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Posts Tagged ‘BBC’

Could Twitter fail irrelevant X Factor judges (and would Cowell listen)?

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Any eyes that regularly peruse the pages of this particular Manchester PR agency’s blog will know two things. As an office, we have a collective penchant for all things social media and digital, while most of us also have something of a personal passion for ITV’s smash hit, star-making programme.

As such running a news story about Twitter and Facebook, our two favourite social networks, and their influence on the results of X Factor, that ratings pulling television show, is a sure fire way to attract some Smoking Gun attention. Which is exactly what The Telegraph.co.uk did on Sunday, when it featured a short analysis on the burgeoning, but seemingly little-understood (until now) relationship between these online platforms and the successful talent contest.

Media advertising agency Carat conducted a survey of 13,000 people that regularly switch on for Saturday and Sunday broadcasts, and found 66% viewed Twitter as the most reliable source for opinion and analysis on the contestants, and would base their vote on tweets over traditional media and the judges’ summaries of each performance. Despite having previously declared his loathing for the service, even the man behind the programme, Simon Cowell, has signed up for an account (twitter.com/#!/SimonCowell). Furthermore, 51% of viewers update their status on Facebook while watching each instalment.

This brings about an interesting proposition. We’ve just finished the eighth series of X Factor, which means we’re all pretty used to the formula by now. And, in October, the BBC reported on how Strictly Come Dancing was winning the ratings war between the two rival talent shows, a situation that, of course, may have been down to Simon Cowell’s notable absence from our screens, the new judges, or Strictly’s contestants.

With the office crystal ball currently out on loan all we can really do is speculate as to why this has happened. But this also proves it’s not unrealistic to consider that X Factor may be on the wane… and well before anyone mentions anything to do with an over saturated music industry that’s looking increasingly incapable of supporting so many manufactured chart toppers and their expensive video shoots.

As such the changing the format could work, so how about in the next series doing away with the judges altogether? Louis et al can retain their positions as pseudo-managers, but during the live broadcasts simply bicker in the background, with cameras occasionally cutting away to reveal their ongoing disagreements, while the audience take full responsibility, basing their decisions on social media and word of mouth, thus making us feel more involved than ever.

Realistically this perhaps isn’t the kind of thing the presenters, or producers, will want to introduce, at least not for a while anyway, and in the US viewers can now vote for free through Twitter- a step that shows social media is being taken seriously. But in a world where tickets to Barbara Streisand at Manchester’s monolithic MEN can cost £550, and Jedward exist, even as a concept, it doesn’t seem like handing over more control to We, the people, could do any more harm. After all, many of those currently making musical decisions don’t seem to be that well qualified either.

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When things go too far- celebrity, social media, and strikes

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

If 2011 has been a year defined by cuts and financial austerity then this may well be remembered as the week things began to come crashing down. First George Osborne makes his autumn statement, downgrading estimates as to when Britain will be back on the right economic path, announcing a further two years of wholesale penny pinching will be required, along with an extra £111billion in borrowed funds.

On top of this, 2million public sector workers go on strike, leaving little over 200 schools open while setting up picket lines outside key buildings in major towns, cities, and just about anywhere else deemed suitable. Industrial action like this doesn’t come cheap, and certainly will impact on the wider economy. But, if like us you’ve got friends that are social workers, teachers, doctors, and nurses, you probably feel saddened by the situation more than anything else.

After all, these people do a great job, so while it’s quite appalling to have vital facilities brought to the proverbial knees most of these professionals have avoided taking action up until the point where few other options appear to remain. And we’re also a country that practices the right to popular protest. In contrast though, if you’re Jeremy Clarkson, you probably think those involved in the strikes should be “executed in front of their families”.

