Archive for October 2004

We noticed it back in the summer when we stayed in the UK: the growing number of British ‘broadsheet’ newspapers being read on the Tube that were tabloid, or compact, size. Now the Times of London will only be publishing the smaller version of its paper after 216 years.

A lengthy trial of the compact edition was described by the editor, Robert Thompson, as “phenomenal” - the Times compact saw a growth of 32% in sales. Their moved followed the Independent newspaper whcih saw a 21% growth in sales upon going compact.

With this take off, PSFK predicts that soon we’ll all be riding the subways reading something better than the local rag’s sport section.

Independent Article
Times Online Site

After a trial of just 2 weeks, the UK mobile operator 3 has announced that it will launch Britain’s first large scale video mobile dating service. Edward Brewster, of 3, told the Daily Telegraph Newspaper:

"3G video technology will revolutionise the dating game. Not only do you get to see whether a potential date takes your fancy, you also get to check out their personality.

The response to our trial has been phenomenal. It has been so good that we are planning to launch a commercial dating service on 3 in the near future."

Daily Telegraph Article
3 Website

Related PSFK Posts
No Mobile TV?
Mini Projection
TV Mobile Phone

Now PSFK sometimes likes to get on its high horse and say a few critical things about what some brands are up to (see the Mastercard article) but when we do we always drop the PR contacts listed on their website to ask for a reaction in the comments section of the article. We think it’s only fair. How many times has a PR department or agency reacted to our blog? None - and we wish they would. We love debate (Ok, there was that time CNET threatened to use us over a copyright issue and we got a bit scared, but hey).

The fact is that the PR industry doesn’t get blogs. And by the looks of it they don’t care.

Ad Land just posted a great reaction to the fact that a PR agency is touting for business by that promises to take action against bloggers! They propose that they can help companies protect their corporate reputations. Huh? Don’t you build a reputation?

And if you don’t want to trust what we say, then take it from a PR professional. B.L. Ochman constantly derides her industry for not taking the blogosphere seriously on her What’s Next Blog.

And what happens when PR agencies think they ‘get’ blogging. We get candy-floss impotent crap like this or the one reported here are designed to talk at us kids on ‘our level’.

As Ms. Blochman says:

“Conversations are two ways, corporate babble is a one-way conversation and they’re are already far too many of those online.”

What’s Next Blog
Ad Land Article

Rebecca Weeks of iMedia Summits has been kind enough to share the knowledge from the second annual "WHAT TEENS WANT: Marketing to Teens Using Music, Movies and the Media" - so we didn’t have to lush-it-up at the two-day event held this week in Beverly Hills, California.

The five major changes that face the millennial generation, she reports the conference predicted are:

* Unprecedented financial risk is a powerful force. This generation is $10 trillion dollars in debt!
* The most effective role models exist within the family.
* Interpersonal communications trump media.
* Everybody is somebody’s leader. Teens look to certain knowledgeable teens for influence in a specific category.
* Teens create their own worlds. Brand advertising should engage teens in linear and entertaining stories.

The keynote wrapped up with a description of the five teen segments in the current marketplace:

* A-listers. Teens who stand out by fitting in and doing well.
* American dreamers. Squeaky clean kids that dream but follow others.
* Independent thinkers. Kids are at odds with the world.
* The J&Bs. Partiers who only want to have fun, interested in instant gratification.
* Outsiders. Miserable so and sos (our words, not Rebecca’s).

Rebecca Weeks Teen Conference Notes

Maybe this is one way to spot a trend : see what the kids are stealing! Jalopnik reports that according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada the most stolen car in Canade is the Subaru’s Impreza WRX. The car’s 2002 and 2003 models also have the highest average cost per theft claim.

Jalopnik Post

Leading television broadcaster SKY TV is activating the second card slot on its set top boxes. This slot has been dormant since Sky’s launch. Sky are talking about using the slot for insertion of loyalty cards to reward customers for watching adverts, staying tuned to a channel etc. There is also talk of targeted adverts dependent on the viewers personal profile and direct relationships with consumers with brands developing their own cards for use in the slot.

Buy shares in the electric companies, PSFK predicts many people leaving their televisions on all day to collect reward points. Points always make prizes!

Today we mourn the passing of music’s ultimate forecasting machine, John Peel the man who helped everyone discover punk made us think about alternative music and didn’t rate Oasis.

The Peel sessions where he championed new music lasted for 25 years. Here new bands were previewed after a day of recording live at the BBC studios in Maida Vale. Its astounding looking back at the last 10 years yet alone the last 25 that with the commercialisation of Radio they lasted so long. The sessions gave much needed exposure to many of the real bands which enliven and influence our lives today. From the Clash and Blur to Pulp (a few times) to Supergrass, Bowie and the White Stripes, they all started or maintained their credibility here.

“The thing is that you get a lot of credit for putting these bands on the radio, but the fact is that it’s like being the editor of a newspaper - you don’t claim credit for the news. It’s my job to listen to bands and listen for musicians from around the world and put them on the radio, and this is not something that I would wish to be applauded for really, because I’m just doing what I’m paid to do. They discover themselves, it’s not up to me to discover them, bands discover themselves - they make the records, the records arrive; I think, ‘let’s play it on the radio,’ and when they come over here I think, ‘let’s book them for a session.’ That’s how the process works. It’s very little to do with me to be honest.”
- John Peel

When it came to forecasting, John Peel was quite simply magnificent.

BBC Obituary
What John Did
John’s Photo Gallery Archive - BBC

Nixon (the watch makers) has just released a limited edition collection known as ‘The LTD Rock’.

A rare collection of watches made up of personal pieces of leather donated from musicians, athletes, artists and actors. Donated jackets and guitar straps have been stripped down and turned in to watch straps to lovingly be placed around your wrist. Yes, that’s right; you can indeed have a piece of rock memorabilia on you at all times of the day.

All proceeds are channelled back into charity, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting musicians through MAP (the Musicians Assistance Program).

Styles being produced include The Rocker, The Roadie, The Duke, The GTO, The Mini GTO and The Jett. Some watches have extra touches added to them such as diamonds, pink indices, grommets and studs. The LTD Rock Collection is on sale now and available through only 10 dealers in the world.

Who can you ‘wear’??

Rockers:
Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Vince Neil (Motley Crue)
James Hetfield (Metallica)
Tom Dumont (No Doubt)
New Found Glory
Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)

Professional skateboarders:
Tony Hawk
Paul Rodriguez

Indie sensations:
NHOI
Backlip and
Kut U Up.

And a few others who rock:
The Rock-n-Roll Chef Kenna Milo Ventimiglia (TV and film actor)
European snowboarding star Romain De Marchi
Entertainer/artist Renee Renee

Spoilt for choice? We think you are!

Nixon - The LTD Rock

October’s PSFK Newsletter is about to be released! Sign up and get on the list!

Also - VOTE NOW for Piers & Simon’s proposal to write a Manifesto on THE TRUTH for ChangeThis.com.

UPDATE! UPDATE! Our Manifesto is now live on Change This: Here