Press releases

Total Media has hired Mindshare’s James Hart to strengthen its senior management team and strategic planning division.

Hart is set to head up a new team that will provide Total Media’s account teams with a dedicated resource for strategic planning.

The former business director at Mindshare boasts more than ten years experience in planning and has worked with the likes of Nike, News International and Motorola from the company’s London office. He was also one of the founding members of Mindshare’s Invention team.

Speaking on his appointment, Hart said: "We are living in a new age where everything and everyone is intrinsically connected through technology, and we need new rules by which to navigate this evolved communications landscape."

As the dust settled at the polling stations and the recounts were recounted, the country waved goodbye to old politics with No Flash, Just Gordon and said hello to new politics where ‘Nick agrees with Dave’. Across the campaign there were plenty of examples of the evolved use of media, and clear evidence of a powerful dynamic emerging in modern communications between pushed controlled messages and pulled consumer content.

AS NEW MEDIA GROWS, OLD MEDIA ADAPTS
Despite both main parties employing the talents of Barack Obama’s digital supremos, it wasn’t the ‘net ‘wot won it’ but rather a complex blend of new and old media working together to create a rich experience. BIG media turned out not to be newspapers or political broadcasts, but TV debates, posters & social media working together to dominate the popular agenda. Describing online as a ‘political echo chamber, and not yet an influential democratic forum’ Roy Greenslade asserts that it was mainstream media, particularly the TV debates, which had the biggest impact on election. Described by Maurice Saatchi as ‘brutal simplicity’ the use of the poster stimulated further thought, debate and at times suffering ‘brutal adaptation’ with the continual spoofing from online communities. These behaviours were then adopted by both parties as they sparred for political one-upmanship by crowd-sourcing executions, proving the airbrush is truly mightier than the sword!

SEARCH: THE GATEWAY TO A BIGGER CONVERSATION
Google search data clearly shows how all parties saw uplifts around each of the TV debates, as people went online to get information, and according to Echo Research* almost half the population took part in this activity. When you take into account that 25m people watched the debates, and that c.85% of internet journeys start with search, we can assume at least 10m people may have gone online to get further involved in the election. With the Tories being the only party investing in paid search activity it is no surprise it was felt that they had the most successful online campaign.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL MEDIA DEMOCRACY
As we always suspected, most online activity was rooted in social behaviour being content for the people, by the people. Highlights being MyDavidCameron.com, You Tube/Facebook Digital Debate, and Twitter, with over 27 tweets per second during the final leaders debate, spread among 33,095 people. The effect of this on occasion influenced the offline media, such as the ‘I agree with Nick’, and #itsnickcleggsfault trending topic which became a common sight in the election following the Twitterati commentary around the leaders debates. Interestingly each of the official party pages on facebook received far less fans than the unofficial ones created without their involvement. Whilst there was moderate use of social media by the parties, most notably ‘Labservatives’ for the Liberal Democrats, whose leader Nick Clegg had the most support on Facebook, overall there was a lacklustre display of social media. Whilst these behaviours will increasingly be embraced by advertisers looking to build credible ongoing conversations with their audiences, they do need to be assured of the value in the experiences and content they are seeking to spread with their fans, as the voice of dissent can be as loud and influential as the voice of approval.

FANS NEED JOBS – CONVERTING LOYALTY TO ACTIVISM
Whilst not on a scale as the US election, there was evidence, particularly from Labour in recruiting the party faithful with moderate use of twitter and smart-phone applications. Labour’s understanding of ‘superfans’ demonstrates the value in creating tools and experiences that allow consumers to spread influence for brands through good ‘ole fashion motivation, hard work & reward.

THE MAGIC OF THE MOVING IMAGE - LEAVING A LASTING IMPRESSION
Watched by 25m, the TV debates led to much talk of ‘X Factor politics’. Whether true or not, this activity is widely felt to have been the most influential form of communication, with the unique ‘live’ format focused far more on personality and image contributing in no small part to one of the most accessible elections ever. The immediate drama and excitement of the debates really served to revitalise politics, bringing it to the attention of a disenfranchised viewing public. With higher profile spots than late night political broadcasts, parties were placed centre stage around water cooler moments. The social value of TV was really evident, particularly for Nick Clegg who saw an overnight increase for his party of 14% in the polls soon after the first debate.What should also be taken into account is the power of film. It humanises brands and advertising messages, with David Cameron’s webcam hosted on YouTube showing a positive effect on his likeability amongst families as he diligently pursued the Mumsnet vote. This style was even repeated in a last minute re-worked political broadcast for the Conservatives simply featuring David Cameron talking to camera in his back garden – how down to earth can one be?

THERE’S A TIME & A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AS LONG AS IT’S RELEVANT
Out of Home: Learning from the past mistakes of one over-size airbrushed Cameron not fitting all, the Conservatives use of out of home sought to take advantage of the many environments and audiences on offer for smart street placement, even down to specific messages by postcode. Carefully balancing the propaganda of hope with fear, they went some way to overwhelm the public with positive & negative messages. Leafleting: With precision focus into the key marginal seat areas of the UK, there were, according to The Straight Choice’s web-site, a staggering 3,714 different leaflet creatives distributed, with the Liberals favouring this channel the most. A personalised communication such as a hand written envelope delivered to someone’s door, can still offer far more relevance than other media, if you have the data segmentation tools to use this channel effectively. As data analysis software becomes far smarter in helping advertisers understand their customers, the use of leafleting will continue to be effective in talking to specific consumers, if armed with the right information.
Online: As social media accelerates and drives transparency of the popular agenda, the use of smartly timed mass communication on community platforms such as You Tube & Twitter allowed parties with larger budgets like the Tories to reach large audiences exactly when they wanted to . David Cameron’s home-page takeover on You Tube on polling day may have capitalised on any unsure voters, particularly of a younger age voting perhaps for the first time. Other platforms such as Twitter offered an excellent channel to connect the influencers and bloggers with party speeches on the campaign trail literally in real-time to beat the news crews ready to pounce with their own spin and influence agenda.

MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS: SPREADING INFLUENCE, AS WELL AS INFORMATION
Whilst the Twitterati and blogging communities spun their particular line of politics, it was large content providers, particularly newspapers who had to get creative to stay ahead of a real-time 24 hr news frenzy. The election saw a frantic pace of editorial influence and opinion to court the attention of like-minded readers, with two newspapers, Times and Guardian actually switching editorial allegiance hours before polling day. What this points to is that whilst newspapers will always offer countless opportunities to effectively target like-minded individuals, a partnership approach with content providers could also offer opportunities where influence and opinion are leveraged through deeper, cross-platform activity.

An Engine team led by business agency Totem and independent media agency Total Media have been appointed by Alibaba.com, the world's largest online marketplace for small businesses, following a three-way pitch for above the line advertising and media accounts, respectively.

The Engine team will be led by Totem, Engine’s agency specialising in business, financial and corporate communications. Totem founder Ian Henderson said: "Alibaba.com is taking small businesses global and this is a great project to demonstrate how technology can make the entrepreneur more competitive. The Engine model means we are able to bring together a superb group of experts to meet the creative challenge."

Total Media will be responsible for all media planning and buying with the remit of building brand awareness amongst Alibaba.com’s key target audience of SMEs and entrepreneurs. The campaign will focus primarily on above the line media.

Maggie Choo, Director, International Business Development and Marketing for Alibaba.com in EMEA said, “Our brand has been built on a passion for supporting small and medium-sized businesses and we were impressed to see that same energy and commitment reflected in the ideas from the Engine team. They developed an innovative above the line approach that reflects our unique brand and we look forward to a productive relationship."

Pedro Martins, Director at Total Media said: "Targeting the SME and entrepreneur market we have to ensure that both the message and medium resonates strongly with this target audience. We’ve worked with hard with Totem to create a compelling marketing and media strategy that is designed to raise awareness and drive website traffic to this exciting and growing brand."

Alibaba.com is a global trading website focused on serving the needs of small and medium-sized business. Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions of buyers and suppliers around the world to do business online. Founded by entrepreneur Jack Ma, the company dominates the global online trading market. Alibaba.com’s Hong Kong stock market flotation in November 2007 is the second biggest internet offering in history.

With more than 47 million registered users around the world, the site makes it possible for small businesses to operate on an even playing field with big businesses by offering fast and simple access to global suppliers and buyers, a user community and many other services that help small businesses take advantage of global trade more efficiently.

Totem is Engine’s integrated communications agency for the business, corporate and financial sector. Founded in early 2009, its mission is to deliver simple, powerful ideas for clients facing today’s ever more complicated business world. Total Media is the UK’s leading independent buying agency.

Engine is London’s fastest-growing marketing communications group, bringing together best in class agencies under one roof. Totem joins WCRS, Dave, Slice, Huge, Synergy, Altogether, Mandate, Digital Public, Partners Andrews Aldridge, Fuel, Hogarth and Edwards Groom & Saunders at Great Portland Street.

The growth of the internet has led to major changes in the way the travel industry operates, a spokesman for a leading media agency has claimed.

Nick Oram, director of Total Media, a company specialising in the travel and leisure sectors, said that increasingly widespread access to the web has placed more power in the hands of consumers.

He said that being online is "like having a travel agent in your living room".

"You can sit there and within a couple of clicks you get a dozen prices on the things you wanted," Mr Oram commented.

"Price comparison is very easy, you can find out all sorts of information about what you need very easily and I think that has helped and allowed the trend over the last few years of people booking their holidays directly."

The Total Media director also referred to the decline in the package holiday, which he said has occurred as a result of consumers taking a more independent approach to arranging travel.

Travellers aged 55 and over are most likely to post online reviews of their experiences, and marketers are tapping into this trend by incorporating user generated content into their communications.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown might have been voted the man people would least choose as a travel partner, in a survey by TNT magazine, but people of his age (59) are among the most influential when it comes to planning holidays.

Those aged 55 and over are the most prolific online reviewers of holidays and hotels, according to a study looking at what motivates travellers to book a trip away. They may seem unlikely trusted experts, but research by agency Total Media suggests that 48% of 55– to 64–year–olds review hotels online, compared with 42% of 45– to 54–year–olds and just 19% of 16- to 24–year-olds (see chart, page 27).

Marketers should never underestimate the power of customer advocacy, says Nick Oram, Total Media’s joint managing director. "Word of mouth from families and friends is still the most trusted source of information, but if I write a review online it’s not just you who reads it, it’s whoever searches for that place or even just that town, so you start to have reach."

People of all ages say review websites such as Tripadvisor are a place to look for information and inspiration for their next holiday. Opinion sites are the most trusted sources of information after face-to-face contacts for everyone aged under 65. Those aged 65 or over rank travel agents and travel brochures higher than opinion on review websites.

Letter-writing exercise
But it is the 45-plus age group who are influencing the younger generation with their candid views about travel destinations, the survey suggests. They may engage with reviews in a similar way to how they think about old media, says Oram. "Older generations may find it more comfortable writing about their experiences in a way they are familiar with - a letter-writing exercise as opposed to social networking." The further surprise is that the younger age group seems to be influenced by the reviews although they are not writing them as much.

Those who write reviews are the least involved in social media, and the most prolific opinion writers are those who do not blog - 24% of non-bloggers had reviewed an airline via the web in the past six months and 35% of non-bloggers had written about hotels.

Oram says it is not surprising that the younger market does not write reviews. “Their weapons of choice are things like Facebook, that is where they live their lives," he says.

