of Generation Y, a new influential generation 'Generation Z' has been identified at a forum today held by Multi Channel Network (MCN), Habbo Australia, and Channel V at the Sydney Opera House.

The Next Generation forum, hosted by Jason Davis aka "Jabba", gave fresh insight to advertisers and marketers about the characteristics, values and media and brand consumption habits of Australian youth in the 13 and 24 year-old demographic. However, the focus of the forum was on the previously undefined teen demographic of 12 -18 year olds who are part of Generation Z.

Speakers at the event included; Paul MacGregor, top Australian blogger and MCN youth strategist; Jeff Brookes, Asia Pacific Director, Habbo.com.au and Sulake; Shaun James, General Manager, Music Channels for XYZ Networks.

* Click here to see the full media release
* Click here to view the presentation
* Click here to see the Global Habbo Youth Survey.

Aggregation Forces Journalistic Evolution

2009-04-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

News Outlets Must Accept That Consumers Want More Content Faster - and Don't Care Who Creates It by Michael Learmonth and Nat Ives

March 30, 2009: NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- A link on the Drudge Report can drive hundreds of thousands of views of: a news story, bringing a host of new readers and -- here's hoping -- some ad revenue to go with them. But most of the many, many sites aggregating other people's content can't deliver that much traffic, and some don't even try.

What's more, a vast swath of readers couldn't care less about anything deeper than a headline, which is a problem for the nation's beleaguered journalistic institutions as they try to find a sustainable model for newsgathering on the web. Read the full story from Ad Age here.

GREEN TEEN CRUSADERS: ARE AUSSIE TEENS OUR MOST ECO-CONSCIOUS GENERATION?

2009-03-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

World First as Habbo Hotel shuts down its virtual world for Earth Hour, 28th March 25 March 2009 - A survey of more than 4,000 Australian teens has revealed that the environment is still a major issue with 81 % saying they are concerned about the environment and 85% believing they could be doing more to help the environment.

The findings are part of a survey of 4,012 Australians aged 12 to 18 years old released today by Habbo (www.habbo.com.au), Australia's most popular online playground for teenagers with 278,509 unique visitors a month. In response to Australian teens' environmental concerns, Habbo will be the first Australian virtual world to close down for one hour at 8:30 PM AEDT in support of Earth Hour on Saturday 28th March 2009. Read the media release which includes survey results here.

PR Builds Brand for Complex Products Better than Ads

2009-03-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Earned media that results from public relations efforts may be more important than advertising to brand value, especially for companies that sell feature-rich, high-involvement and complicated products such as consumer electronics, and financial services and vehicles, finds a survey by Text 100 and Context Analytics.

The findings of the "Media Prominence Study," (pdf) which calculates brand value based on Interbrand's 2008 Best Global Brands report, show that on average 27% of brand value is tied to how often the brand name appears in the press.

In industries that involve more research before purchases are made, the editorial content that results from PR can account for nearly half of brand value. For example, in the computing industry, media prominence accounted for 48% of brand value, or 16 times that of the personal care industry (4%). Similarly, media prominence in the automotive, consumer electronics and financial services industries was 23%, 20% and 19% respectively.

See the full article here.

ORPHANED PROJECT GIVES VOICE TO THE WORLD'S FORGOTTEN GENERATION OF 143 MILLION CHILDREN

2009-01-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

22nd January 2009: American photojournalist and author Don Mirra and cause marketing specialists, The Launch Group, today announced the ORPHANED Project, a global awareness campaign with an associated book and documentary film initiative that documents orphaned children around the world.

The ORPHANED project is the first initiative of its kind to bring a voice to the growing demographic of 143 MILLION orphaned and marginalized children - imparting the need for capable people to get involved rather than exist as by-standers to the tragedy. Read the full announcement here.

Virtual Tour of Art Masterpieces

2009-01-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

GETTING a close-up view of Las Meninas, an intriguing portrait by the 17th-century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, used to require a trip to the Prado museum in Madrid. Not any more.

For the first time, the Google Earth mapping program has been adapted to allow armchair art lovers to "fly" to a world-famous museum, drop through the roof and examine the masterpieces on display in almost microscopic detail.

The system, unveiled in Madrid by Google and the Prado, allows users to examine 14 ultra-high-resolution images of work by artists including Velazquez, Goya, Hieronymus Bosch, Titian, El Greco and Rembrandt. Read the full article by Richard Jinman from the SMH here.

Orphaned Project

2008-11-27T15:16:00.000-08:00

Launch Group Co-founded the ORPHANED Project with photographer Don Mirra to spread awareness of this growing global issue currently affecting 143 million children.

ORPHANED is a book and documentary film project with an associated cause marketing campaign that will launch globally in November 2009.

AUSSIE TEENS MESSAGE TO FUTURE EMPLOYERS

2008-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

DON'T DISCRIMINATE, I PUT HAPPINESS AHEAD OF MONEY, MY PARENTS ARE MY CAREER ADVISORS 20th, November 2008 - A national survey of more than 2,000 Australians aged 13 to 18 years has revealed that the spirit of egalitarianism runs deep with Australian teenagers who consider the absence of workplace discrimination as the second only to happiness on the job when it comes to selecting their future employer.

