Live Aid Returns in 32 Days - July 2, 2005
Bob Geldof brings back Live Aid July 2nd -- rechristened "Live 8" -- to help end global poverty and starvation in developing nations 20 years after the original music superstar concert/fundraiser broadcast around the world.
This time, concerts will be held simultaneously in London, Berlin, Rome, Paris and Philadelphia.
Here is how to FMQB.com's reports it in today's article:
"After officially confirming a major concert was in the works last week, Live Aid founder Bob Geldof led a worldwide press conference this morning, announcing Live 8. Free concerts will take place in at least five cities around the world on July 2: Philadelphia, London, Rome, Paris and Berlin.
The concerts are timed to raise awareness of extreme poverty around the world, mainly in Africa, and to pressure the world leaders at the G8 summit in Europe the following week to make tackling the poverty issue a top priority.
The concerts will be held outside the Art Museum in Philadelphia, in London's Hyde Park, at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Circus Maximus in Rome and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Bono called in to the conference from France to confirm that U2 would perform in London, as would Paul McCartney and Coldplay, with Oasis attempting to make it as well. Dave Matthews spoke in Philadelphia as part of the press conference, and his band will be part of the U.S. show. At City Hall in Philadelphia, more artists were confirmed for the U.S. show, including Will Smith, Bon Jovi, P. Diddy, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Keith Urban and Maroon5. Also perfomring in Philadelphia are Rob Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, 50 Cent and Kaiser Chiefs. Elton John will be performing in Philly days later, though he is scheduled for the London Live 8 gig. Electric Factory Concerts' Larry Magid told WMMR/Philadelphia's Pierre Robert that they plan to have acoustic performances in between sets and also hope to have artists collaborate and perform together.
R.E.M., Madonna, Sting, Robbie Williams, Annie Lennox, Dido, Keane and Muse are all slated to be on the bill in London. Also scheduled to perform in London are Mariah Carey, The Cure, Velvet Revolver, The Killers, Stereophonics, Joss Stone, Scissor Sisters, Razorlight, and Snow Patrol.
Crosby, Stills And Nash, Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson, A-ha, Bap, Die Toten Hosen, and Peter Maffay will perform in Berlin.
In Paris, Jamiroquai, Craig David, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah, Andrea Bocelli, Calo Gero, Kyo, Placebo, Axelle Red, Johnny Halliday, Manu Chao, Renaud are expected to perform.
Duran Duran, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Irene Grandi, Jovanotti, Nek, Laura Pasini, Vasco Rossi, and Zucchero are lined up for Rome.
Many other artists have been rumored to take part in Live 8, including reunions from Pink Floyd and Genesis, though reports say that The Spice Girls' reunion will likely not happen. The Foo Fighters and The Who may also be performing at one of the Live 8 concerts, and The Rolling Stones' involvement has also been rumored, as has Bruce Springsteen.
A global broadcast is being planned to link up all the different concerts around the world, with an AOL Internet broadcast already announced.
At the press conference, Geldof spoke of the motives behind Live 8, twenty-years after the original Live Aid. "We don't want your money, we want you, because every few seconds a child dies needlessly of extreme poverty," he said. "Eight world leaders in one room in Scotland on the 8th of July can save millions and millions of lives, but they'll only do it if enough people tell them to."
Complete details can be found online at live8live.com."
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, May 31, 2005,
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Miss Canada is Miss Universe 2005
Oh Canada!
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, May 31, 2005,
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New York Radio Revenues in 2004
Lite 106.7 WLTW pulled in $70 million in 2004 revenue...that's 3.5% of radio total industry advertising revenue ($20 billion in 2004)...to earn the top spot in station ad revenues, followed by WINS 1010AM at just over $60.
In all New York stations earned 5 of the top 10 spots, collectively pulling over $900 million in total market revenue.
Los Angeles again brought in the most market revenue at just over $1 billion.