Harsh words, but then this is one of Britain’s most notoriously outspoken, smug, but nonetheless popular famous faces. Obviously then those that read our recent piece on brands and celebrities will understand that, far from Clarkson’s diatribe against the public sector being the kind of thing to turn a company off, those interested in getting involved with the Top Gear presenter should already be game for this kind of controversy. For producers of The One Show however, on which the comment was made, it was a different story, as they issued a formal apology yesterday.

By comparison social networkers were largely in support of the action. A quick search on Facebook shows the top results for ‘Public Sector Strike’ are largely pro-action, with a causes.com page titled “I Support the Strike Against Public Sector Pension Cuts” boasting 4,167 members, and over 10,000 ‘likers’- some of whom are pictured above.  Then there’s this chain post, which appeared on countless profiles:

“Remember when teachers, lecturers, policemen, police staff, ambulance staff, nurses, midwives, doctors and fireman crashed the stock market, wiped out banks, took billions in bonuses, and paid no tax? No, me neither. Please copy and paste to status for 24 hours to show your support against the government’s latest attack on pensions and public sector workers.”

And all of this is in addition to a Guardian survey that asked the public if the strikers were within their rights, to which 77.2% replied ‘Yes’. Of course it’s an individual thing, one’s own opinion, and the paper in question was always going to take a liberal stance. But without taking sides there is one undeniable truth here.

With social media at work we have been able to gauge the popularity of the industrial action better than ever before, pass on messages of support, map out where picket lines, rallies, and marches took place, and, more importantly, what people in those places had to tweet about it. So agree with the protests or not this is all unquestionably impressive, and should make anyone with an active interest in contemporary media- social or otherwise- sit up and take notice far more than any (no doubt tongue in cheek) celebrity rant.

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The Blagger’s Blog 18th November 2011

Friday, November 18th, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s light news success stories included…

…I’m A Celebrity returning to screens, and appearing in 90 articles, whereas Theresa May, Home Secretary, banned Muslims Against Crusades, a group that had planned to stage an anti-Armistice Day protest, and only featured in 35…

…Frankie Cocozza getting axed from X Factor, an event that cropped up in no less than 70 stories, while the student protests in London against tuition fees only made it into 31…

…and finally, Modern Warfare 3 breaking video game sales records, with 66 headlines reporting on the feat, but when Hinchingbrooke NHS Hospital became the first in the country to be run by a private provider only 32 pieces ran.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

This latest campaign from Amnesty International via Swedish agency Garbergs is so wonderfully simple it had to be this week’s pick, that’s despite a possible criticism being that users already have to be aware of, and sympathetic to the charity. But still, once downloaded iPad and iPhone owners have to unlock a jail cell in order to access their device and apps, making for a sure fire way to keep the campaign at the front of their mind.

Weekly low

According to the NUJ the Welsh media is now in crisis thanks to job losses numbering some 2,000 in a decade. At least that’s what they told the Welsh Assembly, as Press Gazette then reported. Add that to the fact the country’s only national newspaper could be turning into a weekly and things really don’t look too promising at all.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Brighton

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 17/11/2011)

#xfactor #imaceleb

#imacelebrity #lestweforget

#manchester #bbuk

#sexiestmanalive #f1

#mufc #thingspeopleshouldnotdo

We already know it’s been all over the papers, and it looks like tweets in Manchester couldn’t get enough of I’m A Celebrity either. Apart from that it’s reassuring to see Remembrance Day making an appearance, meanwhile sport also features heavily, what with F1 and Man United both on the list.

One to watch: profbriancox (Brian Cox- About to start filming Wonders of Life for BBC and Discovery Channel; 448,647 followers / 5,616 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 17/11/2011)

#xfactor #imaceleb

#imacelebrity #thingspeopleshouldnotdo

#myweddingsong #sexiestmanalive

#f1 #lestweforget

#hottestpeopleontwitter

Things in the capital are much the same as here in Manchester. So that’s Armistice Day, Formula 1, and, of course, I’m A Celebrity. Elsewhere though things do differ slightly, meaning people have somehow found a way to rate beauty (or perhaps just a velvet turn of phrase) through tweets, and others are listing their ideal or funniest wedding songs.

