I am NOT Maverick Marketing Sydney

Fashion retailer, Witchery, is the latest in the growing list of brands that has raised the ire of child advocate groups and their high-profile reps.

In the current series of ads for a range of clothing for two to nine year olds, brooding young girls are portrayed in adult poses and the brand stands accused of “adultifying” children.

Former Play School presenter (and Barnardo’s ambassador), Noni Hazelhurst joined forces with Kids Free 2B Kids to denounce the direction advertising was taking.

“They look like recalcitrant teenagers, I think this is a really dangerous direction,” she said. “Children as young as five are now going on diets, are worried about how they look, how they present – this just should not be an issue for children. It’s really sad that people are trying to redefine what early childhood means.”

Retailer Bonds, promoting mini-bras for children as young as six, bowed to public pressure, withdrawing its line of “bralettes” following pressure.

In the meantime, Witchery has defended its decision to run the ads by saying it thought the ads fun and playful, and claiming that the majority of feedback…regarding our campaign and product range has been very positive.

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Players from Google’s display advertising team presented seven predictions on the outlook of display advertising for 2015, as part of Google’s “Watch This Space” campaign.

They were:

1. Video: 50% of display ads will include cost-per-view video. The prediction comes with the launch of two new video ad formats on Google’s YouTube: an “in-slate format” that allows users to choose video ads to view, and an “in-stream format” that auto-selects video ads and allows users to click out of the ad after a few seconds.

2. Real-time: 50% of ad buying will happen in real time. Instead of a passive price ceiling or automated bid price, Google sees a trend towards ad buyers bidding on display advertising on the fly.

3. Mobile: The most popular screen will be on-the-go. Google is banking on “media bridging” off-line and online advertising with tools like Google Goggles.
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Renowned for making vehicles driven by James Bond, it came top of the annual poll, reclaiming the number one spot from Apple’s iPhone which came second.

Apple’s iPod was named third coolest, followed by Blackberry and stereo and TV maker Bang & Olufsen.

The survey was run by The Center for Brand Analysis which creates league tables based on the opinions of marketing experts, business professionals and thousands of British consumers.

Key factors in the selection process included, style, innovation, desirability and originality.

Vivienne Westwood topped the fashion brands in the poll, which began in 2001, while Ray-Ban was judged the coolest fashion accessory.

Google and YouTube were the only Internet brands to make the Top 20.
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Apple is expected to control 21% of the U.S. mobile advertising market by the end of this year, grabbing share from both Google and Microsoft, BusinessWeek reported, citing data from market research firm IDC.

Google, which accounted for 21% of the U.S. mobile ad market last year, is expected to end the year with 21%, while Microsoft’s share will fall from 10% to 7%.

Yahoo will see its share drop from 12% to 9%, while Nokia will slip from 5% to 2%. Independent ad network Jumptap is expected to increase its share to 13% this year, from 10% a year ago, while Millennial Media will end 2010 with 11% of the market, up from 9%.

Read more at Digital Media Wire.

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Rumour is doing the rounds that Australia’s Channel 7 Network is looking to squeeze another $10 million out of the AFL grand final replay on Saturday.

Last Saturday, Channel 7′s audience was estimated to reach 2.76 million nationally.

The result, a draw, required a replay rather than an allowance for time on, a rule that has received mixed, and largely negative, reaction from the Australian public and other sports affected by the decision.

Despite this, it is expected that a large TV audience will watch the replay and club ticket allocations are sold out.

For every five minutes of advertising, Channel 7 will earn around $1 million. A 30 second slot will cost advertisers up to $100,000 according to a seasoned media buyer.

Under the terms of the AFL agreement between Channels 7 and 10, the windfall is all Channel 7′s since the deal for Channel’s 10 and 7 means each channel can broadcast the grand final in alternate years.

Ten is focusing on the Commonwealth Games which is itself controversial due to the state of construction and security in India. Ten’s coverage is due to begin on Sunday evening.

Photo: Herald Sun (check out the rest of its 2010 Photo Grand Final Gallery)

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Looks as though Aussies love affair with Vegemite might be on the wane, according to a study conducted last month by Y&R Advertising Group’s, Brand Asset Consulting (BAC).

Our much-loved iconic spread has been replaced by tech brands such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and Nokia.

The study, in which 2000 Australians participated, found that Vegemite and Toyota had taken brand hits potentially as a consequence of major problems both companies faced the year before.

Vegemite lost six places, from 4 to 10, after the launch of its iSnack product disaster. Toyota, the top auto brand since 1997, slid to 6th place following the recall of cars due to a stuck accelerator problem (and the ensuing negative publicity).

It seems Aussies are much less forgiving than overseas counterparts, stripping 18% from trust levels in the brands compared to a 6% average globally.

The biggest losers included nappy brand Huggies, Venus razors, slimming brand Ultra Slim and Dare milk. BP has also suffered in the wake of the environmental issues it has been battling in the US.
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Spending by advertisers increased by more than expected in the first half of calendar 2010, a survey of advertising executives finds.

Advertising expenditure rose 6.8 per cent in the first six months of 2010, Starcom MediaVest Group’s half-year update to its annual Media Futures survey found.

The result was better than the 5.3 per cent increase tipped at the start of the year.

The survey, conducted by Roy Morgan, also found that 45 per cent of national advertisers experienced a year-on-year increase in expenditure during the first half of calendar 2010, compared with the prior corresponding period.

The respondents said they expected advertising expenditure would rise 6.4 per cent in the second half of calendar 2010.

More at the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Companies worldwide will spend nearly half a trillion dollars on advertising this year.

But spending that money wisely is more of a challenge now than ever before because of the changes brought about by the growing importance of digital media.

According to its latest Global Media Intelligence Report, eMarketer found that there will be a 12 per cent growth this year alone, with investment in video advertising boosting the amount which is spent on online marketing.

“The global advertising and media industry has been going through massive changes in recent years, between the inexorable shift from traditional to digital channels and a recession that damaged markets around the world” says eMarketer.

The “Global Media Intelligence Report” provides insight into many trends, large and small, and raises questions that may prove important for marketers in coming years.
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AUSTRALIA’S advertising industry has enjoyed a welcome boost, with half-yearly figures released this week showing the industry’s revenue up 9.6 per cent across the board, compared with the same period last year.

The figures, released yesterday by the Commercial Economic Advisory Service of Australia (CEASA), showed total spending on advertising of $6.718 billion for the six months to the end of June.

The biggest winners were metropolitan television, up by 20.2 per cent, and online, up by 19.3 per cent.

The federal election, in which Labor spent just over $15 million and the Liberals’ $13.7 million on media advertising, was a partial driver of the strong figures.

But analysts said the figures were more a reflection of the advertising industry still being in ”catch-up mode” after the recession in the industry.

More at the Sydney Morning Herald.

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