The findings are part of an annual Careers survey of 2,273 Australians aged 13 to 18 years released today by Habbo (www.habbo.com.au), the preferred online playground for Australian teenagers with almost a third of Australian teens as regular users. Almost half (47%) of the teen respondents said "career enjoyment" was their primary goal, with 40% selecting the absence of discrimination based on race, gender or sexuality was vital in their choice of employer.

"Earning a lot of money" ranked a distant third - with only 16% of respondents indicating that this is important in their choice of employer or career. The ability to work their way to the top of a company received a favourable response by only 13% of respondents, and "having a positive impact on an issue that affects all Australians" was nominated as important by 9% of teens surveyed. The full announcement can be found here.

Did You Know?

2008-11-06T23:12:00.001-08:00

Youth No Longer Defined by Age; Consumers Stay 'Younger' Longer

2008-10-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

The traditional demographic definition of "youth" is no longer applicable in today's society, and marketers should target consumers based upon their engagement and participation in youth culture rather than by chronological age, according to the "Golden Age of Youth" study from Viacom Brand Solutions International (VBSI), writes MarketingCharts.

As people worldwide delay the onset of adult responsibilities and stay emotionally and physically younger for longer, it is becoming more acceptable for older people to participate in youthful pursuits. To support this trend, marketers should routinely consider the often-overlooked 25-34 age group a part of the youth market, VBSI said. Read the full story here.

10 amazing Google Earth add-ons

2008-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

Maps from centuries past, paths of satellites whizzing by, global warming brought to life: User-created Google Earth mashups present a dizzying array of information in a new and imaginative graphic. See the pictures from Computerworld here.

Japan to launch carbon footprint labelling scheme

2008-08-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Japan is to carry carbon footprint labels on food packaging and other products in an ambitious scheme to persuade companies and consumers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The labels, to appear on dozens of items including food and drink, detergents and electrical appliances from next spring, will go further than similar labels already in use elsewhere. They will provide detailed breakdowns of each product's carbon footprint under a government-approved calculation and labeling system now being discussed by the trade ministry and around 30 firms. Read the full article from The Guardian here.

The Information Future of the Corporate Board

2008-08-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Boards won't be well positioned to take on greater responsibilities for company performance unless they can have access to the right information at the right time. However, despite the growing availability of information about publicly traded companies, directors traditionally rely solely on information that comes from management when they make boardroom decisions.

This condition of dependence results from what we term "information asymmetry." And if boards are to effectively fulfill their duties, they may well want to shift the balance by seeking - with management's blessing - both more information and information from independent sources. Read the full article and find a link to the accenture report here.

Yes, Companies Are Responsible for Charity

2008-08-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's Wrongheaded to Think Businesses' Social Awareness Doesn't Matter to Employees, Consumers, Investors

Writer Jonathan Salem Baskin appeared to channel economist Milton Friedman in his July 21 Ad Age column ("Transparency, Not Charity, Is Corporation's Responsibility") when he asked, "So where in the game rules does it say that companies have to be 'responsible' for anything other than profits?" Let's check the rule book for a few key constituencies whose increasing expectations, strong voices and behavior are changing the game. Read the full story by Mike Lawrence from Ad Age now.

Australia's Favourite Teen Playground Chooses Launch

2008-08-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Habbo appoints Launch Group after competitive pitch.

6th August 2008: The world's largest virtual world for teenagers, Habbo Australia, will be increasing its profile in the Australian and New Zealand market in the coming twelve months and has awarded its public relations account to the Launch Group (Launch), after a competitive pitch.

Established in 2004 by Sulake, Habbo Australia is a combination of a teen virtual world and a social networking online game where Habbos (virtual representations of members), socialise, play games and create user-generated content. Globally, Habbo is one of the world's largest virtual game sites with 100 million registered Habbos across 31 communities and countries (Source: Sulake Statistics March 2008) Most (70%) of Habbo's users are aged 13-16 years, equally distributed between girls and boys.

Launch CEO Fleur Brown said she was excited to add Habbo to Launch's client portfolio. "Habbo is a unique account, and a leading brand in Australia for teens, who are emerging as a sought-after and generally advertising-astute demographic. We look forward to delving deeper into Habbo's innovative teen research, and communicating some of the insights around this elusive but powerful demographic". See the full announcement here.

Talks Kevin Kelly: Predicting the next 5,000 days of the web

2008-08-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Kevin Kelly has been publisher of the Whole Earth Review, exec editor at WIRED, founder of visionary nonprofits, and writer on biology and business and "cool tools." He's admired for his new perspectives on technology and its relevance to history, biology and religion.

At the 2007 EG conference, Kevin Kelly shares a fun stat: The World Wide Web, as we know it, is only 5,000 days old. Now, Kelly asks, how can we predict what's coming in the next 5,000 days?