One to watch: codesuk (piggy-code.co.uk- UK discounts, retail offers and voucher codes; 26,879 followers / 133,479 updates)

Top Brighton #tags (seven days to 17/11/2011)

#xfactor #imaceleb

#imacelebrity #bbuk

#frozenplanet #gigmemories

#scd #youngapprentice

#madeinchelsea #replacelovewithhove

Those in what could well be Britain’s coolest seaside town have got more than Big Brother and I’m A Celeb to discuss. Of course those are on the agenda too, but Strictly Come Dancing also features, though other pressing matters abound, such as replacing the word love in song and film titles with neighbouring Hove.

One to watch: podcastdoors (Chris- Tech blogger at Podcastdoors and Technorati; 21,207 followers / 7,695 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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The future of TV

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

Viewers can watch programmes wherever they want, with living room screens often neglected in favour of laptops and smartphones. But traditional TV is going nowhere, as those behind YouView, TiVo, Adsmart and auto-3D all hope to prove.

Gone are the bad old good old days, wherein television dominated everyone’s evening schedule. But while many forms of media that date back more than three decades are in serious danger of being outmoded, the TV is about to bite back. This is because some of the most exciting developments in broadcast history have been launched recently, or are currently waiting for the final go ahead.

Perhaps the most significant change set to take place comes from the ever-boundary pushing boffins at BSkyB. The brains behind Adsmart hope to finally put an end to the quandary ‘how do you stop viewers channel surfing during a commercial break?’ Despite the complex technology involved the answer to this problem is pretty simple: deliver personalised adverts to the audience’s set top box based on past viewing habits, home address, age and family size.

So from next year it’s hoped that young professionals can at last be spared endless adverts for SAGA insurance, while the family of four will watch 30 seconds of Disneyland holidays, or a new people carrier commercial. It all sounds impressive, though naysayers have already voiced concerns over invasion of privacy, with the broadcaster’s claims that its 10million plus subscribers will only receive personalised ads if they opt in offering little reassurance.

Of course Virgin’s TiVo box, an incarnation of the popular US digital recording system, works in a similar way. And, if market trends are anything to go off, by next year we should be seeing a lot more of these in British homes. By scouring every available network for content the clever device will shortlist programmes and movies based on what you have previously viewed, with each box able to differentiate between up to eight profiles (mum, dad, son, daughter, grandma, granddad, dog, cat…)

Sticking with Virgin Media, one advantage its subscribers have over their Freeview counterparts is catch up TV pre-installed. But this might not last much longer, as YouView is just around the corner. Public consultation finishes on November 4th, so all being well the UK will have one of the world’s most advanced TV systems in place by 2012. In short the invention puts BBC iPlayer, 4OD and catch up services from all other terrestrial networks in one place, boasting on demand content, recording functionality, and real time TV without the monthly bill.

And, finally, the last major change we’re literally on the cusp of comes in the form of autostereoscopic screens. Confused? Well, how about if we use the slightly less techy description- auto-3D. This is set to hit just about everything from Sony VAIO laptops to the multiplexes, but all commentators are pointing to Toshiba as the market leader, with the 55” L2 TV currently set to become the UK’s first 3D television that doesn’t require glasses when it finally hits stores (supposedly before Christmas).

We could go one. Predictions from the tech community include everything from holographic projections to 4D- wherein a 3D movie is supplemented with physical effects, be that wind, rain, or a pungent smell. But for now we figure this is enough to capture anyone’s imagination. It also proves the 20th Century’s most defining medium is set to enjoy further success still, providing the manufacturers remember we can’t all spend £8000 on a brand new TV…

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Ofcom launches review of media plurality

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Here, like any business concerned with PR, marketing, and the media both in Manchester and worldwide, we understand that one of the hot topics of the moment is who owns what the public gets to read, see, and hear. Because although New International and the phone hacking scandal was a British issue, the repercussions and implications can be felt internationally.

