Tag Archives: Media

Appointments, International News, News

Vivaldi Group Expands Global Leadership Team with appointment of Michael Monheim as Partner, Media & Entertainment

Vivaldi, the leading independent global business and brand transformation firm has announced the appointment of Michael Monheim as Partner, Media & Entertainment.

Michael’s role will involve working with the consultancy’s existing roster of companies and growing its portfolio in the media & entertainment space on brand, business growth and transformation.

Formerly the Vice President of Business Development for AccuWeather, facilitating partnerships in Europe and Latin America, Michael brings decades of experience working in media and international markets. He also previously helped grow the Axel Springer Group into a leading digital publisher and expanded its footprint in the Americas.

 

Erich Joachimsthaler, CEO and founder of Vivaldi, comments: “The changing landscape of media and entertainment is opening new opportunities for businesses and brands. Michael’s expertise will ensure that Vivaldi can continue our mission of enabling companies in media and entertainment to reimagine how they create value. We are moving to a world of collaborative, not competitive advantage and companies that foster shared value for brands, society, customers and even competitors will grow and win.”

Michael Monheim comments: “I am very excited to join Vivaldi Group’s international consultancy, as it expands its current service offerings, in media and entertainment. Working together with Vivaldi’s top-notch talent across the globe, I plan to leverage my experience and relationships in international media, to help expand Vivaldi’s new services, products and ventures to more brands and partners across the world.”

 

News

Over a quarter of Brits think the future of news ‘will be delivered through the Metaverse’, reveals Tickaroo

  • More than a quarter (27%) of Brits believe that the news will be delivered through the Metaverse within the next 5 – 10 years

The UK public believe that the future of news is in the metaverse, according to a new report by Tickaroo, a live blogging solution that’s revolutionising the way media companies report live news. The report found that more than a quarter (27%) of Brits believe that the news will be delivered through the Metaverse within the next 5 – 10 years, highlighting the global shift in digital media consumption. 

By contrast, newspapers were found to be facing a bleaker future according to consumers, with only 25% of respondents predicting their relevance in 10 years’ time. However, the ever ubiquitous TV is still considered a timeless staple for news consumption particularly amongst the older generation with those aged 55 and over reporting to consume the news most through the TV (39%), in comparison to only 16% who use their phones. 

However, with digital news aggregators and social media platforms currently rife with fake news, the concept of news through the metaverse could be threatened by the UK public’s general distrust of the media. The research found 38% of Brits already harbour a lack of trust in the media, with scepticism more prevalent among the younger generations. While two thirds (65%) of those aged 55 and over trust the news, only 56% of those aged 18-34 said the same. 

When it comes to the topics of choice, politics was identified as the most popular one favoured by 58% of respondents. In fact, over a third (37%) predict that World War 3 will be the biggest news story of the year, while 14% think we are in for another COVID variant.  On the whole though, the majority of UK adults (70%) very much consider receiving breaking news as very important, with half of them (49%) admitting to even routinely checking the news in bed. 

Commenting on the survey findings, Tickaroo’s CEO and Co-founder, Naomi Owusu, said:

“Driven by the rapid advancements in technology, news consumption habits are rapidly evolving forcing media outlets to find new ways of keeping consumers engaged as we move further and further into this new digital age. With the UK public becoming increasingly more tech-savvy, traditional media outlets risk being left behind if they do fail to embrace technology in their quest to find faster, smarter and more convenient ways of delivering news.”

The survey of 2,000 adults in the UK was completed by market research firm Opinium Research on behalf of Tickaroo.

Appointments, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Specsavers expands senior leadership team with appointment of Ian Maybank to Head of Media and Connections Planning

Specsavers has announced the appointment of Ian Maybank into the new role of Head of Media and Connections Planning, where he will lead media, insights and connections planning across the UK, Ireland and Spain.

Prior to Specsavers Maybank led Media and Connections planning across Europe for PepsiCo Beverages and Snacks. He played a critical role in the growth of Pepsi Max and was integral to the turnaround of Walkers Crisps and digital transformation of snacks marketing. He’s also held senior positions in some of the most successful agencies including Grey London and Dentsu Aegis Network working on a range of global consumer brands.

Maybank will lead a team of 10 and be responsible for delivering an integrated communications plan and an end to end best-in-class customer experience with consumer insight at its heart. His appointment marks a significant step for Specsavers as they embark on an exciting chapter, expanding the senior marketing team as it continues to accelerate business growth.

