Atishoo March 18, 2008
Posted by James Warren in blog, pr, work.2 comments
Crikey, it’s dusty round here. Never mind. Nothing a squirt or two of Cillit Bang can’t sort, I fancy. The really good news is I am musing on a couple of interesting posts and - given that for the first time in about three months I don’t have a pitch this week - these ones may even see the light of day. Who knows.
In the meantime - and I’m pleased to say this is becoming a familiar refrain - we are hiring (as the boss indicated a week or so ago). I am increasingly desparate for some smart, willing, senior digibods to help service all the business mounting up next to my desk (and secure even more global/regional opps, natch). I have projects on the go in the consumer, healthcare, technology, online, government and corporate arenas (arenae?), plus lots of digital video activity bubblnig away too. Something for everyone. If you fancy broadening your horizons and joining a team at the heart of this magnificent company’s future, get in touch at jwarren [at] webershandwick [dot] com. Alternatively, direct Tweet me @jamesdotwarren. You know it makes sense (and even if you don’t, try it anyway).
The Goggle Box January 9, 2008
Posted by James Warren in blue sky, geeky stuff, media.9 comments
For the past couple of years I’ve been banging on to anyone that will listen that Google will own the future of TV. Not from a content point of view, but a ‘programme search’ and tailored advertising point of view. Well, they’ve made the first move here it would appear. It’s interesting that the assumption is that Google wants to shove ‘internet content’ into our sitting rooms. I think this is fundamentally wrong - I believe they’ll make it easier to find stuff that’s already on TV (and of course elsewhere too). Don’t think internet, think content and advertising - then I think it begins to make a great deal of sense.
I anticipate seeing the Google interface when I switch on my TV, so that I can search for stuff I want to watch. It will check what related programmes are on now, in the future (so I can tell the box to record them), what’s available on-demand (free or paid), what I’ve Sky+ed, what I have in my digital/DVD/video collection… even user-generated content. Sponsored content - which would be contextual, dayparted, connected to the rest of my life and even linked to searches I’d made earlier in the day via Google at work - would be clearly differentiated from real content. And the ads in between programmes would be similarly tailored to my life/needs etc…
I can’t see anyway that this wouldn’t be absolutely brilliant - for me, for broadcasters and for advertisers. I can see Apple edging ever closer to a similar solution - but the advertising-funded model that Google can provide will beat any iTunes-based solution, I think (although iTunes content will be among the search results spat back, of course).
Perhaps I need to get out more?
Woe is meme January 4, 2008
Posted by James Warren in apropos of nothing, media.5 comments
I’ve been tagged. I hate it when that happens. But seeing as on this occasion it’s El Pincenzo and he had the good grace to put me and the family up (and show us a magnificent time, to boot) over New Year, I feel I ought to respond. So here goes: FYI, it’s all part of the Seventy Seven My Month In The Media gubbins.
What I’ve read.
I’m reading Shantaram at the moment - recommended to me by Darren who runs our Shanghai office and is Australian, while walking past a Delhi shanty town at night (the significance of which will be lost on you unless you’ve read it). It’s fantastic, beautifully written and an amazing story. I can’t put it down - which makes typing a chore, frankly. I also read Alex James’s autobiography which was just wonderful. The man is a national treasure. Am also reading a book about Winston Churchill’s witicisms. Very fine.
What I’ve watched.
Sweet Fanny Adams on TV, to be honest. The Christmas special of Extras was on while I was cooking and the little of it I did see was very good (the George Michael monologue tickled me in particular “It was bloody Stewart Copeland’s skip - before we knew it the Police had turned up…”). Some football (top of the league, ithangyo). That was about it though. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang enthralled the kids. Cars too. Away from TV, I’ve been mucking about with the BBC iPlayer - although seven hours to download The Best of Top Gear last night was a little steep, I thought. Oh and I can highly recommend Ratatouille at the cinema - the best Disney film for years.
What I’ve listened to.
Again, very little. As a whole 2007 was a bad, bad year for music. December just awful. High School Musical 2 was on most in our house, which tells you all you need to know. The first Harry Potter book, read by the excellent Mr Fry, accompanied the family on our drive down and then back up France. On the eve of my birthday I tried listening to The (eponymous) Stone Roses and, as my Twitter followers will have discovered, didn’t enjoy it - for the first time evah. A sad, sad day. The beloved bought me a portable DAB for said birthday, but I can’t get no reception (no, no, no) at home and it doesn’t work on the train, so it’s going back. Shame. I really must listen to more music in 2008. In fact, I think I’ll review an album a week here - there, I’ve said it in front of both of you, so I’ll have to do it now. Quick caveat, for the bank manager: the albums may not necessarily be new ones.
Where I’ve surfed.
I hugely enjoyed not opening my laptop for almost two weeks over Chrimbo. I’ve realised I don’t really surf anymore - in fact, I appear to have disappeared up my own RSS. Which may or may not be a good thing. However, I dearly hope that someone somewhere works out how to better aggregate the news I want to read and presents it to me in a more convenient format than is currently the case. By the way, I seem to ’surf’ more on my mobile than on my PC. The mobile internet is becoming almost bearable, and is, as any fule kno, the future of everything.
Merry new year.
BetaBC December 14, 2007
Posted by James Warren in media, pr, web 2.0.3 comments
Been looking at the beta of the new BBC home page. As you’d expect, it’s all leaning towards greater personalisation, allowing each user to specify the news that’s relevant to them. And this ‘MyNews’ aspect will only get more sophisticated, I opine. Which begs the question – does that make a splash for a client on the BBC web site more or less valuable…? Discuss.
Mucky End. Er… November 2, 2007
Posted by James Warren in funny, pr, work.3 comments
Paul Mackender is off to join Grant, Jess, Susie and all his other chums at Inferno. Or rather a portion of him is:
“Part of me is going there looking to continue to grow Inferno’s business. It is growing really fast.”
Alarming. Presumably the other part of him is staying the same size. Perhaps that explains why it’s doing something different. Staying at home and twiddling its thumb, for instance. Good luck Macca - and I hope you pull yourself together soon.
Source: P Diddy Week (sub. reqd).