Friday, 11th January 2008

DID YOU KNOW…?

The opening ceremony for this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing will feature Chinese opera, a massive fireworks display and a mystery ending, Chinese media reported today. Details, including how the Olympic flame will be lit, still remain a closely-guarded secret, but Zhang Yimou, the artistic director, told the Chongqing Economic Times: ‘A large-scale fireworks display is something we absolutely must have.’ The ceremony will celebrate 5,000 years of Chinese history, but will also focus on contemporary China and the Olympic movement, he said. A full dress rehearsal will take place at the National Stadium on July 10. The Olympics are scheduled for August 8 to 24. Sportcal, 9t Jan 2008


INFO BOX

Top Marketing Trends for 2008

A study called "Top Marketing Trends for 2008",conducted by Anderson Analytics, focused on top marketing concepts, buzz words, global areas of opportunity, targeted customer demographics, as well as the books that marketers look to for inspiration and growth opportunity. While the marketers weighed in on many marketing concepts a few key areas emerged. Marketing basics (60% “Very Important”) which include specific concepts such as customer satisfaction, customer retention, segmentation, brand loyalty and ROI were of greatest interest. Interestingly, Search Engine Optimization (42%) had relatively wide appeal, and cut across marketers in all fields. “Green Marketing” (32%) was another important emerging concept and it was identified as the trendiest marketing buzzword.

With regard to Global Issues, China is viewed as the region with the best future opportunity (52%); India is a distant second (20%). Few marketers saw other regions such as Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico, as comparable opportunities. In terms of another important global issue, Out-Sourcing/Off-Shoring, the majority of marketers (77%) reported that their companies do not off-shore any part of the marketing function. Half of senior marketers are not in favor of off-shoring any part of the marketing function, while just under a quarter view it favorably. A lot of companies are engaging in ‘knowledge process offshoring’ (KPO) which includes everything from customer data processing to more advanced marketing analytics. For instance in my specific area of marketing, market research, almost all of the larger companies are trying their hand at offshoring while trying to keep it as quiet as possible.


Advertising Statics:
* $61 billion will be spent on interactive marketing by 2012
* 12% of ad money to be spent online in the US in 2010
* 33% of European advertisers to have social networking presence
* 80% of TiVo owners and 82% of other DVR owners likely to skip commercials
* Ad engagement for online shows is 25% higher than TV shows
* Click fraud reached 16.2% in Q3 2007
* Global ad spending on social networks to top $4 billion in 2011
* Mobile ads to generate $1.2 billion in Japan in 2012
* Online ad spending to grow 29% in 2008
* Online video ads to generate $1.3 billion in 2007
* Russian online ads generated $151 million in the first half of 2007
* UK Internet ad spending to grow 30.8% in 2008
* US interactive marketing spending to reach $61 billion by 2012


SPORTS SHORTS

* Euroleague will be seen regularly on television in China thanks to a broadcasting agreement reached with Madison Communications. Two Euroleague games will be broadcast weekly on three different Chinese channels - Beijing TV, Guandong TV and Fujian TV - reaching a potential audience of 200 million people. Broadcast agreements for more regions in China are expected to be added soon to further expand coverage of Euroleague games in the country. The first games to air in China will be Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul vs Chorale Roanne and AXA F.C. Barcelona vs Panathinaikos Athens, both corresponding to Week 11 of the regular season. With this agreement, Euroleague Basketball is now seen in 168 countries and territories through 50 different broadcasters, reaching coverage on all five continents. Sport Business, Sportcal, 9th Jan 2008

* ESPN Star Sports has increased advertising spot rates by up to 30% for its coverage of the hotly-anticipated third cricket Test between Australia and India , according to a report in the Economic Times. There were doubts about whether the match would actually take place after India threatened to pull out of the series following the controversial suspension of star bowler Harbhajan Singh for allegedly making a racist comment. However, following the dispute, the interest in the grudge match, which will start next Wednesday in Perth, is now at fever pitch. According to the newspaper, ESS has so far sold 70% of its ad space for the match. Sports Media, 10th Jan 2008

* Thailand’s leading pay-TV platform, TrueVisions UBC, is set to begin offering personal video recorders (PVRs) to its subscriber base early this year. TrueVisions UBC will be offering standard-definition PVRs by Humax integrated with OpenTV Core2 and OpenTV PVR2 solutions, in combination with Irdeto’s content security for digital TV. OpenTV’s platform will provide TrueVisions UBC subscribers with a range of interactive TV content, PVR services and will allow for mobile and web management of their PVR services. Worldscreen, 10th Jan 2008