Tapping into these review sites by incorporating them onto their own branded website can help marketers build an honest rapport with travellers, Oram suggests. “There are ways to incorporate this type of user-generated content on to your site. You’re paying for someone to visit or contact you in some way through the travel booking process.”

Social media has become an increasingly important part of travel marketing but above-the-line advertising still plays a part in inspiring people’s holiday choice. Television ads, direct mail and web advertising get 17%, 13% and 22% respectively when people were asked where they got ideas from for their last trip, but this comes after search engines and recommendations.

Source of inspiration
Oram says/ “Advertising still has a role to play and all age groups use it as a source of inspiration, but they are very unlikely to contact you there and then to make a booking.

“You’ve got to make sure your ad is visible, you’ve got to make sure you are involved in social media. It’s about incorporating comments in what you do as opposed to just letting them happen alongside you,” he adds.

The egalitarian nature of word of mouth means there’s more opportunity for brands and hotels of all sizes to promote themselves, argues Oram. “It doesn’t matter how big you are as a hotel or how much money you have to spend on marketing, the opportunity is there to encourage everyone to write a review.”

Travel agent or booking websites might benefit from becoming a one-stop shop for holiday arrangements in the future, Oram suggests. “If I can go to a tour operator’s site and isolate the products that I am interested in, such as weather reports and a Tripadvisor feed, I might check prices elsewhere but I am bound to go back to where I can aggregate information.”


thefrontline

WE ASK MARKETERS ON THE FRONTLINE WHETHER OUR ’TRENDS’ RESEARCH MATCHES THEIR EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUND

Andrew Pumphrey - Marketing and content director at LateRooms.com
Over half of all LateRooms.com reviews are left by people under the age of 45 and 17% are over 56, so for us it’s a much smaller proportion than the research suggests. People have to have stayed in a hotel with us to leave a review, and 500,000 have done so on our site.
Traditional and new media have an important part to play and social media, forums and reviews reinforce the reputation of a brand and arm people with information. Equally, people look for endorsement from trusted journalists. The influence of the press and more traditional methods has been diluted slightly but it’s all part of the mix.
Reviews alone are not enough though. This year, we set up a community of 1,000 customers and non-customers to act as brand advocates. This allows us to probe into what our customers want in more detail. They have also been helping to co-create areas of our site.

Mark Bloxham – Marketing director at Teletext Holidays
It doesn’t shock me that the older age group are looking at social media. We don’t do user-generated content on Teletext.co.uk, but Villarenters.com [part of Teletext Holidays] is based around reviews.
One of the big things on reviews is peer to peer. An interesting piece of research done with Metro readers looked at how people choose their holidays: 37% said it was friends, family and colleagues who influenced them and 56% said the internet. Friends and family are about trust, so it’s how you harness trust through social networking.

Tim Williamson – Marketing director at TUI
The older age group are more travelled and have more time on their hands to write reviews - and this will grow as the population ages.

From our research, we know that people still really trust brochures and the copy on our website is still a very important part of communication. Customers will then use review sites for verification.

We want as many people as possible to write reviews. The Tripadvisor link is on our site. Customers can review on Thomson and will be able to do so on First Choice soon.

We use search engine optimisation through natural and some paid-for search, but we still spend more above the line.

We have MyThomson and MyFirstChoice, which people can access once they have booked. They can view holiday information including weather, videos and they can ask the resort a question. A personalised website is the natural extension to that.

Chris Davies – Head of digital marketing at British Airways
Customers are increasingly going online to seek and share information.

We have looked at ways in which we can enhance the online experience for customers and recently partnered with Tripadvisor to provide trusted tips on worldwide destinations on BA.com.

This has proved a useful resource for customers, who can instantly seek other travellers’ opinions on hotels and destinations.

George Morgan-Grenville – Group managing director at Abercrombie & Kent
Word of mouth is the most important source of product interest and sites such as Tripadvisor exacerbate that. But we think these sites are used more for validation than product selection. Marketing is far from dead in that respect.

Travel booking sites need to act as a holistic resource in terms of informing and exciting, but too much information can result in confusion and potentially a lost opportunity. While some holidays lend themselves to component pricing, many don’t - particularly independent travel in emerging markets where discussion and knowledge cannot be commoditised. In this market, consumers want information that has real substance without clutter.

Alistair Daly – Marketing director at On The Beach
Of the 750,000 passengers we take away each year, over 40% are aged over 50. This audience is just as tenacious in finding the best deal than other consumer groups and always check reviews.

This audience - along with families - are core to our proposition and therefore we are living and breathing this now. Two years ago, we added Tripadvisor to our hotel and holiday channel to let consumers make choices without needing to leave our site. We also have 20,000 of our own reviews, with 80% of them on hotels and the rest on destinations. Having reviews on specific properties improves conversion by up to 15%.

The traditional channels are key to creating a trusted brand. Online travel agents have to offer more than just price - we believe that you need to own a territory that helps you stand out from the crowd.

Easter´s fast approaching, and for many it will be the first opportunity for a break in the sunshine this year. The way people are booking a holiday has changed for good, whether it´s a family planning a UK break or an older couple looking to go long haul.

All age groups are now looking to strangers to help decide which resort to plump for. And it’s the older age group (55+) who are influencing holiday bookings the most, according to a study by Total Media.

Looking at reviews online is now a common way of filtering out the good hotels from the bad. One hotel marketer confessed to me that it’s much more challenging because he can no longer push out marketing messages. He has to ensure the guests have the very best experience so that they feel compelled to write about it. He knows that if anyone isn’t happy about their experience then anyone around the world can read about it on TripAdvisor or similar sites. I’m sure other travel marketers feel the same way.

But it seems that travel marketers have to try the hardest with the older demographic because they are the ones who are most likely to spread the word via review sites. So what can marketers do about this? The study suggests that incorporating these views onto branded sites is one way of engaging with consumers, and preventing them from going onto other sites. The thinking behind this is, if the good and the bad are being said about a brand it’s more beneficial to have it available on the brand’s site than having it available on someone else’s site.

