Yesterday, the CRTC has endorsed the private broadcasters in a decision that serves to change the TV industry. The major networks have won the right to negotiate with distributors and cable companies over charging for their signals. The fight is just beginning, as the battleground now moves from the backrooms to the courtroom. The Federal Court of Appeal will hear arguments since it has jurisdiction to ask companies to negotiate fees.
Ironically, the very same day that the CRTC decision landed, a new survey by Ipsos Reid indicated that – for the very first time – the average Canadian spends more time online than watching television. All along, the major networks have argued that the current business model is broken. Their solution? Fight the cable networks for additional revenue streams. The fact of the matter is, major networks are no longer the gatekeepers of how, when and where Canadians consume television. Many, as the Ipsos Reid survey suggests, are just opting out of watching TV altogether. The greater challenge facing broadcasters is not a courtroom brawl. If they commit as many resources to finding solutions to rapidly shifting consumer habits and emerging technologies as lawyer fees, perhaps the future of network television would be brighter.
This fact was not lost on CRTC Chairman Konrad Von Finckenstein, reiterating that the industry needs to focus on preparing for the future instead of bickering.
We couldn’t agree more Konny.
March 2010 Archive
Private Broadcaster’s Battle Misguided?
Evolution of Print: Pictures that Move
Print is not dying. It is evolving beyond the traditional definitions and it is finding a new place in the content kingdom. There is always going to a place for people who enjoy the tactile experience of a book or a magazine but the iPad — and those that follow — will become the new tools for publishing.
The marriage of print and motion.
VIV Mag Motion Cover – iPad Demo from Alexx Henry on Vimeo.
VIV Mag Interactive Feature Spread – iPad Demo from Alexx Henry on Vimeo.
The Olympics: Whose Marketing Won a Medal?
I’m sure someone, somewhere has done a review of the creative work by brands who battled to go higher, faster, stronger during the recent 2010 Winter Games hosted by Vancouver. If so, I have not seen it, so here are my Olympic Marketing Medals and Misses.
Let’s start with the Misses, those creative performances that would be the equivalent of a 17th finish. First up? General Motors. Here was a perfect opportunity for a tainted brand to apply fresh gold shimmer in front of record TV audiences. Talking cars? Sorry, not good enough. What was the shoot for these ads like? OK, rolling…OK cut. Great take, Sierra grill. How about Petro-Canada and their glasses? Asking viewers to equate a spinning glass with figure skating was too much of a stretch. Coca Cola was another disappointment. The “Our Game” anthem was nicely executed, but very one dimensional as hockey was the sole focus. Molson’s Hockey House was a much bigger idea. Finally, Galen Weston Jr. remains a charming pitchman, but the message of winning with Loblaws Blue Choice products was ultimately undercut by the poor performance of the Alpine Team.
Now, on to the Medals. The Bronze Medal goes to…Hudson’s Bay Company. Although I did not really like the attire at first glance, it’s sheer ubiquitousness wore me down. And I was not alone. According to the Globe and Mail, HBC’s realized a 43 percent increase in awareness of Olympic sponsorship, far above that of other sponsors. The mittens, I thought, were a nice stroke. An inexpensive way to show your true colours.
The Silver Medal goes to…RBC. The Royal Bank got the most bang for their buck, having sponsored the torch relay. The RBC little man icon was cute, but not too cutesy. I like the way the creative allowed him to interact with all the events. The shot of him sitting atop the spinning curling rock was a hoot.
Finally…the 2010 Olympic Marketing Gold Medal goes to…VISA. Every spot told a compelling story (the maple syrup story was very nice). Every spot was consistency blue-tinged and beautifully executed. Here’s the kicker. Moments before the big Canada-US hockey final, a VISA spot comes on with the simple message “For a brief moment, a nation held its collective breath”, accompanied by a slow motion shot of a puck floating down between two sticks at a face-off circle. Wow. Powerful. Simple. And most important timely. There’s no doubt in my mind that VISA produced this spot for EXACTLY this moment. You gotta appreciate the foresight and courage to have that ready. Brilliant.
So the mighty cauldron is extinguished. As we look back on 17 days of intense competition, a question remains – Are the Olympics worth the sponsorship dollars? For my part, I’m not sure I BELIEVE.
Leica’s M7
Every once in a while a product comes out that has me salivating, excuse me while I wipe the drool.
Thanks to a great article from Wallpaper* I was able to find this new special edition Leica M7. What makes it so special? Hermes has teamed up with the fame camera company to create an eye catching new model:
“Taking its cue from 2003’s Leica MP Edition Hermes, the M7 comes complete in high-shine silver chrome casing, coated in two distinctly understated shades of leather – with either signature Hermes orange, or safari-style étoupe on offer.
Each version of Leica’s latest 35mm edition will be available in a limited run of 100 each, and both come complete with a matching round lens hood in silver anodized metal, a chrome-coated back and polished metal control elements. ”
With a limited number being produced you have to imagine the price tag will be set a tad on the high side–at a mere (EURO) 8,500.00 this limited edition model can be yours!
