Marketing news

A nationwide study has revealed increased consumer engagement with communities and younger, more engaged readership profiles for local community newspapers. Conducted for News Community Media by research company The Leading Edge, the ‘Engaging Communities’ study shows that consumers across all age groups are moving ...

From the wonderful creative world comes a few campaigns that will both humour and terrify. Kids pick up technology 50 times faster than many of us – that’s a fact. Their nubile brains can figure out the intricacies of hight tech equipment that would have taken a 1960s’ NASA scientist his whole life. With that knowledge, ...

In a 40-page document of financial results released today, General Motors Corporation has disclosed that it will slash marketing in the US by $800 million this year alone, including vehicle incentives. A report from AdAge.com says that in a December 2008 filing, GM had said it would cut advertising and marketing ...

Guardian.co.uk reached a record audience in January 2009, attracting almost 30 million unique users in a month where all UK national newspaper websites posted record results, fuelled by coverage of US President Barack Obama’s inauguration and the ongoing economic woes. The Guardian remains the most popular newspaper ...

Google has been named as world’s top brand by a UK survey of 500 brands voted on by a panel of 1500 managers, organised by the Centre for Brand Analysis (CBA). While the search engine topped the list of brands, its popularity couldn’t stop its email system, Gmail, crashing across the world. Google did not say initially ...

If MySpace were a planet, what would be its most popular brand? This is what the MySpace Australia census reveals the brands of choice, offering insights into the habits the social networker’s cyber citizens. The survey has reviewed the opinions and lifestyle preferences of over 2000 Australian MySpace users. ...

Having been absent from TV screens for three years, Boost Juice Bars will premiere a new TVC as part of brand-driven marketing campaign. The company states that it is using the campaign as an opportunity to spread an optimistic and fresh attitude align with the brand’s own message. “While our vibrant, youthful ...

Australian magazine publisher ACP Magazines has released yearly results for it’s women’s market stable of titles. The company’s results indicates that it increased its share of the celebrity weekly market from 46.9% 12 months ago to 51.1%. It also grew its share in the real life category to 44.3% and the youth category ...

oOh!media Group indicates that its acquisition and growth strategy during the past five years is set to deliver a record operating result for 2008. The preliminary 2008 full-year results, which are in the process of being audited, show a record full year net profit after tax of $3.4 million – an increase of $3 ...

Samsung Electronics has announced the appointment of two senior executives, Tyler McGee and Maxime Bonpain. A release from the mobile handset provider says that Tyler McGee joins this month as vice president of telecommunications, charged with the aim to make Samsung become the leading mobile phone brand in Australia ...

Sick of people hijacking their fame, celebrities have banded behind Facebook as it initiates a purge of fake celebrity accounts. The action by the social media network comes amid fears people could be libelled by creating the accounts, demonstrated by an exchange between a hoax Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie. The ...

Behold, a 19th century idea adapted for modern marketing campaigns: the zoetrope. FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaká, has lent his skills off the field as the star of Sony’s Motionflow 200Hz campaign that uses the unusual, Dr Who-looking technology. The campaign features Kaká performing signature moves inside ...

Bonjour mes amies! This week we look at Valentine’s Day and why it doesn’t always turn out how you want. As you well know, French is known as the language of love and its culture reflects that notion. All over Europe Valentine’s Day is celebrated with gusto, with flowers and chocolate – ingredients to inflame a ...

A survey in the US found that although 200 “founders, bloggers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and members of the Twitterati” would be most willing to pay for Facebook, they would actually recommend another business to pay for Twitter. The survey, taken at New York’s Social Media Week 2009 and conducted by Abrams Research, ...

The tough times within the advertising and marketing industry have hit the STW Group, which has allegedly retrenched about 20 staff. According to a report on The Australian online, the employee cuts are primarily from the Ogilvy group of companies in Sydney and began at the start of the year. STW has indicated ...

Discount retailers and fast food chains are doing a roaring trade as the economic decline drives consumers to cut household budgets. News.com.au reports that outlets such as The Reject Shop, McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza have reported strong earnings growth over the second half of calendar 2008. Domino’s reported ...

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, has posted an impassioned blog telling users that the social network will take back its changes to the company's Terms of Service after thousands complained. Within a day of the changes, a number of groups were launched to protest the changes and the story appeared across national ...

In the latest example of marketers using social media to launch campaigns, one of Australia’s most popular YouTube users has admitted to being paid to spruik Channel Ten’s new show Lie To Me. Hugh Thomas’s ‘hughsnews’ YouTube channel has about 20,000 subscribers, making him the 12th most subscribed in Australia. Thomas ...