It seems there’s no longer anywhere for the travel industry to hide. While Thomas Cook can push out its television advert showing Jamie and Louise Redknapp having a fantastic time in the sunshine, if the advertised experience doesn’t live up to reality, we will all know about it, especially if someone aged 55 and over has a bad experience.

Middle age travellers are shaping consumer views of the best hotels and holiday destinations at home and abroad.

The use of social media is prompting significant numbers of consumers to book direct, with less than ten per cent saying they visit travel agencies.

Online reviews from the likes of TripAdvisor are now more influential than brochures, advertising, travel supplements and agents, a new study claims.

People also trust complete strangers over recommendations from the travel industry, according to the research which claims that the holiday industry is facing a social media revolution.

The Social Travel Report by independent media agency Total Media, based on a sample of 1,375 people, reveals that large numbers of consumers are opting to book accommodation, flights and activities direct online based on the advice of fellow holidaymakers.

British holidaymakers see the internet as an extension of word-of-mouth recommendations they receive from friends and family and are more likely to take the word of a complete stranger over recommendations from the industry.

Independent reviews on travel website and contacts via social media sites, are more trusted than travel agents, brochures, recommendations from tour operators, reviews by journalists and presenters on TV travel shows.

Holiday reviews written by strangers on independent websites such as TripAdvisor, search results on Google and word-of-mouth advice from family and colleagues are more influential than brochures, advertising, media reviews and advice from travel agents.

The study found that almost 70% of consumers use the internet to book their holidays, compared to 23% by phone and just eight per cent in-store within travel agents.
Consumers aged 35-44 were found to be most likely (74%) to book online. Price (80%) was cited as the main reason for using the internet along with information (53%) and convenience (50%).
Although less than 10% of bookings are made through travel agents, 60% of consumers using agencies said they did so because they valued their "expert advice".
Surprisingly, the age group most likely to visit a travel agent is 16-24 year olds, some seeking advice on how best to structure gap year travel arrangements.

When it comes to hotel accommodation, 37% of holidaymakers booked direct via the internet for short trips (five nights or less) while 24% booked direct for long trips (more than five nights); significantly more than did so via travel agents or tour operators.

The report found Expedia was the leading online resource for consumers planning long trips (more than five nights) with 25%, followed by Tripadvisor and lastminute.com with 22%. Lastminute.com was regarded as first choice for short trips with 24%.

Google Earth and Google Maps also ranked highly (usedby 14% and 17% respectively), while the "long tail" of travel information destinations online (ranking below 10% of visitors), included Ebookers, Lonelyplanet, Travelocity, Teletext, Opodo, Yahoo, the Foreign Office, BBC, Telegraph and Daily Mail.

A quarter of British travellers say that online reviews by strangers help determine their travel plans compared to 14% for online advertisements, 13% for TV travel programmes, 11% for travel magazines, newspaper supplements and 9% for TV advertising and direct mail.

Only recommendations by friends (28%) and family (24%) ranked on a par with online reviews.

The study found that more than 30% of Britons over the age of 16 had written a holiday review online, rising to almost 40% for over 25´s.

Almost half of travellers over 45 are using websites to recommend or warn fellow travellers by posting a review of their travel experiences online.

The age group least likely to use the internet to exchange views on holiday destinations are 16 to 24 year olds.

Hotels and places to stay is the category most likely to be reviewed online (34%) compared to countries to visit (25.6%) and airlines (24.7%).

Almost as many people have now reviewed an airline, hotel or country as they have talked about it face to face.

Total Media director Nick Oram said "The travel industry has embraced e-commerce as a way of making the booking process far more cost effective; it must now embrace social media to ensure its communicating with consumers effectively, because when it comes to travel advice, British consumers would rather rely on each other than recommendations from the industry.

"The internet dominates the supply of information about holidays and travel destinations and has effectively extended the power of word of mouth recommendations.
"The impartial online opinion of travellers who have first-hand experience of a destination is second only now to what you hear from friends, family and work colleagues.
"Because the internet makes it far easier for consumers to pick and choose different elements of a holiday and book their flights and accommodation direct, the opinions of amateur online travel critics can have a huge influence on the popularity of destinations and performance of travel brands.
"Social media is therefore a huge threat to those businesses that ignore it, but also a massive opportunity especially for smaller hotels or brands that use it wisely."

Reviews on websites such as TripAdvisor, search results on Google and personal advice from family and friends are more influential than advice from travel agents when consumers book holidays.

The statistic has been revealed in Total Media´s Social Travel Report – which claims that travel is being transformed by social media.

A quarter of British travellers said online reviews by strangers now help determine their travel plans compared with 14% for online ads, 13% for travel TV shows, 11% for travel articles in magazines and 9% for TV ads and direct mail.

Only recommendations by friends (28%) and family (24%) ranked on a par with online reviews.

The study claimed that almost 70% of consumers use the internet to book their holidays, compared with 23.5% in–store within travel agents and 8% by phone.

But 60% of consumers using agencies said they did so because they valued their "expert advice".

Nick Oram, director at Total Media, said: “The travel industry has embraced e-commerce as a way of making the booking process far more cost effective, it must now embrace social media to ensure it is communicating with consumers effectively.

"When it comes to travel advice, British consumers would rather rely on each other than recommendations from the industry."

The report is based on the opinions of 1,375 consumers aged 16 and over who have travelled in the past 12 months.

Where's the best place to seek holiday advice? Media planning and buying agency Total Media has just released a report that suggests online reviews are now influencing us more than brochures, advertising, newspapers' travel sections (heaven forfend) and travel agents.

