Week commencing 7th April 2008
 A
new report from research firm Attentional indicates that the sharp
drop in the BBC's viewing share observed in recent years
will flatten out, with the corporation's network of channels projected
to have 32.1% of viewing in 2012. This figure is down from 34% in
2007, and while Attentional adds that ITV will narrow the gap between
itself and the BBC, the BBC will retain the biggest share. The report
says that the most important factor helping the BBC is the historic
advantage of its second channel, BBC Two. BBC Two's projected viewing
share in 2012 (7.5%) far exceeds any of the newer digital channels
on either network, and therefore gives the BBC a very substantial
advantage. The Attentional forecast is based on a detailed observation
of what people do when they "go digital", which everyone
will do by 2012 after switchover. Attentional adds that when people
get more channels - and therefore more choice - they watch more
television. However, viewers in the ABC1 or "white collar"
social groups are more loyal to the traditional channels than viewers
in the C2 or DE social groups. Older viewers are also more likely
to stay loyal to the networks they already know on analogue, while
younger people explore new channels. Source: MediaTel
Ofcom has revealed it is to facilitate a major technology
upgrade of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), in order to enable
UK viewers to have greater access to more channels and HD programming.
The changes mean that viewers using new receiving equipment should
be able to get up to four new high definition channels as digital
switchover is completed in the UK in 2012, with the first three
available as switchover takes place in the Granada and subsequent
regions from 2009. Ofcom says the upgrade can take place without
the loss of existing television services currently available to
viewers on DTT. The watchdog believes that the process will deliver
major benefits for viewers and broadcasters, with viewers able to
access an array of new channels and services through their television
aerials and new HD set-top boxes, and broadcasters able to deliver
a greater range of services. Source: MediaTel
 Glamour
magazine is launching a multimedia campaign that will offer
its readers more than 13,000 free beauty products. Owner Condé
Nast claims the giveaway is the largest of its type and will offer
readers hair straighteners, fragrances and mascara with the May
issue of the monthly magazine.The first readers to log onto Glamour.com
from 8am each day will receive branded beauty products from Max
Factor and Clarins. Source: Media Week
The Sunday Telegraph's
new glossy magazine ST Men launches this weekend with advertising
from brands such as Ralph Lauren, Gucci and Versace. The biannual
title is being distributed to 300,000 Sunday Telegraph readers in
London and the South East. The title is edited by former editor-in-chief
of Esquire magazine Peter Howarth. The launch issue will include
features written by clothes designer Paul Smith and designer Giorgio
Armani. The glossy magazine is aimed at affluent male readers and
follows the launch of sister glossy title ST Fashion in September
last year. Source: Media Week
Archant Life, the
regional magazine publisher, is to launch a monthly magazine, North
East Life, to be circulated across the region. North East Life launches
this month, priced at £1.95, with an initial circulation of
around 10,000. It will be sold in supermarkets and newsagents. The
title is a replacement for Durham Country Life and will cover subjects
including food, wine and poetry. The magazine, which aims to showcase
the region's industrial heritage and countryside, aims to double
its circulation in the future. The first issue will feature interviews
with former football manager Sir Bobby Robson and singer Chris Rea.
Source: Media Week
 Outdoor
operator Admedia has compiled new research showing spontaneous
awareness of posters in washrooms among two out of three users.
According to the research, washroom media campaigns offer advertisers
an average of 66% spontaneous awareness and 87% prompted recall.
Admedia found that 64% of respondents recalled specific detail within
a particular campaign, such as a web address, and 79% agreed that
posters are a positive addition to the washroom environment. Admedia
operates and markets 25,000 washroom displays, 1,350 six-sheets
and bespoke brand promotions across a range of leisure and entertainment
venues. Source: Media Week
Mobile outdoor contractor Look Media is
launching a new mobile billboards product.The product, Look Walker,
features an illuminated LED façade that provides a highly
visible and consistent image. The new boards, which, the company
claims, are lighter and brighter than existing similar products.
