Monday, July 13, 2009

Mobile Internet going strong; advertisers pay attention

Los Angeles Times, Mar 16, 2009 (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/03/mobile-internet.html)





Remember the days when you rolled out of bed, turned on your computer and checked the news, weather and your Facebook account? That's so 2008. An increasing number of people are going straight to their mobile phones for all that information, according to a ComScore study released today. The number of U.S. cellphone users who accessed the mobile Internet daily in January reached 22 million, double that of a year earlier.

"Consumers have more and more choices, and they're finding a pretty good experience using the mobile Web," said Mark Donovan, a senior analyst at ComScore.

The number of people using the mobile Web to access a social networking site quadrupled to 9 million, Donovan said, while the number of people who used the mobile Web to trade stocks or access a financial account nearly tripled to 3 million. (Phones might be useful for panic trading.)

Usage is increasing as more smartphones land in people's hands, Donovan said. The number of people with smartphones increased 81% over the past year, to 24.8 million from 13.7 million.

That trend is likely to continue as phones drop in price. ISuppli, an El Segundo research firm, predicts 11% growth in global smartphone sales in 2009, even as.

... the overall mobile handset market slogs along. And Juniper Research predicts that smartphones will account for 23% of all new mobile phones by 2013, as demand for complicated applications draw consumers to more technically savvy handsets.

Popular content also is driving the on-the-go Internet numbers, Donovan said, as media properties such as CNN and Google perfect their mobile sites. That's motivated phone users without smartphones to start using the mobile Web too, he said.

This is all good news for advertisers, who are struggling to find an effective place to reach people in a year in which their budgets are significantly smaller than last. Donovan says internal ComScore studies have found that ads viewed on mobile phones can have higher click-through rates than those viewed on computers. Some mobile ads are viewed by users who are otherwise difficult to reach, such as those who don't use computers as much and mostly check the Web on their phones, he said.

Half of males 18 to 34 access news and information via the mobile Web, according to ComScore.

"Mobile marketing seems recession-proof due to the well-known fact that the number of mobile users is still growing and will continue to grow," Alexandre Mars, head of Mobile Publicis Groupe, said in a recent white paper.

His proof? There are 30 countries where the mobile penetration rate is above 100%, India boasts 9 million new users each month and China adds as many users as the population of Miami each month.

"Mobile marketing will give the advertising industry a complete face-lift," he said.

What will the sports world look like in 2025?

ctv.ca, Mar 15, 2009 (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090313/future_of_sports_090315/20090315?hub=World)





An NFL running back with 3.8 speed in the 40-yard dash collides with a safety that bench-presses 400 pounds. Two centres tip off an NBA game in Spain, while a backcourt press causes a turnover and an easy two points in China, and none of the players had to cross any oceans to get to the arena. And all of it is viewed in real time by subscription-paying fans plugging a Web connection into a big-screen TV.

Welcome to the sports world of 2025, where stronger, faster athletes compete at a breakneck pace on the field while their owners and sponsors do the same off of it. Sports training and medicine are making enormous leaps, as is media convergence.

The sports fan of 2025 will be able to view any number of games on a dizzying array of platforms. "Leagues are building out their own networks," says David Card, a vice president and media analyst with Forrester Research who figures that initiatives like NBA TV and the MLB Network, along with team-controlled operations like the New York Yankees' YES Network, will control increasing amounts of coverage in the future. That will include the ability to view live games over the Internet, an initiative the NBA is already planning for next season.

As leagues and teams take total control, traditional outlets like CBS and Disney's ABC and ESPN may be left scrambling to find a niche beyond live programming. This could mean settling for the secondary role of supplying things like statistics, analysis and fantasy-league access.

But the casual viewer shouldn't panic -- yet. "Advertisers will still pay a lot of bills. ... It's a disinterested third party that best delivers to those who really care about the content," says Card. So even as media coverage of sports becomes increasingly fragmented, networks and pay-per-view services won't disappear altogether. Major, advertising-heavy events like the Super Bowl and World Series will continue to have their homes on the broadcast airwaves.

And what of the recent trend for building billion-dollar sports palaces? As the new Yankee stadium, the as-yet unnamed Dallas Cowboys' new home and the Mets' Citigroup- (and taxpayer-) funded Citi Field are receiving their finishing touches, the tanking economy has many fans rethinking the value of super seats and super stadiums.