It came as no surprise then to learn that Ofcom, the body charged with regulating the communications industries, launched a review to assess media plurality in the UK last Friday. The project, which is open for comments from interested parties until November 17th, is an attempt to gain an insight into subjects such as when and how media ownership could be restricted, what situations may arise that should lead to a further review, and, perhaps most importantly, whether the BBC should be included within the guidelines.

Previously it had only been possible for a review to take place when a merger situation arose, meaning when News Corporation moved to take control of BSkyB, and concerns were voiced over the influence Rupert Murdoch’s company would have over UK media consumers existing laws were restrictive. At least that’s what the critics argued, and so Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has asked Ofcom to investigate the issues. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for news of the findings, which will hopefully make for interesting reading now that the most powerful content empire in the land has lost a little of its might.

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The sum of all fears?

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

The media is, by nature, in a constant state of flux. And since the first printing press rolled progress has barely stopped for breath, with developments accelerating exponentially over the last half-century or so.

As a public relations agency we have to keep an eye on how our job is changing, an obsession that leads us to muse, frequently, about what the wealth of statistics available on consumer news consumption actually mean. So what if a problem far graver than the fall in physical newspaper and magazine sales began to emerge?

According to journalism blog Fleet Street Blues, and Press Gazette, it has. Both titles have been analysing online  news readership figures released by UKOM / Nielsen, which tell quite a different story to the usual ‘enormous growth’ idea. In short, from the ten most popular editorial sites in Britain over half have less eyes perusing their web pages than a year ago.

This means that BBC, Guardian.co.uk, Yahoo, MSN News & Weather, Yahoo! News Websites, and the Telegraph have all seen a fall in internet usage when compared to 2010. In some case the reduction is equal to almost a quarter of all unique hits. Naturally, this makes pretty uncomfortable reading for some.

Of course there could be a break in the clouds. Tablet computing continues to look like a potential saving grace for publishers, a format not represented in this survey, and analysing the Top 200 sites may reveal a web based vanguard of fresh faced titles threatening to surpass these historically trusted sources. But then there are also a number of professionals that have pointed to this representing the fact that UK online news consumption has peaked. There are too many websites, an overwhelming amount of options, yet we all have less time than ever to read and research.

Basing such claims on one singular study might be spurious, especially as it took into account a relatively small number of internet users (50,000), and is an anomaly when compared with the usual online news statistics. That said though the next 12 months will be very telling, because if the results paint a similar picture in one year’s time there will, understandably, be concerned faces in the press and publishing, as the focal point for many business models could well be failing before it has even managed to recoup the enormous losses incurred by the collapse of a profit making print medium. Fingers crossed for good news then, here’s the Top 10.

1 BBC: Unique users 11.1m. Year on year readership change -12%.

2 MailOnline: Unique users 6.3m. Year on year readership change +12%.

3 Guardian.co.uk: Unique users 5.2m. Year on year readership change -2%.

4 Telegraph: Unique users 5.0m. Year on year readership change -7%.

5 Yahoo! News Websites: Unique users 4.5m. Year on year change -11%.

6 Newsquest Local Media: Unique users 2.8m. Year on year change +12%.

7 Trinity Mirror Nationals: Unique users 2.6m. Year on year change +3%.

8 The Sun: Unique users 2.6m. Year on year change -15%.

9 MSN News & Weather: Unique users 2.3m. Year on year change -23%.

10 The Independent: Unique users 2.1m. Year on year change +3%.

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What were the Best Royal Wedding PR Stunts?

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

So it’s a week since the Royal Wedding, which I’m sure everyone would agree was lovely (if not a little over played, as I’m pretty certain I may have accidentally seen it 3 times). However in the PR world much like the happy couple we’d been preparing for the big day for months, planning stunts and pitching ideas to clients to try and clinch vital media coverage around what was sure to become an over saturated market.