The boards carry one poster on the back and another, smaller one,
on the front. Look Media also plans to license the product for use
in overseas territories. Source: Media Week
 Online
advertising grew almost 40% year on year in 2007 to a new high
of over £2.8 billion, according to the latest IAB and PwC
research released today. This makes the medium the third largest
last year, up from being the smallest market sector in 2003, taking
its share to 15.3% from 11.4% in 2006. Internet advertising spend
in 2007 exceeded forecasts and is now larger than press classifieds
and regional newspapers. The study reveals a continued healthy growth
as online looks set to overtake spending on TV by the end of 2009.
In just three years online advertising spend has increased by £2
billion. In a relatively buoyant UK advertising market the internet
was the biggest driver of growth - accelerating nine times faster
than the entire advertising sector, which experienced 4.3% growth
to reach £18.4 billion. Source: MediaTel
Online giant Google has announced that it
is to allow keyword bidding on all terms typed into its search engine.
Beginning on May 5, Google's trademark complaint investigations
will cease to monitor or restrict keywords for ads served to users
in the UK and Ireland, reports Brand Republic. This will see the
UK and Ireland move into line with the US and Canada, where Google
has been operating the policy since 2004. The move means that a
user who types a trademarked brand name into the Google search engine
will now see ads in the search results from rival brands, as well
as the brand searched for. This will increase Google's advertising
revenue and follows the recent news that the search engine has experienced
recent a decline in click-throughs. Source: MediaTel
E4.com is launching its first wave of online-only
content since it relaunched as a multiplatform channel in January.
According to a report in NewMediaAge (NMA), the new content includes
original commissions such as web films, video games, animations
and bespoke web content. Initially, the content will only be available
online, but it may be broadcast on air later in the year. The new
content will be the first original content since the relaunch of
E4.com, with the site previously focusing on content from shows
such as Skins and Fonejacker. NMA reports James Tatum, business
manager of E4.com, as saying that it had turned to original content
in a bid to grow its audience after recording 1m video views in
February. Tatum said: "We hope to reposition E4 as an entertainment
brand, whether that is on PC, TV mobile or, later this year, radio.
We'll be a fully cross-platform brand. Source: MediaTel
Blinkx, the video search engine, has launched a free online
movie channel. The BBTV initiative includes a partnership between
Blinkx and UK indie film distributor Dogwoof, which will offer consumers
a library of independent and world cinema films to choose from,
as well as TV programmes provided by Blinkx's existing partners.
BBTV goes live today and uses Blinkx's patented speech and visual
recognition technology. This allows web surfers to link televisual
and film content to information posted across the internet. The
video indexing automatically creates a speech track of content,
which makes it easy for viewers to navigate a programme using specific
words. The platform uses hybrid peer to peer streaming and a simple
point and click interface to give online viewers full-screen, TV
quality programming. Source: MediaTel
 Carlton
Screen Advertising is targeting older cinemagoers with an "Award-Winning
Film Season" at Odeons across the UK as part of its Senior
Screen initiative. The season will run from 11 April to 9 May and
feature only critically acclaimed and award-winning films. It begins
with The Valley of Elah, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2008
and won the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2007.
Other films showing in the month-long series include the Oscar-winning
Sweeney Todd and No Country for Old Men. Tickets for all of the
films will be available at a discounted rate to anyone over the
age of 50. Odeon Senior Screen, a season of films for mature cinemagoers,
was launched in October 2006. RIAS, a specialist provider of insurance
products for the over-50s, began sponsoring it in July 2007. It
was the first sponsor of the event and is contracted to it until
July this year. RIAS is currently in talks with CSA about extending
the deal. Senior Screen customers benefit from a reduced entry fee,
complementary tea and biscuits and a film product specifically selected
for the audience. Source: Media Week
UK Box Office Chart
1. 27 Dresses (12A)
2. Son of Rambow (12A)
3. Step Up 2 (PG)
4. Never Back Down (15)
5. The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG)
6. Horton Hears A Who (U)
7. Awake (15)
8. One Missed Call (15)
9. Drillbit Taylor (12A)
10.Vantage Point (12A)
Source: Pearl & Dean
Edited by Sarah Halliday |