Total Media says holiday reviews written by strangers on independent websites, such as TripAdvisor, are one of the key places where it seeks advice. I don't know about you, but the only time I used TripAdvisor, I came away even more confused. The opinions were so diverse that I spent most of my time trying to assess if the reviewers were truly independent voices and shared my priorities.

Contradicting this finding, major UK tour operators Thomson and First Choice are to open 30 new travel agencies on Britain's high streets in the next couple of years, to meet demand. It seems we do still like a little face-to-face advice even if the source might have a vested interest.

You might think there's a credit crunch on, but The Bentley London Waldorf Astoria Collection has just launched a "private hotel concept" at the 64-room Bentley London hotel, offering it for exclusive hire. It says demand is up for the kind of property with the cachet to cater to government delegations and royalty.

Reema Sanger, director of the collection, says: "We have identified potential in a private and secure accommodation solution for high-level guests." VIPs will have the run of the hotel, which includes a Le Kalon spa, with a special concierge service tending to their every whim. The only decision they'll have to make is the pecking order for the royal, imperial and presidential suites.

While the war between British Airways and its cabin crew raged on, news that the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) has introduced a women-only toilet on board its planes offered light relief – if you'll pardon the pun.

ANA says its decision is in response to requests from passengers. But Barry Smith, co-founder of the flight-sales website Skyscanner, surveyed visitors to its site about the idea and got a 56 per cent vote against. "Women-only lavs are great for the girls, but the problem is that most planes would not be adding extra toilets. This is bad news for the boys as it's likely to mean more queuing," he says.

Men having to queue for a loo? That makes a change. Unsurprisingly, Skyscanner's survey found this particular vote polarised the sexes.

They have been a staple of travel agencies and dental surgeries since the beginning of the package holiday, but the glossy travel brochure has become the latest casualty of the internet era, according to a survey.

Holidaymakers are now booking trips based on online travel reviews rather than glossy publications.

Reviews written by strangers on independent websites such as TripAdvisor, search results on Google and word of mouth advice from family and colleagues are more influential than brochures, advertising, media reviews and advice from travel agents when it comes to booking holidays, according to the study.

The survey of 1,375 consumers found a quarter now used online reviews by strangers to determine their travel plans, compared to 13 per cent who used travel programmes and 11 per cent who used magazines and newspaper supplements.

The results found that almost 50 per cent of travellers over 45 are using websites to recommend or warn fellow travellers by posting a review of their travel experiences online.

Nick Oram, director of media agency Total Media, who commissioned the report, said: "There has been a decline in the traditional glossy brochure in favour of the internet and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The traditional glossy brochure was expensive to produce and the travel industry has embraced e-commerce as a way of making the booking process far more cost effective.

“The impartial online opinion of travellers who have firsthand experience of a destination is second only now to what you hear from friends, family and work colleagues."

Almost 70 per cent of consumers use the internet to book their holidays, compared to 23 per cent by phone and just 8 per cent chose travel agents, according to the survey.

Price was cited as the main reason for using the internet along with information and convenience.

The report found Expedia was the leading online destination for consumers planning longer trips over 5 nights (25 per cent), followed by TripAdvisor and Lastminute.com (22 per cent). Lastminute.com however was regarded as first choice for short trips.

Total Media has won the consolidated media planning and buying account for a group of British museums and galleries including the Tate and the British Museum.

The group also includes the Natural History Museum, National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Victoria Albert and the Science Museum. Their combined media spend is estimated at £20m over four years.

Total Media, the incumbent on the Tate Modern, Tate Britain and The British Museum media accounts, won the consolidated business after a pitch against undisclosed agencies. Initiative was the incumbent on the Science Museum media account.

The move marks the first time the individual museums and galleries combined their media. The review kicked off in September last year and was led by the British Museum procurement department.

At the time of the review a spokeswoman for the British Museum said it was called in order to get value for money, as stipulated by government policy on public institutions.

The Victoria & Albert Museum launched an interactive campaign in November 2009 to promote its Decode exhibition. It was dedicated to the latest developments in digital and interactive design and as part of the campaign, Saint commissioned the digital artist Karsten Schmidt to create the exhibition's identity using open source artwork.

Fage UK, the owners of Total Greek Yoghurt, has appointed advertising agency Creative Orchestra and media planning and buying agency Total Media, to help drive the brand’s marketing for the next three years.

The manufacturer has tasked Creative Orchestra with creating a brand personality for Total Greek Yoghurt and communicating the key product benefits.

Total Media will handle the brand’s £5m media budget and will be responsible for reaching a broader target audience, across both online and offline channels. Both agencies will be responsible for helping to grow sales and drive awareness of Total Greek Yoghurt’s product quality and health benefits.

Campaigns will run across press, poster, digital and TV sponsorship.

Creative Orchestra beat six other advertising agencies in a competitive pitch, which included incumbents Dialogue 141; Total Media were appointed over three media agencies to handle the brand’s media buying.

Emma Wilson, Fage UK’s marketing director, says: "Creative Orchestra impressed us with their strong creative and strategic thinking and innovative approach. We are excited to be working with them and are convinced that they can help us attain the ambitious sales targets we need to achieve for the Total Greek Yoghurt brand over the next three years".

"We need to be able to respond quickly and accurately to the dynamic media climate we find ourselves facing. Total Media have convinced us that they are the best at buying and delivering effective media at the most competitive prices."

The first campaign will be called “No Fat” in an effort to capture the New Year healthy eating boom.

• Total Media wins City Index's £6m global media account
  MEDIA WEEK 17.11.2009
  
  
  
  City Index, one of the world's leading providers of contracts for difference (CFDs) and financial spread betting, has appointed Total Media to manage its £6m global media account, following a competitive pitch.
  
  The account, previously handled by Gotham Financial Services, includes planning and buying in the UK, Germany, Poland, Australia, Singapore and the Far East.
  
  Total Media will also now be responsible for all online media planning and buying across City Index's regional markets, although local markets are still expected to handle bespoke marketing activity.
  