So lets firstly start with some of the best ideas or at least some of the ones that seemed to be the most popular:

T- Mobile’s Royal Wedding video
Pappa John’s ‘I Dough Pizza’
Or even the deluge – MerseyRail, Domino’s, Warwick Castle, London Eye etc. that offered couples called Will & Kate freebies from tickets to food.

Now being that we pride ourselves on being an fresh and creative PR agency we got ourselves and our client in on the Royal fever with this little stunt:

Yes, Greenhalgh’s created two 1.2 metre tall figures, one of William & one of Kate and they did a very special Royal tour around the region which gained some brilliant attention from the BBC and a full page front cover story!

So although I probably should end this blog on the high point of – ‘look at what amazing things have been done’, I’d like to plea, please can we now stop talking about the Royal Wedding this Account Exec has had enough (unless it’s about how stunning Pippa is)!

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A shift in the landscape

Friday, March 25th, 2011

It’s been big news for a while, and as a PR agency in Manchester with more than a passing interest in the headlines we’ve read on with keen interest. Then on Monday (March 21st) new fuel was added to the fire, meaning we finally felt obliged to comment.

So Rupert Murdoch, or rather News Corporation, is to buy the remaining 61 per cent of BSkyB. In return the same amount of Sky News will be emancipated from said editorial influence, creating a new publicly listed, independently funded service, Newco. No change there then, as we’ve known this was on the cards for sometime.

The real surprise is that Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Hunt has used The Guardian, one of the most outspoken critics of the media mogul, as a soapbox with which to defend his decision to green-light the deal. It’s a move that smacks of a politician trying to neutralise every naysayer by using a title they trust to douse the flames. And an interesting read it is too, not least as the paper in question adopts an amusingly negative tone.

The cabinet minister argues against accusations that ‘swapping’ a stake in a news network for complete control of Britain’s most profitable broadcaster doesn’t measure up (“It was not for me to make suggestions as to what would be an appropriate remedy“). He also states that a new communications bill, expected in the second half of the current parliament, should address the organic growth of media organisations within the context of market monopolies.

In short, groups like News Corporation have seen exponential augmentation in recent memory, a situation that, as the interviewee admitted to the left-leaning national, needs to be monitored more closely. If this isn’t scrutinised, all other competitors could wind up unable to compete, which wouldn’t be very fair. With these sentiments in mind then, times don’t seem quite so desperate.

A controversial, near-monolithic organisation that already dictates the information millions of people consume daily (via The Sun, The Times, and many more) might be about to take complete ownership of the country’s leading subscription TV service. But the government’s got their number, so everything should be A-OK. Sadly, as anyone who caught Channel 4′s Dispatches: Tabloids, Tories and Phone Hacking last October will know, this, unsurprisingly, may not be the case.

The programme focused on Andy Coulson, former Editor of News of the World (another News Corporation paper), who went on to become David Cameron’s Director of Communications (until resigning in January 2011). And, worryingly, the links went far deeper, ‘revealing’ further ties between the Conservative party, and Mr Murdoch’s various businesses. Now, looking at the BSkyB proposals, things look a little less clear.

But it’s not our job to judge. After all, if the journalists are still approachable and open minded then the inner workings of Britain’s press, which by nature is in a constant state of flux, really has no effect on us. But, as we’ve expressed before, should media plurality begin to slide then we risk losing control of vital information, which in turn can lead to unspeakably disastrous scenarios. Double page spread or not, this is something we firmly object to, so let’s hope Mr Hunt has no regrets when he looks back at this moment…

This video is embedded from You Tube, with copyright owned by Channel 4.

Top image (C) Craig A Rodway

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The Great Manchester Debate

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

Manchester, so much to answer for. That’s what Morrissey said, and, for the second time in recent weeks, The Daily Mail too.