In this New York Daily News article, the entire revenue breakdown -- according to BIA Financial Network -- of New York radio stations. Note WNEW's anemic $7.9 million -- despite 3 launch adjustments (and many millions spent on advertising since the switch away from Hot Talk to adult contemporary). Also Air America Radio flagship WLIB pulled in $4 million on a weak Long Island signal in only 9 months of broadcasts
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, May 31, 2005,
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At last...the ONE SECOND Commercial!
Less is more. With 60 second and even 30 second commercials under more and more pressure due to excessive clutter and too many commercials every hour on both TV and radio, a new small upstart company from Belgium has launched a new product with a novel marketing approach matching the products name and main attribute: One Second breath freshing gel, which only takes one second to begin working and which has a TV commercial lasting only one second -- played on every TV station in the country.
Talk about efficient...and worthy of notice!
Let's see if the product launch works. To read the AdAge.com article, click the headline above.
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, May 31, 2005,
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The Power of Radio...It Is Still There
There are 200 million radio listeners in the US, listening to a choice of over 13,000 stations across the nation. Each radio listener generates a yearly average of $100 of revenue to radio owners, which are mostly corporate owners today.
Just think about it.
If you are a subscriber to Time magazine, you spend about $40 a year for the weekly publication...money Time Inc gets in addition to the advertising they sell.
If you are a subscriber to USA Today, a 5-day-a-week, 52-week subscription delivered is $127.40. That what you spend and USA Today receives. Of course, they also collect advertising revenue, too.
But radio, it is free. AM/FM receivers are in your home stereos, your clock radios, your car stereos, your portable stereos. You hear it in stores. You can even get add-ons to hear radio on your iPods.
Your radio listening is economic power...here is an article to help you raise your voice as a consumer through the power of radio.
posted by Unknown @ Wednesday, May 18, 2005,
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More From Spin Off City: AOL?
As written on Money.CNN.com, "Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons said he'd consider spinning off AOL as a separate stock if the division's latest strategy doesn't pan out, according to the latest issue of Fortune magazine." After the post-TeleCom 1996 Bill/"corporate synergy" bull run -- where AOL bought/merged with Time Warner -- and several years after the new millenium dot com meltdown -- which saw AOL's shares take down Time Warner's market value, AOL is dangling the recently-popular media kingdom idea of spinning divisions off which no longer seem to fit the "synergy" model (Viacom, Clear Channel, etc.).
If this is chosen course for AOL, Dick Parsons will have truly reimagined AOL Time Warner post-Gerry Levin/Steve Jobs marriage. And restaked value in "old media" being the stronger media...at least for 2005.
Click the headline to read the full article.
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, May 17, 2005,
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Computer Music Listening Behaviors On The Rise
(story and graphic courtesy of NPD Group)
According to the latest MusicLab report from The NPD Group, even though radio, audio devices and music videos on television dominate overall music listening behavior, the computer is an increasingly significant medium for music listening. Computer listening behaviors are all on the rise compared to last year, with listening to music on a portable music player, streaming music online and listening to music on a computer showing the most notable increases.
Radio remains the most popular way to listen to music; however, radio listening actually declined four percent since last year (194 million people aged 13 and over listened to music on the radio in March 2005, versus 203 million who listened in March 2004). By contrast, listening to music stored on a computer rose by 22 percent (63.2 million to 77.2 million), online radio listening increased 18 percent (45.3 million to 53.5 million) and free streaming of online music increased 37 percent (33.7 million to 46.1 million).
“The rise of digital listening and storage for music continues unabated this year,” said Russ Crupnick, president of the NPD Group’s Music & Movies division. “Technology companies are providing new tools to consumers in the form of powerful music-enabled PCs and portable music players, music companies are answering the call for more content and consumers are responding positively.”
NPD noted a marked increase in consumers ripping music onto their computers: this activity more than doubled (102 percent) since March 2004. The transfer of music to MP3 players also more than doubled (127 percent) since last year, while paying to download music files increased 93 percent. Consumer visits to music Web sites increased seven percent this year over last.