  The appointment follows a pitch process led by Keith Goldson, head of European marketing at City Index, and comes ahead of a global customer acquisition push centred around outdoor, press and online channels - with about £3m earmarked for digital media. The global ad campaigns will target advanced traders in the financial sector, as well as taking advantage of the increasing number of consumers looking for alternative investment opportunities.
  
  Total Media will also promote City Index's City trading product in 2010, which claims to be the first spread betting and CFD trading app for the iPhone.
  
  Lucas Brown, joint managing director of Total Media, said: "Drawing on our international knowledge, experience and expertise, we'll deliver a direct response-focused strategy designed specifically to drive customer acquisition."
  
  The appointment continues a successful year for the agency, in which it has won the media accounts for Swan Hellenic, New Zealand Lamb and, last month, global media for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. However, its £3m integrated planning and buying account for the London Southbank Centre is currently up for review and it recently lost the account for youth homelessness charity Centrepoint to Starcom.
  
  
  
• City Index appoints Total Media to global media account
  MEDIA AND MARKETING EUROPE 17.11.09
  
  
  
  City Index, a global provider of Contracts for Difference (CFDs) and financial spread betting, has appointed Total Media to its $10m global media account.
  
  Total Media will be responsible for all online and offline media planning and buying across all of City Index’s regional markets. The agency is also tasked with raising awareness of the brands offering to a wider, more mainstream audience. 
  
  As part of its remit, Total Media will be launching media campaigns to publicise City Index’s new products, including City Trading - the first spread betting and CFD trading app for the iPhone.
  
  “This is an enormously exciting time in City Index’s evolution - which will be reflected in how we promote ourselves,” said Keith Goldson, head of European marketing, City Index.
  
  
  
• Be On TV
  THE BOOKSELLER 11.09.2009
  
  
  
  Cheap rates and new ways to reach audiences make TV advertising a more viable option for publishers says Leila Gould
  
  Advertising on TV was once considered the sole domain of big-name brands, but changes to the media landscape and the recession mean the medium has become more affordable and accessible than ever. With so many exciting advertising opportunities, why should publishers be taking advantage?
  
  TV is fantastic value for advertisers. The real cost of TV airtime is in line with prices paid in 1990; over the same period, the Retail Price Index has increased by 76% (Incomes Data Services, 2008). From an advertiser's perspective commercial TV is still in great health. The acid test of the strength and quality of a medium must surely be in its consumption and we have been seeing record levels of commercial viewing.
  
  There is certainly a compelling case for more affordable TV to play a greater part in publishers' marketing mix and also understand how different media work together efficiently.
  
  Successful marketing campaigns have TV at their heart—according to an Institute of Practitioners in Advertising payback study they are 25% more effective than those without. Until recently, however, TV has been out of reach for many advertisers and publishers.
  
  The growth of multi-channel has increased the opportunity for publishers to be more targeted and make their money work harder. Sometimes it's possible to work collaboratively with TV stations to find a place that effectively reaches the core audience. For example, if you can find the right environment and a creative link, programme sponsorship is extremely cost effective and gives extra kudos to an author, brand or book. Aside from sponsorship and traditional spot advertising there are also other opportunities, for example book promotions, red and green buttons, and Video on Demand. VoD gives advertisers the audio visual advantages of TV with the accountability of online advertising. For publishers this is a fantastic opportunity to target viewers and create a click through to online retailers such as Amazon.
  
  Likewise, Thinkbox [the television marketing body] recently studied TV viewing habits and people who are watching TV while using a computer/laptop. Dual activity means TV can now be seen as a point-of-sale medium with viewers watching TV and going straight to a website after seeing the ad. The results showed that 61% of UK adults have watched TV while being online (source: IAB/Thinkbox 2008).
  
  This year has seen many publishers dipping their toes in the TV water for the first time, and with immediate success. With so many opportunities on television and the cheaper pricing that has brought the medium in range, now really is the time to jump in.
  
  
  
• Agencies can learn from music industry
  MEDIA WEEK 07.07.2009
  
  
  
  The comparison between the music industry’s current problems and the position media agencies now find themselves in (‘Why agencies need a new business model’, 24 June) offers both a cautionary tale, but also a possible future littered with opportunity.
  
  While it is fair to say that the major names of the music industry have suffered, it is also true that those who are willing to adapt and build a business model around their customers needs have proved to be roaring successes. The return to live music as a primary revenue stream, uti
  
  lising free downloads as a promotional tool and a host of “free” online music services built around subscription models are just a few demonstrations of how adversity can be rapidly converted into opportunity   For too long agencies have fallen into making the fatal assumption that “we” know best as opposed to our customers. While this has meant that the drive towards transparency has predominantly been led by our clients it is not too late, the horse has not bolted yet!
  
    Opportunity is the word I would most like to see used when referring to the drive for a new business model. The chance to finally be a truly valued and respected stakeholder in our clients’ businesses and the impetus that now exists to further develop the services we offer, are just a couple of examples of the opportunities that await agencies that are willing to lead this push.
  
  Thomas Laranjo
  Managing Director
  Total Media International
  
  
• 'The internet is the centre pin to your business'
  TRAVELMOLE 27.05.2009
  
  
  
  Total Media head of digital, Nick Oram, explains why he believes the internet means more to your business than you might think...
  
  "Alex Burmaster, European internet analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings, once said: "The travel industry provides a wonderful reminder, if anyone still needed one, of how integral the internet has become in the life of today’s consumer. The internet is now officially a mainstream form of media and companies who still believe it can only form a ‘niche’ part of any consumer-focused strategy will soon find themselves marginalised as the 21st century progresses."
  
  We know this though don’t we?
  