Ian Maybank, Head of Media and Connections Planning Specsavers comments: “‘Specsavers over the years has produced some of the most memorable advertising in the UK that has permeated into popular culture, I’m honoured to be joining the team to help define the next chapter”.

Chris Carter, Marketing and E-commerce Director comments: “I’m super excited about Ian joining Specsavers. Aside from his immense proven track record of effective strategic thinking his depth of experience will be invaluable in helping us transition from traditional campaign cycles to an always on audience led planning approach”.

News

German Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media Approves Incode Technologies as an Age Verification System (AVS)

San Francisco, CA, June 7, 2022: The Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media, “Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz” (KJM), has given a positive assessment of Incode Technologies as a solution for age verification.

Incode Technologies’ solution uniquely validates a user’s age. It is the industry’s first passive liveness technology that is certified by iBeta and its flexible orchestration engine empowers product and service providers to incorporate a portfolio of checks into customizable workflows. This simplifies and secures access for authorized individuals while protecting unauthorized minors.

“Age verification systems are becoming the new standard. This is positive for the protection of children and young people in the media,” said Dr Marc Jan Eumann, Chairman of KJM.

“At Incode, we are creating trust in the digital world by making it easier, faster, and more secure for people to verify and validate their identity globally. Gaming operators are now turning to age verification providers that have achieved KJM approval. We are excited that the KJM has provided a positive ruling on our application. With this assessment, Incode Technologies will be able to protect minors in Germany, specifically reducing underage gambling, while at the same time improving sign-up rates for eligible players,” said Ricardo Amper, Founder and CEO of Incode.

“While meeting Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance requirements, operators also want their customers to have a smooth, secure, and frictionless verification experience that’s simple and intuitive. Incode’s advanced identity verification platform does just that – while dramatically reducing fraud, ensuring user privacy, and simplifying onboarding.”

News

Video agency launches virtual experience with Edinburgh Zoo and Vimeo collaboration

A Midlands production agency has joined forces with global video platform, Vimeo, to launch a new interactive tour experience in one of the first collaborations of its kind in the UK.

Edinburgh Zoo, home of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), has launched the interactive video developed by Colada Creative which allows virtual viewers a chance to choose which animals, enclosures and experiences to visit.

Edinburgh Zoo, one of Europe’s leading centres of conservation, education and research, is home to more than 1,000 rare and endangered animals and welcomes in excess of 800,000 visitors each year.

With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the zoo looked into other ways to reach its supporters and share the stories of the animals on site. The interactive video feature allows users to tour, view and meet some of the animals and zookeepers at the 82-acre attraction, without having to be on site.

Director at Telford-based Colada Creative, Jack Brodie said: “Video has become a useful tool for tourist attractions throughout the past two years but, as we return to relatively normal life, it’s great to see brands like Edinburgh Zoo use video, and particularly interactive video, as an ongoing addition to its on-site experience.

“Colada is one of very few agencies in the world that are collaborating with Vimeo, to offer interactive video technology to brands like Edinburgh Zoo.

“Interactive video is the future of video — engagement levels are far above standard video content and there are huge opportunities to add layers of information and calls to action.”

Visitors can get up close to fascinating exhibits such as penguins, meerkats and giraffes, while expert members of the wildlife conservation charity’s team provide interesting insight and commentary about the animals featured.

Laura Moore, communications manager at RZSS said, “As a wildlife conservation charity working with rare and endangered species from around the world, this new feature will offer a special insight into the work that takes place here at Edinburgh Zoo in a new way that everyone can access.

“The video was initially shared with our valued members and supporters and is now live on our website for animal and wildlife fans from around the world to learn more about the species and connect with nature from the comfort of their own home.

“It will give people a great insight into the lives of some of our amazing animals and team and we hope it will act as a gateway for people who can’t visit the zoo or inspire more people to come and visit us in person.”

Jack added: “We believe this is just the first steppingstone in terms of using interactive video to provide an enhanced user experience. Whether it is schools or universities offering virtual tours, or other tourist attractions that are looking to capture the hearts and imagination of the general public by giving insight over and above what could be found on site — the possibilities are endless.”

To find out more about Colada Creative, visit www.colada.uk.

To find out more about Edinburgh Zoo and experience the interactive video feature, https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals-and-experiences/interactive-tour/

Cybersecurity, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Certes Networks furthers global reach with Neo PR launching cyber security webinar campaign

Certes, a leading global data security provider specialising in providing customers with cyber security solutions, partnered with ngena in April 2021 to combine SD-WAN as a Service with High Assurance Data Security Overlay, and Certes relied on Neo PR’s knowledge and network to support its launch in to the industry.

