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President Obama and Oil & Gas

After all the hype then President Obama was re-elected in the US Presidential Election earlier this month. Not having Congress onside has hurt Obama in Term 1; his wish to extend credit and reflate the US economy ensured he suffered electorally. That’s’ American politics for you folks. Presidents need Congress.
Related to our industry of Oil & Gas, we ask, how harmful is Obama’s re-election to the Global Oil & Gas Industry anyway? The flexing and scaremongering of those implicit in their view that Obama naturally is predisposed to taking antagonistic positions against said O&G companies.
Has the industry fared badly? We think not! Consider the facts.
O&G production has risen sharply, in our estimation it simply represents the bullish price activity related to persistent high prices which have created a ‘demand pull’ not ‘cost push’ pricing effect. These rising prices have allowed O&G companies to reinvest an increasing degree of profit share into new project development.
It is this very creation of these infrastructures which are unlikely to impact on O&G prices for some time to come. There is always a ‘lag’ in some sense prevalent where infrastructure projects are affected.
Historically O&G companies fared well under Obama. The AMEX Nation al Gas Index; the Index increased between Obama first term inauguration by 85%! Not bad!! On the Oil side for instance Chevron went up by 75% under Obama’s Presidency.
It’s obvious to the writer here that it is not the predisposition of politicians towards energy that matters, more the fact that external factors ‘trump’ presidential policies when looking at company and sector performance. As in any business, product price sets the agenda, yet it those companies with superior management and great decision making skills who can make money in the bearish markets; when prices are actually falling.
Price per barrel 4 years ago $30, we now look toward $150. Personally fossil fuel investments have always appealed to me as a secure ‘banker’ irrespective of political climate.
The USA in 2015 will become the world’s O&G producer. That fits in with our analysis.
We welcome your comments. Thank you.

Phil Collins

Is like the weather today. No Jacket Required. Groan.

Public Space – V – Social Space

The erudite Suzanne moore puts it beautifully [as ever]. We careful what you wish for! References to Focault and isolationism. Clever thoughtful piece. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/18/social-media-new-religion-sharing

Fakebook? Likes?

Up to 54 Million Facebook profiles may be fakes apparently. Oh dear. That’s 6% of their 904 Million unique global users. I can guarantee Facebook that my unique likes are Everton FC, HP Sauce, Marmite, and The Smiths. Advertisers beware. Attached is a nice piece. Feel free to comment…………..http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18813237

Son of Facebook : Facebook is fighing back : The Fight to keep Facebook free

It had to happen. After the furore over the Facebook IPO Share issue, Facebook is fighting back. Reminding the writer of Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky Balboa’, Facebook is definitely on the ropes @ present in Round 2. They’ve taken a bit of a slugging if the truth be told. From all sides. Not quite a standing eight count, but nearly. However, they have seen light on hearing the bell for Round 3. What has turned this round?
The Answer?
Recruitment advertising that’s what. Paid advertising too. Shock horror! £ in Social Networking! That mighty organ Stateside, ‘The Wall Street Journal’ no less has reported on the creation of ‘Facebook Jobs’. Simply, ‘Facebook Jobs’ is an aggregator which pulls in all the social data and metrics held on each of the unique 900 Million global users against jobs held by job boards and the like. So effectively Facebook will create a searchable database of jobs for Facebook users to browse and select.

Perhaps more tellingly for me; Facebook knows your habits and has masses of social data on you as an individual; the writer likes Everton FC and The Smiths for instance. Facebook can provide employers and recruiters with the kind of profiling most recruitment firms would kill for. Quite simply, Facebook will provide a superb recruiting solution for corporate clients and recruitment companies and agencies. LinkedIn have kind of cornered the market to date. Watch Out LinkedIn! Facebook has the gloves on; and their guard is up!

Issues Affecting the Digital Creative Directors

What is THE challenge facing the Digital Creative Director in today’s market? Clients, budgets, people or digital design issues?
The line between online and offline shopping is blurring. Researchers are finding that even consumers who don’t buy online are using mobile technology to locate items locally

Momsumers
51 percent of online women are moms. They use social networks more frequently and longer, and readily share information about their kids and education online. To add, mothers are the fastest-growing buyers of iPhones.

Digital BFFs
Women highly influence the viewpoints of their online friends. Because they spend more time on social media, it follows that brands should look for innovative ways to influence women’s digital “best friends forever” networks. Consider the evidence on women’s online habits:

22 percent shop online at least once a day

92 percent pass along information about deals or finds to others

171: average number of contacts in their e-mail or mobile lists

76 percent want to be part of a special or select panel

The Three-Screen Woman
With television’s importance on the decline among women (58 percent would toss TV if they had to get rid of one digital device; only 11 percent would ditch their laptops), brands focused on traditional modes of advertising now have a business case for taking their marketing strategies online. Today’s women split their attention among three digital screens: smartphone, laptop/desktop, and tablet.

The Mobile Trinity: Social-Local-Info
With smartphone and tablet purchases now expected to outnumber computer purchases, brands simply cannot afford to leave mobile technology out of their marketing strategies. Moving forward, consumers will cease to point, click, and scroll. They will touch, drag, pinch, zoom, and even switch from landscape and portrait layouts on brand websites

So, what do you think?

Thanks to Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa for this article

Publicis have bought BBH

Readers! have you heard? Publicis have bought BBH. Read it here. http://www.campaignasia.com/Article/307691,publicis-groupe-acquires-bbh.aspx?eid=25&edate=20120705

Twitter -V- Linked In

Twitter has gone all unilateral on us people. Tweets are no longer to be sent to LinkedIn accounts worldwide. Why? Well Twitter are ‘competing’ with LinkedIn these days, that’s why. Due to their rapid expansion, Twitter are grabbing social media market share, dragging away Facebook users in particular. Are Twitter worried about LinkedIn? It would seem so on this evidence. LinkedIn has a huge slice of the social media market on the business level, and Twitter wants to build its business users usage in social media. The delicious irony of it. Personally, for me; it’s a bit churlish, but; it’s competition @ the end of the day.

Today

Today is a lovely day. Tonight: off to Brockwell Park to see ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Can’t wait! #Shakespeare