In our opinion
We like nothing better than to stretch our minds and spread the word. We encourage our staff to put their thoughts on paper for the benefit of our clients and the rest of our network.
As a result, many of them have won WPP’s prestigious Atticus award for original thinking in communications services.
Here is a selection of our latest opinions:
In our opinion
The past decade has been one of unmatched media change. Big-name media companies have come under consolidated ownership only to have their distribution and content rivaled by upstarts and user-generated content. Consumers have come to rely on multiple sources and are more active participants in their media consumption than ever before. The number of people online has ballooned and the advent of web-enabled mobile devices has brought portability to the Internet.
If 2009 was the year of Twitter, 2010 looks set to be the year foursquare steals that crown. Described as a location based social networking service, it makes use of a number of the technological and cultural shifts of the last few years, including the rise of the mobile web, the added functionality that GPS and smartphone apps have brought, and our increasing happiness to share data about ourselves. To encourage interaction, users earn points by ‘checking in’ at various locations, with points resulting in badges: thus, you can become the ‘Mayor’ of your local cafe or cinema.
Social networks serve as digital extensions, not only of pre and post match pub discussion, but also of home stadia - bringing disparate fans together under the common cause. More than ever teams are becoming global entities, not confined to one geographic area, and we see global rights owners like the NFL (1,350,446 followers) and NBA (1,602,360 followers) using utilities like Twitter to give fans a platform to express themselves in a NFL and NBA-friendly environment.
We’ve nearly weathered the 2009 storm, and while it hasn’t been smooth sailing digital has to some extent been the eye of the hurricane. While display has been a bit flat, we’re still seeing decent growth in Search and Social Marketing. So what will 2010 bring? Gazing into my iPhone crystal ball app (hint) here are a few predictions...
You may well have seen media coverage regarding the possible lifting of the restrictions on paid-for product placement on UK television. This has been triggered by speculation around (and leaks from) the contents of a speech tonight at the Royal Television Society in Cambridge to be made by Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. It seems likely that he will endorse the principle of paid-for placement and announce a period of consultation. That means it could well happen, but the details will be thrashed out in the parliamentary process.
On Thursday (September 10th, 2009) Twitter changed its terms of service to allow it to show advertising to its rapidly expanding user-base. In many ways this shouldn’t come as a surprise, despite Twitter’s previous announcements stating it didn’t wish to allow brands to advertise on the site. What remains to be seen is how it will actually incorporate ads, if indeed it does.
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Twitter and Sport
Predictions for 2010
Product Placement - A change but not a revolution