Arguing for product placement on TV

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Gary

It’s been a few months later than it should, but it looks like UK television will finally get the nod for product placement. There’s still a while to go yet before it finally gets approval, but if it does finally happen, it’ll be a long-needed change to the rules.

When then culture secretary Andy Burnham said there were “serious concerns” about product placement, he was doing the British public a disservice. It’s not as if product placement is a new concept that audiences may find it hard to understand.

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Who wags who?

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Gary Andrews

Martin Moore’s discussion around the death of Ian Tomlinson and the subsequent investigation and unearthing of footage by the Guardian raises some interesting points about the place ‘old media (for want of a better phrase) have today:

“Would the ‘truth’ surrounding Mr Tomlinson’s death have come to light had it not been sought out by journalists, and then published as the lead story in the Guardian? Perhaps, but I don’t think so.”

Then there’s the Damian McBride email scandal that may have broken in the blogosphere but still needed the traditional media to completely take it into the scandal it has now become. Would McBride have resigned if the accusations had just appeared on Guido Fawkes’ blog and nowhere else [1]?

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Employing your own twit

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Gary Andrews

Literally, ooh, dozens, perhaps handfuls, of people may have gone into shock at the revelation that 50 Cent isn’t keeping it real and has a web person writing his Twitter updates for him.

It does raise an interesting issue though. Many celebs and others – brands, CEOs, etc – are rushing to get onto Twitter (largely, I suspect, because it’s the flavour of the month). It’s a fair bet that more than a few aren’t actually Tweeting themselves but employ somebody to do it.

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This may actually be the point I finally shut up about Twitter and journalism

Posted on January 16, 2009 by Gary Andrews

A point, I think, has been reached. Quite where this point sites and what exactly it signifies is perhaps not quite the issue. But it is a point that has been reached nonetheless.

That point is, as Adam Tinworth says is moving “from something that is used by the social media cognoscenti amongst journalists, to something that is rapidly spreading amongst the more web aware hack.”

Although Twitter’s use as a breaking news source isn’t exactly a new thing [1], with a growing number of users and an increasing number of both journalists and users all over the globe, it’s now reached the point where it’s the first place people are looking when something breaks.

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Depressingly predictable

Posted on December 25, 2008 by Gary Andrews

The Ahmedinejad Christmas speech caused ‘international offence‘. Granted, he’s not the most tolerant man in the world when it comes to certain sections of society but then neither’s the Pope, and nobody’s stopped him broadcasting his message on Christmas Day.

Funnily enough, those who’ve said this is a cynical grab for ratings probably reckon without the British public’s desire to watch ballroom dancing or Coronation Street as opposed to a somewhat nutty president of a Middle Eastern country.

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Perspective

Posted on October 29, 2008 by Gary Andrews

You’re the leader of a country going through an almost unprecedented economic crisis, so naturally the most pressing thing for the Prime Minister to do is let the world know that Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross are “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Still, it’s nice to know that both Gordon Brown and David Cameron have got their fingers on the pulse of matters of national interest. You know the situation’s gone beyond parody when politicians starts getting involved. Sachsgate would have probably stilled rolled along at a jolly old speed without any ministerial intervention.

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Stephen Fry Twitters. Twitter flutters.

Posted on October 9, 2008 by Gary Andrews

This has to be one of the most exciting email titles I’ve ever received: “Stephen Fry is now following you on Twitter.”

Ok, so it may have been an automated email from Twitter, but there’s no doubt that this is the real Stephen Fry following me and, at the last count, 515 others.

After announcing the news on his website earlier today, he’s nearly hit 800 followers as I write this, and has caused a massive stir in the Twitter community. This isn’t just any celebrity – this is Stephen Fry, who has got a devoted online fan following and makes a big effort to interact with his fans.

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Seesmic and the temple of fandom

Posted on May 20, 2008 by Gary Andrews

Could this be the moment I finally embrace Seesmic to my man boobs? The PR for Indiana Jones have done a bit where Seesmic users could post video questions for Spielberg and the films stars and get an answer. As a marketing tool, it’s a fantastic idea and creates a great buzz from the online community, and more specifically fandom. If, as a teenager, I ever thought there would be a point where I could get to ask Steven Spielberg a question and he’d reply, I’d have been way beyond cloud nine. Probably nearer to cloud 57 or something.

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