This week we said farewell to the ABC’s Chaser team with the ‘War on Everything’, which began in 2006, officially declared over.  In that time we’ve laughed at their foolish and banal pranks and topical satire, and their attempts to publicly humiliate everyone from politicians, security guards and media personalities and advertisers, right down to the average man or woman on the street.

It is true that at times they have sailed a little too close to the breeze – all in the name of comedy of course.  I will miss them but I can appreciate it’s time they moved on and tried something new.  It’s a shame that in spite of their previous highs, they may forever be remembered by many for their recent and misguided “Make a realistic wish foundation” skit.

This prompted a massive public backlash and even the PM weighed in with his disapproval.  Suddenly we were reminded that making jokes about terminally ill children may not be in such good taste.  The ABC went into damage control, suspended the show for two weeks and ‘reassigned’ the person responsible for approving the content.  The boys even issued a public apology and appeared suitably scolded (if a little stunned) for their misdemeanour.

Apparently the same rules do not apply in radio.

This is already ‘old news’ by today’s standards, but the issue is on-going.  In case anyone missed it and to cut a long story short… 2Day FM’s Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O are in very hot water over a segment of their Sydney radio show which went horribly wrong.

They had orchestrated a lie detector test for a 14-year old girl who had been dragged on the show by her mother, presumably to find out the sort of things that a teenage girl may not want to discuss at all, let alone in public.  Things took a turn for the worse when under questioning she angrily revealed she had been raped at the age of 12.

At this point you would have heard a pin drop.  Sandilands’ unbelievable but fumbling repost was to ask if that was the only sexual experience she had ever had.

I’m not sure if this called ‘thinking on your feet’, or whether to believe his claim that he was desperately signalling to producers to terminate the segment as quickly as possible from this point.

The fact is, if anyone thinks it’s morally appropriate to be grilling an underage girl on air about her sexual history then we have a fundamental problem here.  And if this is to be regarded as entertainment then some standards need to be applied before the chase for ratings gets completely out of control.

This scrutiny should not be wholly focused Sandilands himself (although it was not at all well handled), rather we should examine the whole framework around him that would let such a thing go to air in the first place.

Even more disturbing must be the actions of the girl’s mother, who would have known her daughter’s unfortunate history and who might have known the risk of such a disclosure, given the nature of the segment.  The possible impact of this whole affair and subsequent media coverage on the victim will be enormous.

From an advertising perspective we should not forget the station sponsors’ position.  Advertising dollars are the monetary fuel which keeps a show like this alive.

I can’t imagine that high-profile advertisers would want to associate themselves with a station, or a station’s host, who appeared to be so oblivious to a clear case of child abuse.  And if these are the sorts of stunts which are going to grace the airwaves in the future, you have to ask whether aligning your brand or product with this trite and offensive material is in your company’s best interests.

There have been plenty of shock-tactic segments in radio-land that somehow manage to fly under the radar, at least as far as any disciplinary action is concerned.  It may only be when the sponsors walk away that something is actually done about this.

I consider myself to be very broad-minded and am rarely offended by what I see and hear in the media.  This will be seen as an affront to many, and Sandilands and his crew have once again blotted their copybook.

He must have even fewer friends out there now – even if there is an element of the scapegoat here – and one would think a head somewhere could roll for this.

Steve Jennings is an Account Manager at BCM Brisbane

Given the continued success and growth of our Sydney office, we are pleased to announce the appointment of three new people to our Account Service team.

Simon Jarvis has joined as a Group Account Director, having previously worked with BMF in a senior Account Service role on the Lion Nathan (Hahn Super Dry) and Dairy Farmers (Dare Iced Coffee, Moove, Coon and Cracker Barrel) accounts.  He also brings with him considerable Account Service experience gained at DraftFCB, Lowe, and Rapier in London where he was involved with the Saab, General Motors, Stella Artois (global) and HSBC accounts.

Mitchell Stanmore will join us early next month as a Senior Account Manager.  Mitchell was most recently with McCann Erickson working on the Uncle Toby’s and Taubman’s accounts and has also held Senior Account Manager roles in the UK (managing brands such as NIKEGOLF Europe, Miller Beer International and Appletiser).  Prior to his UK stint, he was with Singleton Ogilvy & Mather for five years.

We also welcome Bianka Webb who recently joined us as an Account Co-ordinator.

Congratulations to you all – we’re glad to have you on board!

