Ad Awards open – minus the cardboard!

WE launched our Ad Awards 09 earlier today, and already there has been positive feedback about our new digital method of entry.

By Brett Taylor, PANPA

For years, entering PANPA awards has meant gluing tearsheets to black cardboard and sending a bulky display parcel to PANPA’s offices. By deadline week, we would have every courier in Sydney descending on our doorstep – and we’d know them all on a first-name basis.

This method served us well to a point. It was a comprehensive process and most importantly, it didn’t lack integrity. But there has been a feeling that ‘there must be a better way’.

Which brings us to our Ad Awards 09. We’ve teamed up with Workstream Solutions to deliver a system of online entry that makes participation so much easier.

In the new system, PDFs of your pages and ads are uploaded, and inserted into a digital template that is reminiscent of that good ol’ piece of black cardboard. You type in your statement of purpose and it too is dropped into the design.

A few clicks later and you can enter your payment details through a secure online system – better than putting cheques in the mail.

The system is normally used by real estate agents as a do-it-yourself ad builder. With that in mind, if you have any difficulties with your entry, give us a call or email.

I shouldn’t divert too much attention from the awards themselves. We’ve completely overhauled the categories to cater for multi-platform advertising. The circulation categories have been adjusted to create a fair playing field – this time it’s 0 – 25,000; 25,001 – 90,000; and 90,001+.

The individual awards have been expanded as well. In these tough conditions we feel it is more important than ever to recognise those who are fighting hard for the industry against economic conditions and new competitors.

Head over to our awards page here to see a full list of categories, and download the all-important briefing document for criteria and further instructions.

Awards time is always an exciting time for PANPA – we get to talk to our members and celebrate your brilliant work.

So good luck, have fun digging up your best ads, tell your colleagues about us and enter soon before you miss out!

British publisher: We wont go way of US papers

By Rob Duffield, The Guardian, Swan Hill, Victoria

Did anyone catch Lateline – ABC 1 on Thursday night (19/2)?

ANDREW NEIL: the former editor of the London Sunday Times and now publisher of the Spectator magazine was interviewed by Lateline’s Leigh Sales. This was a fabulous late night interview in the finest Lateline traditions. Neil was questioned on politics, the global economic crisis and the future of the embattled Newspaper industry. The interview was extremely entertaining and most educational.

Neil was asked the perennial question: Are Newspapers Dying? He said: “No, they are not. Some are, some deserve to die. The trend is most pronounced in the United States because the United States is dominated by inefficient high cost big city monopoly newspapers that are not used to competing.

“So, they’re really taking a hit because they’ve been fat cats they can’t handle the revolution that is the Internet and multichannel TV. I don’t think that’s true of British or Australian newspapers.

Use your loaf, buy a paper

ONE copy costs less than a loaf of bread, a cup of coffee or a bus ticket. These everyday items are essential in their own way but do not inform, entertain or inspire. Do they provoke emotion, offer knowledge or improve lives?

By Brett Taylor, Editorial Coordinator, PANPA

Newspapers are complex: whether the staff is two or 200, the editorial, advertising and production functions must work together with intricate systems and equipment. If you compare that with a $3.50 coffee or $4 loaf, newspapers are value.

Do readers know this? And if they don’t, why haven’t we told them?

NZ property sites hit the street

THREE of New Zealand’s key real estate sites have embraced Google’s Street View technology.

Realestate.co.nz, Nz.open2view.com and Fairfax-owned TradeMe.co.nz are now offering the functionality to would-be buyers. Previously, TradeMe had a similar service that was provided by a Wellington based company, called Project X. However, after two years of trials, the site management has now switched to Google and more than half its listings are already accessible through Google.

Photos of the outside of each house are taken by contractors to Google. Cameras are mounted on the cars and the snaps are taken as they drive by. Major cities in New Zealand, Australia and the central suburbs of Singapore and Hong Kong have all been catalogued in this way.

Some real estate agents have resisted the StreetView technology, believing that buyers would see the properties promoted and deal with the owner directly, cutting the agent out of the loop and denying them their 2-3 percent commission, according to aimgroup.com.

Caxton keynote now available online

The Caxton Committee and The Newspaper Works has announced that Droga5 founder David Droga’s keynote 2008 Caxton speech is now available to download as a video/podcast from the Caxton website at www.caxtonawards.com.au.

Droga was the keynote speaker at this year’s Caxton Seminar, held at the Sea Temple Resort, Port Douglas from 24 -26 October, 2008.

“David Droga has created one of the world’s most respected organisations in Droga5. He has rewritten the book for contemporary ideas development and he is possibly the most successful Australian creative export. David often speaks in Cannes and is a real coup for the Caxtons,” Caxton chairman Rob Belgiovane said.

“David’s speech was inspiring and truly wowed the Caxton audience with his philosophy and approach turning traditional creative models on their heads.”

Other speeches from the Caxton weekend are also available on DVD from The Newspaper Works by emailing admin@thenewspaperworks.com.au.

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