James Baggott – Page 3045 – Blackball Media

We’re looking for a video editor to join our growing team

Steven Spielberg? Pah! James Cameron? Not good enough. We’re looking for the next BIG thing in video editing. And we don’t mean tall people. We mean an FCPX level software.

If you know Final Cut well enough to cut together a Gladiator sequel in your lunch break or could create a rival to Wall.E in After Effects during EastEnders, you’re in luck.

Blackball Media’s growing video department is looking for a keen Mac maestro to manoeuvre a mouse and tap at a keyboard to create videos that will make our clients pass out with joy.

We’ve picked up some exciting video contracts for 2014 which will keep our new video editor rather busy. Ranging from car reviews to documentary style talking head advice videos, these will need to be produced at a steady rate – to a consistently high standard.

Based in our Gosport office, this role would suit a graduate who wants to work with some of the biggest car brands, content channels and household names in the UK.

Shooting cars is one of the best jobs in the world – they’re exciting, they’re beautiful and when they’re captured right, they’re captivating on film.

Your work will be seen by millions of people and not only will you work with a cracking team, but you’ll be challenged every day to produce the best original viagra 100mg.

We need our video editor to have the following:

Final Cut Pro 7 and 10 expertise
After Effects knowledge would be useful
Full driving licence
Passion for cars desirable, but not a necessity
Experience shooting with a DSLR
Experience shooting films and editing

If you think you’ve got what it takes to impress, send a CV, covering email and a link to your show reel to [email protected]. Applications close January 6.

I need to make an apology to all our readers who were desperate for a review of the Vauxhall Corsa Sting 1.3CDTi 16v 75 ecoFlex 3dr… because it’s not going to happen.

Equally, if you were scouring our websites – and I know you were – looking for our thoughts on the Vauxhall Insignia SE 2.0 CDTi 120 ecoFlex Start/Stop 5dr, you’ll also be disappointed.

Why? Well, I’m very sad to announce that the Vauxhall press office, the keepers of the keys to some of the most riveting cars on sale (have you spotted any sarcasm yet?) have banned us from driving their cars.

So what’s gone on? Did we crash one of their range into a tree? Nope. Did we print lies about their range? No, that’s not it either.

What we did was dare to publish a column in Car Dealer Magazine that questioned them. You can read that column here, but in short it centres around the absurd quote from the MD that they’ll overtake Ford in the sales charts by 2016 – we simply couldn’t understand how they’d manage that. And said so.

The column that landed us in tepid water

But apparently journalists aren’t allowed an opinion any more. Because if they do express one, and that opinion happens to contradict the manufacturer, then you’re cast aside, banned, blacklisted from driving their cars.

Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? But it’s happening to us, all because Vauxhall didn’t like what we had to say.

So where does that leave honest reviews? It’s ok for the bigger publications like Auto Express and Autocar to have an opinion that the manufacturer doesn’t like, because they NEED magazines like that to write about their cars, good or bad.

But smaller titles, like Car Dealer Magazine, bloggers or freelance journalists – well, they’re all too easy to strike off the list. Unless we toe the party line and write nice things, then why not strike us off – we won’t be able to write things they don’t like after that then, will we?

Mokka. Don't test it, just photograph it — Mokka. Don’t test it, just photograph it

If we really do feel the need to test a Vauxhall in the future I’m sure there are plenty of well-stocked dealers around the country we can visit. Or, failing that, there seems to be a very healthy supply of them with hire car companies…

It’s worth mentioning a bit of background at this point too.

Earlier this year I realised our relationship with Vauxhall wasn’t going too well, so I decided to extend the olive branch, invite them down for lunch to meet the Blackball Media editorial team, and perhaps chat about how we can work together better.

I sent it to their director of communications. Twice. Then I sent it a third time and copied in the MD. But I still didn’t get a reply. Not even a courteous ‘thanks but no thanks’. It was just ignored.

I don’t know about you, but you’d think a press office’s primary purpose was to respond to the press. It wasn’t like I was asking them how many pre-reg cars they’re pumping into the UK market, was it?