* The KBS World TV channel, part of Korea's biggest public television network, will use Xcrypt's Conditional Access System to secure its worldwide distribution. Broadcast from KBSN's operations centre in Korea, and distributed throughout the world via satellite, the Xcrypt-secured KBS channel will be received by each of KBS's customers using Xcrypt compatible receivers to ensure secure DVB transmission. KBS World TV, which provides a range of programmes, including sports updates and coverage of sporting events, is distributed to 50 countries. Sports Media, 9th Jan 2008

* Romania has been lined up to host a replay of a controversial Asian Olympic handball qualifying tournament that took place earlier this year, after the Asian Handball Federation rejected the International Handball Federation’s request to reschedule the tournament. The IHF ruled that the tournament should be replayed after recording 38 questionable refereeing decisions in a game in which Kuwait surprisingly beat South Korea 28-20. However, the AHF is reported to have banned its member states from hosting or taking part in the replay, on the basis that ‘there were no reasonable legal reasons behind this step.’ The men’s qualifying tournament for next year’s Beijing Olympics took place in Tokyo in September. Sportcal, 9th Jan 2008

* Nigerian football fans may be unable to watch their team in the forthcoming African Cup of Nations in a row over the TV rights. The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) said it cannot afford to pay the $4.4 million rights fee for the tournament, which starts in two weeks' time in Ghana. The group said itcould only afford to pay $1.8million for the rights. BON chairman, Abubakar Jijiwa, told the BBC Focus on Africa programme, "They said our offer was not acceptable, so we said: 'Fine, you can go and set up a TV channel in two weeks, we won't deal with you'. If you want to ignore Nigeria, good luck to you". According to BON more than 30 per cent of Africa's TV audience for football is in Nigeria. Sportfive is the distributor of international rights for the tournament. Sport Business, 9th Jan 2008

* Rio de Janeiro unveiled details of its bid to stage the 2016 Olympic Summer Olympic Games, mostly using facilities built for last year's Pan-American Games. Rio is bidding for the 2016 Games, despite Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup, with Rio almost certain to be among the World Cup venues. The 2016 plans, unveiled by bid officials, are more modest than Rio’s previous bids for the Olympics in 2004 and 2012 (in which the city failed to make the shortlist each time). Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, Doha and Baku are also bidding for the Games. Sport Business, Sportcal, 9th Jan 2008

* Fox Soccer Channel, the US cable soccer broadcaster, has agreed a video syndication partnership with Verizon, the telecommunications giant, for the broadcasting of mobile video highlights from the English Premier League. Verizon Wireless has become the first distributor of Fox Soccer Channel’s Premier League mobile highlights package, rights acquired in June by the broadcaster for the three seasons to supplement its existing full match rights package across television, mobile and internet. Verizon will deliver 35 video clips per week, including near-live and in-game coverage, to users with V CAST Video-enabled phones in the USA. The deal with Verizon marks the first time that US soccer fans have been able to access mobile highlights from the Premier League. Sportcal, 10th Jan 2008


MORE NEWS

Global/General: Memorable Season Helps Formula 1 Increase Global Audience

Almost 600 million viewers in more than 188 countries watched television coverage of motor racing’s Formula 1 World Championship in 2007. During one of the most exciting seasons for years, a global audience of 597 million unique viewers tuned in to Formula 1 races, confirming the pre-eminent status of the series. In its newly-published Global Broadcast Report, Formula One Management claims that the audience reach increased from 588 million in 2006 despite a reduction in the number of races, from 18 to 17, and the continuing effects of market fragmentation and new multi-platform offerings.

The number of hours of coverage made available by FOM went up from 144 to 153 in 2007 and broadcasters worldwide televised 11,183 hours of action, compared with 10,600 in the previous year. Of the 2007 total, 47%, or 5,269 hours, was broadcast live, including 2,648 hours of grand prix coverage. Formula 1 promoter Bernie Ecclestone said: 'A global audience of 597 million reinforces the position of Formula 1 as the world's most watched annual sport series. Formula 1 continues to provide 'must see viewing' and as a broadcast it is one of the few events that can reunite a fragmented TV audience.'

Interest in the sport was boosted by the emergence of British rookie Lewis Hamilton, who won four races for McLaren, and the closest drivers’ championship ever. Ferrari’s Finnish racer Kimi Raikkonen came out on top, just one point clear of Hamilton and his Spanish team-mate Fernando Alonso. The performances of the two McLaren drivers and Raikkonen’s team-mate, the Brazilian Felipe Massa, were responsible for significant growth in viewership in their home markets.

