Punch Identifies Media Highs and Lows of 2009
Posted: Monday 23 November, 2009
Search andPR agency Punch Communications has chosen the media highs and lows of 2009 aspart of a round up of the year.
Several ofthe team have each chosen a different issue which cover the breadth of media,from digital technology to motoring and fashion.
Pete Goold, ManagingDirector of Punch, indicated the Google Wave publicity to be one of the mostinteresting of 2009, not least because the product itself has yet realise itspotential. Moreover, immediately following the initial interest by the webcommunity, conversation faded away through social media channels relativelyquickly, doubtless to be resurrected again in early 2010 with enhancements tofeatures and functionality.
PhilipKeightley, Account Director, identified the whispers about the closure of TheObserver as a print publication and shelving of the Guardian Technology printsupplement as further evidence of the problems within the industry anddetermination by pioneering publishers such as Guardian Media to embracedigital as the future of news production.
Philipsaid: "Whilst clearly the potential loss of Britain's oldest Sunday newspaper is a major nostalgic blow,it's clear that the Guardian Media Group is pinning its colours to the digitalmast". Philip also identified the comments from Rupert Murdoch on charging foronline content as a significant step for the industry. Philip said "Murdoch'scomments are an admission of sorts that the gamble of offering free content andassuming that advertising revenue would follow has not paid off. It will beinteresting to see whether the concept of free content is so ingrained inconsumer experience now that paying for content is too great a hurdle".
AlexSmith, Account Executive and specialist in digital PR, has been closely monitoring the ongoing storysurrounding the role of the free paper this year, which has taken severalturns, from the Evening Standard's announcement to be made available free tothe closing of several daily London freesheets.
AccountExecutive Holly Henstock found the media story revealing the nursery abuse casesacross England as one of the most resounding of the year, indicatingthat the media really enforced the fact better education and greater protectionfor our children is needed and that the failure to do so could lead to furtherincidents going undetected in the future.
Commentingon the year to date, Pete said: "2009 has been a year when social media hasimpacted massively on the brand marketing landscape with particular effect on PR agencies. During the first stages of using Twitter it was impossible to predictthe impact that it would have on communication but yet we still integrated itwithin the Punch site as a means of conveying our collective personalities.Ironically Twitter comes up in the majority of new business meetings and we nowtransparently manage many Twitter accounts for clients, along with other socialactivities which sit alongside both traditional PR and our SEO agency services.
For moreinformation on Punch Communications, please visit punchcomms.com, or call 01858411 600.