Below is the email I finally received from the head of the press office at Vauxhall earlier today. It appears someone pointed out where the ‘send’ button is.

He mentions he lent us a Mokka ‘not to test’ and was then annoyed when we wrote about it.

For the record, the piece was written by a freelance journalist who had been invited to drive the Mokka at their Luton head office. He based his opinion on that, not the car we were sent for ‘photography only’. I can’t tell you why we weren’t allowed to base our opinion on the car they sent us, because I simply don’t know.

It seems the brand’s director of communications forgot who wrote that piece.

He also mentions my ‘malicious’ article which was very ‘personal and extremely unprofessional’. Again, the link to the article is here – I’ll let you be the judge of my professionalism.

We don’t go out intentionally to annoy manufacturers. But equally we don’t go out to write stories just to please them either. If what we write doesn’t please some people then that’s something we’re simply going to have to live with. And if that means not driving another Vauxhall, then so be it.

I’ve had lots of tweets about the whole sorry saga today, but I particularly liked this one:

@CarDealerEd Perhaps, at times like these, you must remember George Orwell’s words: pic.twitter.com/O9Gy5fkd4C

— Jamie Fretwell (@JamieFretwell) December 16, 2013

Right, I’m off to the framers – not being ‘the biggest loss to Vauxhall’ needs to be on display in my office for all to see.

Our video man Nigel heads to the Jungle

Blackball Media’s video team doesn’t just produce motoring films – they can turn their hand to pretty much anything. And if anything proves that, it’s this!

Nigel Swan, our head of video, recently headed to Brazil to film the Jungle Marathon. This gruelling event crosses 200km of the Amazonian rainforest and has been voted the ‘World’s Toughest Endurance Race’ by CNN.

Hearing the stories Nigel came back with, we don’t doubt that’s anything but the truth. While he dodged snakes and handbag-sized spiders, the competitors had it even tougher – they had to run the course!

Nigel said: ‘It was an incredible event. At times it was pretty scary, but I’ll never forget the inspirational athletes who battled some tortuous conditions to complete the marathon.’

Blackball Media was commissioned to produce a round-up video of the event.

The footage Blackball Media shot for the organisers was also used by news channels across the world, including Sky News Sports, Hungarian Euronews, Eurosport, Netherlands TV, ABC News as well as Spanish and French sports channels.

On top of the showcase film you can watch below, we are also putting together a longer film for the DVD, which will be offered to competitors.

If you’re interested in commissioning the Blackball Media video team for ANY video job call (023) 9252 2434 or contact us via the website here.

Opening sequence from Blackball Media on Vimeo.

How dealers and manufacturers made most of our Used Car Awards

It’s just over a week since Blackball Media hosted the Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards, sponsored by Black Horse, and as the stress ebbs away and the hangovers subside, our thoughts are already turning to next year.

But before we do, it’s worth taking a quick look at how – in just year two – these awards are already seen as an important date in the automotive industry’s calendar.

The event, hosted by TV’s Mike Brewer, was held at The Brewery in London. The stunning venue was given a ‘Miami Vice’ theme and looked brilliant.

The sell-out night featured a fabulous three course meal, unlimited beer and wine, a band and disco – and the 400 guests sure did make the most of it. At midnight the venue was still packed with people enjoying the event.

The winners were delighted with their gongs and already many are making the most of the marketing collateral an award like this offers.

Our Dealers’ Dealer of the Year, Umesh Samani, made the front page of his local paper’s motoring section. A photographer and reporter visited him a few days after the awards to capture the story.

WOW ! Making front page of motoring #sentinel thanks to @JohnSwift19 (1/2) @CarDealerMag #Mirning #UCAwards #MCMotor pic.twitter.com/tN3UZOav83

— Umesh Samani (@specialistcars1) December 6, 2013

Jim Reid Vehicle Sales went back to Scotland with two gongs – and they’ve been making the most of them on social media sites ever since.

The dealership won Used Car Dealer of the Year (51-100 cars) and their salesman Phil Buchan won the Upsales and F&I Performance of the Year award.