“Music listeners today are faced with a dizzying array of methods for obtaining and listening to music,” said Russ Crupnick, president of the NPD Group’s Music & Movies division. “Far from inciting confusion, these new technology-driven avenues may be helping consumers sample and enjoy music across a wider variety of music genres. ”
Sources: NPD’s MusicLab Surveys are conducted bi-monthly among a group of approximately 5,000 consumers aged 13 years and older; results are calibrated and balanced to represent the U.S. population. The most recent survey was fielded in March 2005. NPD MusicWatch Digital information is collected continuously from the PCs of 40,000 online panelists balanced to represent the online population of PC users.
posted by Unknown @ Sunday, May 15, 2005,
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Magazine Advertising's New Unconventional Ways
As reported in the New York Times April 27, magazines are finding some new innovative ways to advertise and build "new media" advertising relationships. Often, they are creating "experiencial" advertising...and companies likes GM, Yahoo, Elizabeth Arden, Lincoln Mercury and Motorola are responding positively.
Go to the NYT archives by clicking the headline link and sign on.
posted by Unknown @ Thursday, May 12, 2005,
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Al Ries: "Why The People Meter Apollo Project Is Off Base"
I love AdAge.com. Greating reading material for those who think advertising -- the ads and the pop culture/market forces behind them -- actually matter.
In this new article, marketer Al Ries explains why the VNU/Arbitron collaborative "people meter" project is way off base. In it, he explains "public relations builds brands better than ad promotions". But do they actually build ratings? Mr. Ries wrote the article in response to an April New York Times Magazine article which explained that the way companies monitor viewership and listenership consumption was about to radically change, as the VNU/Arbitron "Apollo" project was being tested.
The is-it-on, is-it-off testing project continues in Houston...read on.
(requires your free member ID log on to AdAge.com; if you don't have one by now, get it!)
posted by Unknown @ Thursday, May 12, 2005,
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Of course, Bill has never liked iPods on the Microsoft campus, either...
With Bill Gates predicting the demise of iPods due to upcoming cellphone innovations, which surely will get Steve Jobs' attention, you might recall that last winter Gates was issuing decrees making sure no Microsoft employee was seen with iPods on campus, only Microsoft-related mp3 players. Which they have had a very difficult time policing; after all, the Redmond, Washington campus isn't a tyranny, is it? Hmmm....
Going back into the archives of Wired, this article comes from February 2, 2005 and still is noteworthy.
posted by Unknown @ Thursday, May 12, 2005,
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Thems Fighting Words! New Gates Comment Should Stir New Apple Innovation
It's been a long while since Bill Gates has taken any sideswipes at Apple (when you make binding agreements on cross-platforming of products, it tends to take the air out of that balloon). It seems whenever Gates realises Apple has a product Microsoft can't defeat, that is when is gets back to swinging. Of course, the latest example of Apple product superiority that Microsoft can't seem to dent is the whole iPod crazy and the cottage industry built up around it. Even though Microsoft finally was agreed (or was allowed) to have a Windows-version of iTunes -- the proprietary program running for the iPod -- and Gates directly saw the new massive growth for the iPod, he now thinks the iPod lifespan will be relatively short.
As reported by Reuters, with Gates talking to a German magazine, He believes the cellphone will soon replace the need for iPods. Not exactly ground-breaking, earth-shattering revelations. But, considering he generally has stayed away from the Microsoft/Apple Wars for quite some time, the very fact he has issued a statement of eventual Apple irrelevance for a very hot global product will quickly get Steve Jobs' attention, I'm sure.
So much so, mark this article as the birthplace for Apple's next revolutionary product. Everytime Gates says something of pending doom for Apple, it seems to be just the right catalyst for new Apple innovation.
Is it time for Steve Jobs to product the iPhone?
