Bellwether: Advertisers more optimistic for 2010

Posted by Daniela Queen on 18 January 2010 at 10:29
Tags: Advertising, Media Business, Newspapers

The Financial Times reports that advertisers are setting higher budgets for 2010, a sign that the downward trend for advertising revenue may have reversed.

Out of the 300 companies surveyed for the Bellwether report, two-thirds answered that they were preparing to increase their advertising budgets this year although the amounts involved were “relatively lacklustre by the historical standards of the Bellwether survey”, the FT said.

Newspapers suffered the worst fall in advertising compared to other industries with some sectors, such as property adverts, falling 60 per cent over two years.

However, the companies involved in the survey said they were “the most optimistic about the financial outlook for their industries in almost five years”, advertising trade body the IPA said in a press release

Sun kicks off its cheap holidays promotion with TV ad campaign

Posted by Press Gazette on 8 January 2010 at 16:37
Tags: Advertising, National Newspapers, Newspapers

The Sun launches the 20th year of its cheap holidays promotion this Saturday - the accompanying TV campaign starts tonight.

Economist targets Facebook and Twitter users

Posted by Emma Day on 21 December 2009 at 11:53
Tags: Advertising, Journalism, New Media, Online

.The Economist is hoping to attract 500,000 fans on Facebook and 750,000 followers on Twitter in the next six months, reports the Financial Times.

Following in the footsteps of braodcasters such as Sky and ITV, as well as publishers like The Guardian and New York Times, The Economist is looking to online social media to bring in new readers and increased web traffic, by offering users the opportunity to post comments on the site through their Facebook pages.

Ben Edwards, publisher of Economist.com, told the FT: “We have a mission online of being the foremost destination for global discussion and debate, which is a social proposition.” The site, which currently has 180,000 Facebook fans, intends to acquire new readers and develop “a deeper sense of engagement” with existing ones.

The changes are expected to be introduced within four months.

Newspaper “story link tax” referred to copyright tribunal

Posted by Emma Day on 18 December 2009 at 12:30
Tags: Advertising, Journalism, Journalism Technology, Law, New Media, Newspapers, Online

The news clipping service Meltwater has referred the Newspaper Licensing Agency to the UK’s Copyright Tribunal over its proposed “story link tax”, Paid Content reports.

It is a move that would force online news clippings agencies to pay for providing links to newspaper stories from 1 January.

The NLA claims the move will regulate companies that profit from selling links, stating: “This is not about links: it is about profiting from someone else’s intellectual property without paying your fair share of the cost.”

Norway-based Meltwater Group CEO Jorn Lysegge says “This fee is not only unjust and unreasonable, it is contrary to the very spirit of the internet.”

In a statement on the Meltwater website Francis Ingham, director general of the Public Relations Consultants Association, said: “This is an absurd tax which we believe has no legal justification. We are delighted Meltwater is taking a stand against the NLA and will examine whether we can intervene to strengthen their case in the interest of our members. It is ludicrous for organisations to need a licence to receive links to coverage that is freely available to view online.”

The UK Copyright Tribunal has not yet announced if they will call a hearing.

Miami Herald asks readers for donations

Posted by Press Gazette on 17 December 2009 at 15:40
Tags: Advertising, International, Media Business, New Media, Online, Regional Newspapers

Faced with the prospect of rapidly vanishing profits, the Miami Herald is asking readers for donations. (more…)

FT investigates claims of advertisers influencing editorial – says report

Posted by Press Gazette on 1 December 2009 at 09:02
Tags: Advertising, National Newspapers, National Union of Journalists, Newspapers

The Financial Times is investigating allegations that its advertisers paid for editorial articles in its specialist magazine division. (more…)

Dharmash Mistry: National newspaper websites need just 5% of readers to pay

Posted by Press Gazette on 3 November 2009 at 11:40
Tags: Advertising, Media Business, National Newspapers, New Media, Newspapers, Online

National newspapers need to convince less than five per cent of their current online readers to pay for access to content to make a move away from an advertising revenue model successful, a private equity financier told the Guardian. (more…)

Councillor: Local authority’s newsletters complement press. MPs: Newsletters are propaganda

Posted by Press Gazette on 28 October 2009 at 11:51
Tags: Advertising, Journalism, Media Business, Newspapers, PR

A councillor yesterday claimed local authorities helped sustain, rather than kill off local newspapers.

