Oxegen Music Festival, the sell out festival

Having recently returned from a weekend in Manchester, which is incidental,  but coincided with Ireland’s biggest music festival, the Oxygen Festival, taking place; I was for some reason not in the slightest bit surprised by the fact that all that was reported on in the papers, both at home and in the UK, was the fact that the festival was marred by knife attacks, public disorder arrests and Amanda Brunkers pitiful attempt at her own public X Factor audition. All I wanted to hear about, not only from the papers but my friends,  was how good the Foo Fighters were, what bands performed well live and who didn’t. But the fact that Oxegen as a festival has sold out and moved away from ensuring a quality festival enjoyed by all, has made this type of news unimportant. Oxegen has created a well marketed and attended marketing dream which cares little about the music or what its crowd represents as long as the gate receipts are high and the acts keep coming for the money. The benchmark should be a Glastonbury which still represents a mature crowd they’re for the music ad that is reflected in acts such as Paul Simon still gracing (excuse the pun) the stage. Having attended the Oxegen Festival during its early years and seeing what it has evolved into one thing is very obvious to me; the organisers have forgotten its goal and sacrificed the music for the money. I just wish this wish they would reconsider their approach of creating a festival for under age masses to get drunk and ruin the weekends of those few who are there for the music.

Fashion Brands aim to exclude, yet the empire may be crumbling…

I was recently discussing my dislike for the principles and lack of morals of the luxury brand industry with an industry proponent, who argued that the industry didn’t aim to alienate and exclude people, but merely aimed ensure that their clothing and accessory products were seen as investments, of superior quality; so naïve and off the mark in my opinion. The reality is that the whole aim in marketing luxury brands is to alienate and exclude. As former LVMH marketing insider Mark Ritson cites: fashion houses such as LVMH “preach the need to alienate and exclude entire audiences from their brand just to create exclusivity.” It’s the same as the yobbo doorman refusing you entry into a pretentious city centre night club. In reality, the club is just as good as the normal club a few doors up; but because not everyone is permitted access it creates a superior lofty reputation. Luxury brands do exactly the same. They’re products never reflect value for money because that would go against the premise and purpose of exclusivity. But all of this wonderful exclusion, despite its low morals, still garners support. LVMH still has its supporters and customers, which if not living in a world of exclusivity are more than happy to turn a blind eye to the low morals of a brand who purposefully must bring down others and exclude customer groups based on class for their own brand to be fully successful. All this however seems to be taking a bit of a hit with the recent recession with more and more luxury brands being made available to the previously excluded customer segments. While I don’t believe in the prohibitive nature of fashion labels surely this is not a wise strategy to pursue as ultimately as much as I may dislike its moral makeup the industry and its products is based on excluding everyone but the select few who are willing to pay a premium price so that they to own products branded with Gucci, Dior etc as to let others know that only a select few can be part of the club.

Opportunities Abroad

As my time as a University student draws to an end in the coming month, the time has really come to focus on what lies ahead. A new career in a large multinational in America is on the horizon. 

I have always dream't of the opportunity to work and live in the USA at some point in my life, and now that the time has come for me to avail of an opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams I began to wonder whether I would ever return to Ireland. 

I have strong roots here, but I also have strong roots in Germany and never considered returning there for the long term either. Whether I will remain in the states is another matter of uncertainty but I believe returning to Ireland is something that will very much depend on a significant change of circumstance in this country. I have little ambition to return to the country and make a home here in it's current state at this point, at least not until I have experienced and examined what else is available and whether the grass is really greener on the other side.

Time will tell but for now my intentions are to grow and work abroad.

Will the Champions League ever compete with the Super Bowl?

Having watched and thoroughly enjoyed last weeks Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United I noticed a few of the new ads which were being premiered during the intervals. I recently read an article on brand republic discussing the profits made by ITV and the teams themselves which made me wonder how they stack up against the revenue generated from another football final, American Football mind you, the Super Bowl. The numbers don't compare Super Bowl ad revenue and expenses still far exceed that of the Champions League final and I wonder why that is. I understand that the Super Bowl is an institution and an unofficial national holiday in America but the Champions League Final has a global reach. It is watched in countries around the world and has obvious global appeal. Football is the worlds most popular sport and it would seem to me as though UEFA  isn't recognizing the potential of the event and by continuing to proceed with a strategy of ostracise's fans through ridiculous ticket prices instead of looking to generate greater revenues through advertising. I suppose though UEFA is an extension of FIFA and we all know by now that they aren't in the business of developing effective transparent strategies!