See the video from TED here

Google CEO Worried About Decline of Investigative Reporting

2008-07-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - The declining state of investigative reporting in American newspapers and other traditional media worries Google CEO Eric Schmidt. In his stage appearance at the recent Ad Age Madison & Vine conference, he surprised many with his lament that investigative journalism was fading along with the newspaper industry that once championed it. See the article from Ad Age here.
Watch the Video here.

Advertisers Push Publishers to Cross Editorial-Advertising Line

2008-07-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Editors, publishers and media buyers claim that advertisers are increasingly pressuring magazines to blur the lines between advertising and editorial with ever-more brazen requests. And publishers, desperate for ad pages, are finding it difficult to say no, writes Mediaweek.

Recent examples of the blurring of the line include Harper's Bazaar's recent decision to give over 40 pages of its editorial in its July issue to a new Estee Lauder perfume campaign. "Our editors are given the freedom to cover the subjects that they believe will most interest the reader. In this case, Estee Lauder was working with four women who frequently appear in the pages of the magazine," says a Harper's Bazaar spokesperson. Read the full article here.

Australia's Emissions Trading Scheme: An Opportunity

2008-07-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Speech by BCA President Greig Gailey to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia

The introduction of a national emissions trading scheme is the single most important policy decision the Rudd Government will make before the next election.

The introduction of an Australian emissions trading scheme and a price on carbon will affect business, industry and households in ways that many of us are yet to fully understand.

The right design will allow Australia to contribute to reducing global emissions in a manner that does not lead to excessive costs to our domestic economy.

Getting the policy right requires balancing often competing but interdependent demands. This includes fostering economic growth while cutting emissions, providing assistance to households and industries adversely affected, and aligning Australia’s strategies with global action.

To download the speech, visit this link:
SPEECH AUSTRALIA'S EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME - AN OPPORTUNITY
Keynote address to CEDA
Shangri-La Hotel, Cumberland Street
Sydney, Greig Gailey, President, Business Council of Australia

Poking Holes In The Long Tail Theory

2008-07-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

Just because the Internet makes it possible to offer a near-infinite inventory of goods for sale does not mean that consumers will start wanting more obscure items in any great numbers. That is the conclusion Harvard Business School associate professor Anita Elberse comes to in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review that takes on some of the sacred cows of the Long Tail theory.

The Long Tail is Wired editor Chris Andersons theory (based on an article and resulting book of the same name) that as it becomes easier to distribute a wider variety of items, consumers will venture down the long tail of the distribution curve and find the products that exactly match their interests and idiosyncratic needs. Elberse questions this notion:

Is most of the business in the long tail being generated by a bunch of iconoclasts determined to march to different drummers? The answer is a definite no. Read the full article from tech crunch here.

China Licenses Online-Video Site

2008-07-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

BEIJING -- Chinese online-video site Youku.com said it has received a long-awaited license from China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, in a sign that China's government may not take as tough a line on privately owned online-video companies as some had feared.

Youku's license, announced Wednesday, makes it the first of China's most popular YouTube-like video-sharing sites -- including Tudou.com and 56.com
-- to be approved by the administration, known as Sarft, following new regulations for the industry that it announced late last year. Those rules said government wanted online-video sites to be owned or controlled by government companies.

The regulator later said existing private companies also could be approved, but it has been unclear exactly how that policy would be carried out. As a result, Youku and scores of other Web sites that provide online-video services were scrambling for months to clean up their sites and win Sarft approval.

"I think for Sarft, they were reviewing video-sharing Web sites like ourselves, and this proves that they're comfortable that we can abide to content and procedures they feel comfortable with," Youku Chief Executive Victor Koo said in an interview. Read the full article by Loretta Chao here.

Gates may change direction of philanthropy

2008-06-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's focus on creative capitalism, combining business and philanthropy to effect change, brings out critics on both sides of debate.

While it's too early to tell if Bill Gates will impact philanthropy as he has the technology industry, his support of creative capitalism has the potential to change how people engage in philanthropic efforts.

Gates leaves his full-time duties as Microsoft chairman on Friday to focus on The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organization he founded in 2000 with his wife. It boasts the largest philanthropic endowment in the US, at US$38.8 billion, according to the foundation's 2007 financial report.

Megan Sather, a Gates Foundation spokeswoman, said that rather than focus on specific projects right away, Gates will first work to raise global awareness of some of the foundation's key issues. They include health care -- especially providing vaccinations for rare diseases that affect children and helping to stop the spread of AIDS in Africa -- and bringing food and sustainable methods of agriculture to some of the world's poorest nations.

Read the full article by Elizabeth Montalbano from Computerworld here.

Social Networking Wars

2008-06-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Think social networking sites are fun and useful? See what happens when things get a little out of control for one social networker who might just be over the whole social network thing. Let the social networking wars begin!

Putting a price on PR

2008-05-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year the website meetmyfriend.com.au launched an internet dating site with a twist. Meet my friend enlisted the services of Launch Group to secure an unprecedented volume of mainstream press in the two months leading up to the site launch. Launch Group formulated a strategic communications plan employing above the line (mainstream press), below the line (online and guerrilla activities) and experiential marketing (launch event). Within the week surrounding the launch event, Launch Group had secured $85,000 worth of free editorial within a number of main stream newspapers and free ticket give-aways via Nova's radio broadcasts. Over the next month Launch Group secured editorial on news web sites as well as in the glossy mags taking the editorial value to approx $150,000. Happy client! See their newsletter here for more details.

