With 2016 coming to a close, we've together the list of our top 10 most opinion pieces of the year. This year IPG Mediabrand's CEO Danny Bass piqued a lot of interest when he refuted a Ritson rant and the sexism debate kicked off again.
1. Bass hits back at Ritson: 'Who the F are you to call our industry idiots, liars and thieves?' -
"To be honest I’m not sure what I was more pissed off about – your comments or the realisation that as an industry we’ve become so used to criticism we don’t fight back. You called a room full of execs f****** idiots and no one challenged you. Ever tried that in a pub back home?" IPG Mediabrands CEO Danny Bass
2. The M&C Saatchi sexism debate says a lot about the trade press
"I’m sure that the editorial team at Mumbrella are rubbing their hands together at a victory for feminism (and of course traffic) but I’m troubled by the whole thing for a few reasons, and not all of them are about sexism or M&C Saatchi," AdNews editor Rosie Baker says.
3. What Google's ad changes mean for marketers
"Google’s most recent change to the search results page was made on 18 February. This change is a big shift in the way both users and advertisers will interact with the search engine and one of the biggest changes seen in years," Web Profits CRO Duncan Jones says.
4. A look at Instagram's new algorithm and what you can expect
"Instagram’s announcement of a Facebook-like algorithm has sent chills through bloggers and brands the world over and also received a hostile backlash from many general users in the Instagram community," says James Towers, founding partner at 16K Agency.
5. The digital generation - what millennials want
"With buzzwords like conscious-capitalism being thrown around the industry a lot in the past few years, it is becoming evident that young consumers are increasingly adapting their buying habits to suit their personal values," Free is Better communications manager Courtney Johnston.
6. Optus needs new strategy after EPL own goal
"What could have been a golden opportunity, has turned into a PR disaster. Any euphoria fans may have experienced with the Foxes fairytale ending has been replaced with anger and resentment across social media and in comment sections of media sites - and rightfully so," AdNews journalist Arvind Hickman says.
"No CEO, no director of sales, no editor for one of its strongest titles and rumours swirling about the closure of another, Bauer Media doesn’t appear to be having the best start to 2016," AdNews journalist Sarah Homewood says.
8. Did Kogan buy Dick Smith brand or just a list of customers?
"This acquisition by Kogan, a disruptive change agent, deprives consumers of the instore experience, potentially reducing Dick Smith to a discount retail portal, much like Kogan itself," The Leading Edge director of qualitative insights Katharine Milner says.
9. Google search is going mobile first - here's what it means
"We know Google has been working on creating a separate mobile index for a while now, but with mobile searches now accounting for more than 50% of all searches, it’s making more sense to prioritise a more relevant and positive user experience for users on mobile devices," iProspect head of SEO Guy Jarvie says.
10. The impact of 100% viewability on advertising economics
"There is still a lot of confusion as to what “viewable” actually means. For example, when defending digital media in terms of viewability, people often bring up the argument that consumers may also go to the kitchen, bathroom, or simply check their phone when TV advertising is broadcasted," University of South Australia senior research analyst Nico Neumann says.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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