Friday 20 November 2015

What we're listening to. Stones 'Back & Blue'


You nearly have to have a Rolling Stones Album in there somewhere.

Arguably 'Exile on Main street', 'Let it Bleed' or 'Sticky Fingers' (all interestingly, pre-dated Black and Blue) but 'Black and Blue' is a good place to start from 1976, their 13th record. 

They've released 29 studio Albums alone and the next Album they produced after this, was 'Some Girls' which was their biggest seller ever - bizarrely. 1968-72 is considered their Golden Age where all the big singles came from. 

When Jagger/Richards started in circa 1961, they called themselves 'The Blue Boys' and although we are making it up, assume some link to this Album's title. The name 'The Rolling Stones' comes from a Muddy Waters song, 'Rolling Stone'. So there.

You'll like this, not just because it's the first Album to feature Ronnie Wood (from The Faces and a great pal of Rod Stewart) who replaced Mick Taylor, although Irish man Rory Gallagher was auditioned, but because it's so different. More funky, more reggae.

'Fool to Cry' was the big single from the Album but 'Memory Hotel' is a stand out track as well as, 'Melody' featuring the great Billy Preston

Generally though, it's not what you expect - more "produced" than the raw sound of their other records. And for that reason, it's well worth a listen, because it's different.

Clearly, very officey! Here's the great 'Melody' and you can hear Billy Preston all over it. Enjoy.

Thursday 19 November 2015

Square IPO Today at 2.9 Billion Dollars.....



Square will start trading today on the NYSE at 9 usd per share, on opening. This gives it a valuation of 2.9 Billion usd.

It's the Jack Dorsey company, or was, now that he's back at Twitter.

It lost 54 million usd in Q3 2015, a higher loss y-o-y and they've yet to make a profit, although that doesn't really bother us. But the valuation does.

It's a mobile payments company (www.squareup.com) largely at retail point-of-sale for Small businesses. Big deal - we've seen a 100 of these types of companies. 

So what's getting Square the profile and huge valuation? 

The presence of Jack Dorsey. And if you want a view....that's 2.9 BILLION of madness.....enough already.

UPDATE - It opened today at 11 Dollars 20 Cents. Range was 11-13 Dollars but priced at 9 Dollars. So this is real positive. Still makes no sense though....but remember, it has to CLOSE over 9 Dollars. 

Tuesday 17 November 2015

TV has simply become the delivery channel for live Sport only.


Adage, that bastion of all things Ad Agency, has a story showing that traditional TV in the USA has really just become the "delivery system" for the NFL.

Based on ratings, using Nielsen data, it shows that top rated programmes are all about Football live. The only other content that makes it, albeit in a relatively small way, is Season premieres or Republican debates.

So general entertainment per se, doesn't get a look in.

Pretty shocking if you're a TV broadcaster to see that all that supposed "rich" content you've developed, gets beaten by Football. 

For example, 'Supergirl' the newly well flagged show, ended up 71st on the list....'Empire' season premiere was 37th...'Walking Dead' a lowly 50.

Because entertainment is being watched online through video.
TV really is only about live broadcasts that you can't get online. Yet.



THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN
Fox National Game (Seahawks-Cowboys)Nov. 129.4
NBC SNF Kickoff Game (Steelers-Patriots)Sept. 1027.4
Fox National Game (Cowboys-Eagles)Sept. 2027.2
NBC Sunday Night Football (Giants-Cowboys)Sept. 1326.8
NBC Sunday Night Football (Seahawks-Packer)Sept 2026.4
CBS National Game (Patriots-Cowboys)Oct. 1126.1
Fox National Game (Packers-49ers)Oct. 425.9
CBS National Game (Chargers-Packers)Oct. 1825.0
Fox National Game (Cowboys-Giants)Oct. 2524.5
NBC Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-Saints)Oct. 424.2
CBS National Game (Broncos-Colts)Nov. 824.0
Fox News Channel GOP Primary DebateAugust 624.0
CBS National Game (Ravens-Broncos)Sept. 1323.3
CNN GOP Primary DebateSept. 1623.1
NBC Sunday Night Football (Eagles-Cowboys)Nov. 823.0
NBC Sunday Night Football (Packers-Broncos)Nov. 123.0
NBC Sunday Night Football (Patriots-Colts)Oct. 1822.8
NBC Sunday Night Football (Broncos-Lions)Sept. 2722.1
CBS National Game (Bears-Seahawks)Sept. 2722.1
Thursday Night Football (Broncos-Chiefs)Sept. 1721.1
NBC Sunday Night Football (Eagles-Panthers)Oct. 2520.6
NBC Sunday Night Football (49ers-Giants)Oct. 1119.6
Thursday Night Football (Ravens-Steelers)Oct. 119.4
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)Sept. 2118.2
NCISSept. 2218.2
Source: Nielsen
Chart by Chen Wu

Monday 16 November 2015

Facebook Safety Check launched in Paris.




Words fail us in understanding the Paris attacks of Friday night by Muslim extremists. The murder of people having a meal, watching football or at a concert. Inhuman, hardly comes close.

The Facebook 'Safety Check' tool was activated and used by nearly 5 million people to check on their friends and families. It has been used before in natural disasters 5 times since it launched in October 2014 but not in human tragedies before now.

But it will be used again should there ever be the need, which we hope against hope, there should not. However, it's a great innovation for Social Media under these tragic circumstances. God be good to them.