IBM study: CEOs accept change as a permanent state

2008-05-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Wake-up call for A/NZ executives

Seeking insight into the 'enterprise of the future' IBM yesterday released the findings of what it claims is the biggest global study of CEOs ever conducted.

Based on face-to-face interviews with 1,130 CEOs from 40 countries across 32 industries, including 69 executives in Australia and New Zealand, the study identified the main challenges likely to shape the future of business.

It revealed widespread concern by CEOs about their organisation's ability to absorb and manage change as well as a widening gap between winners and losers in the global economy. Surprisingly, a high number of CEOs saw change as an opportunity to build new competitive advantage. Overall, 83 per cent of respondents expect substantial change in the future, an increase of 28 per cent in just two years. See the full report from computerworld here.

Best Brand on Earth? Starts With a G ...

2008-04-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

Search Giant Keeps Its Spot Atop Millward Brown Rankings

Research firm Millward Brown recently took its annual look at which "brand" -- that is, the stuff of a product or service's intangible relationship with consumers -- contributes the most to its overall value. As you'd expect, luxe marketing creations such as Louis Vuitton, Porsche, Hermès, Gucci and Cartier, affordable to so few, top the list. But No. 6 comes as a surprise. The opposite of luxe, this one is found in more than 40 varieties, is used by million upon millions and retails for just a few bucks in most grocery stores. Find the full article at NEW YORK (AdAge.com)

Brand Bling
Top 10 value in North America
* Google
* GE
* Microsoft
* Coca-Cola
* IBM
* Apple
* McDonald's
* Marlboro
* Wal-Mart
* Bank of America

IDC: 45 GB of digital info for every person on earth

2008-04-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

Global digital information amounted to 281 billion gigabytes in 2007 and growing

Global digital information (the digital universe) amounted to 281 billion gigabytes (GB) (281 exabytes) in 2007, or almost 45 GB of digital information for every person on earth, according to EMC-sponsored research by IDC. The figure is 10 percent more than the previous estimate, and is expected to hit 1.8 zettabytes (1,800 exabytes) in 2011.

In graphical terms, IDC describes the digital universe to be the equivalent of over 17 billion eight GB iPhones. IDC notes that the digital universe has a compound annual growth rate of about 60 percent, thanks to a jump in worldwide shipments of digital cameras and televisions, as well as better understanding of information replication trends.
Increasing internet access in developing nations, sensor-based applications and extensive online social networks have also contributed to the growth of digital information worldwide. Read the full article from Computerworld here.

Agency Execs Explore Green Strategies

2008-04-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Speakers Warn IAA World Congress Not to Antagonize Cynical Consumers

WASHINGTON -- Consumers are increasingly interested in green marketing initiatives, but they are also quite cynical, the International Advertising Association's World Congress was told yesterday. That provides new opportunities for improving brand equity and engaging consumers -- but also lots of risk in getting it wrong.

See the full article from ad age here.

Tangled up in the new web

2008-04-10T02:00:00.000-07:00

Privacy, safety, plus ads and restrictions: it's Web 3.0, Annalee Newitz reports.
Advertisement

WEB 2.0 is well established, and sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and Digg have turned the internet from a static source of information into a huge, interactive digital playground. But where to next? What will the next stage of web culture - which some people call Web 3.0 - be like?

The expectation seems to be that profound changes are on the way. If Web 2.0 is about generating and sharing your own content, Web 3.0 will make information less free.

Read the full article here.

Man offers face as advertising space

2008-04-08T01:02:00.001-07:00

JASON Niebling wants to be a "human advertising billboard" and work for whichever company is permanently tattooed on his head. And the 37-year-old from Ipswich, west of Brisbane, doesn't care if people think he's an idiot – just as long as the crazy scheme pays off and he can better provide for his wife Amy and children Tre, Tanika, Candis and Finette.

Mr Niebling already has the left side of his face and his bald head covered in non-advertising tattoos, but the right half is up for sale to the highest bidder.

School computer program on track says Gillard

2008-04-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

THE first $100 million of Labor's $1 billion school computer election promise is on track to be handed out by June 30. The Federal Government is talking to states and territories about meeting extra costs. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard today insisted the plan, announced at Labor's campaign launch and the centrepiece of its education revolution, remains on track. Ms Gillard said Labor had always said it would be a partnership between the commonwealth and state and territory governments. Read the full article here.

Most Online Advertising Still Doesn't Start Conversations

2008-03-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

On the internet today, asking for feedback is in.

The media already are onboard. Virtually all journalists solicit feedback by listing their e-mail addresses next to their bylines. Some go even further by overtly asking for help with their stories.

Companies, too, are slowly transitioning their communication strategies toward more open, collaborative programs. They are actively trolling social networks and forums in search of insights. Some, but not yet many, are engaging stakeholders directly through venues such as blogs.