Sure, the economic slump will only last so long, but some experts think the shock and suddenness of the global financial crisis may have shifted consumer attitudes permanently. For all but the wealthiest, the luxury sports experience could be out for a long time. That means a lot of $1,000 tickets and personal seat licenses could go unsold and unpopulated for a very long time.

To make up for the lost revenue, teams will turn to in-game sponsorship dollars, thinks Ketchum Sports vice president Shawn McBride. So prepare for an increase in technologically injected product placements in sports telecasts and for uniform patches to turn players into walking billboards for the likes of Gatorade and Toyota.

"The question will be how fans respond to that," says McBride. His guess: Just fine, once the novelty wears off. People have a way of getting used to things; in due time, their attention will revert back to following the action on the field

Other changes he foresees: Municipal politicians driving tougher bargains to help fund stadiums. And, by 2025, a true global presence for some major U.S. sports leagues. The popularity of hockey and basketball in many overseas locations have the NHL and NBA best positioned to develop true European or Asian branches over the next decade or so.

"The NBA is already a global brand," McBride says. "It's just a matter of the competition catching up with the interest."

But none of this can happen without the true stars of the game: the athletes. And fans can expect future stars to be bigger, faster and more durable. According to sports fitness experts, advances in training will allow athletes to safely strengthen traditional trouble spots, reducing rehab time for common maladies like high ankle sprains and torn ACLs to half what they were in the mid 1990s.

Meantime, the first NFL speedster to run a sub-four-second 40 yard dash isn't far off, nor is the first running back or safety to bench press 400 pounds -- two decades after a 300 pound lift was considered an impressive feat. Such will be the fans' reward for forking over so much money to see the games.

And wealthy players won't need to worry about off-season jobs. "Now, (the athletes') job is to get better," says Patrick Ward, a strength and conditioning coach who runs Optimum Sports Performance in Chandler, Ariz. "It's not unusual for 20 different guys on a team to have their own trainer. They're really focused on taking care of their bodies."

In the age of high-definition television and high-priced seats, they should be.

Territory Report: China/Hong Kong; Different platforms grow at different paces

Daily Variety, Feb 6, 2009





China is forecast to continue to see expansion of its digital cable, mobile phone and theatrical film markets for several years. Satellite TV and IPTV are growing at a slower pace because government, having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in cable, has sought to protect it from directly competing technologies.

Another factor holding back IPTV has been the relatively low penetration of broadband Internet and computers in the home. By a recent count, China had 298 million Web users (up 48% in 2008), but many of those use Internet cafes, which receive content from intermediary aggregators and are increasingly finding the legality of that content questioned by regulators cracking down on vulgarity.

Meanwhile the theatrical market is thriving as cinema screens come onstream at the rate of 10 a week. Box office receipts grew by 27% in 2008 to $622 million.

Hong Kong, which is a "Special Administrative Region" of China with its own laws, currency and economic trends, is home to arguably the most successful deployment of IPTV in the world.

NowTV, launched there in 2003 by telco PCCW, last year became the territory's leading pay TV platform, overtaking its cable rival in 2008. But on-demand movie offerings remain small.

The territory is pushing ahead with digital terrestrial television, which now reaches 25% of households in its coverage zone. It is free but require modifications to receiving equipment.

Chinese internet users on the rise; Number grows to 298 million

Daily Variety, Jan 14, 2009





The number of Internet users in China rose 42% in 2008 to 298 million, with its 22.6% penetration beating the 21.9% world average for the first time, a government-sanctioned research group said in a report.

Around 91% of China’s webizens had broadband connections, the China Internet Network Information Center said, quoted by the Xinhua news agency.

China overtook the U.S. for the number of Internet users in June, to become the world’s leader. But U.S. online penetration is more than 70% against China’s 22.6%, leaving plenty of room for expansion in a population of 1.3 billion.

The number of people using cell phones to surf the Internet doubled to 117 million, a reflection of cheaper costs and an expanded wireless network.