Click the headline for the Wired article.
posted by Unknown @ Thursday, May 12, 2005,
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While Google Build Video Search, Yahoo! Builds Music Content
Yahoo! has made quite a bit of news in the last year expanding its music role on the internet. Primarily known just for its Launch and radio station offerings, it has just "launched" its newest service...and its targeted square at iTunes. It is called "Yahoo Music Unlimited" and it combines a wide range of products, including "Launch", the radio stations, the recently-acquired "MusicMatch", Yahoo!'s IM service and more.
So, Google is building out its video search while Yahoo! is building out is music search. What does it mean for AOL and MSN?
Wired News has all the details...
posted by Unknown @ Thursday, May 12, 2005,
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Ads For Your Cellphone
With SMS/text messaging, video/picture e-mails, custom 60 second mini-episodes of hot TV shows (24, Smallville) as well as video recaps and instant updates of sports scores, stock prices, and news headlines all going straight to millions of cell phone users across the US every day, the advertising industry is now poised to link into the trend.
The ClickZ article shows major potential for both increased consumption of "free" content and "advertised" content. Who is leading the way? Google, of course. Part of their effort to build up video search options with paid links from advertisers. Then again, isn't it all advertising? A great read...
posted by Unknown @ Thursday, May 12, 2005,
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Online Ad Budgets Stolen from Traditional
(click the headline for the full Forrester press release; the following is from the Center of Media Research, as published by MediaPost.com)
According to a new five-year forecast from Forrester Research, online marketing and advertising will represent 8 percent of total advertising spending in 2010, rivaling ad spending on cable/satellite TV and radio. In addition, almost half of marketers plan to decrease spending in traditional advertising channels like magazines, direct mail, and newspapers to fund an increase in online ad spending in 2005.
Forrester Research Principal Analyst, Charlene Li, says "When at-work Internet use is taken into consideration, online consumers spend more than one-third of their time online, roughly the same amount of time they spend watching TV. Yet marketers spend only 4 percent of ad budgets online versus 25 percent on TV."
Key data points from the report, including data from an online survey of 99 leading marketers and four forecasts, show that:
* Total US online advertising and marketing spending will reach $14.7 billion in 2005, a 23 percent increase over 2004.
* Search engine marketing will grow by 33 percent in 2005, reaching $11.6 billion by 2010.
* Display advertising, including traditional banners and sponsorships, will grow at the average rate of 11% a year to $8 billion by 2010.
* 64% of respondents are interested in advertising on blogs, 57% through RSS, and 52% on mobile devices, including phones and PDAs.
* 78% of survey respondents said that they think search engine marketing will be more effective over the next three years.
* 53% of respondents said TV advertising would become less effective over the next three years.
* Only 8% of respondents believe that product placement will become less effective over the next three years.
posted by Unknown @ Wednesday, May 11, 2005,
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VNU/Arbitron's "Apollo Project" Plans Downsized as P&G Holds Back
Since September, VNU/AC Nielsen and Arbitron have been exploring their collaborative "Apollo Project" using the personal people meter device to digitally measure new media usage as well as to help set an ad rates gold standard. Earlier this week, they announced a planned sample base of 6000 households (approximately 14,000 wearers of the devices) for this fall. However, P&G is backing out and there are rumbles about the weak ROI potential of this exploration. Here's the latest from AdAge.com... (requires free member user ID log on)
posted by Unknown @ Friday, May 06, 2005,
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9 out of 10 media budgets increase online
Media Daily News reports that "almost 9 out of 10 marketers (84%) plan to increase their online ad spending in 2005", based on a report from Forrester Research. With increase advertising budgets, it looks like it is more important than ever to be doing research online, too -- right where those advertising dollars are being spent.
posted by Unknown @ Friday, May 06, 2005,
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Blognation
Considering we chose blogspot as our Jointblog hosting site, this article from MediaPost's editor Tobi Elkin looked interesting. While 2004 was loosely described as "The Year of the Blog", 2005 is really the year it is happening. According to blog measuring Perseus, one-third of all the blogs on the Net have been launched since January 1, 2005. At the end of 2004, there were just over 20 million blog sites. By the end of this year they expect more than 30 million new sites will have been launched, which is attracting the heavyweights for blog hosting now: MSN, AOL and others are now upstart niche challengers.