Probably a good move

I recently read an article discussing Carlsbergs decision to re-strategize and move away from the traditionl "Probably the best..." slogan. The brand messages will now emphasize an age old brewing tradition that goes back to its Danish roots. I think in the long-term this is a good move, as in many countries particularly in the UK, Carlsberg is seen as less of a "premium" beer. This is different from market to market, but the UK is an important market and I suppose a move to emphasising quality and substance over whitty one liners in terms of their mareting communications may be a good idea. I for think its a good decision with long-term sustainability in mind. The brand is moving away from ascociating itself with the Footbal supporter wich was its previous target market; it now seems to be aiming its brand at the higher end of the market the premium segment which commands a higher price. However, I will miss the "Probably the best..." ad campaigns and the Irish Football ads but as a marketer I can see that this move may be necessary in an extremely saturated and competitive market environment.

Poster Advertising in bad taste

I was in Paris over the weekend and one of the things which struck me amongst all the beautiful architecture and historical sites was the large scale banner advertising which was draped across these magnificent buildings. Most, if not all, were advertising the major fashion houses or designer jewellery and so forth. For me personally, it is a step too far. I actually found this type of advertising invasive and off putting. Traditional advertising certainly does need to be creative and standout more, now more so than ever. Yet, I found this particular style off-putting and distasteful. I think that if a brand wants to portrait sophistication and class, it needs to recognise that this must be conveyed, not only to the imagery in its advertising but also the methods it employs. I believe that beautiful 17^th century architecture covered in posters advertising the latest designer shoes leaves a bitter taste in the mouth and a bad image of that particular brand’s values. I’d like to think I am not alone in this belief…

C’est la vie!

Sean Wiemann

Product Placement

Nestlé could receive more than £500,000 media value, against its £100,000 investment, for its product placement of the Dolce Gusto coffee machine during ITV1's 'This Morning', according to research. This was the first example of “open” product placement to UK and Irish viewers since the regulatory change with regard to product placement. Many people will see product placement as an unnecessary evil and claim to be exploited by marketers. But let’s be realistic here.   Nobody complains when they see they’re favourite brands in movies because in that case it ads authenticity. Is it really going to matter whether they are drinking their water out of branded Pepsi cups on the XFactor next year? (A potential move to counter Pop Idol and Coca-Cola) I don’t think so. I have no doubt product placement works, I personally don’t mind it in movies or TV shows as I hate unbranded product in TV shows for the reasons I outlined earlier. I just don’t think that now days the Irish and UK viewer is going to be shocked at the prospect of product placement. We have been exposed to it for years and besides the modern consumer is so aware of marketing nowadays that only very few will be unaware of the subtlety which product placement brings to advertising.

Sean Wiemann

Robinsons no longer just a Cordial...

I was recently looking over some of the advertising and sponsorship used at sports events for a project and came across an interesting new brand extension; that of Robinsons squash, the cordial drink brand owned by Britvic who sponsor the Wimbledon Tennis, which has now entered into the confectionary market with the launch of "Robinsons Classic Fruits". It's an interesting move by the company and makes a lot of sense as the sweets will come in the flavours children and adults know well from the cordial drinks they already enjoy. The new product will be based around using natural fruit juice something which is clearly aiming the product at mothers. Although the move will see the company competing in a new market segment, I don't think it will require much in terms of change with regard to the way Robinsons currently advertise the brand; mainly because the target audience will remain exactly the same. The products will be available from June of this year and as Robinsons is a Sponsor of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, a big promotional campaign will be launched at this year’s tournament. I am sure Nadal and Federer will be sharing Robinson Classic Fruits at this year’s final!

Goal Line Technology One Step Closer?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12670063

I am the device which now decides in or out at Wimbledon, I was invented by Paul Hawkins and can affect the outcome of sporting events. Any idea who I am?

