I am curious

Brand New World 2

Well I was surprised at some of the reaction to the EU product placement report.

Here is one selected piece from Monday's Guardian Online.

Ofcom welcomes product placement plans    

Chris Tryhorn
Monday    December  19, 2005

   Media watchdog Ofcom has given a cautious welcome to European proposals to relax rules on the use of product placement on television.

The regulator is now launching a consultation seeking views on a "restricted set of uses" of product placement by commercial television broadcasters.

"Ofcom believes that a cautious approach to the introduction of product placement has merit," the regulator said today.

"In light of this, the consultation seeks to examine how this proposed liberalisation could be interpreted and applied in the UK broadcasting market in a manner which clearly informs the viewer and safeguards critical editorial and programme genres."

I will post more on this in days to come.

Brand New World

Another example of the changing media landscape emerged yesterday as the EU waded in with a draft ruling on product placement in TV programming. With 30 second spot advertising revenues under pressure, PVR penetration growing(ad skipping) and mounting ad agency frustration over the inconsistency of product placement regulations across EU member states, the EU had to act.

Expect a frenzy of activity in UK as sponsorship companies, ad agencies, TV production companies and broadcasters all fight for slice of the action. Ofcom, the UK regulator will be at the ring side.

Flat world

It's been a quiet time for blogging. Too much work. All work and no play...

Well, i've been reading Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat and i have to say that although i love his proposition and fully endorse his conviction, somehow over here in Blighty, reality lags.

I had a briefing from a global ad agency today and sadly in my experience the world is not yet flat. It is full of undulating hills and troughs, peppered with hierarchies that control the flow of power and influence. It is a world of bloated egos and opinion. Until this is addressed the world is far from flat. Sorry Mr Friedman. Or maybe it's the Ad industry?