Paul Cornwell is a Partner at BCM

The Internet is great isn’t it? Everything can be measured (apparently). And with all this measurement comes things like new pricing models for advertising which are based on cost per click, cost per acquisition, etc. These approaches do much to position interactive as perhaps the most accountable medium ever. Digital Marketing Evangelists crow on blogs across the net about its accountability and contrast and compare this to a time when a medium was measured against archaic metrics like ‘opportunities to see’, ‘reach and frequency’ and ‘frequency distribution’ (snicker, snicker!!).

Now I for one like measurement as much as the next guy. I think it’s a reasonable expectation that what we do works and works well. But I’ve got to be honest I’m not all that crazy about the potentially obsessive nature of measuring and reporting on a whole bunch of stuff just because we can. Too much information can, believe it or not, prevent good decisions just as sure as too little information.

I fear the path that’s currently being trodden is limiting interactive to being viewed primarily as a direct marketing channel – and if you look purely at click through rates, for the likes of display advertising (average .01%)  not even a particularly effective one at that.

You see the problem I have with obsessive measuring is it doesn’t properly acknowledge:

1. Consumer behaviour and THE PATH TO PURCHASE
2. The size of the available ‘buyer-ready’ market at any particular MOMENT IN TIME
3. The strength of branding and the impact this has OVER TIME
4. The largely untapped potential for the net to contribute to branding objectives

I think Interactive media’s strength, in terms of its ability to immediately measure response, is also potentially its limitation. The measurement zealots want to measure things straight away, in ‘real time’; they want to modify immediately; they want to improve immediately. But advertising and the consumer’s relationship with it doesn’t work nearly so neatly, or perhaps, more to the point nearly so quickly.

Consider these two scenarios for a minute (I’m sure you could add more)

1. A consumer is impacted by an ad they see on the net. They make a decision to purchase 2 weeks later (God forbid) offline. So has the ad been valuable and effective? I would argue strongly, yes. But not if your measurement is click-throughs it hasn’t.
2. A punter decides to fly Qantas for reasons they have trouble articulating (let’s face it they’re hardly gonna say it’s because they saw a youth choir belting out a Peter Allen song are they!?!). But really what impact has said ad had when they go searching for cheap flights on Google and a Qantas deal presents itself? I’m guessing more than they realise. Yet Google, in the eyes of the metric zealots gets all the credit.

I guess what I’m saying is that the impacts and value of various channels is not as neatly compartmentalised as the Measurement Evangelists may have us believe. Longer term the impact of being uber-obsessed with single channel metrics means we may be limiting activities only to those that can prove a reasonable and immediate ROI. Advertising isn’t a perfect science and whilst post campaign analysis is important, over doing it comes with risk. The risk is limiting channel options, stifling brand creativity and missing opportunities. Pretty big risks I reckon.

Randall Rothenberg, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau in the US, perhaps summed it up best when called for a ‘creative renaissance’ on the internet. He said the net has become an unthinking hostage to a direct-marketing culture and tradition that devalues creativity and its long-term effect on brands.

Do you agree?

Kevin Moreland is a Partner at BCM
*and does actually know how to spell ‘metrics’

Today I have reached the final day of my internship here at BCM in Sydney, which has left me filled with a mixed bag of emotions: sad (to leave), proud (of what I have achieved), happy (to be going to finish my last semester of uni ever), enlightened (from what I have observed and the tasks I have completed), and finally excited as I have now re-confirmed my decision to work in advertising, and further confirmed my interest into the strategic planning field.

Since starting here two weeks ago, I have had the chance to meet a lot of interesting people with such a wide range of skills and talent, who were ever so helpful and welcoming towards me from day one. I’ve got to work on a few big scale clients including Radio Rentals, Sunbeam, and Artline. I got to work in a range of different departments including: Account service, Media, and Creative.

Although we get to work on real life clients at university, it still does not compare to the calibre of work that is done here at BCM. It has been great to see behind the scenes of how an agency functions from how meetings are booked to how pitches are pitched. From just observing the work done here in Sydney, it is inspiring to see the constant thinking, and innovative ideas that are developed here.

Since I started on my first day doing research on the current clients, my eyes and ears suddenly appeared to become more open and absorbent, as I have realised how competitive this industry is. Gerry had asked me to check the news websites as well as Adnews and B&T each day, and although I am already a current user of those sites, I only seemed to use them when I needed something, but it has now become my new daily habit, and I now feel weird if I haven’t done my morning lap around the news sites. So thanks Gerry for giving me another reason to procrastinate whilst avoiding uni work!

But all in all I have had a great two weeks here at BCM in Sydney, and I hope to possibly return to do another two weeks here in my next break in September. Thank you so much to Gerry for giving me this opportunity and making it all possible, and thank you to everyone at the BCM team in Sydney for being so kind and making the effort to give me an insight into your lives. To all of you I didn’t get to meet in Brisbane – I hope I will get to meet you one day.