Hawk-eye of course! I recently read an article which detailed the sale of the Hawk-eye system to electronics giant Sony and wondered would this see the advent of goal line technology in football now that a company with significant resources and “pull” will be applying the pressure on FIFA. Furthermore, I wonder whether this particular market opportunity was on the minds of senior-level management at Sony when signing off on this acquisition. Hawk-eye posted relatively small profits of £1.1 million. But if they were to enter into the global real of football thee profits would increase significantly, my feeling is Sony recognise this are determined to attain first-mover advantage and more importantly recognise they have the weight and leverage to persuade FIFA into a move.

Sean Wiemann

The new Lexus campaign with Kylie, nobody really cares how silent their car is!

Usually car manufacturers emphasize power, speed and style in their cars. BMW will always be "the Ultimate Driving Machine". Technological advances in these areas will always be emphasised in advertising; Audi will continue to proclaim "Vorsprung durch technik". But now something new is moving to forefront of the consumers’ mindset; well let’s just say a segment of the consumer market. The environment; fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly practices have become more important to a segment of the market. Gas guzzlers are frowned upon and in recessionary times fuel efficiency has become more of a concern. You may be asking, what has all this to do with Lexus and their new ad campaign? Well their new ad campaign features their new brand ambassador. It’s not Eminem, who now fronts a Chrysler and it’s not James Bond who has supported BMW in the past; two "luxury" car rivals. It’s Kyle Minogue. The emphasis is not on the powerful engine, the style and performance traditionally emphasised with luxury cars it’s about the fuel efficiency of Hybrid cars and more importantly unlike the sound many men desire in a car, that monstrous rev of an engine, it emphasises silence and being almost unheard. To me the ad is too directed at women but that seems to be the target market for Hybrid vehicles. I just think the ad while certainly portraying environmentally sound values could emphasize the performance element more. I think this would entice a wider market segment. This ad is too targeted at the female consumer, it’s a decent car but by no means luxury, and let’s face it, we all want performance from our cars and anyone who knows cars knows that while they may be silent and kind to the environment Hybrids, including this Lexus, don’t offer the performance one would expect for the price they command. I think by going with Kyle Minogue, Lexus have pretty much said to the market were going after women who don’t really care about performance but care about the environment and driving the most “noise pollution” friendly car available, as if anyone cares that their car doesn’t make a sound, in fact I want my car to be heard revving through the streets as I listening to Kyle on my itrip, afterall I just spent over €15,000 on it!

Stella Artois' New Cider a serious risk to Bulmers/ Magners?

Stella Artois has decided to try and combat the growing number of beer drinkers lost to the over-ice cider segment in the UK by moving into the category with a new product extension; Stella Artois Cidre. This will be the first time a major lager brand has extended into this segment and the drink will be primarily aimed at affluent consumers aged between 20 and 30. The move is going to be backed by a new advertising campaigns s well as point of sale promotions in the coming months. Whether the brand can challenge Heineken owned Bulmers and Magners within the market is questionable however due to a distinct lack of consumer association between the brand name and cider. It will be interesting to follow the development of this link by the Stella in the coming months. I for one see this as a dangerous move as it will be extremely costly to penetrate this market place and the Bulmers brand itself has already found this market difficult enough to command in terms of profitability, particularly outside of the UK. I guess only time will tell how popular a high end cider labelled with a lager brand will be. I dont think Bulmers/ Magners position is under threat just yet!

Sean Wiemann

Irish Mail on Sunday, Sunday prank or completly unethical

Readers of the Irish Mail on Sunday might have noticed a slight change in the format of this morning’s edition, as the paper decided to take a swipe at almost down and out rival Sunday Tribune. It follows on from my previous post whereby the former has announced it will cease publication until the company has been sold and a new owner is put in place. I think that for the Irish Mail on Sunday while it may be a good media stunt it certainly screams out trashy, tabloid lacking in morals and character to me. I believe any serious newspaper relies on the standing and legitimacy of its writers and the articles they produce while this kind of stunt is left to the lesser tabloids who don’t sell on the basis of legitimacy but on gossip, rumour and sensationalism. To me this stunt is unnecessary, lacking in class and a clear kick to the side, from one editor to a struggling rival lying on the floor. I certainly wouldn’t buy a paper lacking in basic decency and integrity, which the Irish Mail on Sunday clearly does.