Very proud moment.@jimreidvehicle & @1988lover Car Dealership of the Year 2013 (51-100cars) @mikebrewer @cardealermag http://t.co/TO87PKOncx

— JimReidVehicleSales (@jimreidvehicle) December 4, 2013

The Used Car Dealer Group of the Year winner, HR Owen, sent out a special message from chief executive Joe Doyle to their customers saying how pleased they were winning one of the magazine’s special awards.

And that’s just a snap shot – the magazine has been inundated with tweets and emails from guests and winners who loved the evening.

We’ve also noticed a steady stream of press releases being issued by the car manufacturers who were recognised on the night – Volkswagen, Skoda and Kia have all issued releases to the press, shouting about their awards.

Commenting on a clutch of awards, Ian Plummer, head of sales for Volkswagen UK, said: ‘We’re extremely proud of these two awards and of our retailers.

‘So much focus within the industry is on new car sales and products, but used car sales outstrip these and are a key part of any retailer’s or manufacturer’s business.’

Black Horse managing director Chris Sutton hands out an award

Kia – who won Car Manufacturer Used Car Scheme of the Year – also issued a release.

David McCluskey, Kia’s National Used Car Sales and Remarketing Manager said: ‘Car Dealer’s award is recognition of what we have always believed is the best manufacturer used car programme in the market. It is reassuring to have this verified by Car Dealer Magazine – we are delighted and honoured!’

While Skoda, who picked up Best Used Car for the Yeti, was equally pleased. Chris Horrell, Product Marketing Manager for Skoda, said: ‘We are honoured to have received the award from Car Dealer Magazine.’

The comments only cement the importance manufacturers are already placing on these awards. The date for next year’s event has already been set – December 1, again at The Brewery (winning formula) – and already we’ve got a number of companies lining up to be involved.

All too often the used car industry isn’t celebrated in this industry, with the focus by many on new cars. I’m delighted that we can recognise all levels of this vital cog in the car industry machine with these awards which will only continue to grow in importance.

Thanks to all the sponsors who helped made the night happen – especially Black Horse – and the Car Dealer team, Mike and myself are very much looking forward to making next year an even bigger success.

Look out for a video from the night coming soon and the full results will be published in Car Dealer Magaine’s BIGGEST ever issue, which should reach subscribers before Christmas.

If you’d like to get involved in next year’s Used Car Awards, contact the Car Dealer team on (023) 9252 2434.

Join us! Blackball Media needs a new Dealer PR executive

Blackball Media is looking for a new Dealer PR executive to work with some of the coolest car manufacturers in the UK.

The job, which is predominantly based on the road with occasional meetings at our Gosport office, means your location is not a problem. In fact, a central UK base would be an advantage.

The role requires visits to car dealers across the UK, where you’ll dig up stories that would interest their local media outlets. A news reporter with a desire to move into PR would be perfectly suited to this job – a keen news sense is far more important than knowing the difference between BHP and PS.

An interest in cars and motoring would be handy, but is not essential. More important is your ability to find a good story and get it written in a manner that local media outlets could use.

If you’re handy with a camera, it would also help (and we’re not talking selfies with an iPhone). You’ll need to be self motivated, organised and disciplined.

Previous journalism experience is essential – if you’re working on a local newspaper as a reporter or on the news desk you’d be perfectly suited to this role. And it’s far more fun than covering parish council meetings…

Working from home and on the road you’ll help uncover the best stories for our car manufacturer clients. Some of the stories we’ve uncovered in the past have made the BBC and pretty much all national newspapers.

The role comes with a company car, an iPad, Apple Macbook computer and an expenses account that would make local newspaper editors weep. You’ll also get some of the coolest business cards ever seen.

Wages? You want paying? Well, these are to be discussed with the right candidate, but needless to say will be more than a local newspaper reporter’s salary…

For an informal chat, tweet me @CarDealerEd, or call the office. Otherwise send me your CV and a covering letter explaining why you should be part of one of the fastest growing automotive agencies in the UK. I’m on [email protected] and need to see something by December 14.

Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards sell out

Car Dealer Magazine’s second Used Car Awards have sold out – with more than 400 people expected at the glittering awards on Monday.

The shortlist for the event was announced yesterday and we’ve been busy making the final preparations ahead of the big night.

