Media & Marketing:The culmination of the Cannes "Lions" advertising festival last week reinforced the ongoing debate in advertising circles over the shift to new media. The overall Grand Prix winner in the film section, ironically titled, Evolution,for Dove (part of the "real beauty" campaign) produced by Ogilvy in Toronto, was in fact a "viral" rather than a "commercial".
Broadcast only once on TV to qualify as an entry, it caused some controversy in itself, but particularly, it renewed the debate as to how agencies were dealing with the new online world. The viral achieved more hits (showings) than a traditional Superbowl spot (3.7 million on YouTube alone).
Ironically too, one wonders if anyone noticed that the viral was produced by one of the most established of ad agencies?
Other highlights at Cannes included P&G picking up 12 Lions plus the Press Grand Prix; BBDO worldwide winning as the network of the year; Saatchi & Saatchi New York winning agency of the year; and Al Gore's speech on the role the ad industry can take in bringing about change.
Eco-marketing got a critical mention as the new buzz word. It's also getting coverage here with the cover story in the Marketing Institute's Marketing Age - The Race to Green.
Sharks in Kinsale
The Cannes debate is further reflected in the IAPI Shark Festival which returns again to Kinsale from September 6th to 8th. Under the chairmanship of RTÉ legend, Paul Mulligan, the seminars will focus on the changes in broadcasting and how they will affect advertising. One, entitled "come meet the people who are taking your job" and another "how, where and why entertainment and advertising are merging" again furthered the new media debate. It points to advertising agencies doing what advertising agencies do best. Leading.
iHype
Last Friday, at 6pm California time, (10am Irish time before you work it out), saw the US launch of Apple's new iphone. The European launch will follow in "about six months". With modest projected sales of 10 million by the end of 2008 (1 per cent of the global market), an MMetrics survey, as reported in The Irish Times last Friday, indicated that there could be 19 million potential US customers alone.
Other studies are also identifying a shift away from landlines towards mobiles where householders are opting not to have a home phone but just a mobile, which will help sales.
Spurred on by excellent early reviews (although its limited functionality was noted) and in an exclusive deal with AT&T, it's a real case of branding being the driver for sales.
An example of marketing leading the way and the well-cultivated Apple generation of disciples will undoubtedly provide a backbone of loyal purchasers for a start. Watching Fox News, I was amused to see the mayor of Philadelphia, John Street, waiting in a queue with Foxford rug and flask, to get his iphone first. Talk about PR.
Furthermore it opens up a debate about mobile devices being the new ad platform (called the "third screen" behind TV and PCs) with many talking of making mobile calls free in return for users accepting advertising, most notably when you switch on. Or indeed, audio ads played to you during a call.
A Harris US survey seemed to dampen that with most respondents ambivalent to ad-supported content on their phones or "not acceptable at all" when the ads pop up when you switch on.
Only 7 per cent used the web search function on their phone and only 13 per cent used them to play games. I for one am not so sure. Free mobiles in returns for ads. Would you?
And last Thursday Nielsen announced it was to acquire Telephia in order to track cellphone media consumption, as they do with TV. So this is definitely a new market to watch.
Hobbs a hit
You and your money, published by Ashville media, had average sales of 40,092 as audited by ABC after just three issues. Editorial director Eddie Hobbs said: "Our initial research showed there was a demand for independent financial advice and information on the best deals and how to get them. It's great to be fulfilling this demand with simple, no-nonsense advice people can understand and trust."
One would also think that the success of the high-profile television programme could only help sales but a very excellent result all the same, for an Irish magazine in a much cluttered magazine market. We should buy Irish magazines where we can - it's good for all of us.
Hear this
The growing demands of EU directives are brought home with a directive for the need to subtitle television ads for the hard of hearing.
While it's estimated that 17 per cent of the Irish population are considered "hard of hearing", the growth in non-English speakers living here mean it's something which the ad industry needs to start considering.
RTÉ wrote to ad agencies recently on the matter and already, IMDAdSat have offered a 24-hour turnaround service.
• Siobhán O'Connell is on holidays.
Stuart Fogarty is a director of AFAO'Meara Advertising, a council member of the Marketing Institute and a fellow of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners (IAPI)
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