Much to The Guardian and Manchester Confidential’s displeasure. But first let’s start from the beginning.

The aforementioned right-leaning publication had a bash at Manchester City Council over plans to close leisure and other public facilities, while refusing to axe high paid public sector positions. Then that local lifestyle website we namechecked responded by picking apart the rather spurious points made in the initial argument.

The very same paper also renewed its anti-BBC moving to Glasgow and Salford stance, by reporting through gritted teeth on the £1billion moving programme, to be paid for by license holders. This was met by a piece in The Guardian defending the move, which made some worthy comments, including the fact that the relocation cost quoted above was actually spread over a 20 year period, and the same facility in London would in fact prove more expensive.

But it would say that, because the response piece was written by Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC. Still, we think the northern expansion can only be a good thing. The British media needs to start recognising there are burgeoning creative economies outside the M25, and there’s even the potential to reduce outgoings considering  the cost of living, wages and rents ‘up here’.

Political motivation is afoot all over the country right now, and nowhere more so than in the stories surrounding the country’s second economic city. Cameron and the Coalition say the cuts Manchester City Council recently announced go over and beyond what is required, claiming the local authority is acting in an attempt to demonise its Government.

In contrast, the representatives of Mancunia say what they are proposing is necessary in order to efficiently, and effectively get spending back to where it needs to be. Funny how two seemingly unconnected stories can be linked so easily. Whether you’re a hardcore conspiracy theorist or not, it’s hard not to believe there would be no renewed furore from the Tory-friendly paper over the broadcaster’s move, if it weren’t concerning an organisation the Conservatives are non to fond of, and a sub-region widely regarded as a Labour stronghold.

That’s not to say we’re foolish, though. To believe Manchester City Council’s each and every word is probably not the best idea anyone’s ever had, so we keep our distance. But from our point of view these two subjects should be kept separate. Big bucks for public employees and deep cuts to services never makes good reading, but neither does a media obsessed with just one place. Factor in the creation of new jobs, and it would be nice to think people could concentrate on the positive aspects of this momentous move out of London.

Image (C) Doug Johnston

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UK’s favourite entertainment websites revealed

Monday, September 27th, 2010

The stats have been studied and the unique users counted. Our media-analysing friends at Hitwise have compiled a list of the 10 most visited entertainment sites open to UK internet users, as of the week ending September 11th.

With unusual entries and obvious names on the list it’s a mixed bunch that touches on gambling, film, TV and more. Have a read and let us know if you’re as surprised as we were not to to see Facebook or Twitter here, begging the question ‘what constitutes an entertainment website’?

1. You Tube- The original video platform continues to have Britain broadcasting itself, hosting works of amateur genius and appalling self indulgence alike.

2. BBC Homepage- Auntie’s online HQ remains the country’s most popular source of information on everything from celebrity scandals to politics.

3. BBC iPlayer- The first of the major TV on demand sites makes it impossible to miss any of the Beeb’s leading shows… for better, or worse.

4. SKY Sports- Though the leading subscription-TV service has removed its sports news from Freeview plenty of people continue to visit the site for free.

5. BBC Weather- Proof, if any were needed, that the UK’s oldest broadcaster still has a reputation for reliability, despite our unpredictable climate.

6. The National Lottery- More than just the numbers, with a host of online games and big money prizes it’s understandable why this URL is so popular.

7. SKY News- While trying to escape the monolithic BBC Britons voted with their mice, making SKY’s newsroom the second most prominent in cyberspace.

8. Flickr- There’s no shortage of photographic focused websites showing off the best in hobbyists and professional work, but this is by far the best.

9. Channel 4- Arguably the best commercial TV network in the country rightly earns itself a place amongst the most visited of all entertainment websites.

10. The Internet Movie Database- Looking for any fact related to any film ever made? By bookmarking IMDB you’ll never struggle with trivia again.

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