一个美国女人和她的上千个中国孩子--专访新华悦动传媒CEO Fredy Bush女士

原文刊登在《今日民航》2009年3月刊, P66


布希女士, 全球商界50强女性之一。十年之内她在中国领导两家公司在世界两大主要市场上市;这位在中国市场上成就事业的女强人先后创立了两大基金会-资助失学女童重新获得读书机会的羽蝶基金,和在中国偏远乡村建立图书馆,以知识脱贫的新华图书馆基金会。从美国犹他州到中国上海再到偏远的宁夏;从两家上市公司到两家慈善基金会,她做的的确不少。而推动她热心公益事业的是一段不能抹去的人生记忆……

与书本为伴的贫困母亲

在访谈过程中,记者了解到眼前这位杰出的商业女性并非毕业于某知名院校,她甚至没有接受过高等教育。在她还是青少年的时候,就已经是两个孩子的母亲了。 在她20岁那年,丈夫不幸因车祸去世,留下了年轻的她和年幼的孩子。

布希强迫放弃了自己的学业,为了抚养孩子,她做过很多份不同的工作,但是学历低,经验少, 令她无法获得足以维持生活得薪水。提起当初的艰辛生活,她至今记忆犹新:”在美国,政府会给穷人发食品领取券,这是超市收银员最讨厌收的东西,因为这些食品券让他们费力而不赚钱。有一次,在收银的时候我才发现我买的东西多了,已经超出了食品券的额度,只能让收银员一件一件的将超出的商品取消。那个收银员很不耐烦,怪我买不起还要拿这么多,身后排着常常的队伍,所有的人都在看着我,我的儿子看到我被人责骂,立刻就哭了起来。”

就是这些不愉快的经验和羞辱,令她有要自强的决心。布希从那时起就懂得知识能够改变命运的道理。尽管放弃了学业,但是她仍然坚持自修: 数学,历史,小说…所有能够拿到手的书籍她都看。书本是她的良朋也是益友,或许是因为不在学校的人更加珍惜学习的机会, 布希读书的广度与深度为她日后在商界叱诧提供了足够的知识储备。直到今天她仍然保留着读书的习惯,无论到哪里,她总是会抽出时间去读书。

一本航空杂志,让他与上千失学女童结下不解之缘

机会总是眷顾那些有准备的人,是偶然也是必然,布希有了今天的成就,而书籍无疑便是成就她事业成功的关键。在一次公务旅行中,一本航空杂志上的文章吸引了布希女士的注意。文章讲述了在中国宁夏贫困地区的一位妇女,用自己微薄的收入无偿资助了上百个女童读书的事迹。布希被这篇文章深深的触动了。谁也没想到,就在几个月后,这位金发蓝眼睛的美国女人毅然亲自踏上了中国西部这片贫瘠的土地,开始了和上千名贫困女童之间的不解之缘。

第一次看到与北京,上海的繁荣形成强烈反差的中国西部乡村,看到因贫困而失学的女孩子,她陷入了沉思。布希似乎在这些中国西部地区贫困的女孩子身上找到了自己从前的身影。要让她们受到应有的教育,有了知识,她们的将来才会有希望。”不怕贫困,就怕你没有脱离贫困的决心,” 对布希来说,只有怀揣希望和梦想,人生才能得以改变。那一刻,在布希的脑海里,产生了这种强烈的想法,也是在那一刻,布希决定成立用于资助失学女童的羽蝶基金。如同布希女士说的,希望这些女孩子能像羽蝶一样,通过自己的努力,将来能够破蛹成碟,振翅高飞。

从羽蝶基金成立至今,通过该基金的资助而复学的女童已超过1000人,其中80位女孩已经念到高中,15人步入了大学校园。布希女士告诉我,他们每一位受到资助的女童,都和她有一个约定,那就是等将来她们学业有成之后,有能力的时候,也要尽自己的能力去帮助像她们一样因贫困而失学的孩子。

布希说:”只要她们愿意,我就会资助她们,一直到她们把书念完,但是当她们有一天能够自己站起来有能力的时候,她们就会帮忙做和我一样的事情。今天我资助了一千个,几年后这一千个孩子会资助更多个一千人,这样就能够把这份事业继续下去,帮助到更多的人。”

