Countdown to 'The Chaos Scenario'

Read read read! This is what I did not do best lately. Digital is interesting and very powerful, however digital is also very futuristic and as a result highly unclear. August 3 will mark the launch of 'The Chaos Scenario'. The book is written by Bob Garfield.

Quoting from the adage site 'the book documents the converging forces he believes doom mass media and mass marketing as we've always known them. The historic disintegration of "mass," he writes in the introduction, "will change your media environment in dramatic ways. It will change the advertising industry in melodramatic ways."

In the second half of the book, Garfield goes on to discuss what he calls the "art and science of Listenomics," which begins with the recognition that neither marketers nor any other institution accustomed to dictating from the top can do so for much longer. Garfield prescribes a series of measures in the digital-technology and social-media realms for not only listening to the "group formerly known as the audience," but treating them as stakeholders with much to contribute to a brand, and to every aspect of the economy and society.'


More about this at the adage site: http://adage.com/article?article_id=138006

Agency Insider: Daphne Caruana Galizia about Taste

This is the 9th Agency Insider blog post. In this post, we chat with Daphne Caruana Galizia about Taste.com.mt and the whole Taste project, conceived in November of 2004(4 years ago this month)

KG: Taste turned 4 last June. How has the project changed since 2004?

DCG: Taste magazine has changed a great deal, growing from 64 stapled pages to 144 burst-bound pages at its largest. We’ve changed the paper from matt to a high quality semi-gloss, and now have the cover laminated. We’ve got more cooks, more features, and lots of interesting information, but we’ve kept to the same policy of keeping an advertising-to-editorial ratio of around 60% editorial and 40% advertising. In the vast majority of magazines published in Malta, it’s the other way round. We’ve also kept to a policy of keeping overheads to an absolute minimum, which frees up revenue to invest in editorial content. After all, readers don’t care how many staff you have; they’re only interested in what lies between the pages.

KG: Taste is a magazine for those who love food and drink...Who loves food and drink (who are the readers of Taste)?

DCG: Taste readers, we were amazed to discover, come from all walks of life, all ages, both genders and several different nationalities. We’ve even had enquiries from people who’ve seen a copy while on holiday here and want to know whether we run a subscription service. We don’t. It’s not feasible as the postage is too expensive and the administration is cumbersome. That’s not our main area of business.



KG: 4 months ago Taste also evolved online? Why and what was the feedback?

DCG: People don’t throw Taste away. They keep it, use it as a reference because of the recipes and features, and try to source back copies – which, incidentally, have run out at our end. We were receiving repeated enquiries about an index, but then said – hang on, an index is the old-fashioned complicated way of doing things. It makes much more sense to have an on-line archive, and it’s easier for people to use, too. They just key in the recipe they’re looking for and it comes up. Once we were going to all that trouble, we thought we might as well add on features like facilities which allow people to ask questions about food and food products, and a ‘blog’ which would allow us to communicate news like publication dates and so on. Further features will be added. The feedback has been very good. Lots of people now keep a laptop in the kitchen, so you can read your recipe straight off the screen while preparing it.

KG: Taste as the printed magazine and taste.com.mt? What's the relationship between the 2? How do they complement each other? How has this changed the lifetime of your magazine's content and its consumption?

DCG: The two are very different. The concept is different. Many people thought that www.taste.com.mt would be an on-line version of the magazine, like the on-line versions of newspapers, but of cours,e it’s not. The internet is not a substitute for the print media. It’s a different medium altogether and not necessarily a complementary one. It has to be approached with a different mind – not in terms of putting your magazine on-line, which would be the equivalent of developing a company website by putting its corporate brochure on line. No, people don’t throw the magazine away because they have access to the site. If anything, the site has built more demand for the magazine. The magazine and the site were conceived differently and are used differently. Also, people like to keep magazines that are beautifully illustrated, and thanks to our wonderful photographers and designers, Taste and its sister magazines Flair and Town look very good indeed.

68, St.Lucy Street

Dreams become reality in small steps...not big ones as we (or I) might think! This weekend I visited Alexandra Pace's exhibition in Valletta. The exhibition marks the launch of the redprints online gallery. Alexandra is exhibiting 4 collections which grace different parts of the old house in St. Lucy Street. All 4 collections, and the whole redprints project (house re-innovation included) are Alexandra's small dreams becoming a real exchange of artistic photography.

