More Opinion articles

Jim Marshall, Starcom Mediavest’s executive director and chairman of the IPA Media Futures Group, questions the uncertainty surrounding the television industry and asks whether mergers are the answer…

The latest report from Whitevector looks at the processes involved in analysing online discussions.A successful online discussion analysis project starts with a clear understanding of how the final, produced information will be used in marketing decision making. Even though just monitoring interesting online discussions is valuable in itself, significantly greater value can be achieved if… Continue reading Whitevector: Analysing online discussions – getting started

Neil Jones, group sales director, Promotion Space Group, on the opportunities provided by destination media and experiential marketing.

Our weekly columnist Raymond Snoddy looks at the decline of Big Brother and asks whether Channel 4 should be careful of becoming “too dependent on a Big Idea that will inevitably have a finite life”… It wouldn’t be polite to dance too enthusiastically on the grave of Big Brother. The programme helped to define, if not… Continue reading The rise and fall of Big Brother

Certain groups of internet downloaders make a particularly attractive target for advertisers, reveals the latest data from TGI.Latest TGI data show that 77% of British people aged 15+ use the internet, up from 75% last year. The most popular online activities are email, general research, and banking or personal finance. The data also shows that… Continue reading TGI: Online activities (downloading content)

Simon Mukerjee, managing director at DWA Business, comments on Ray Snoddy’s Will the pay model really work for newspapers online…? article, which was published on Tuesday… “I think it is even more stark than suggested. I simply cannot see anyone paying for anything other than very specialised content. And even then, how much they are prepared… Continue reading Point of View – ‘Will the pay model really work for newspapers online…?’

Alistair Blaxill, executive director, Communisis, looks at how individualisation can give companies stronger brand equity while enhancing the customer experience…Marketers have understood for some time the role that personalisation plays in increasing ROI. However, despite an increasing consumer demand for better targeting and an individual approach from brands, many marketers have failed to take it… Continue reading The power of individualisation

Comment and analysis from MediaTel Group’s ‘Future of National Newspapers’ seminar re-enforces the scale of the task ahead for the newspaper business model, says our weekly columnist Raymond Snoddy… Careless users of PowerPoint presentations are far more effective in curing insomnia than endless numbers of sheep. But just occasionally a well targeted chart or table can… Continue reading Will the pay model really work for newspapers online…?

In our latest Research Focus report, Ipsos MediaCT looks at the increasing popularity of downloadable games among next generation console owners.2008 was a record year for the UK videogames industry. Despite the economic downturn, the software market grew by over 20% year-on-year to £1.905bn (ELSPA/GfK Chart-Track figures). The vast majority of this spend was on… Continue reading Ipsos MediaCT: Is the future of gaming downloadable?

Fresh from 2009’s E3 Gaming Expo, Louise Gaynor, board director, Target Media, predicts this year’s big launches and market trends for the gaming industry…This year’s E3 Expo saw a return to form for the most illustrious gaming industry event. Huge announcements from industry giants including Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and Activision had everybody talking. The sheer… Continue reading What to look out for in gaming in 2009