Sean Wiemann

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/irish-mail-on-sunday-uses-tribune-masthead-for-readers-of-the-sunday-tribune-2011-02/#slide-slideshow1

The beginning of the end for traditional Newspapers? Sunday Tribune ceases publication for 4 weeks.

Following on from my post regarding the Kindle and the possible beginning of the end for the traditional hardbook in the U.S RTE reported yesterday that the Sunday Tribune, owned in part  by Independent News and Media empire, would cease publication for the next four weeks. This follows a continuous decline in readership and more significantly massive debt accumulation. INM has invested up €40 million to date in the publication which continues to make losses. For me the most significant contribution to this decline is not only that people are buying less newspapers with the advent of free online news publications, which is true;. But it must also be considered that considering the global economic downturn advertising, a major source of income for the industry, is down. Social media which costs next to nothing to develop is proving far more cost efficient than traditional broadsheet advertising; particular when you consider that a majority of target audiences are now getting their news online. So just as intimated with the kindle is this the beginning of the end for a number of staple publications within the Irish market? Will more and more newspapers simply abandon print, and restructure to purely online publications? I personally hope not. For me reading the news on your iphone, laptop or blackberry (if your lucky enough to have one or all three) simply isn’t the same as the feel of a good newspaper. I guess the only ones happy about such a development would be the opticians!

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0202/sundaytribune.html

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Belle d’Opium

I recently came across the new Yves Saint Laurent’s “Belle d’Opium” ad. At first it seems rather like your traditional perfume advertisement; not very imaginative. An attractive model posing provocatively accompanied by some dramatic music shot in a short sequence ending in a tagline. However, there is a slight twist. The woman within the sequence suggestively simulates the injection of opiates into her veins followed by her falling to the floor uttering the tagline: “I am your addiction, I am Belle D'Opium. The new fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent.” This has led to the ad being banned by the ASA prior to releaseThe ad pretty much spells out the brand name. But for me the most significant thing is not that the ad got banned, which would seem obvious enough but that the ad agency which created the ad thought they would get away with it. Which leads to ask: how much is too much? Where do we as the public draw the line when it comes to what is acceptable to show in the advertisements shown on TV. It’s clear to me that pushing the boundaries is something which all advertisers will aim to do and I’m sure that Yves Saint Laurent have shot this ad without the the controversial element. This ad will probably run in a slightly altered format; I would just pose the questions: did they really think this would get through the ASA? How far is too far in advertising? And I suppose more importantly is this what Yves Saint Laurent as a brand now stands? If it is hinting at the seedy past of its failed fashion houses, which were closed in 2002, an interesting story for future reading for those interested, then the ad is brilliantly relevant but perhaps a bit late!

Amazon Kindle e-book downloads outsell paperbacks in the U.S; will Kindle downloads spell the end for the old paperback?

Amazon has announced that in the US it sold more e-books for its Kindle device than it sold paperback books in the last three months of 2010.But its profit margins were down as it spent money on discounting, acquisitions and building new depots. Amazon shares fell 9% in after-hours trading as its sales were not as good as Amazon announced that in the US since the start of the year it had sold 115 “e-book” downloads for every 100 paperback books, even excluding its downloads of free books.But it stressed that sales of paperback books were also growing. It has not said how many of its Kindle devices it has sold, but did say that they had overtaken the final book in the Harry Potter series to become the top-selling item in Amazon's history.

So does this development present us with the beginning of the end of the old paperback? Will the days of the traditional bookstore become a thing of the past?

 I certainly hope not, give me an old coffee stained book any day! While I love the concept of the Kindle and the ability to hold a number of books in a handheld device, in an age where most of us spend half our time in front of laptops, computers or TV screens there is a certain level of calm and serenity associated with sitting down in a warm room reading a good book. I for one cannot see devices such as the Kindle replacing the book in the next 25 years as there will be enough of us who grew up with books to keep it alive but I fear for the future of the book in say 50 years when the new generation who has grown up with the advent of the kindle and such devices takes control and pushes the book into the past.

Amazon have recognised a change in the market and have accurately identified a new breed of consumer; but I hope there will always be a place in the market for those of us who enjoy reading the old fashioned way, the way it was suppose to be from the good old paperback.