Read the full article by Steve Rubel here.

Social Media Future Bright, Challenging

2007-12-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

What's the best way to market to a billion users?

Social media applications will attract over one billion broadband users within five years, according to Strategy Analytics' "The People's Revolution: Implications of Web 2.0 and Social Media Applications" report.

It is usually a great thing to be able to use the word "billion" in a forecast. Yet Strategy Analytics said that real pitfalls could ruin business prospects for some social networks. "The long term financial viability of even the largest social media sites depends heavily on the ability to develop targeted advertising techniques that are as yet largely unproven, or may ultimately be thwarted by privacy regulations," said David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics. Read the full article from e-Marketer Daily here.

Online is anyone's domain

2007-10-11T22:59:00.001-07:00

By Fleur Brown

From Marketing Magazine Digital Survival Guide - September 2007

The digital revolution has given the Public Relations industry its first real opportunity in decades to re-invent itself - if it moves swiftly - and to shift from content brokers to content creators writes Fleur Brown.
...

We're a cheerful bunch in the Public Relations industry; yet it's not easy to remain poised and persuasive whilst enduring years of mindless prattle about your profession.
Read More

Fair Trade in Bloom

2007-10-10T00:46:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Downie

VARGINHA, Brazil - Rafael de Paiva was skeptical at first. If he wanted a "fair trade" certification for his coffee crop, the Brazilian farmer would have to adhere to a long list of rules on pesticides, farming techniques, recycling and other matters. He even had to show that his children were enrolled in school.

Read the full article here

Agencies Will have to Steer Marketers Towards the Big Ideal In This Marketplace, the Four P's Are No Longer Enough

2007-10-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

By Jonah Bloom

For years now, corporate-communications experts have been telling anyone who will listen that a company's financial performance is tied to what the company stands for beyond the balance sheet. But their theories have fallen on deaf ears, with colleagues in the marketing department preferring a brand-centric focus on price, promotion and product benefits to the business of dealing with awkward issues and their company's place in the world.

Read Full Article

A Cellphone Without Borders

2007-10-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

By David Pouge
It's amazing the way the Internet keeps toppling traditional businesses. Telegrams have gone away. Music CD sales are tanking. Newspapers are hurting. One especially lucrative business, however, has somehow escaped the Internet's notice so far: international cellphone calls. That's about to change. Early next month, a small company called Cubic Telecom will release what it's calling the first global mobile phone. But first, some background. Cellphones from T-Mobile and AT&T rely on the same type of network (called GSM) that most of the rest of the world uses. In theory, then, you can take these phones to other countries and make calls as usual. (Most Verizon and Sprint phones work only in the United States.)
Read More

Are Ebay and the Others the New New Media?

2007-09-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

The web, it turns out, is doing more than just transforming media-business models -- it's blurring the definition of media in the first place. Papa John's, who insists it is not a media company, runs ads for Gamefly, Six Flags and Sports Illustrated on its site. Does a media site create content with the goal of selling ads or subscriptions to pay for it? Or can we now define as a medium any site that aggregates an audience through other means -- e-commerce or lead generation -- then it turns around and sells to advertisers? Read the full article from AdAge here.

Traditional IT department to disappear in radical five year transition

2007-08-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

The IT department as we know it, will no longer exist after 2012. Not only will there be a radical shift in skill sets but the traditional IT shop is likely to have a different name with IT managers even sporting new titles like innovation manager or director of processes. In the next five years, the IT department will shrink by one third as a result of increased automation, according to John Roberts, Gartner vice president and distinguished analyst. But it isn't just about size, Roberts said this transition will see IT's focus shift dramatically from technology to business processes and relationships. Read the full article here.

Tots Getting Internet Identity at Birth

2007-08-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Besides leaving the hospital with a birth certificate and a clean bill of health, baby Mila Belle Howells got something she won't likely use herself for several years: her very own Internet domain name. Likewise newborn Bennett Pankow joined his four older siblings in getting his own Internet moniker. In fact, before naming his child, Mark Pankow checked to make sure "BennettPankow.com" hadn't already been claimed. A small but growing number of parents are getting domain names for their young kids, long before they can do more than peck aimlessly at a keyboard. To read the full article from the Washington Post, click here.

Search technology prominence grows

2007-08-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

Search technology is becoming a central tool in everyday life, said Ask.com CEO Jim Lanzone at the Search Engine Strategies 2007 conference in San Jose, California on Tuesday. Once limited to giving out just a bunch of links, search has expanded to offer more context, options, and tools, Lanzone said. "For the next 10 years, [search is] going to be the way that you navigate the world of information and media," Lanzone said. See the full article from Paul Krill (InfoWorld) here.

Want Great PR? Get Your Agencies to Share the Load

2007-08-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Case Study: The New Maytag Repairman Owes His Life to Integration
Those of us lucky enough to have a few decades of advertising and marketing behind us can say with all certainty that the foundation has shifted. Whirlpool Corp. revitalized Maytag's brand icon through a concerted effort on the part of its agencies. The efforts generated nearly 2,000 candidates vying for the role as the Maytag Repairman. The three-month search cost less than $500,000; Whirlpool estimates its value at nearly $10 million.
Read the full article from AdAge here.