Melanie Thorne Charles Sturt University Student

This morning I decided to temporarily stop using Google Search after almost 10 years of making daily requests to the world’s most popular search engine.

It isn’t because Google has done anything wrong in particular. Ok, it does feel a little creepy the way it tracks each and every search I do. And Google has developed the bad habit of being a near monopolistic search provider in most markets that it competes in, which doesn’t quite ring true to their “don’t be evil” mantra. Still, as a member of an interactive marketing team that utilises the power of Google every day to drive traffic to our client’s web sites through search engine marketing and optimisation. I think these not so desirable behaviours can be easily explained away.

Even as a regular internet user, Google provides me with mostly relevant search results that I’m satisfied with. It just disappoints me that a company which reinvented the concept of search engines has not continued innovating their core search product as much as I think they could have.

The rise of the social web has meant the way people use the internet has evolved. I need a search engine that will help me discover, interact and organise this new structure of content, networks and conversations. Google currently fails to do this.

Which is why I will be actively using four innovative search engines; Worio, Spezify, CrowdEye and Viewzi as my primary search tools for the next month. I will report back at the end of August here on Two Cents telling the world how I faired without Google Search.

It feels a little like I’m ending a relationship and breaking up with Google but I think it is all for the best.

I would love to know if you are happy with using Google Search or if you think another search engine would ever be able to topple the search behemoth?

Anthony Dever is BCM’s Interactive Strategist

Chatting with a workmate the other day, she told me about her new rental agreement. Her landlord has insisted she write a cheque and leave it in the letterbox for collection every week.

Cheques? How about paying online?
No thank-you.
Can we push it to every fortnight then?
No way.

I thought she presented a solid case for Internet banking, built on all-round convenience, time savings and effortless financing. It seemed the logical solution. But when is anything just about logic?

As it turned out, her reasons for Internet banking were exactly the landlord’s reasons against.

If he received deposits straight into his account, he wouldn’t need to leave his house, catch the bus, collect the cheque or pop into the bank. Simply, he wouldn’t need to talk to anyone.

Today, you can achieve so much without speaking to a soul. I know that sounds anti-social, but it’s true. Last Sunday morning, feeling a bit worse for wear, I ducked into Woollies to grab some orange juice and bread.

A touch screen and automated ‘Have a nice day’ later, I was on my way back home. Thank goodness for self-checkouts. I didn’t even need to take my sunnies off!

So as more products and services incorporate an automatic component (think transportation, or telecommunications, or even entertainment like FOXTEL Box Office movies), and almost anything is available with just the click of a mouse, I wonder what role face-to-face communication will play for brands in the future.

• Will consumers rely solely on virtual interaction rather than actual?
• What effect will this have on consumer relationships and loyalty?
• And will consumers expect more or less knowledge and assistance when/if they venture in-store?

I may be a member of that impatient, brash, tech savvy Gen Y, but I know trust can’t be initiated through a picture and a few words, any more than can replace a real smile.

There’s no doubt consumers are spoiled for choice of what to buy, where and how. And the range is only going to grow. But I agree with the landlord – there are times for everything..

And face-to-face communication should never go out-of-date.

Alana Salvaterra is an Account Coordinator at BCM Brisbane

If there’s one thing that Mums are sick of, it’s having to ask family members to do the same things over and over when they don’t listen.

And if there’s one thing Dads are sick of, it’s listening to Mum saying things over and over (because they really don’t listen in the first place).

That dangerous thought is behind BCM’s latest campaign for Pelikan Artline’s permanent markers. It’s entitled, ‘Stop repeating yourself’ and presents the markers as the solution to this problem in and around the home.

Lynn from Artline said, ‘It’s a fun concept and will definitely strike a chord with all Mums and with any luck, strike fear into those family members who don’t listen the first time!’

I just think the approach shows Artline understands their (rather bossy) target. And with any luck it should do a lot for noise pollution in this country. (I hope my wife doesn’t read this blog.)

The campaign has just started running in womens’ magazines and newspaper supplements and we’re now looking to extend it online, where women might be able to send in their own shots and comments’.

By the way, if anyone’s interested, that’s Sutts’ dunny.

Geoff Reid is BCM Sydney’s Creative Director

Are They Trying to Bore Consumers Into Buying their Brand?

While watching your favourite television programs this week take note of the number of ‘infomercials’ on air.

My observation is that the number of ‘infomercials’ on free to air television has increased fourfold in recent times.

Last night, I counted 9 different infomercials. That’s right nine! One was telling me that I had to protect my child from germs by covering every surface in my house with anti-bacterial liquid. Another was boring me with information about a cold and flu medication. Yet another, let me know, in great detail, about a new cereal that is on the supermarket shelves.

