In Australian media sector news this week, The Readership Works and Ipsos have launched EQ, a new development to the Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (EMMA) print readership measurement survey, which profiles how readers engage with newspapers and magazines.

 

Emma gets engaged

Cross-platform audience insights survey EMMA has launched a new engagement metric named ‘Engagement Quotient’ (EQ), which is designed to demonstrate a reader’s relationship with printed newspapers and magazines.

The engagement metric is a tool for informing ad strategy, rather than channel planning, and will measure 189 publications, including newspapers, magazines and newspaper inserted magazines.

Ipsos MediaCT and The Readership Works have developed five ‘Axes of Engagement’:

1. Source of copy,
2. loyalty (frequency of reading),
3. motivation for reading the title,
4. connection with the title, and
5. actions taken as a result of reading the title.

 

So far, Fairfax Media has come out spruiking initial results that show its titles achieving the highest EQs as sources of ‘discovery’ and ‘enrichment’ for readers on weekdays, and ‘entertainment’ and ‘inspiration’ on the weekend.

 

Aussie-developed content payment system set to “throw global media publishers a life line”

Australian company Nanotransactions is developing a content payment system that will help online content publishers to get internet users to pay for content. Nanotransactions will allow people to pay just a few cents to access the content they want on a pay-per-view basis, without requiring them to subscribe or log in to paywalls.

The company says that the system, which is seeking funding to move into its final development phase, will initially be used by online news site publishers, bloggers and freelance writers, but will rapidly broaden its reach to video and audio streaming sites and musicians.

Nanotransactions founder Nick Ross, a publisher, editor and journalist himself, says the Netflix experience in the US has shown that if content is offered at a reasonable price, using a system that’s simple to use, people will pay. “We believe Nanotransactions will deliver a robust and profitable transactional model for publishers of all sizes,” he says.

Nanotransactions is currently being developed by Vivant, the company that created CommBank’s Kaching banking app and its Property Guide app.

 

Spotify Australia launches its first major artist-led ATL campaign

Spotify Australia has launched its first major outdoor ATL campaign with artist-based creative featuring Pharrell Williams, Iggy Azalea, Lorde, Justin Timberlake and Daft Punk.

The campaign launches in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane across OOH, mobile display, search and social with a ‘text-to-listen’ mechanic. The creative and media plan was designed and executed by Bohemia in conjunction with Glue Society.

By analysing streaming data and insights, and working closely with local music label partners, Spotify identified and positioned artists that resonate strongly in particular locations based on interest and wider context (like tour dates), giving the content and placement of each creative stronger contextual relevance and targeting.

A mobile-based element was a core consideration for the campaign. Last year, Spotify launched its Mobile Free Tier on smartphone devices, giving users access to its full catalogue free.

 

SBS On Demand launches in beta on HbbTV-enabled televisions

SBS’s dedicated catch-up viewing service, SBS On Demand, will now be available to the public in a pre-release test version via HbbTV-enabled (hybrid broadcast-broadband television) television sets, which is launching in Australia in coming months as FreeviewPlus.

HbbTV will allow viewers to switch seamlessly between the broadcast and catch up services of television networks. From today, users with new HbbTV-enabled televisions which are connected to the internet will see a ‘Red Button’ appear on screen when tuning into SBS’s three free-to-air channels.

Pressing the red button on the remote control will then launch the new SBS On Demand application on the television screen and allow viewers to access to the range of content on offer from SBS.

SBS chief digital officer, Marshall Heald, says the launch continues SBS’s leadership in the on-demand and catch up television space:

“Innovation in the digital space is key to the future of delivering uniquely SBS content for all Australians, and adding SBS On Demand to HbbTV-enabled televisions was a logical next step with the imminent launch of FreeviewPlus. It continues our commitment to bringing content to audiences when they want, and where they want it.”

FreeviewPlus is an industry-led initiative launching soon on HbbTV-enabled televisions, which will offer a unique combined electronic program guide, as well as catch-up digital services from across the free-to-air networks, including SBS.

 

BBC Worldwide appoints new head of research and consumer insights

Joe Lynch has been appointed to the new role of head of research and consumer insights at BBC Worldwide ANZ, starting in August.

In his new role at BBC Worldwide ANZ he will report to Melissa Madden, director of brands and marketing, and will manage a team of two. Lynch will also work closely with the BBC Worldwide global research and insight team.

Lynch has 20 years’ experience in brand strategy and consumer insights working across Europe, Australia and most recently in North America. He has worked for leading global brands, such as Virgin, Nestlé, Energizer and Pepsico, and local media brands ACP magazines and Channel Seven.

Joe has worked in a variety of roles, which includes servicing multiple international accounts at Millward Brown, heading up qualitative for the North America region at Nunwood, specialising in media clients at The Leading Edge, and partnering with the founder of The Seed which he helped to grow two-fold in his first year.