  Thing is, it’s even more than that. It’s not just another medium or set of media to add to a plan, it’s the framework for nearly all communication with your customers, from the initial contact all the way through to e-CRM (re-messaging, email, mobile, social media, etc). And all of this via your site, the centre pin to all activity.
  
  This becomes business critical when you consider the consumer journey. Research has found that it takes the average consumer one month to plan their holiday. In this time they will visit 12 websites and perform 21 searches.
  
  Think about that! Your compelling offer/image focused ad (on or offline) might have got someone’s attention in the first instance and you may have already paid to get this person to your site, but the research suggests that there are going to be 21 other opportunities for competitors to capitalise on the inspiration you have provided as that individual looks for the information they need to complete their decision.
  
  How do you handle this?
  
  This leaves you with two courses of action and you probably need to implement both. 1) Be present at all of the possible contact points and accept that you may end up paying to get someone to your site on several occasions before converting them (in fact Google research says that on average the converted customer visits a tour operator site 3.9 times before buying (source: IAB)) 2) Try to make that initial contact as effective as you can.
  
  Both require careful thought on what it is the consumer needs during the process. If I take my own recent holiday to Vietnam (yes superb, thank you) as an example; the inspiration was an article in the Observer (and they say press is dead), but the follow up was a whirlwind of visa info (tourist board site), flight prices (Cheapflights, brand sites), hotel recommendations (Trip Advisor mainly), Vietnamese based tour operator sites, guide books, Flickr for pictures, Google Earth for more detail (slightly geeky I know), BAA, Weather.com, etc, etc. All good fun and across many sites, and I guess it goes without saying that Google was the common thread.
  
  Interestingly the tourist board only appeared in a couple of searches and didn’t provide much information. None of the commercial sites I visited were consistently in the search results either nor did any of them offer me more than basic travelling info. If they had they would have drastically increased their chances of me returning for free and ultimately converting.
  
  
• How to: Get the most out of your media budget
  TRAVEL WEEKLY 17.04.2009
  
  
  
  As the recession pushes down the cost of advertising, Total Media group account director Amanda Turberville tells you how to get more from your money
  
  The current economic climate has seen some of the age-old rules of media planning and buying called into question. While advertising budgets were once fixed and campaigns planned well in advance, today’s environment demands a much more responsive and flexible approach. And, of course, budget cuts have forced a change in the way media is priced. For example, television has traditionally been seen as the sole domain of big-budget brands, but the economic climate has forced rates down – the cost of TV advertising is down by up to a third year on year. So amid the doom and gloom lie some fantastic opportunities for those looking to extract the most value from their budget. With a fresh approach, and the tips below, you can ensure you get more for less.
  
  Know what you want to achieve
  The type of advertisement you choose will differ depending on whether you want to raise awareness or boost sales, so define this from the start. For example, in the creative you might emphasise the price more if you are going for sales. If you try to achieve too many things with a limited budget, you end up spreading your resources too thinly and you risk achieving nothing. Use the right balance of media to achieve your objectives and measure the response rates on a regular basis, so you can identify what works and what doesn’t.
  
  Beware of the competition If you spot your competitors’ advertising before your own, you can guarantee that your customers will too. Keep a watchful eye on what your rivals are doing – that’s not to say that you should follow suit, but be aware of what is changing. By having the fluidity of budget and fixed advert formats laid down in advance, it is easier to react quickly to changes in the market such as late offers.
  
  Be flexible In the current market you need to be a little more fluid with your approach to releasing your advertising budget. Traditionally, you would lay down business in advance of the activity happening in order to guarantee it going ahead. For example, you might be expected to allocate up to 80% of your budget to laid down activity, with 20% allocated to testing and other activity. It is still important to lay a part of the budget down, but in the current climate you should work to a 60:40 ratio in order to take advantage of increased advertisers’ buying power. It’s wise to set aside a contingency budget for short-term, last-minute offers so that you can experiment with new channels and formats.
  
  Test at affordable prices Testing media that you would not normally consider due to cost restrictions opens up a whole new arena of opportunities to reach consumers that you haven’t previously targeted. Be mindful of taking every single short-term offer that is given to you. Some media will be struggling to sell and it may not really be relevant to your target audience. Some brands do take bigger risks than others by taking advantage of short-term buying and pay for all of their campaigns in this way, keeping costs down to a minimum. But buying advertising space like this does not always guarantee results. While testing, you may achieve an outstanding result which could lead to a different, longer-term strategy or further investments.
  
  
• Explore Worldwide, has hired Total Media
  MARKETING 15.04.2009
  
  
  
  

  Explore Worldwide, the adventure travel company, has hired Total Media to handle its UK media planning and buying following a pitch. The agency has been briefed to integrate Explore's online and off line activity.

• Nielsen billings table is lacking in relevance
  CAMPAIGN 27.03.2009
  
  
  
  Dear editor, Anne Cassidy is right to question the relevance of the Nielsen billings table (Campaign, 6 March). What does it actually represent? Certainly not the media billings of an agency, even if that were an important measure. Our reported billings were some 50 per cent out and I'm sure we are not untypical. Given the number of exclusions from the Nielsen measurement, it is hard to see what the table represents and why it is still used.
  
  The Kingston Smith analysis of Companies House data may have its critics (although unexplained in the article) but through audited income and profit figures does provide a more meaningful and reliable set of measures.
  
  Companies and commentators are always likely to support the measures most likely to promote their interests. Surely the one that is used in industry published tables should be the one closest to reality.
  
  Guy Sellers
  Managing director
  Total Media
  
  
• Great service and value will never be irrelevant
  CAMPAIGN 12.03.2009
  
  
  
  Dear editor,
  I'm sure your piece "Are media agencies set to become irrelevant?" (Campaign.21 February) will have struck a nerve in many agencies. But delivering value has always been a fundamental objective for media agencies and always will be. And while opinion may be divided on whether media shops can or should sit at the "top table", those who have proved they can know that participation at that level depends entirely on the quality of the insight or advice being offered to the client.
  