Liberal Democrat Gerald Vernon-Jackson told a select committee hearing looking at the future of regional media that Portsmouth Council’s paper Flagship complemented the city’s privately run newspaper. (more…)

Dennis Publishing to launch Monkey iPhone app

Posted by Gary Neale on 9 October 2009 at 09:24
Tags: Advertising, Customer publishing, Journalism, Magazines, Media Business, Mobile, New Media, Online

Dennis Publishing’s online magazine Monkey is set to get it’s own iPhone app which it will sell for £1.79 - Android and Blackberry versions are expected soon. (more…)

European news channel explosion puts their futures in doubt

Posted by Gary Neale on 8 October 2009 at 12:20
Tags: Advertising, Broadcast, International, Journalism, Media Business, Mobile, New Media, Online, Television

The number of European news channels has doubled in the last five years with over 160 channels available across the EU, according to AFP.

But as the internet becomes a more and more popular form of receiving quick news bulletins, and the credit crunch squeezes advertising revenue, the future of these channels is in doubt - the agency says in a report from the MIPCOM trade fair in Cannes, France.

AFP reports that the massive competition in this sector means the channels often make losses - with half the smaller broadcast media groups reporting losses in 2007 and 2008.

Andre Lange, head of markets and financing at the European Adiovisual Observatory, said: “We can expect some channels to go bust in the next few years. The big groups, however, have a certain obligation to their viewers to provide news channels. And for some it will almost certainly be politically important.”

AFP suggests news channels could find greater profits by targeting mobile phone news.

Internet overtakes TV as UK’s leading ad sector

Posted by Roberto Barros on 30 September 2009 at 10:29
Tags: Advertising, Broadcast, New Media, Online, Television

For the first time advertisers in the UK are spending more money on the internet than on TV ads, a report by the Internet Advertisement Bureau has shown.

Spending on internet advertising reached £1.7bn in the UK during the first six months of 2009 - growing 4.6% year-on-year growth, according to a report released today by the IAB. (more…)

Monocle hits newsstands with bumper size issue

Posted by Roberto Barros on 25 September 2009 at 11:28
Tags: Advertising, Consumer Magazines, Magazines, Online

Monthly global affairs and culture magazine Monocle will publish its biggest ever issue in October a 30 per cent increase on the same time last year.

The magazine was founded by Wallpaper editor Tyler Brûlé in 2007. The title beefed up its online service last week by launching a new daily new bulletin sponsored by Blackberry.

London Press Club Ball embraces ‘austerity’ theme

Posted by Helen Potter on 7 September 2009 at 16:41
Tags: Advertising, Broadcast, Journalism, National Newspapers, Newspapers, People, Radio, Television

Austerity is the theme of this year’s London Press Club Ball.

BBC Breakfast presenter Kate Silverton will host the event and Bargain Hunt’s James Braxton will conduct the auction where a special edition Mini Cooper Mayfair car will be the top prize.

Organisers of the ball have acknowledged the economic climate by cutting ticket prices with the aim of maximising funds for the Journalists’ Charity. (more…)

Trinity Mirror makes 10 redundant at sales house Amra

Posted by Conrad Quilty-Harper on 25 August 2009 at 08:08
Tags: Advertising, Journalism, Media Business

Trinity Mirror has made 10 sales staff redundant at Amra, its national sales house responsible for selling advertising on 180 regional newspapers and 300 websites, MediaWeek has reported.