布希每年都在她繁忙的工作中抽出三天时间,长途跋涉亲自探望这些女童。每次她下飞机后还要花上五六个小时车程才抵达学校,对日理万机的集团掌舵人来说似乎是一份奢侈。但布希却觉得十分值得:”我自己从中得到的比我付出的要多。她们真挚的笑容,充满希望的眼神足够让人融化,也令我暂时忘记工作上的烦恼。” 今天,成为众人妈妈的布希常常收到”女儿”寄来的信,通过助手的翻译,她会利用周六的时间逐一回信。

延续书的力量-----建立图书馆基金会

与此同时,布希还成立了新华图书馆基金会,在中国偏远乡村建立图书馆并为之提供图书,提升当地群众的识字机会和文化水平,从而帮助他们摆脱贫穷,改善生活。很容易想象到这个概念来自布希本身与书本的”亲密关系”。在布希心中,就算全村只有一个人能读书,他也可以通过阅读图书馆里的书籍,将知识传播给其他人。迄今为止,该基金会在宁夏为一座乡村图书馆提供了经济上的资助并捐赠了书籍,还分别在宁夏和内蒙古自治区完成了3座图书馆。

零八年五月份的四川大地震,不仅令许多人无家可归,还令许多孩子失去了他们读书的学校。陕西省宁强县也是此次地震的重灾区之一,当地文化部门辗转找到新华图书基金会,希望基金会能够帮助他们重建一所因地震而倒塌的小学,布希一口便答应了,她还亲自勘察了校址,为学校送去了35万元的捐款。

然而,令布希最骄傲的是,她得家人,朋友,还有她的员工都非常支持她回馈社会的举动。新华图书馆基金会已成为公司文化的重要部分。她的员工们除了捐钱外,还会经常捐书,捐物,有很多人更亲自去宁夏,内蒙当地,亲自动手,挖地基,搬砖头,砌泥灰,和村民们并肩劳动。慈善的意义并不仅仅在于提高物质上的援助,用布希自己的话, “这并非是简单的施与和接受。在帮助和获得帮助的过程中,每位参与其中的人已变换了身份,相互帮助,不分彼此。与人分享的过程中,也是与自己的心灵沟通的过程。”

“永远不要小看自己”与”永不放弃”

作为一名杰出的商业女性,布希也很享受她的家庭生活。布希平衡事业与家庭的秘诀是全身投入,在办公室与家庭里,你永远不要三心二意。”其实中国女性比国外女性拥有者更多的机会,”布希说, “我的职业领域以男性为主导,但我从一开始就告诉自己,我一定要成功!在这个路途上,坚持是最为重要的。”

对于那些有抱负的女性们,布希给出了两点建议: 第一,永远不要小看了自己。第二,永远不要放弃。这两点建议,也正是布希自己人生的缩影吧。

当布希最后谈到《今日民航》杂志时,她鼓励的说:”当初我是因为飞机上的一本杂志,才有了今天的两个基金会,帮助需要帮助的人。我也希望有人在看过你们的杂志之后,能去帮助更多的人。”

目前,新华图书馆基金和羽蝶基金正在中国偏远的地区发挥着作用,它们让布希女士帮助别人改变生活得梦想得以实现,为一家上市集团带来了无价的企业文化,同时也为那里的孩子们带去了知识并成就他们的梦想。


布希女士介绍:

布希在2004年曾入选《华尔街日版》”全球商界女性50强”;2006年获得美国族裔组织联盟颁发的埃利斯岛荣誉奖章;2006年10月在第五届CNBC亚洲商业领袖奖的评选中被授予年度亚洲企业家奖,以及香港美国商会颁发的”最具影响力女性”奖之年度最佳企业奖。她所领导的新华悦动传媒[Xinhua Sports & Entertainment Limited ( NASDAQ: XSEL); 前名新华财经传媒(Xinhua Finance Media Limited) ]是一家中国领先的传媒集团,重点聚焦体育与娱乐传媒领域。公司于纳斯达克上市,员工超过1300名。XSEL一直以服务中国年轻的新富一族为营运宗旨,把精彩的国际体育赛事和优质的娱乐内容引进中国,并透过其独有而广泛的传播平台送递至目标受众。XSEL的传播平台涵盖电视,互联网,移动通信,广播,报纸,杂志,以及校园营销网络等众多媒体报道。此外,XSEL还可为广告客户提供一站式综合全面解决方案,充分满足客户在传播各阶段的不同需要,成为链接广告客户与新富一族之间的桥梁。