Following the announcement that Foster’s Group would be selling off its wines interests and rumours of potential employee cuts after a small number of Melbourne staff were laid off, the drinks company has declared the death of its multi-beverage strategy, but shied away from plans to split the company in two. A ...

Are you sick of your teenage kids getting ripped off by overseas mobile companies offering expensive applications? So is consumer watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The Commission has launched legal action against two overseas-based companies for alleged misleading advertising of ...

SBS has been well known for its support for the Tour de France for a long time. The media outlet has now announced that Renault is the first of its 2009 sponsors for the cycling event. The sponsorship deal will span television and online and the French car company will feature its Koleos SUV throughout the tour ...

According to the Australasian Promotional Marketing Association’s (APMA) recent survey, 2009 will potentially be a good year for the promotional marketing industry. The survey reveals that almost half of the industry expects marketing departments to increase or maintain their current level of spending on the channel ...

Management software solutions company, Adstream, has announced that it will collaborate with APN subsidiary, GSP Print, to move into the ...

Greetings to those of you who survived the weekend, only to be faced with the wrath of your MD or respective boss. Featuring on the Monsieur’s menu today is an entrée of pure weird. People in my homeland love their poodles – we are well known for them. Leave it to the Americans to turn the art of ‘poodle grooming’ ...

A new kid on the digital training block has raised its hand to help marketers get more of an understanding of digital media. Patty Keegan has announced the launch of her digital media training company, Digital Chameleon. The company aims to offer collaborative e-learning components that can be provided as stand-alone ...

Google is discontinuing its Radio Ads program after a three-year trial that was meant to drive new advertisers to the medium. The move comes just after the recent announcement that the Print Ads program was also discontinued. Google started the Radio Ads program in January 2006 when it purchased an automation software ...

WebTrends, a provider of web analytics and online marketing solutions, has identified a steady increase in usage of Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7. Microsoft launched the availability of Windows 7 BETA at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year. With WebTrends OnDemand software ...

In a hostile environment for directories, Yellow NZ is doing better than most. Now the owner of the country’s Yellow and White pages directories will partner with data and customer information management, Acxiom, to provide consumer telephone append and name and address verification services based on Yellow’s White ...

Out of home media provider EYE has appointed Jeremy Corfield to the position of global director for Eye Fly. Having joined EYE in 2001 as general manager of the Eye Fly (airport) division, Jeremy has recently returned from the UK where he spent the past three years as CEO of EYE UK, leading the company’s business ...

Australian consumers set to splurge on chocolates and bubbly this Valentine's Day.  Aussie lovebirds can look forward to consuming a staggering 1.8 million kilos of boxed chocolates this Valentine’s Day washed down with over 800,000 bottles of sparkling wine, according to data compiled by research company Nielsen. Even ...

Underbelly, A Tale of Two Cities continues to smash records by being ninemsn’s most downloaded television program ever. Episodes one and two have been downloaded more than 6000 times in less than 60 hours of being available since the program went to air on Monday. The official Underbelly website ninemsn.com.au/underbelly ...

Remember when you forgot your mum’s birthday or that Valentine’s gift for your girlfriend, so you hightailed it to the local store and it always had that recognisable blue box saviour sitting on the shelf? Well that blue box may look a little different soon. FutureBrand has created a new look for Cadbury’s Roses ...

Marketingmag.com.au reported yesterday that Twitter had announced it will start charging brands for the use of its services. Twitter has since responded to the move on its blog, assuring users that the initiative isn’t something that is going to be implemented yet and purely in the planning stage. It will “remain ...

Talk about social media having a societal affect on the offline world. Facebook is being used by thousands of Indian women to protest against an extremist group that has targeting women with perceived ‘loose morals’. The ‘Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women’ will be sending pink underpants to the Sri ...

Twitter is planning to charge brands for using the micro-blogging website. There has been much debate about how the micro-blogging channel would be able to translate its business model into measurable ROI. A report from Brand Republic reveals that Twittter co-founder, Biz Stone, says “We are noticing more companies ...

And you thought interactive shopping centre boards were getting a bit too I, Robot. Out of home company, PDM, has launched Australia’s first life size holographic ‘Virtual Assistant’ at the Audi Centre Sydney, Rosebery, designed to help out browsing customers. The Virtual Assistant comes in the form of a virtual ...

Being an avid fan of foosball, this campaign caught the Newspup’s eye. Created by 2Fish, this Lacoste campaign featured a series of unique activities to mark the company’s first year as the official outfitter of the Australian Open. “It was a great example of how to create a brand experience with an immediate ...