Virgin America: Like a Multimillion-Dollar IPod That Flies

2007-08-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Virgin America launched its U.S. air service yesterday, and immediately staked a claim as the most geek-friendly airline yet invented. It's also one of the most comfortable and pleasant to fly in -- and it's reasonably priced. Take a look at the amazing fit out at wired.com

A freak blog migrates into an institution

2007-08-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

After over two years at freakonomics.com, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner -- co-authors of the 3-million-copies "Freakonomics" -- last week moved their blog under a bigger and more institutional brand, that of the Opinion section of the New York Times' website. The migration of the blog has been hotly debated. See the Ted Blog for more.

Mom, Let's Talk

2007-08-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

A brand-new batch of cell phones takes aim at kids as young as 5.
Okay, it's off to first grade. Got the pencil case, lunch box, and...cell phone? Yes, with companies marketing calling plans to "tweens," ages 8 to 12, it was only a matter of time before cell phones found a place on their younger brothers' and sisters' back-to-school lists. Read the full article from BusinessWeek here.

Playground Networking, Now OnlineSocial Sites Aim at Users Too Young for MySpace

2007-08-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

These days, it's little brother who's watching.

Younger and younger children want their share of the social networking craze, but popular Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook are reserved for older crowds. So sites are now aiming at children 14 and under, with online worlds where their animated personas can play games, chat with others their age and even engage in adultlike activities such as e-commerce. Read the full article from Washington Post here.

Integrity in Marketing Is Not Optional - Why Truth and Credibility Must Necessarily Guide Marketing Strategy in an Era of Informed Skepticism

2007-08-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

While marketers grapple with the usual challenges -- competition, accountability, wrangling new technologies --perhaps they should be more concerned with a far more powerful phenomenon: informed skepticism. In a world where buyers are continuously in touch with other buyers and claims are publicly deconstructed by anyone and everyone, marketers' toughest job may be to simply convince buyers that they speak the truth. In such a world, marketing integrity is not just a virtue; it is a driver of choice. They speak the truth. The marketers featured in this Advertising Age article get that marketing integrity is more than just a nice-to-have; in today's environment, it's become a must-have for success.

Business leaders given APEC planning guidelines at Sydney CBD emergency planning forum 1 August 2007

2007-07-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

Businesses with operations in and around Sydney's CBD must prepare now for the impact of the Sydney's APEC forum to be held between 2nd - 9th September, emergency planning specialists told business leaders at a Sydney forum today. Speaking at the Janellis APEC emergency planning forum, Emergency Planning specialist, Mr Brendan Beckett Director of Janellis Australia said: "APEC raises some significant concerns for the Australian business community around issues such as CBD security zoning, mass gatherings, increased police presence and the public holiday. All of these factors will impact on normal business operations". Read the full media release here.

Finance Sector Acknowledges Economic Impacts of Climate Change

2007-07-31T20:33:00.000-07:00

Senior finance industry representatives have agreed that the economy-wide costs of ignoring sustainability issues such as climate change outweigh the costs of addressing it and believe further leadership is needed to encourage companies to report on sustainability risks. That's according to industry opinion polling released today by Finsia - the Financial Services Institute of Australasia - which represents 20,000 finance industry members in Australia and New Zealand. Read the full opinion poll from Finsia here.

The revolution continues says PricewaterhouseCoopers - 31 July 2007

2007-07-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

A revolution is under way in Australia's entertainment and media sectors, which are set to be worth a staggering $28.7 billion by 2011, according to a new report. The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australian Entertainment & Media Outlook: 2007-2011 report has found that a number of sectors, including out-of-home and print media, have developed more robust and timely audience measurement processes that will demonstrate insights into consumer behaviour to advertisers. Read the full press release from Pricewaterhouse Coopers here.

Does Your Brand Have Portability Potential?

2007-07-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Third-Screen Branding Poses Its Own Unique Set of Challenges. For all intents and purposes, the launch of Apple's revolutionary iPhone - complete with folks lining up and even sleeping on sidewalks in anticipation - heralded a new age of portability. The iPhone and all other soon-to-be-launched mobile phone-centric devices are not simply about the portable phoning capability (so yesterday). They're about the portable internet; portable entertainment; portable news; weather and sports; portable retailing; and, yes, the opportunity for portable branding. Read more here.

Privacy Is The New Black

2007-07-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

After a week where Ask launched AskEraser, a product that allows users to erase their search history, and Google announced a reduction in retained data time from 2038 to 18 months, more privacy initiatives are on their way.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft will officially announce Monday "new policies and technologies to protect the privacy of users of its Live Search services" and Yahoo will announce plans for "a policy to make all of a user's search data anonymous within 13 months of receiving it." Read the full article from techcrunch here.