The redprints exhibition confirms some of what I disussed in my presentation at the Annual MCA conference last Saturday: There's nothing like online or offline, they've converged nicely! An 'offline' exhibition is launching the redprints online gallery at redprints.com! (more about this in my future posts and in trendwatching.com's September briefing)

The above image is just a test print of what you will really get if you pop by at the redprints exhibition. The exhibition is open for all until the 11th November between 10:00 - 12:00 and 14:00 to 20:00. Get a sneak preview of the exhibition before actually getting down to St. Lucy Street: redprints.com

The first ever YCN Live waits for a bus in Sliema!

Have you seen some more colourful bus shelters recently? The above is the proof that spaces can also be used to promote creativity and ideas...not simply sell messages! The first ever YCN Live consisted of 'A huge amount of events staged on numerous, world-wide platforms including illustrations in bus shelters in Malta (pictured), Sand sculptures on London's south bank, installations in Helsinki and Stockholm and a whole host of exhibitions and professional practice portfolio reviews in studios'.

YCN Live stems from ycnonline.com, which was established in 2001 and exists to inspire and showcase emerging creative talent in design and visual communication. ME design mag has been involved in the above project and were kind enough to let us know. We in return, promised a BLAB or two!

Agency Insider: Inside ME Magazine

Some time has passed since the last Agency Insider. In this issue we chat with Art Director Jon Banthorpe about ME design magazine, its local online presence and the local print industry...and promise this discussion will not end here!

KG: So ME was previously Modern Elegance and had been published for some time. The magazine worked and was one of the coolest around from the very beginning, but then there was a silent phase and a big come back which brought us the magazine as it is today...what happened?, what changed? What didn't?

JB: M.E. was initially a sold magazine based solely on Fashion. With the advent of more free magazines, local magazines with cover prices were very badly affected -even today not many people are considering producing a local magazine with a cover price.

The silent phase you are referring to was our redesign period. We wanted to broaden the magazine's base and take it away from just fashion, concentrating on design and lifestyle as a whole. If you compare today's issues to the past I think you'll find almost everything has changed apart from a few core elements. The main drive has been towards quality - of images, of editorial, and of journalistic content.

As with any changes, we made adjustments and responded to their success or failure, but magazines are very time based and changes must be gradual. The 2008 M.E. is the closest so far to our ideal publication, not that there aren't still adjustments to be made.

KG: The local print industry includes some 25 free magazines
distributed with established networks...does this worry ME magazine?

JB: There are a lot of free magazines, and we pay attention to all. But honestly I think there are only a number of magazines I would recognise. I would love to be in a position where we don't have to pay attention to anybody but that would just be complacency. Though I do think we lead the field in certain areas, and we plan to improve these and more.



KG: Who is in your opinion the typical ME reader?

JB: It's difficult to pin down a typical individual, we approach the magazine from so many levels. Ultimately our ideal reader is one that seeks quality in all things. This could be quality in products, but equally this would also be quality in ideas and execution.

KG: ME's editorial team includes contributions from around the world...is it the same with its readership, and how this fit in your online strategy (medesignmag.com)?

Our distribution is purely local, so other than foreigners in Malta that read the magazine, our readership remains locally based. We do send a lot of issues abroad to contributors, potential interviewees and others and always receive a positive reaction which is encouraging.

As for the website, all websites must have an international outlook, as is their nature. Our viewing figures tell us we receive a lot of foreign and local hits, and this is largely due to the breadth and quality of the subjects we cover. Ultimately I'd like medesignmag.com to be the most viewed site in Malta - once a month is not enough for the amount of material we generate.

BLAB (p)reviews the new Town Magazine

The first issue of Town magazine will be out on the 29th of June but Daphne Caruana Galizia of Proximus has kindly allowed us to preview it a week before.

According to the books, a business is like a person, with its ups and downs, struggles, achievements and moods. So when one tries to identify the people behind a particular business venture, their story is as personal as business can get. High level business knowledge falls by the side and makes way for real life stories about people.

According to Proximus, Town will focus on "new faces and changes in Maltese business, with a particular interest in people who have built up their own successful businesses". The magazine "aims to bring business and an entrepreneurial culture to the average reader, in a way that makes it interesting and far from tedious"

But will Town be just another free magazine distributed with a local newspaper? Judging from the teasers BLAB has been provided with, we feel that this 'personal touch' to business is not as popular locally and should attract a wider audience. Apart from that, Town is the latest addition to a range of successful publications which do not go unnoticed with a Sunday Read. In fact, Proximus already publish Taste and Flair magazines. Both magazines carry a similar combination of quality design, professional photography and fresh writing.


More info:
Town magazine is out on 29 June with The Malta Independent on Sunday, and the following Thursday with The Malta Business Weekly. It will be published quarterly at first, moving on to bi-monthly. Town is produced and published by Proximus.