Six staff from the firm’s London office and four from the Manchester office accepted voluntary redundancy after a period of consulation. Associate director Sue Kemp and account director Nigel Joyce are among those to go.

This round of redundancies comes as the Trinity Mirror reported a loss of 34.5 per cent year on year in revenue from advertising on its regionals division in the first six months of 2009.

Free job listings on Sun website

Posted by Oliver Luft on 14 August 2009 at 10:13
Tags: Advertising, National Newspapers, New Media, Newspapers, Online

The Sun has launched a ‘huge campaign’ today to battle Britain’s crippling unemployment and aimed at helping a “lost generation” find work.

As part of its drive, the Sun says it will offer a jobs listing service so businesses can post all vacancies on its website for free.

UK government ad spend up 43 per cent to £540m

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 20 July 2009 at 14:52
Tags: Advertising, Agencies, B2B Magazines, Magazines, Media Business

If you thought the last year was a nightmare commercially for your publishing business - it could have been a lot worse.

New figures from the Central Office of Information reveal that government spending on advertising and marketing grew 43 per cent year-on-year to £540m in the 12 months to the end of March. Happy days then for many publications targeting the public sector.

How long can the spending spree last though? And what are the chances of a Conservative government simply sticking all the public sector ads up online for free?

OK! magazine employs ad agency to create website editorial

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 17 July 2009 at 11:57
Tags: Advertising, Magazines, New Media, Online

Advertising agency MediaCom is to start creating editorial content for the website of OK! magazine.

Under the deal MediaCom’s Beyond Advertising division will create a series of website landing pages around celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Mad.co.uk reports.

Estate agents threaten TV licence boycott

Posted by James Michael on 8 April 2009 at 12:26
Tags: Advertising, Agencies, BBC, Broadcast, Media Business, Television

Estate agents are threatening to withhold their BBC licence fees in protest against a BBC television programme that encourages people not to use them, the Daily Telegraph reports today.

The BBC One programme ‘Axe the Agent?’ has been criticised for the way that it instructs viewers to buy and sell property and avoid paying agents fees.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Lee Bramzell, chief executive of the property industry website propertyindex.com, said that the programme’s premise and title were “deliberately antagonistic”.

“This is the kind of irresponsible broadcasting one might expect to see on Channel 5 but not from the state broadcaster,” he said.

Bramzell has written a letter of complaint to Mark Thompson, the director-general of the BBC.

But a BBC spokesman told the Daily Telegraph: “The programme has no intention of depriving estate agents of their livelihood and it complies with the BBC’s editorial guidelines. The question mark in the title is deliberate in making this a question and not a statement.

“At the beginning of each episode we also make it clear that not using an agent is a huge step and not to be taken lightly.”

Ofcom proposes radio reform

Posted by James Michael on 7 April 2009 at 13:25
Tags: Advertising, Broadcast, Journalism, Media Business, Radio

Ofcom has offered a blueprint to reform commercial radio, which it hopes will make local networks a more attractive investment, the Financial Times reports today.

The broadcast industry is currently struggling with the financial void left by the decline in advertising, the FT says.

Under the proposal, Ofcom would permit broadcasters to consolidate further into regional centres, which could allow them to save money.

The journalist more widely reproduced than JK Rowling or God

Posted by Dominic Ponsford on 9 February 2009 at 09:25
Tags: Advertising, Journalism

The freelance journalist who wrote the text for Raja Daswani’s ubiquitous newspaper adverts for bespoke suits has the unusual distinction of being the author of the most reproduced English text in history, other than the bible and Shakespeare - The Guardian reports.

The advertorial as a genre is seen by many journalists as the ultimate in hack work. Jonathan Margolis says this particular one was probably among his worst work - and that he was paid very little for it.

Little was he to know that it would be reprinted 1,200 times in more than 25 newspapers - leading to more than 200 million reproductions.