Image Credit (New School)

Stella McCartney and PETA will co-host on Second Life the first worldwide anti fur protest

2007-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Stella McCartney and PETA will co-host on Second Life the first worldwide anti fur protest. The full article can be found here, see Stella McCartney's press release here and watch the debate continue in Second Life Herald.

11 U.S. food and drink companies to restrict advertising practices aimed at children

2007-07-18T03:38:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK: Eleven of the biggest U.S. food and drink companies will adopt new rules to limit advertising to children under the age of 12, a move that restricts ads for products such as McDonald's Happy Meals and the use of popular cartoon characters. Read the full article here.

Geek Pride Blooms Into a Real-World Subculture

2007-07-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - The nerds are in the hoouusse!

On a steaming Saturday, a horn-rimmed posse of software engineers, computer programmers and support technicians was grooving at a most unlikely spot -- a fierce underground music venue here. The act: MC Chris -- king of the burgeoning world of "nerdcore rap" -- who dropped rhymes like Jay-Z with a pocket protector, Eminem with complexion issues. See the full article from the Washington Post here.

Cisco CEO, John Chambers discusses the impact of web 2.0 on business communication.

2007-07-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Chambers says whilst blogging is "cool" and podcasts are "nice", the real growth story in web 2.0 is its use as a business productivity tool. "The ability to virtually be in the same room wherever you are around the world - and share the same data, the same voice and video fixed and mobile... then tie it all together in a simple, one click to use ability." See the Vlog here

First National Indigenous TV station launched

2007-07-13T00:24:00.000-07:00

Australia's first national 24 hour indigenous television station is on air. The maiden hour-long broadcast of National Indigenous Television (NITV) was beamed live from Sydney to more than 600,000 viewers this morning. Read the full story here

Rich Pickings

2007-07-12T23:30:00.000-07:00

A satirical video on teenage affluence is influencing hearts and minds through YouTube. See the video on Launch News Page or read the full article here.

IMPACT: The new political forum for MySpace users

2007-07-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Federal Opposition leader, Kevin Rudd and Greens Party Leader Bob Brown seeking friends at the launch of MySpace impact in Sydney, 12th July 2007.

MySpace representatives commented on the IMPACT initiative as a screen by screen alternative to traditional door to door political campaigning.

Social Networking Goes Niche

2007-07-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

MySpace and Friendster's runaway popularity and exposure have helped spawn an array of targeted networking sites. Advertisers are noticing. See the full article from Business Week here

An Olympic PR Challenge

2007-07-10T01:06:00.000-07:00

Among the nightmares that might plague a marketing executive, bankrolling an event that some call the Genocide Olympics could well be one of the worst. But that's just what the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola (KO), General Electric (GE), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Kodak, McDonald's (MCD), Samsung, Visa, and others are facing. As Beijing prepares for the Summer Games in August, 2008, activists around the world are planning to take China to task over issues ranging from the Dalai Lama to Darfur. And the multinationals that have coughed up tens of millions of dollars to sponsor the Olympics are caught in a public relations bind. Read the full article from Business Week here

Unilever announce two new important commitments to responsible marketing

2007-07-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Unilever has commited to adopting a global guideline that will stop the future use of size zero models or actors in its advertising. And it will also restrict its marketing and advertising to children between 6 to 11 years of age to the healthier foods and beverage products in its portfolio. Unilever will not impose strict criteria for models' and actors' Body Mass Index (BMI), but all brand directors and agencies will be expected to use BMI of between 18.5 and 25 as a guideline. This range is in line United Nations guidance of what level of BMI can be considered healthy. Read the full article here

ICANN Plans October Launch of '.asia' Domain

2007-07-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Internet addresses ending in ".asia" will be open to governments and trademark owners starting in October, with general registrations coming in 2008. The initial round, which starts October 9, is limited to governments desiring geographical names such as "china.asia" and those with trademarks applied before March 16, 2004, and actively in use. Read the full article from Businessweek here

Two Minute Social Networking Primer

2007-07-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Social media marketing, social media optimization, social bookmarking, social networking, social, social, SOCIAL. It's everywhere and yet, many people are still having a hard time understanding exactly what the heck we're talking about. So, if you're still trying to figure out what the heck a social network is and why you might want to join one, here's a brilliant two minute video primer.
Click on this link to watch the video

Steve Jobs' Greatest Presentation

2007-07-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

Carmine Gallo, Business Week's communications coach mines Jobs' introduction of the iPhone to offer five lessons for making an unforgettable pitch. Read the full article here

Into the World of Carbon-Neutral Advertising Smith Barney Panel Explores Latest Developments

2007-07-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The new notion that marketers should address and offset the carbon footprint of their print advertising has become credible enough to support a major panel discussion at Smith Barney. Among other things, the Manhattan gathering, which drew a standing-room-only crowd of executives from ad agencies, media companies and financial investment firms, featured a presentation by upscale jewelry merchant John Hardy. He's now planting bamboo on an entire island off the coast of Bali to offset the greenhouse gases generated by his print advertising in some of America's most chi-chi fashion magazines. See the Vlog Here

Signs of the Times: Fading Ads Hint at the Future of Marketing An Author's Stroll Through a World of Ghost Messages

2007-07-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

If it's still a little hard to digest Bob Garfield's pronouncement that "Advertising is not the future of marketing," maybe it's time to take a walk with Ben Passikoff, or at least sit down with his book. 'The Writing on the Wall,' by Ben Passikoff. Read more here

Sci-Fi invites bloggers to meet cast and crew

2007-07-02T19:26:00.001-07:00

The Sci-Fi Channel this week indulged in a new spin on an old PR move by hosting a junket, for bloggers.
The NBC Universal science fiction cable network's first "digital press tour" rounded up a couple dozen of its most important and influential online enthusiasts and reviewers and whisked them off to Vancouver for an almost week long Sci-Fi shindig.