经济低迷加速数字化革命进程

中国信息产业网, 2009年6月18日 (http://tech.sina.com.cn/t/2009-06-18/18593192408.shtml)





6月16日,普华永道发布了《全球娱乐及媒体行业2009~2013年展望报告》。报告指出,在未来五年中,随着数字化进程的发展,数字技术将会进一步渗透到娱乐和媒体行业的各个方面。当前的经济低迷毫无疑问地影响到娱乐媒体市场的几乎每一个领域,然而这同时也加速促进了内容提供商和消费者之间的数字化进程。

尽管这次经济低迷并不会改变数字化进程的基本推动力,但它很可能会影响到其速度和力度,进而影响到行业转变的时点。换言之,它将会使数字化进程更加难以回避。

普华永道全球娱乐及媒体行业主管合伙人范翎斯表示:“从某种意义上说,危机可以被称作是一次‘完美风暴’。黑暗中总有一丝光明,现在的希望就是数字化。那些可以抓住在瞬息万变的市场中出现的机遇并且迅速敏捷地调整其业务模式的公司就能够在新的盈利模式出现时加以充分利用。”

加速发展的数字化技术衍生并加强了新的消费习惯和“数字行为”。消费者对于其消费内容的地点、时间和方式寻求更多的控制,同时又在价格上比以往更加谨慎,希望从其选择中获得最大价值。数字技术的进步正使得这一需求得以轻松实现。

中国内地的娱乐及媒体行业将以9.5%的年平均复合增长率增长至1100亿美元,大大超过全球2.7%的增长速度。

普华永道中国娱乐及媒体行业合伙人唐徽表示:“中国的娱乐和媒体行业将在2009年取得7.1%的增长率,继续处在领跑全球的行列,但是与之前5年两位数的增长率相比还是有所减速。”

2008年,中国是亚太地区互联网接入第二大市场。中国拥有世界最多的有线接入互联网用户,于2008年达到1.61亿,并超过美国成为世界最大的有线宽带接入市场,有线宽带用户数达到7600万。虽然由于整体经济发展和互联网渗透速度放缓,互联网市场不能和过去5年的飞速增长相提并论,但是仍然预计互联网市场取得两位数增长,年平均复合增长率达到12.7%。到2013年,互联网接入市场的收入预计达到365亿美元。

在过去的5年中有线互联网广告均以两位数的增长率增长,这主要来源于宽带用户激增加大了在线广告有效受众面。中国互联网络信息中心最近公布的数据显示,2008年中国用户数量与上年相比上升了41%至2.98亿,相当于22%的中国人口。预计2009年宽带家庭用户将增加21%,在线广告将增加15%。

移动广告在中国的支出在2008年总计达到3800万美元。正如宽带用户的增长推动在线网络广告,预计移动接入的增长也将推动移动广告。2008年,亚太地区通过手机访问互联网人数上升到近2亿,其中大约一半来自中国。预计在未来5年内这一数字将增加一倍以上,到2013年达到近5.5亿。

中国是亚太地区付费电视第二大市场。预计中国的付费电视用户数将从2008年的近1.63亿增长到2013年的2.2亿。付费电视的收入主要受益于网络电视(IPTV)和卫星电视。

2008年电信市场的重组使市场变得更有效率并且更便于运营商提供网络电视服务,使得网络电视更加方便接入,这也将成为市场增长的主要驱动力。网络电视的用户群在2008年增加了一倍多至260万,预计家庭用户将在2013年增加到1000万。

视频游戏市场将以年平均复合增长率12.6%的速度增长,其主要增长来自在线游戏。宽带接入的日益普及会带动在线游戏以及多玩家游戏。网吧的社交娱乐文化以及缺乏其他低成本娱乐方式将会使网络游戏市场继续繁荣。

普华永道报告称:中国传媒业增长领跑全球

中国经营报, 2009年6月23日 (http://media.people.com.cn/GB/9524586.html)





