30th September
The Berliner Guardian has had little impact on sales of its rivals.
MediaCom View: Despite sales of the new-look Guardian allegedly increasing by 30% in its first week, it has not had a knock-on affect on its rivals. Both The Telegraph and Times have claimed they have been unaffected by the Guardians move to Berliner, whereas the Independent is reluctant to comment at this stage. Despite the hike in sales during the first week, the increase is now rumoured to be at around 20%. A Guardian spokesman would not comment on recent performance, but said expectations had been exceeded in the first week only time will tell if they can continue to succeed in the long term.
The PPA calls for better use of magazine planning tools.
MediaCom View: With the launch of its second wave of Magazines Uncovered Research: Planning Uncovered, the PPA are challenging Media Agencies to assess how they optimise the use of magazines within clients communications plans. The NRS Readership Accumulation Data has made it possible to look at the weekly weights magazines can deliver, something that previously wasnt available. Not only will this change the way campaigns can be planned, but also how they are audited. The PPA have credited MediaCom as being one of the first agencies to fully embrace the data and raise awareness of its value.
The worlds first interactive TV experience has had a successful month-long trial on Great Western Trains.
MediaCom View: The 36-screen carriages have been used to give passengers a choice of news, sport, movies, comedy, kids channels, drama, music and games. The trial has so far been free but Volo TV believe that they can encourage passengers to pay on a sliding scale of charges depending on what they watch. They also have no plans to attract advertising revenue at the present, stating that they will wait for the right time, if they decide to introduce it at all.
ITVs new sales boss attacks Contracts Rights Renewal.
MediaCom View : Ian McCulloch, who has taken over the role previously occupied by Mick Desmond, described CRR as a set of unrealistic fossilised deals. Ignoring the fact that without the CRR agreement it is highly unlikely that the Government would have approved the ITV merger deal, McCulloch said that extricating the company from the restrictive terms of CRR was high on his agenda. ITV claim that the current multi-channel environment has changed the TV landscape, and that ITV are being unfairly penalised by CRR but they also seem to have overlooked the fact that they still control the majority of both advertisers spend and audience ratings within that multi-channel environment, something CRR was devised to check.
Chrysalis launches a new independent division called Insight.
MediaCom View : Chrysalis Radio is launching Insight, a new, independent division tasked with developing audiences and revenue through listener understanding. Working across Chrysalis Radios entire brand portfolio, including Heart, LBC, Galaxy and digital station Arrow, the Insight division will take responsibility for listener engagement, database management, research, agency and client development and trade marketing.