Quite frankly, I’m sick of them. And I bet the average consumer is too.

They’re bland, repetitive, uninspired and just plain boring.

What strategy are these marketers employing? Boring their prospects into buying their product?

Now, they would argue that there’s a role for this type of television commercial. It’s not about brand building, it’s about conveying important information to our consumer’ I hear them say. ‘We have brand TVCs that do that job’

Well, I have news for them.

Mostly, they convey product information to consumers which is a list of product features and benefits in a format which is truly forgettable.

And, the only way to ensure that their brand gets noticed and then remembered is to repeat the infomercial ad nauseam (pun intended!)

For starters, this is a highly inefficient way to spend marketing dollars!

Also, because these formats are very similar (same presenters, sets etc) they all blend into each other and leave very little opportunity for the brand to stand out. And isn’t this one of the key objectives for every brand…to differentiate? To help consumers make a decision to buy your brand over a competitor?

As the world has become more and more commoditised there is even more need to stand out with a brand that consumers connect with. How many products have genuinely unique features? Often, the brand is the only difference.

Don’t believe me? Let’s pick a supermarket category. Tomato sauce. Walk into your local Woolies today and you’ll find Heinz, Fountain, Woolies Homebrand, Rosella, Masterfoods and Woolworth Select branded tomato sauce. 6 choices of sauce and all with almost identical ingredients and similar packs. So, how do you choose between them apart from price? The only way for consumers to differentiate is with the brands. Which brand do I like? which one reflects me? Which brand am I comfortable with in my trolley or on my dinner table?

Will an infomercial help consumers choose between brands? I think not.

Every single dollar spent, even when imparting product information is a brand contact opportunity. And with every brand contact there is the potential to empathize with people, communicate brand values, engage prospects, express brand personality as well as deliver product information.

I think infomercials are at best an opportunity missed and at worst a waste of marketing dollars.

What do you think?

Stop, desist, quit tricking journalists.

Life is not easy for journalists. They have to find, fabricate, buy and otherwise invent stories that contain matters of great misery to other people. It’s a thankless task.

Do they get paid by the tear? Are they rewarded on a crash by crash basis?
Is there a flame bonus? No.

On top of that there are simply not enough tragedies to go around.

But things have recently got even worse.

Journalists have a new crisis. It’s us. We are feeding them fake news. How the hell can journalists be expected to sort out the fake news from the real? “Click, click, boom”, she says. Roll tape. “Jeff Goldblum’s dead”. Cue Camera 1.

And now, to our horror, we find that the callous driver reported in the media to have stepped over an injured truck driver to steal a carton of his pumpkins was yet another public lie.

Will we ever be able to believe anything we read ever again?

The answer, bloggers and Tweeters, is in your hands.

I don’t know about anyone else but I’m starting to think that (most) brides are crazy. And that the wedding industry has morphed into an unfathomable beast of information, expense, and advice – most of which is entirely unnecessary. And I must admit I think the net has a hell of a lot to do with it! Having recently entered into the realm of people who are planning a wedding (as are 4 other BCMers; is it something in the water?), then even dipping my toe into the realm of sites out there on this topic has been an eye-opener, and just a little bit scary.

If you never thought you had the capacity to become a ‘Bridezilla’ – then don’t look online! According to the net I should have had my theme (?) sorted out 18 months ago – and the ‘wedding lingerie’; what? Didn’t you buy that in 2007?! I also seem to be bucking the trend by not having a wedding blog or my own wedding site (nothing against those who do of course) but …. are you serious?

According to the latest stats 184 million people have started a blog – and of course there are a significant number of wedding blogs (how many? I’m not sure. Too many? Yes absolutely). Many of these blogs contain enlightening features such as a second by second timer, literally counting down the days and seconds until the ‘big day’, wedding forums that discuss when and how the bridesmaids need to have their hair cut and styled to even ‘make it’ into the bridal party… and of course the latest trend of hiring a personal trainer for the entire bridal party to lose weight … heaven forbid that cousin Sue carries an extra kilo!

Was getting married this big a deal before the net? Or is it just that we now have a readily available avenue for oversupply of information about this often controversial and emotional topic? I’m quite sure this isn’t just limited to wedding planning of course ….. although I can’t think of another event that you may plan in your life though that deems a comparison to a mythical Japanese fire-breathing monster….

My aim – to be one of the lesser known group of ‘Bridechillas’ – the relaxed, laidback organiser with a view that this weddingy-thing is just 1 day of your life….

Not that I’ll tell anyone about it.