Read more

100 blogs we love

2007-06-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

100 Blogs We Love
Here are our favorite stops in the blogosphere, covering everything from high tech to low comedy and all manner of pursuits in between.
Read the entire artilce

The humble fruit sticker goes tech

2007-06-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Dole Organic lets consumers "travel to the origin of each organic product". By typing in a fruit sticker's three-digit Farm Code on Dole Organic's website, customers can find the story behind their banana.

Read the full article here

The Onion

2007-06-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

Americas Finests News Source (self proclaimed title)

We Feel Fine

2007-06-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.wefeelfine.org/

Australian Wildlife Conservancy

2007-06-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

AWC is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s threatened wildlife and ecosystems. AWC acquires land, and works with other landholders, to establish sanctuaries for the conservation of threatened wildlife and ecosystems. AWC now owns 14 sanctuaries covering 917,000 ha (2.3 million acres) in places such as north Queensland, the Kimberley, western NSW and the forests of south-western Australia. See some of the amazing work they do here

The Nelune Foundation

2007-06-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

The mission of the NELUNE Foundation is to help ease the burden of cancer patients who may not have the support or financial resources that are needed to cope with this life threatening illness. Visit their website here

Bravehearts

2007-06-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Bravehearts are Australias leading child protection advocates. In May Bravehearts and MySpace announced a partnership project, 'Respect MySpace'. The aim of this project is to provide information to those who may have been exposed to the risk of sexual assault to enable them to access help, support and information in an environment that is increasingly familiar to young people. You can visit Bravehearts website here or the Bravehearts’ MySpace page here.

PM up to speed on broadband

2007-06-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

JOHN Howard will attempt to leapfrog Labor on broadband by promising fast services to all Australians, guaranteeing coverage of blackspots in outer-metropolitan areas and southeast Queensland.
Read the full artlice from The Australian here

Internet Visionaries Betting On Green Technology Boom

2007-06-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Bill Gates, John Doerr and Steve Case believed in the Internet long before Wall Street did. Now, they're betting on the next great "disruptive" technology: alternative fuels and other environmentally friendly products, but this time other investors aren't far behind.
See the full article from the Washington Post here

Telstra hit over virtual Uluru

2007-06-07T19:14:00.001-07:00

TELSTRA is being investigated by Uluru's administrators and the Sydney Opera House Trust after cashing in on the images of Australia's two most famous landmarks as part of its extensive investment in the online world Second Life.
Read the article from news.com.au here

Can your business change the world?

2007-06-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was in a town hall full of small business entrepreneurs who are committed to changing the world. Hosted by celebrity chef Kylie Kwong, Fair Trade Fiesta was a marketplace of businesses dedicated to ethical, sustainable or fair trade practices.
Read the full article from SMH here

10 Steps to Getting Started on a Clean Life

2007-06-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Find the ten steps here

Virgin Blue goes green

2007-06-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Airline Virgin Blue will today call on the aviation industry to clean itself up amid research projecting an explosion in the contribution of air travel to greenhouse gas emissions.
Read the full article at the age

Veiling our true predicament: Part 1 - Global Dimming, by Craig Mackintosh

2007-06-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

Have you heard the expression 'Global Dimming' yet?
Read it here

Eco & Ethics

2007-06-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

This month, we highlight the trend: the power of all products that have a sense of place, coveted by consumers for a variety of reasons: from environmental concerns to shifting perceptions of what constitutes status. Pretty broad, pretty observational. Let's call it a conversation starter?
Read the full post here

Why Generation Y are the most powerful consumer group in the world...

2007-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

Buying cars online - A US study estimates that 30% of cars will be bought online within just a few years. Well if not already, more than that will at least be researched online before they are purchased.
Read the full post at Peter Sheahan's blog

Organic develops its international market position

2007-06-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

The development of the international organic retail trade and supermarket chains is progressing at widely varying speeds.
Read the full article here

Coke Expanding into Whopping Australian Beer Market

2007-06-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

COCA-COLA Amatil has forecast growth in earnings of between 7 and 9 per cent this year on the back of solid sales of its fizzy drinks and premium beer business in the first four months of 2007.
Read the full article at the Daily Telegraph

Cider Sales Overtake Beer for the First Time

2007-06-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

UK: CIDER drinkers now outnumber those who down a pint of beer for the first time.
Read the full article here