In working with Neo PR, a leading B2B technology PR agency, Certes was able to leverage its latest partnership to expand further into the cyber industry. The combined offering maximises the value of Certes’ and ngena’s best-of-breed technologies in data security and encryption, and SD-WAN respectively, to enable Cisco VARs to deploy an SD-WAN solution that exceeds the increasing regulatory compliance requirements on data handling in sensitive data environments.

Security is at the top of mind for IT leaders seeking to accelerate digital transformation and increase connectivity in today’s cloud world, and even more so for those organisations requiring even higher levels of data assurance. The Certes and ngena team partnered to combine technologies to provide the industry’s first true SD-WAN as a Service for High Assurance offering. 

Both companies have a shared commitment to helping customers and partners solve complex challenges by simplifying networking. The new joint solution, pairing high assurance capabilities from Certes with the flexibility and security of the ngena platform provides an end-to-end solution for the unique challenges of High Assurance environments.

Neo PR has worked with both parties to position Certes as an expert thought leader and coordinated a webinar of which both Certes and ngena would launch its partnership to internal stakeholders, as well as the cyber industry. Driven by the need to prioritise the security of sensitive data, both private enterprises and public sector organisations alike continue to encounter challenges in adopting SD-WAN as a technology which Neo PR was tasked with informing the industry about. 

Paul German, CEO, Certes Networks, comments: “We utilised Neo PR’s knowledge to ensure that our webinar was launched into the industry seamlessly. The partnership messaging with ngena is hugely important and so the webinar and various other collaterals needed to be coordinated. Using Neo’s PR services, we were able to create and deliver exactly what we wanted to the cyber industry. We’re excited to continue developing such a successful relationship and PR campaign with the Neo team.”

Ashley Carr, Founder and Managing Director of Neo PR, concludes: “We have worked with Certes for a number of years. This partnership campaign with ngena has only strengthened our relationship. By working closely with both Certes and ngena, we were thrilled to deliver the desired marketing collateral and coordinate the launch webinar to a high standard.  It is important to work with a company who understands PR and Marketing and how to leverage it in the correct way, we are excited to continue our long standing relationship.”

 

News

Conversational media platform Octaive announces the appointment of PHD founder David Pattison as Chairman

Fast growing conversational media platform Octaive has announced the appointment of PHD founder David Pattison as its new chairman. 

Octaive’s pioneering technology creates meaningful conversations between consumers and brands within standard display and video inventory. Its proprietary cookieless solution enables personalised experiences in contextually relevant environments. This creates ‘active attention’ where users are highly engaged in two-way conversations without having to click through to the brand’s site. 

 Pattison has had a long and illustrious career in the advertising industry. He co-founded PHD in 1990 and more recently he has been involved in a number of startups in a range of industries including, marketing, publishing, construction, motorsport, AdTech, MarTech, FinTech, production and broadcasting. He has also written a book called The Money Train: 10 things startups need to know about investors, that helps startups prepare for the fundraising journey. 

 Pattison joins as Octaive is currently scaling its operation, further developing the product, expanding globally and building the team. Octaive has worked with a series of high profile clients including Vodafone, Lego, VW and The Open University. 

 According to Co-Founder and CEO Sam Peters:  “We are delighted to have someone of David’s vision and calibre onboard as our Chairman and investor which demonstrates the ambitions of this team and the potential of Octaive. We are looking forward to drawing upon his extensive experience as we scale the business globally. For too long brands have been limited to just ‘pushing’ their message at consumers but today people expect control over their digital experiences. Our core focus is helping brands create ad experiences that drive ‘active attention’ with their audience. Our platform makes this super simple by repurposing standard display, social and video assets into highly engaging, 2-way interactive conversational creative.” 

 According to Pattison: “I am hugely excited about the potential of Octaive. When I get involved with startups i have three criteria that need to be met: Can I spend two hours in a room with the people, is it an interesting product and can I make a difference? Octaive puts big ticks in all the boxes. It’s a great team, led by a brilliant CEO. The company is doing business with big brands and is already profitable. They are solving the problem of creating attention, driving personalised ads in a cookieless world. The results clients are getting are exceptional.” 

