MediaCommunications

MediaCom View: News International is set to shake things up in the freesheet marketplace with the launch of their free afternoon paper on the 18th September. 400,000 copies of the new paper, entitled ‘thelondonpaper’, will be hand-distributed in key areas of Central London and Canary Wharf in the hours between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. This will result in further problems for Associated Newspapers who only recently revamped the Evening Standard in a bid to curb flagging sales.

Under the editorial guidance of former Metro New York launch editor Stefano Hatfield, it is possible that ‘thelondonpaper’ could follow in the footsteps of the Metro and roll out into other cities. With a decision yet to be made on who will win afternoon distribution on the London Underground and mainline stations, there is the possibility that rival launches will further add fuel to the fire.

MediaCom View: Ofcom is re-examining its radio regulations as part of a wider review of the industry. The regulator are having a public consultation in the autumn to look at the development of radio going forward - including digital and new technologies, plus issues such as how smaller stations can migrate to digital platforms.

The call for looser station format regulations has been sparked by the debate into changing shape of the radio industry. Radio's share of the display marketplace has dropped from 6.6% in the first quarter in 2003 to 6.2% for the same period in 2006 according to the RAB and industry insiders are urging Ofcom to make changes to allow greater innovation and better station content.

MediaCom View: The pressure from broadcasters has finally paid off as Barb announced this week that they are planning to investigate two separate reporting groups, one of which will focus on out of home viewing. The initial idea is to utilise portable wireless devices complementing the existing in-home meters, however there is a fear that the price of the existing Barb contracts could soar with the new demands. ITV and Sky will both welcome moves to encompass out-of-home viewing as they claim current measurement ignores massive audiences for events, particularly major sporting occasions such as the World Cup. However the downside is that Barb are not planning to start out-of-home research until its new contracts start in 2010, after ITV’s coverage of Euro 2008 and the next three years of Premiership Football on Sky.

MediaCom View: With the meteoric growth of digital outdoor the lack of uniform currency is creating the need for increasingly urgent formal debate which will lead to the organisation of a system that can forecast campaign coverage and frequency similar to the modelling currently available on roadside and underground campaigns. Without the reassurance of a formula that provides guidance on anticipated campaign delivery there is understandable trepidation from advertisers to try uncharted digital territory that still needs to make more rigorous accountability available. The major issue is that digital outdoor is so diverse in relation to content and environment, creating hundreds of potential variables. Evidently there will be major differences in consumer engagement with a static digital roadside billboard when compared to individual interactive screens in a hair salon. Reaching an agreement straightaway could prove difficult for POSTAR to manage as the various contractors involved will want to ensure that their individual vested interests are maintained. However this is a positive step in the right direction by POSTAR as they attempt to formulate a consistent trading currency which will create a universal evaluation of the digital outdoor market that will become industry standard.

MediaCom View: The big question is: how do we talk to people in the Myspace environment? The key is to find the influencers. Christina Dolce (aka ForBiddeN) is arguably the most successful brand to emerge from Myspace. ForBiddeN has 982,085 “friends”, basically other Myspace members who choose to link to her page. She is therefore an influencer – so much so, that she has launched a line of clothing and perfume range. Earlier this year, Unilever collaborated with ForBiddeN to promote its Axe deodorant brand. An interactive game was built, and the Axe brand was subtly promoted - over 75,000 Myspacers signed up. Ms Dolce is loved by both boys and girls, so she has become an intriguing and significant marketing vehicle. Check out her web page here