Indeed, a 24% increase in viewers in Brazil, boosting the figure from 96 million to 119 million, enabled the country to overtake China to become the home of the world’s largest Formula 1 audience. Some 17.6 million viewers watched the Brazilian Grand Prix, the final race of the season, live on TV Globo. UK commercial broadcaster ITV clearly benefited from the Hamilton factor with audiences for the live races 40 per cent higher than in 2006. Reach also increased by 3 million to 27 million, meaning that more than 48 per cent of the available audience watched the sport in 2007.

Although Alonso, the defending world champion, had a fraught relationship with McLaren, Spanish motor racing fans remained enthralled, with audiences up for 13 of the 17 races shown live by commercial stations Telecinco and TV3. A total of 32 million viewers, roughly the same number as in 2006, followed the action despite one fewer race. In Germany, the 2007 Formula 1 audience was hit by the retirement of seven-times drivers champion Michael Schumacher at the end of the previous season. The number of viewers reached fell by 20% to 34.1 million, but race market share was still well in excess of 40%.

Italy, the home of Ferrari, is a consistently reliable market for Formula 1, and in 2007 the country moved ahead of Germany to become the European leader with 38 million viewers. This implies that the transmissions of public-service broadcaster Rai reached 70 per cent of the population. Aficionados of the sport were also able to enjoy enhanced coverage provided by pay-television operator Sky Italia from the Monaco Grand Prix onwards.

Despite the absence of a French driver, commercial broadcaster TF1’s audience remained steady with some 30 million fans watching races throughout the season. This was all the more impressive given the fact that the Canadian and US rounds were not shown live because of the French elections. The 2008 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16. Sportcal, 9th Jan 2008

China/New Media: Giant Obtains Exclusive License to Operate Empire of Sports

Giant Interactive Group Inc., one of China's leading online game developers and operators, announced today that it has secured an exclusive license from Switzerland-based Empire of Sports Ltd. to operate Empire of Sports, a new sports-based massively multiplayer online role playing game, in the Greater China region, including the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The license has a term that expires on September 15, 2011.

Empire of Sports Ltd. is a joint venture founded by Infront Sports & Media and F4, a leading European computer game development company. Empire of Sports, the first online-game developed by Empire of Sports Ltd., represents a virtual sports world, in which players assume the role of a single character throughout the entire game. The result is a new gaming experience, especially with regards to team sports, which allow players to compete in virtual international events against other players.

Among the high quality multiplayer sports games available at the launch of Empire of Sports will be basketball, tennis, skiing, and a series of fitness and training games. Adding to the reality and authenticity of the games, real referees were consulted throughout the design and development process in order to simulate and incorporate real-world game rules. Yahoo, 10th Jan 2008

China/New Media: China Mobile completes TD-SCDMA test network

China Mobile has finished the construction of the homegrown TD-SCDMA large-scale technology application testing network in eight cities and will launch the network application testing soon, said Wang Jianzhou, the company's president. The company pledged it would provide special mobile telecom services during the Beijing Olympic Games. Wang revealed China Mobile takes the lead in releasing the TD LTE long-term evolution standard, which has become the only after-3G TDD standard and been accepted by the major telecom operators in NGMN.

Xi Guohua, vice minister of information industry earil asked China Mobile to promote service level, continue its work for the TD-SCDMA testing network, enhance network and information security management, provide supporting services for the Olympic Games and the Paralympics, and push forward the development of overseas markets. Telecomasia.net, 11th Jan 2008

Pakistan/General: Set to follow Indian Premier League suit

Four months after the launch of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) home league, Indian Premier League (IPL), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to follow suit. Soon, you’ll be able to witness a Pakistan 20:20 tournament, on the lines of IPL. The BCCI is counselling and aiding the PCB in finalising the blue print. The move signals IPL’s broader vision of taking the format international, known as the Champions 20:20 League. Pakistan’s home league is tipped to be launched by the end of 2008.

PCB director, marketing and communications, Ehsan Hameed Malik told ET: “We have started the process only about two months ago. However, we have a long way to go. Considering our busy schedule, we plan to launch it by the end of 2008 or early 2009. The launch of the Pakistan league is being viewed by both the boards as move to take the game to a new level of cricket, and more importantly a new height of Indo-Pak contest.

The bigger plan will take shape when the top two teams of the IPL will clash with the top two teams of the Pakistan league, when the format goes international. This will account for big money across all facets of the game. The move will also give cricket more impetus as the traditional ‘India-Pakistan’ match has always been a heady mix, whether for the cricket fans or for the stakeholders of the game. The Economic Times, 10th Jan 2008