MediaCommunications

MediaCom View: Ofcom is ceding to 'market forces' in allowing pay TV channels to be broadcast via the Freeview platform. Whilst the public service broadcasters will obviously remain free to air, Ofcom have decided to de-regulate existing restrictions for pay TV channels on Freeview due to the rapid development of DTT which has now sold over 10 million boxes since inception.

MediaCom View: The EC is considering extending the 'Television Without Frontiers' directive to include non-linear audio visual services including Video on Demand and Internet broadcasting. However a campaign which includes the broadcasters - Yahoo!, Vodafone and ITV are opposed to the move arguing that the majority of the online world is currently self-regulated and regulations will only serve to stifle competition.

MediaCom View: Outdoor auditing can be notoriously difficult to manage because of the nature and diversity of the medium. When you consider the possibilities in relation to format (from traditional billboards to digital platforms), environment (from roadside to arrival zones like shopping centres and bars), campaign size (from a solus backlight panel to a national medium-weight network) and duration (from one-week to long-term annual deals and beyond), it is not surprising that problems arise and that several campaigns are discounted in the auditing process because of overall campaign performance measurement issues.

Isba has publicly backed the company, Outdoor Audit, by sending out letters to its members advising them to opt-in to the new auditing system thereby allowing this company access to the outdoor data of many of the largest companies in the UK. On the whole, this should create a more in-depth and accurate data pool to utilise within the audit process. (Obviously, the data provided by the client to Outdoor Audit will be attributed to the pool anonymously through the advertiser's affiliated poster specialist to avoid breaches in confidentiality agreements and conflicts of interest.) Having had an extensive career in outdoor, Alistair Lines, the chief executive of Outdoor Audit, has excellent experience in and understanding of the medium. Theoretically this should enhance the way in which the outdoor auditing process is handled in the future.

MediaCom View : Blogs and other forms of user generated media are certainly influencing brand perception and product sentiment - but not (yet) on the scale that many hyped-up news articles and reports would have you believe. Most blogs are read by a tiny number of people, but there is also a small "A list" of bloggers who attract thousands of readers. User generated content can be monitored for research purposes, act as a forum in which to create a real dialogue with consumers, or be used as a simple advertising vehicle. Advertisers and agencies should certainly be aware of this phenomenon.

MediaCom View : News Magazine's recent launch into the real life women's weekly market, Love It! is under scrutiny for its current circulation performance. After a good launch (with heavy promotion) and the first two issues reaching around 750,000 copy sales, things don't appear to be quite so buoyant as it is now believed to be circulating below 400,000 copies per week.

Love It! were selling to advertisers based on their target circulation of 400,000 so this could present problems with advertisers if this target isn't met. With News International behind it, there is no doubt the support is there to make sure it is a success but this does raise the issue of the huge choice available to advertisers now within this marketplace and whether there is the demand to sustain such large circulations long term.