If you want to see the winners of the 2005 Bloggies for best blog sites (named in March 2005), go to this link: http://2005.bloggies.com
posted by Unknown @ Friday, May 06, 2005,
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Twilight Years of TV?
ZenithOptimedia has made some projections suggesting TV has reached its twilight years in terms of advertising revenue. Plateaus has been reached and beginning in 2007, TV's percentage of advertising from total media will start to drop. Read the story in MediaLife...
posted by Unknown @ Friday, May 06, 2005,
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PPMs - The New Fashion Trend?
VNU/AC Nielsen and Arbitron -- the 2 largest ratings services in the world -- are partnering up on a new ratings product called "Apollo". Its goal? To begin measuring total exectronic media exposure in real time. Not just radio or TV. Any electronic media where ads are sold. Moving billboards, bus sign boards. All with the still-developing "personal people meter" - a wearable device sample recruits keep with them at all times to measure beyond the traditional ratings from locations (by memory) such as at home, at work and in the car.
Memory won't matter because the digital device will pick up the electronic code it "hears" for you (within a reasonable listening area around the wearer).
Here is why it is a big deal: First, ratings no longer will be driven by top-of-mind recall (where the most "active" brand station is "remembered" for listening usage and written down in a diary -- mostly days after the fact of the actual listening time). Secondly, it will also capture "background" listening/viewing that goes beyond what a person actually chooses to consume in electronic media. It will also measure what is being "forced" -- part of the 7,500 advertising messages a day every day that bombard us.
By the Fall, the Apollo project expects to have more than 14,000 people wearing their devices, measuring electronic media usage. In a way, they are the new, the real, pop culture trendsetters. Because the Apollo project is going to pull the advertising/ratings world (finally) into the 21st century. And completely change the way advertising consumption has been measured and sold. Which makes both media buyers and media sellers just a little bit nervous...
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, May 03, 2005,
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Internet Ad Spending Breaks 2000 dot.com Boom Record
5 years after the dot.com/tech industry bust in 2000 (post Y2K - remember that?), ad spending on the internet has roared in the last year. Internet ad spending increased 33% from 2003 to 2004, to nearly $10 billion, which is just less than half what the traditional/terrestrial radio industry brings in a year. Does this signal a return to pre-bust valuations and new upstarts?
Read the Industry Standard report on internet ad spending by clicking on the headline.
posted by Unknown @ Monday, May 02, 2005,
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You Radio
Infinity has launched the first all-podcasting "open source" radio station with an AM outlet in San Francisco (KYCY-AM). Tim Manners writes an excellent quick review...
Meanwhile, in just announced news today, podcasting's lead Pied Piper Adam Curry just signed a deal to include his podcast on Sirius Satellite Radio.
posted by Unknown @ Monday, May 02, 2005,
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The Wired 40
Love Wired Magazine...I don't know about you but I save my Wired from years ago and occasionally look back to see how much has changed in just a few years.
The annual Wired 40 was just released of the masters and mistresses of technology and innovation in the wired world, with Apple unseating Google.
One thing hasn't changed -- Apple keeps figuring out ways to put their brand on top, time and time again.
posted by Unknown @ Monday, May 02, 2005,
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How U.S. Consumers Spend Their Time
Sleep, work...and television! That's what we average doing every single day in that order. The US government has just released an official study about the typical American's average age and the difference between various groups. Sleep: 8.6 hours (that's definitely not me). Work: men 8 hours, women 7 hours (I wish!). Teens reading books: 7 minutes a day! TV watching: 11% of our entire life is spenting watching it! The age group with the least amount of free time: 35-44.
I knew that one already.
AdAge.com has the rest of the article (free member log on required)
posted by Unknown @ Monday, May 02, 2005,
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