An interview about dreams, cars and Paqpaq

It has been a quiet week on BLAB but I found some time to get to know more about the Paqpaq initiative and its ever increasing popularity both with car enthusiasts and advertisers. In the next few lines, Tonio Darmanin, a Marketing lecturer by profession and the man behind this initiative, honored us with a few 'blabs' about Paqpaq:


Picture: Car review on Paqpaq; Source: paqpaq.tv

KG: Classic question: How did paqpaq begin? Was it the passion for cars or a community of car fanatics?
TD: Paqpaq started off as a dream. I always loved cars and used to watch foreign programmes but I was never involved in television. Then one day I sat down and scripted what I would include if I had my own car show. It developed from there, I tried to sell the idea to a number of people and finally convinced a production house and PBS to accept the programme. I distinctly remember the first filming sessions where I was provided with a cameraman and a mike and I had to improvise and learn by trial and error. This was six years ago and the technical quality at the time was quite different from what it is today. What was the same was the genuine passion for the subject, something that made Paqpaq acceptable even if not of the highest technical quality. Yes there are numerous enthusiasts here in Malta but what I have learnt over the years is that many are quite focused on their area of interest say, offroading, drag racing, hill climbing, classic cars, bikes, modified vehicles, the list is endless and in some instances are not bothered with anything else.

KG: There were/are many who review the latest in Car products and launches, but paqpaq has something different? Do you agree? Why?

TD: As a profession I lecture marketing and my involvement in the media gives me the opportunity to practice what I preach. The very essence of Paqpaq is to be different. Different from anything that happens on the local media and different also from what happens internationally. Apart from the passion for cars, bikes, boats, speed, travel and adventure, I strive on creativity. I spend hours with my close collaborators discussing, planning and generally dreaming then we try to turn those dreams into reality. What pride can you get out of copying others? Within the parameters and realities of the local scenario, I strive to create and be innovative. I am generally copied but I can live with that, I actually take it as a compliment. What distinguishes Paqpaq is professionalism, credibility, quality, experience and a genuine passion for what we do.


Picture: Christina Aguilera on Paqpaq; Source: paqpaq.tv

KG: Who makes up the Paqpaq audience? Is there a similar audience for the online website and magazine or are they different segments?
TD: Initially, Paqpaq was more of a niche programme aimed at the car enthusiast. These 6 years on air have seen an evolution and whilst still retaining the interest of the enthusiast, we have tried to widen the appeal even to those who are not keen about cars but, for example, are in the process of buying a new car or are interested in learning how to care for their investment. We are as inclusive as possible and rotate features to try and include as many different aspects of the motoring hobby as possible. We cannot satisfy everyone and often get told off because we are not including enough classics or do not give enough coverage to local motorsports, but we sincerely try our best. One message it took me a bit long to get was that sent to me by bikers and for a long time I gave little importance to this sector, primarily because I was not even licenced to ride a bike, having been brought up in a family where bikes were taboo. On the other hand, I do not know how to do things in half measures so less than a year ago I sat for my bike licence. I have since ridden every bike I managed to get my hands on, and I can assure you that the list is long and varied, I organized and filmed my first overland adventure on a bike, have covered and featured the biggest new bike show in Milan and the most prestigious custom bike show in the UK, and have generally set new standards in terms of quality to establish Paqpaq as the benchmark even in this sector. Incidentally my current ride is a beautiful Suzuki GSX 1400 with which I am madly in love.

Regarding audiences, I feel that the audiences for the TV show, the website and the new print publication are different. There will always be a percentage of viewers/browsers/readers that are common, and these will probably include the keen enthusiasts. On the other hand, there are people who visit the website regularly and are amongst the many thousands that receive our electronic newsletter every week but rarely watch the programme. The new publication will again hit a number of persons who do not watch TV or do not have access to the net, but will find the supplement interesting.

KG: What about the latest Paqpaq print initiative?
TD: The print initiative is the natural progression of what we have been building up to. We are a professional outfit that teams up only with other professional partners to make the best of the synergies available. In this case, Media Maker is an ideal strategic partner with the experience and expertise necessary to retain the perception of quality in the print sector which our brand already enjoys on TV and the web. In today’s business environment, it is important to offer our customer as wide a spectrum across all media as possible.

Today, Paqpaq is a force that cannot be ignored. Apart from offering our customers an interesting media mix, being involved in the different media helps strengthen our own position and cross-media exposure. The name we gave the publication, namely Paqpaq – Motoring and Leisure gives a clear indication of where we are heading. Cars and great but so are bikes, boats, the latest accessories and gizmos, travelling, a healthy lifestyle and adventure. This is what Paqpaq is all about.

