Manchester PR Agency - Smoking Gun

Posts Tagged ‘broadcast’

The Blagger’s Blog 1st March 2013

Friday, March 1st, 2013

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

 

 

Thought for the week

“The idea that you can measure the success of a programme by a series of integers, it feels as if you are being treated like a child.” A BBC spokesperson responding to the suggestion DJs on Radio 2 should be rated with marks out of ten.

Worth the paper it’s printed on?


This week’s light news success stories include…

…Cara Delevingne’s presence at London Fashion Week, as reported in 37 articles, in contrast Britain’s top maths students have now fallen behind their Asian peers and only made it into 11…

….Frank Ocean walking away with a Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist, and appearing in 17 stories, whereas the Syrian opposition boycotted talks as a protest against perceived ‘shameful international silence’ and only 2 headlines ran…

…and, finally, Lincoln’s 12 Oscar nominations, which inspired 6 articles, beating the Scottish Government education agency SQA’s controversial contract with Bahrain despite accusations of the latter country’s human rights abuses, as featured in 2 pieces.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high


We all know the job market is a tough cookie to crack right now. With this in mind, a U.S. marketing type decided to approach applying for positions in a truly unique way, by sending this chocolate bar to would be employers, with the wrapper acting as an alternative resume.

 

Weekly low

Environmental activists can be a pain for big businesses, particularly firms that pollute. As such it’s no surprise EDF Energy isn’t seeing eye to eye with protestors that scaled a power station chimney and occupied it for three days. However, suing them for £5million isn’t really going to help matters, not least when nearly 50,000 people sign a petition to say ‘don’t do it’- nearly five times more than EDF’s total Twitter follower.

 

Things that might happen in the next week…

Tensions will mount in Iceland between policy makers and free speech advocates following proposals to ban pornography from the country, Mission Mars will begin scouring the globe for a willing middle-aged couple to travel 500 days in a ‘tin can’ to visit the Red Planet, and half of Britain’s population is expected to stream David Bowie’s 24th album, The Next Day, via i-Tunes ahead of its official released on March 11th.

Just in case you missed it…

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is now the UK’s second biggest broadband provider after signing a deal to buy the British Internet arm of Telefonica, knocking virgin media off the number two spot by almost 300,000 subscribers. 

 

If there is a success story, blunder, or news event you’d like to see included email helloATsmokinggun.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Marketing, Media News, Public Relations, Quirkies, weird and wonderful, Seen this?, Social Media & Digital, The Blagger's Blog | No Comments »

The Blagger’s Blog 23/12/2011

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

This year’s light news success stories included…

… series eight of X Factor, which featured in 9,381 articles, while the campaign for US Republican presidential nomination only made it into 1,786…

…Charlie Sheen, who appeared in 1,187 stories, whereas the Higgs Boson, or mythical ‘God particle’, being glimpsed by scientists only saw 234 headlines…

…and finally, Jedward performing at Eurovision and appearing in Big Brother, making it onto the page 773 times, considerably more space than was afforded the UN’s declaration of a famine in East Africa, the focus of 411 stories.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

Other than Christmas’ impending arrival this harmlessly suggestive advert made our week. How do you best avoid jibes as a brand like Cockburns, one of Britain’s leading port houses? Well, how about by facing the problem head on, as the brand did here.

Weekly low

In a week when football’s been thrust into a negative spotlight, with two players caught up in very public racial misdemeanors, it goes without saying those in who earn their living as TV pundits need to be on best behaviour. As such Alan Hansen’s slip of the tongue during Match of the Day was utterly surprising, and stupid.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Bristol


Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 22/12/2011)

#mufc #mcfc

#lfc #manchester

#suarez #scd

#stepbrothers #towie

#uksnow #motd

Liverpool’s Luis Suarez is banned from football for eight matches for racially abusing Patrice Evra, which is understandably dominating Manchester’s Twitter trends. As is the potential for a white Christmas, and The Only Way Is Essex.

One to watch: spinningfields (Spinningfields – Hosts some of the best events in Manchester; 4,400 followers / 3,013 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 22/12/2011)

#lfc #arsenal

#mufc #whyrelationshipsdontlast

#scd #afc

#eastenders #motd

#cfc

Chelsea captain John Terry also finds himself accused of a racial slur, but doesn’t appear in London’s most talked about topics (save for the possible #cfc reference). Eastenders does though, along with #whyrelationshipsdont last. All very Christmas-y then.

One to watch: stillsafe (Still Safe – Website dedicated to localised problem solving, from travel to breaking news; 49, 823 followers / 130,043 updates)

Top Perth, Western Australia #tags (seven days to 22/12/2011)

#perth #godisnotgreat

#whyrelationshipsdontlast #getscorched

#mydreamliveconcert #2011was

#greatcouples #goodluck1d

#lastteentuesdaytommo #change1dsongtitletocarot

Down under people are also listing reasons why lovers split, while residents of Perth, Australia’s fourth largest city, also seem to be big fans of the X Factor-spawned band One Direction. Then again, is replacing parts of their song titles with a vegetable flattery?.

One to watch: marketingtwitt (Marketing Guru- I enjoy marketing and selling things, on and offline; 5,238 followers / 7,900 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!

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Marketing, Media News, Quirkies, weird and wonderful, Seen this?, Social Media & Digital, The Blagger's Blog | No Comments »

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.

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Media News, Seen this?, Social Media & Digital | No Comments »

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.

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Media News, Seen this? | No Comments »

© 2010 Smoking Gun