  Sound strategic advice usually flows from the freedom to think and act and to develop ideas without constraint. If you work at or with an independent agency, you'll know that the freedom to access all of the rich media environment to create solutions that truly connect with your chosen audience is one of the tangible benefits of independence; it comes naturally.
  
  Is the rationale for media agencies wearing thin? Clients buy great service, thinking and price. Media practitioners who can deliver all three will prosper whether they're sitting in a media agency or not.
  
  Guy Sellers
  Managing director
  Total Media
  
  
• Contents is king in the men's market
  BRANDREPUBLIC 09.03.2009
  
  
  
  Established in the 90's against a backdrop of Brit-Pop and New Labour men's magazines such as FHM Maxim and Loaded were once the staple of every self respecting teen and twenty-something male But the latest ABC figures reveal a publishing sector on its knees haemorrhaging readers and facing an uncertain future
  
  So why has a magazine sector that once captured the male Zeitgeist so perfectly and counted a readership in the millions come to the edge of collapse? Before the rise of online content and social networking sites such as Facebook the rise of Google and YouTube magazines such as Loaded. Maxim and FHM almost bottled the essence of lad culture"
  
  It's hard to remember any other group of publications past or present that so perfectly captured an audience A recipe of witty, informative agenda setting editorial and a constant stream of scantily clad celebrities made these titles every media planner's dream publication enormous targeted readership and a great branding
  
  So what has gone so badly wrong? Well there are several reasons First remember that the lad's mag heyday was pre-Google before YouTube Facebook and now of course Twitter The internet has elbowed the glossy monthly or even weekly men’s mag aside as an agenda- setting source of entertainment Why tell your mates about something you read about in Loaded they d heard about online three weeks earlier
  
  The painful fact for magazines is that cool news or 'did you see that’ content has a far shorter lifespan perhaps measured in days or hours rather than weeks or months As a result the influence they held as the print gate keepers of information has diminished
  
  Second, in general the sector has failed to keep pace with changing times and is still too reliant on editorial content and style that was popular ten years ago The lads mag is out of step with the realities of the content market Whilst unfair to say success of FHM etc flowed purely from the amount of bare flesh they exposed, it was a big factor. In an age where porn can be accessed so easily for free online it's inevitable that lads should ask why they should bother paying three pounds for a magazine
  
  Male attitudes have also moved on. The timeless, universal appeal of *** and *** still hold true. but. there s been a gradual shift in men's attitudes over the last ten years Gone are the days where men were proud to fly the “lad" flag Today most twenty-something males are probably too embarrassed to read such magazines in public for fear of the negative social connotations associated with them.
  
  Neither maturing with the readership of the 1990’s nor attracting the new ipod generation, the lad mags now find themselves in no-mans land Unlike the women's lifestyle sector, where there's a natural progression in terms of the magazines you mature into, (for example as a teen you might read Sugar, before moving onto Grazia in your twenties and Red in your thirties) men have found no middle ground between the brash content that appealed to their younger selves and the high-brow editorial or apparitional cool offered by the likes of GQ
  
  The winners have been titles that have continued to deliver content (especially expertise or opinion) that is not easily accessible elsewhere. Specialists such as Men's Health. Golf Monthly. Q or Total Film (or examples that are on the rise) have inherited the lad audience, defining it by interest group
  
  With the high water mark of men's magazines well and truly behind us and recent ABC's charting a precipitous decline is the genre of the general "lad mag", even in weekly form dead and buried? Well, clearly some are still alive and well, for example you cannot ignore Nuts! with an ABC of 234,034 in February
  
  Having said that, publishing contracts aside. I'm not optimistic It can't be long before the monthlies are all but gone and the weeklies may face a similar fate in a year or two. The brands are of course attempting reinvention online but will they survive in that form alone with so many alternatives online? I expect specialist titles to continue to thrive and for 'quality' titles aimed at the more discerning reader to survive with a solid readership. Perhaps the answer to the survival of the general men’s mag lays in a return to journalism that offers entertainment the British lad simply can't get with a quick Google.
  
  By Dennis Perks, Press Manager, Total Media
  About Total Media
  Total Service: The service and results your deserves
  Total Expertise: With all the knowledge you need from digital and direct to international
  Total Media: The independence to think and act freely for you
  Visit www totalmedia.co.uk
  
  
• Total Media is cruising
  MEDIAWEEK 03.02.2009
  
  
  
  Independent agency Total Media has been appointed by All Leisure Group to manage the £1.2m media duties for its Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic cruising brands.
  
  
• Total Media is supporting...
  MEDIAWEEK 20.01.2009
  
  
  
  Total Media is supporting Allan Clarke (left) and Andrew Williamson (right) on the Plymouth to Timbuktu rally. The pair were last heard of in Mauritani
  PIC NEEDED HERE
  
  
• Total Media lands All Leisure cruise account
  MEDIAWEEK.CO.UK 28.01.2009
  
  LONDON - Independent media agency Total Media has been appointed by the All Leisure Group to manage its £1.2m media duties for its Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic cruising brands.
  
  Total Media will be responsible for developing lead generation marketing strategies, driven by direct response campaigns, for both brands.
  
  All Leisure Group aims to target high-end consumers said to be looking for holidays combining "a cultural travel experience with a more comfortable, country house-style of cruising".
  
  Total Media will also develop the leisure company's digital strategy as it looks to promote its range of onboard activities, including fine dining, classical concerts and after-dinner talks.
  
  Geoff Lawrence, sales and marketing director at Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic, said: The cruising market is extremely competitive and since we have a unique service offering, we needed a media strategy that allowed us the freedom to effectively and efficiently target our chosen market segment.
  
  'Total Media has some great experience in the travel industry and is well placed to service our media planning and buying needs across a range of channels.