As the Auto industry reels from mass layoffs and falling stock prices, some companies are making the best of the situation, by pushing existing popular models. Whybin\TBWA Melbourne and Nissan Australia have launched the next-generation Nissan Murano with a TVC and follow-up campaign that aims to speak to professionals ...

Been saving those credit card points for that dream holiday? Well, you’d better get in quick or you may not be able to ever redeem them, according to a campaign launched by Qantas. MarkSydney/M&C Saatchi have developed a campaign for Qantas Frequent Flyer, launching in terminals on Monday to alert people to ...

Latest IAB IAER shows online advertising surpasses $1.7 billion for 2008, and fourth quarter of 2008 shows an increase of 22% from fourth quarter 2007. Online advertising has continued to defy market conditions, surpassing $1.7 billion for the 2008 calendar year, representing an increase of $364.25 million or 27% ...

Bonjour to you all and welcome to the first of my Monday morning observations, reports on strange things and accounts from my annuls of intrigue. As you well know, I have travelled far to bring you these bite-sized pieces of fun to get you through the week, something that even in the motherland I could see that ...

Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA) has launched a confronting advertising campaign aimed at highlighting the long-term affects of child abuse on over two million adult ‘survivors’ and a further eight million Australian community members. The campaign is the first national television, print and radio campaign to ...

Crown ventures into custom publishing with new magazine – Crystal. Melbourne-based Niche Group has announced the launch of a new publishing project with entertainment group, Crown Melbourne Limited to create a high-end magazine to be named Crystal. The large-format, high-quality magazine will be tailored to the ...

The marketing team for Freeview has been announced as well as the shortlist for the final agency pitch. Freeview CEO, Robin Parkes, who was appointed in November 2008 recently named her marketing team. ...

Taking advantage of the difficult economic climate in Australia, News Digital Media has acquired a significant minority stake in SportingPulse (ANZ), a grassroots sports network. SportingPulse purportedly attracted more than one million monthly unique browsers during the peak winter sporting season and provides ...

A hoax website set up for UK skin cancer charity Skcin, promising people regular tans from their computer using special technology, has attracted 30,000 hits in the first 24 hours. Brand Republic reports that McCann Erickson launched the campaign on behalf of Skcin to raise awareness of the growing threat of skin ...

Ziff Davis research provides insights and marketing direction for the struggling car industry. According to Ziff Davis research, gamers are focused on more than just playing games. They’re also avid car enthusiasts who influence each other about brands and features for upcoming purchases. About 75% of gamers give ...

If you thought that there weren't enough tools to stalk your friends, think again – Google has introduced a tool called Latitude, to add to its mobile maps service that enables you to share your location with your friends and see where your friends are. Through Latitude, you are able to connect with friends by ...

Ads for a campaign promoting the need to trade through the economic crisis and advertise on radio, will begin next week as part of the commercial radio industry’s ongoing multi-million dollar brand campaign. The three-part campaign, called ‘Radio Advertising, Economically Sound’ features comedian, Mark Mitchell, ...

If you have fond memories of fluffy, crazy looking puppets singing and teaching you the alphabet, then the new campaign from Chupa Chups is aimed directly at you. But while the manic puppets still feature, the message has changed: forget ‘cooperation, makes it happen’, Chuck, the mascot for Chupa Chups' campaign, ...

It may come as no surprise to many, but the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has launched an investigation focussing on the promotions of high interest online savings accounts by financial institution that may be misleading consumers. A report from thesheet.com indicates complaints stem from ...

Yes folks – big brother’s advertising arm is watching. Just when you thought iPhone and the Spyball were the height of today’s technology, out-of-home video advertisements served to a viewer based on their age and gender may soon be found in the gym, shopping centres or supermarkets around the world. According ...

Ladies and gentleman, it’s official: Over the Hump has suffered greatly due to the economic downturn and has been placed into the loving hands of receivers. Despite the bankruptcy of OTH editor, The Barber, and rumours of his misappropriation of funds (words such as ‘love boat’, ‘deep heat’ and ‘Bahamas’ were found ...

On the back of Qld Tourism’s ‘World’s greatest job’ campaign, Tasmania’s Opposition is urging the government to immediately start an aggressive tourism marketing campaign to encourage more people interstate to visit the apple isle. Despite the success of Tassie Tourism’s ‘Tasmania the movie’ campaign, the state’s ...

While the rest of the industry battens the hatches, search marketing is seeing its best results in the UK. Search engine marketing spend grew 11% year on year during the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a Brand Republic report. Efficient Frontier's Search Engine Performance Report Search revealed that spend ...