普华永道近日发布的《全球娱乐及媒体行业2009~2013年展望报告》指出,在未来5年中,随着数字化进程的发展,数字技术将会进一步渗透到娱乐和媒体行业的各个方面。当前的经济低迷毫无疑问地影响到了娱乐媒体市场的几乎每一个领域,然而这同时也加速促进了内容提供商和消费者之间的数字化进程。

在2009~2013年预测期间,整个全球娱乐及媒体市场,包括消费者和广告开支将以2.7%的年平均复合增长率增长,到2013年将达到1.6万亿美元。普华永道预期最初的2009年将会以3.9%的速度下降、2010年仅以0.4%的速度增长,在以后的年度里将会以较快速度增长,到2013年将达到7.1%的增长率。可以肯定的是,同以往相比,这次经济衰退将会持续更长的时间,并且对消费者开支的影响也会更加严重。娱乐媒体行业也不会幸免于这一趋势的影响——娱乐媒体行业的消费者开支预计在2009年将会下降1.2%,在2010年继续保持疲软态势,而2011年仅以3.2%的低增长率增长。

对此次衰退将会因国家、地区的不同而有不同的反应,有些区域几乎没有表现出什么不良的影响,而另外一些区域则出现了剧烈的衰退。亚太区域仍旧是全球增长最快的地区之一。到2013年为止,亚太地区的娱乐及媒体市场将以4.5%的年平均复合增长率保持增长,消费者和广告开支可达到4130亿美元。

普华永道中国娱乐及媒体行业合伙人唐徽表示:“中国的娱乐和媒体行业将在2009年取得7.1%的增长率,继续处在领跑全球的行列,但是与之前5年两位数的增长率相比还是有所减速。”

付费电视领域是增长最快的市场,年平均复合增长率将达到22%,其次是互联网广告和互联网接入,分别为18.5%和12.7%。另外,电影娱乐、唱片音乐和视频游戏市场都有望取得两位数的增长。

互联网接入:2008年,中国是亚太地区第二大市场。中国拥有世界最多的有线接入互联网用户,于2008年达到1.61亿,并超过美国成为世界最大的有线宽带接入市场,有线宽带用户达到7600万。虽然由于整体经济发展和互联网渗透速度放缓,互联网市场不能和过去5年的飞速增长相提并论,但是研究人员仍然预计互联网市场取得两位数增长,年平均复合增长率达到12.7%。到2013年,互联网接入市场的收入预计达到365亿美元。

互联网广告:在过去的5年中有线互联网广告均以两位数的增长率增长,这主要来源于宽带用户激增加大了在线广告有效受众面。中国互联网络信息中心最近公布的数据显示,2008年中国用户数量与2007年相比上升了41%至2.98亿,相当于22%的中国人口。普华永道预计2009年宽带家庭用户将增加21%,在线广告将增加15%。

移动广告在中国的支出在2008年总计达到3800万美元。正如宽带用户的增长推动在线网络广告,预计移动接入的增长也将推动移动广告。2008年,亚太地区通过手机访问互联网人数上升到近2亿,其中大约一半来自中国。预计在未来5年内这一数字将增加一倍以上,到2013年达到近5.5亿。

付费电视:中国是亚太地区第二大市场。预计中国的付费电视用户将从2008年的近1.63亿增长到2013年的2.2亿。付费电视的收入主要受益于网络电视(IPTV)和卫星电视。在中国,有线电视用户在连续3年的两位数的增长后于2008年放缓至5.3%。预计有线电视用户在未来5年内将以2.9%年平均复合增长率增加至1.85亿。

视频游戏:视频游戏市场将以年平均复合增长率12.6%的速度增长,其主要增长来自在线游戏。宽带接入的日益普及会带动在线游戏以及多玩家游戏。网吧的社交娱乐文化以及缺乏其他低成本娱乐方式将会使网络游戏市场继续繁荣。

电影娱乐:电影娱乐的收入将以年平均复合增长率13.4%的速度增长。中国是2008年增长最快的地区,增长率达到24%。新建电影院以及更受欢迎的本地电影推动电影院票房收入连续第二年增长27%。

普华永道《全球娱乐及媒体行业展望:2009~2013年》为第十期年度报告,载有覆盖12个主要行业领域及全球四大区域北美(美国、加拿大)、EMEA(欧洲、中东及非洲)、亚太地区及拉丁美洲的深入分析、预测以及全球概览。