News

VIPRE Benefits from Yearly Growth through a Successful CyberSecurity PR Campaign

Neo PR enhances the security solutions provider’s reputation across Europe and APAC through expert led and reactive content

VIPRE, a leading provider of internet security solutions purpose-built to protect businesses, solution providers, and home users from costly and malicious cyber threats, identified a space for PR in its marketing campaigns back in September 2019, and partnered with Neo PR, a B2B technology PR agency.

By working with a public relations agency with a specialism across the cyber industry, VIPRE has since taken advantage of increased brand awareness across the United Kingdom and Europe, and more recently, on a global scale, by being a part of the media conversation around cybersecurity. This has been achieved by placing VIPRE at the forefront of breaking industry news and within industry trends such as ransomware, data breaches and human error. 

By positioning the security solutions provider as an expert and thought leader within the cybersecurity industry, VIPRE has been able to benefit from a year-on-year rise in coverage results, with a 71% increase in coverage across the same three month period compared to 2019 and 2020. This includes Tier A titles, such as the likes of Business Chief Europe, SC Magazine, Silicon and The Journal of International Security. 

Yvonne Conway, Marketing Manager UK and Ireland, VIPRE, comments: “We have been so impressed with Neo PR’s results and work ethic over the last few years, leading to an increase in sales enquiries and global recognition. The coverage and success levels achieved across the United Kingdom and Europe have been greater than we had ever anticipated. We’re excited to continue developing such a successful relationship and PR campaign with the team.”

Ashley Carr, Founder and Managing Director of Neo PR, concludes: “VIPRE’s PR campaign has continued to be a year-on-year success. Our coverage rates for the security company have increased yearly, and we’ve already surpassed last year’s overall coverage by July 2021 – the numbers speak for themselves. But what makes getting coverage so easy is working with a brand that understands the importance of PR, works alongside us to create thought provoking content and is open minded to new opportunities.” 

Business Research, News

Firms that gain more media visibility can expect to perform better, according to new research

Firms that are more visible in the media increase their value and their stock returns, according to new research from Aalto University School of Business and Goethe University.

Assistant Professor Michael Ungeheuer from Aalto University School of Business and Professor Alexander Hillert from Goethe University analysed the relation between firm visibility and stock returns using comprehensive data on news coverage of U.S. firms ranging from 1924 to 2019.

The researchers found that firms with higher media visibility exhibit predictable improvements in corporate governance, a higher likelihood of forced CEO turnover after poor performance, as well as higher sales growth and higher profitability growth.

“Our research suggests that future returns of more visible firms are significantly higher. This provides new insights on the common view that media coverage affects a firm’s cost of capital through a reduced risk premium for well-known firms” says Ungeheuer.

But why is this? The researchers claim that their research supports previous studies that have suggested that media coverage could increase sales, similar to product market advertising.

As well as this, their research shows how the media could play a monitoring role and prevent value-destroying behaviour by managers.

“If these positive effects of visibility on profitability are not adequately priced, a positive relation between visibility and future stock returns follows” says Ungeheuer.

So, this research implies a positive role for the media, and more generally, a positive role for firm visibility.

As such, managers should learn about the value of visibility from stock markets and, thus, increase their efforts to improve firm visibility in the media.

This paper is published in ‘SSRN’.

Marketing, PR and SEO, News

Havas Media Manchester appoints Carat’s James Reddington as Managing Partner

Havas Media Manchester has announced the appointment of James Reddington to the newly created role of Managing Partner.

Reddington joins the agency following nearly 24 years at Carat Manchester, where he was Group Business Director, overseeing clients including Barratt Homes, Manchester Airport Group and Greggs.

In his new role, Reddington will provide additional client leadership across the agency’s BBC business, ensuring the continued delivery of best-in-class planning and client service.

He will report to Stuart Lunn, Managing Director, Havas Media Manchester, and will lead a team of 12 people.

Stuart Lunn said: “James is someone I’ve known and admired for a long time, who is also very well regarded in the industry. He brings a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver top-class servicing, as well as being a great cultural fit for us as someone who wants to make a meaningful difference to our clients’ business, and our own.

“I’m excited to see him join Havas Media Manchester, in what is a further demonstration of our appetite for and commitment to disrupting the media landscape in the region.”

James Reddington, new Managing Partner, said: “The opportunity to help grow Havas Media Manchester and to support on the BBC business is exactly the sort of challenge I was looking for after nearly 24 years in my previous role.

“We can offer clients the best of both worlds – the agility you’d usually associate with a small agency and the backing of one of the most respected networks in the UK. I can’t wait to get started.”