Three marketing/media/PR stories. Two agency updates. Read in five minutes.
   
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BAKE OFF BACK
With a week to go before the return of ‘The Great British Bake Off’ the BBC has just revealed the 2015 line-up of contestants. Within minutes the show was trending on Twitter with the hashtag #GBBO. The series starts on Wednesday 5 August and the contestants include Ian Cumming - the Dalai Lama’s photographer, a fireman, an accountant, a nurse, a trainee anaesthetist, a musician and a former Coldstream Guard now a prison governor. Originally from Lithuania, Ugne (above) learnt to bake from her mother and grandmother and likes to incorporate traditional Lithuanian flavours into her bakes. She also isn’t afraid of the odd theatrical bake, it says on the Beeb’s blurb. We learn facts like Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood don’t talk to the contestants when the cameras aren’t rolling to preserve their objective judgement. The Twittersphere is alive with excitement.
A view from Rule 5...
Knowing that the show has a large and loyal fan base, the BBC has directly targeted social channels as part of the programme's launch strategy. The combination of mainstream media and social buzz will help deliver another huge audience for what's become an annual event.
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BLATTER PRIZE
Outgoing FIFA football boss Sepp Blatter has received an unlikely accolade. Vladimir Putin has said the scandal-hit FIFA President should get the Nobel Peace Prize. The Russian President was speaking on Swiss TV, after welcoming Blatter to St Petersburg for the 2018 draw. Putin said: "We all know the situation developing around Mr Blatter right now. I don't want to go into details but I don't believe a word about him being involved in corruption personally…I think people like Mr Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition. If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel Prize, it's those people." Allegations of corruption in the World Cup bidding process have cast a shadow over the 2018 tournament in Russia but last week Blatter assured Putin that FIFA had passed a resolution offering full support for Russia in hosting the tournament.
A view from Rule 5...
Blatter has resigned but he's still unclear about the timing. The momentum is building for an early exit. Support from the Russian President is much more likely to hasten his departure than delay it.
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TV ADS RECOVER
TV advertising is bouncing back. In the first quarter of 2015 it grew 11.5% yoy to £1.2bn, the highest level ever according to figures from Warc and the Advertising Association. Sponsorship, video-on-demand (VOD), advertiser-funded programming and product placement combined with traditional ad slots are fuelling growth. Total ad spend of £4.7bn for the quarter is also at a record high. Newspapers and other news publishers are faring less well and digital growth is increasingly driven by advertising on mobile, up 50%. Research analyst James McDonald, who worked on the report for Warc, said: “We continue to record growth in digital ad revenue among both national and regional newsbrands, although a mild slowdown has been noted for both… there are some concerns surrounding the effectiveness of banner ads generally, coupled with the increasing adoption of ad blockers among consumers.”
A view from Rule 5...
TV never went away and it is still far and away the most powerful communications platform. Digital may be highly targeted but it is narrowcast. TV is broadcast. |
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WORLD OF WEDGWOOD OPENS
A week ago the World of Wedgwood, an inspiring new visitor experience in Stoke-on-Trent, opened to the public. The agency had invited the media to preview the attraction, part of a £34m investment in the Wedgwood Estate, which features an engaging factory tour, flagship store, Wedgwood Tea Room and a revitalised museum celebrating Wedgwood’s 250 years' heritage in ceramics.
Substantial media coverage appeared in The Times, The Telegraph, BBC News, Independent, BBC Radio Stoke, The Stoke Sentinel, The Express, ITV Central and more.
“A stunning visitor attraction that combines a swish flagship store, factory outlet and places to eat.” The Express
“The best thing on this site, and I don’t say this lightly because the new deco-style Wedgwood Tea Room and the design studios are spectacular, is the museum.” The Times
“The wonderful World of Wedgwood…it looks brilliant.” BBC Radio (across networks).
www.worldofwedgwood.com
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SIX AWARD NOMINATIONS
The agency has been nominated six times, including in the category for Outstanding Small Consultancy, in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards.
Rule 5 has been shortlisted for its work for Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton, Virgin Money, British Cycling and Buy Art Fair. In addition to the Outstanding Small Consultancy category, the agency has been nominated for Best Event, Best Use of Social Media and three times in the Arts, Culture or Sport category. The CIPR PRide Awards recognises outstanding public relations in the UK regions and nations and attracts entries from the country’s leading communications agencies. The awards will be announced at a black tie dinner on 5 November 2015 at The Midland Hotel in Manchester.
The CIPR says, “they are a celebration of exceptional talent and a reflection of public relations best practice. Only the highest calibre of experts, drawn from the very top of their fields are selected to judge our awards.”
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