Tommy Hilfiger: 1st ever print ad. in Malta

On Saturday, Pink Magazine featured what is probably the first ever print ad. of the Tommy Hilfiger brand in Malta. We initially thought this should go into the weekly press digest but then again it deserves a blab of its own! Below is the behind the scenes of the shoot.



source: tommy.com

Press Digest #1

Since BLAB is about media and marketing, one would expect BLAB's own press digest to focus on nothing but the brands that make up the local market! We hope you'll find this digest useful.

Brands that shouted the most this Sunday:
Celebrating its 80th Anniversary, Gasan's automotive brand occupied the front inside full page of today's Sunday Times. Other full-page ads. in this newspaper included Sound Machine and U-BET's Programme. Automotive Brands who opted for a full-page also include BMW, SEAT and Citroen. eWorld and KLIKK both occupied a full-page in The Malta Independent IT Supplement.

Front page ads. featured the Miss Selfridge Mid-Season Sale (Sunday Times), Fino's March Living Room Event (Malta Independent), Credit Europe Bank (MaltaToday and Il-Mument) and HSBC's Home loan ad. (Classified)

Atlas Insurance, Sanex Products, BOV Personal Banking and Home loan occupied the back-page of MaltaToday, Malta Independent, Sunday Times and Classified respectively.

HSBC's Yachting Financing & Leasing advert occupying an innovative 'L-Shape' space definately deserves a BLAB.

Most prominent online banners this Sunday included The Coca-Cola - Idea Casa DreamHome Competition (Maltastar & Di-ve), Credit Europe Bank & AirMalta (TimesofMalta.com), JMFS (Maltarightnow.com).

Brands that got a mention:


CCDK's new fashion collection featured in today's papers in relation to next Tuesday's open-day at TheFashionHouse in Fgura. The open day will also offer free hair, make-up and nail art.

In retail, Tommy Hilfiger announced its first store in Malta. The store will join the long list of international brands and Baystreet Shopping Complex in St. Julian's.

From the branding world, TurqouiseBranding and ANG won Benchmarks Best Telecommunications Brand Award for GO's re-branding exercise.

The Fiat500 is not the only automotive brand to get a mention in this Sunday's motoring sections, yet we particularly like the Fiat500 Optical Mouse, won by 10 lucky attendees at the Fiat500 launch.



Out Today
First Magazine (Malta Independent on Sunday)
FM Magazine (Times of Malta)
Solaris and Bernard's Real Estate Promotional Magazines

Coming Soon
Below are the publication dates of some local magazines:
Pink Magazine, 22nd March (Times of Malta)
Weddings Supplement, 30th March (Sunday Times)
Flair Magazine, 23rd March; and Manic Magazine, 6 April (Malta Independent on Sunday).

Nomads Magazine

Today we got to see the new addition to the local print family: Nomads magazine, distributed free with The Times of Malta and published by BMA Ltd. More about BMA in BLAB's 'Agency Insider #1'

Photoshoot by Briangrech

Interesting photoshoot by briangrech in this Saturday's Bliss Magazine.

Second issue of On Deck

Today with TheTimes of Malta our friends at BMA Ltd have successfully published the second issue of OnDeck, their new newspaper supplement supporting the B&W brand. Is it only my impression that the second issue has more pages?

Computer Arts gets new layout

I hope i am not the last one to know, but UK Magazine ComputerArts has been given a new look. Take a break from all the text and statistics you may see at the office, and view this preview: http://mos.futurenet.com/resources/computerarts/Computer_Arts.swf

If you already have the print issue you may opt to ignore this post forever...and pass it on to me!

Radio goes online again!

The XFM Virtual Model Competition is back this year together with Nestle Fitness. I've just spotted this on the radio's website which some say will also be the first to get a facelift this year. XFM has also invested in another online space, solely dedicated to the Virtual Model competition: www.xfmvirtualmodel.com. Sponsors include Pink Magazine and Hot Couture which also sponsored the competition last year. New sponsors include RyanAir and San Gorg Corinthia Hotel. Ironically, Apple Ipod is not sponsoring the event. A minor suggestion which BLAB would put forward is the use of the very well designed Kiwilicious.com which was launched to promote the competition last year.

The Times Picture Annual

If a picture is worth a 1000 words...than how much is a publication full of the best press pictures of the year worth?! I was lucky enough to get The Times Picture Annual 2006 as a late Christmas gift at the beginning of this year. The good news is that the 2007 edition has also been published and the two editions can be bought as one package. The following links may come useful...



..to get your hands on the real thing (buy online)
..to get a quick preview