Sean Wiemann

Link to article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12305015

Richard and Andy, lads just being lads or just plain unacceptable sexism

As an avid football fan weekends will never be the same again without hearing classic lines, bellowed out in that familiar Scottish accent, such as: "take a bow son!!"

Can this be accepted as just "off the cuff banter" amongst two men talking football; the kind of talk that would go on in any pub or bar across the UK and Ireland, or is it different?

Looking at it from the viewpoint of Sky as an organisation, I'm left with no option. This kind of thing can’t be seen to be associated with an established brand. Sky already battles with a reputation tarnished by squeezing out the little guy, having an owner who has a more than questionable personal history and a decade of high prices and market domination forcing a product upon the consumer.

Andy Gray and Richard Keys in no uncertain terms have made the Sky Sports brand, whose foundations lie around football, what it is today. They are recognised by aficionados of the game as the best around and will not be easily replaced.

All this being said it pains me to say that I'm glad Sky took a stand the football community as a whole suffers from a reputation of sexism and homophobia and this kind of thing only adds to making it seem more acceptable to the masses. While I respect Andy Gray as a pundit his personal character and values seem questionable at best!

Sorry lads but I'm with the women on this. In today’s culture and on this kind of global medium there is no place for this type of unprofessionalism and I dare were this the U.S Andy Gray would not be suing Sky the lawsuits would becoming the other way and fast!

Sean Wiemann

Measuring Sponsorship, is it possible; an example of how sponsorship adds value to a brand other than creating awareness?

BANK OF Ireland has deemed its sponsorship of Irish golfer Pádraig Harrington to be out of bounds due to the credit crunch.

The Irish Times published an an article claiming that the bank, which is now 15.7 per cent directly owned by Irish taxpayers, has decided not to renew its sponsorship of Harrington when its three-year deal expires at the end of May.The decision to pass on its option to renew the sponsorship is one of a series of cost-cutting measures being implemented by the loss-making bank, as it seeks to stabilise its financial position.
Reports at the time the deal was announced in May 2007 suggested that it was worth €750,000 over the three years plus performance bonuses. But informed industry sources yesterday estimated that the figure was as high as €400,000 a year, including bonuses.

Bank of Ireland declined to comment while IMG, the global sports management agency that represents Harrington, could not be reached for comment.
An informed source said Bank of Ireland’s decision not to renew was part of an “unrelenting focus on costs” at the business.

The sponsorship deal with Harrington was agreed in May 2007 and covered a period when the Dubliner scaled the heights in golf, winning three major titles (the British Open twice and the USPGA) and rose to number three in the world rankings.
Under the terms of the deal, Harrington, who is currently ranked 10th in the world, wears the Bank of Ireland logo on his shirt and also participates in three corporate golf outings per year for the financial institution. These corporate golf days were used by Bank of Ireland to raise the profile of its business internationally and were hosted in Ireland, Britain and the United States, where Harrington plays on the lucrative PGA tour.
Bank of Ireland’s decision to sever its link with Harrington means that rugby is now the main focus of its sports sponsorship. It has major shirt deals with the Leinster, Connacht and Ulster provincial teams. In 2007, the bank withdrew from its sponsorship of the GAA’s All-Ireland senior football championship.

Bank of Ireland is one of 12 companies listed on Harrington’s own website as a sponsor. His other backers include global consulting firm FTI; sports equipment maker Wilson Staff; golf ball maker Titleist; and the Oceanico Group, an Irish-backed property developer and golf course operator in Portugal.
Harrington signed three sponsorship deals in 2009, with mobile phone group 3 Ireland, watch company Citizen and golf shoe maker Footjoy.

I feel that when looking a sponsorship as a medium of advertisement one must look at its role as part of an overall communications strategy. In this instance I beleive BOI to be rather short sighted and udervaluing the importance of the golf days used for not only client retention but business and brand development.

I will be posting a more detailed article in the coming weeks detailing how systems have been developed which make sponsorship results more quantifiable to accountancy departments in order for companys' communications strategys to remin focused on the long term rather than making decisions based on the short term quantifiable costs.

Stay tuned for more on this subject and a wide range of other interest!

Its only just begun...

Sean Wiemann