Hosted by Mike Brewer, the event is held at The Brewery in London and will see hundreds of car dealers, so make sure to read these 3 reasons to scrap car, scrap it and then come to buy a new one as the discounts are going to be insane. People even get to enjoy a night of celebration with a host of car manufacturers too. To customize and get repairs you can count on Japanese Auto Repair.

Confirmed attendees include a large Volkswagen contingent, as well as parties from Skoda, Kia, Fiat, BMW, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover.

Dealer groups represented include Marshalls, Vertu Motors, Perry’s, Arnold Clark, JCT600 and HR Owen as well as countless independent dealers.

This is the second year we’ve held the event and it’s already grown in size. The awards are headline sponsored by Black Horse, and many other motor trade suppliers have put their names to gongs on the night. Huge thanks to all of them for helping us make this event happen.

It’s set to be a brilliant evening and real feather in the Blackball Media cap. The whole team here is working hard on pulling everything together for the glittering bash.

Operations director Andy Entwistle is driving the organisation side of things and currently has his head stuck in a guest list spread sheet that makes the Census look like primary school homework.

Video specialist Jon Reay is working hard on a glitzy introduction and the presentations, while editor Batch is currently nursing bruised fingers from bashing his keyboard in an attempt to write a script.

The last week before a big event is always a frantic one – but we’re certainly looking forward to celebrating a successful year with hundreds of Car Dealer Magazine readers.

If you missed out on a ticket this year, we can always put your name down for next year’s event…

Tackling the content thieves who rip us off

Blackball Media writers work very hard to provide our network of websites and magazines with unique and entertaining stories. On the whole, I like to think we achieve it.

I’ve invested a lot in my team of writers and in turn they invest a huge amount of time in producing content. That’s why it annoys me all the more when our stories are blatantly ripped off and stolen by others.

It happened with an exclusive we broke on AOL Cars – but this time I wasn’t going to let it go quite so easily.

You may remember, towards the end of 2012 I broke a story (after a four month investigation and 20 Freedom of Information requests) that none of the overhead speed cameras on the M25 had caught any drivers in the last 12 months.

It transpired that none of the cameras were actually on – and my exclusive was followed up by countless national newspapers and radio stations, all of whom credited the source of the story.

STOLEN

However, on the morning we published the piece, I found my copy – word for word – cut and pasted on to a fleet website. The site looked genuine, it had a lot of content, had phone numbers, and other news stories, but they had blatantly stolen my piece and pasted it as their own.

I spotted it on Twitter – expecting their tweet to link back to my AOL story, but it didn’t, instead linking to their website.

Furious, I rang them and asked what they were up to. Answering the phone was a wide boy who accused me of “not being in the job very long” and that I was “wasting my time and his”. Turns out it wasn’t his site at all – it was run by a friend of his and he just answered the phone as his mate “works full time”.

When I accused him of stealing by piece and asked for “his mate’s” number, he laughed and hung up.

Pleasant chap.

Now, I’m nothing if not persistent, so I did some digging. It’s very easy to find out who registered a website – WHOIS, lists the name and address of those who bought the domain unless they opted out.

The idiot behind the fleet site hadn’t done that. Within minutes I had his name and home address and was looking at it on Google StreetView to see if he was worth suing.

He wasn’t.

So I popped over to LinkedIn instead. Soon I knew where he worked and it turned out he just so happened to be a fleet salesman at a franchised car dealership… so I picked up the phone to, let’s call him by his real name, Dean, at his dealership viagra europa.

CAUGHT OUT

“Good morning, XX Motors, Dean speaking, how may I help you…”

Oh. My. God. He’d only gone and answered the bleeding phone.

“Hello Dean, my name is James Baggott. I understand you run a website called XX and this morning you’ve stolen my exclusive story from AOL and pasted it on your website.”

Dean: “Er.”

“Now, before I contact the extremely large and incredibly deep-pocketed legal despartment at AOL about your blatant infringement of our copyright and put a claim in for your house at XX Drive, I want to give you the opportunity to remove my piece from your site.

“Does your dealer principal know you’re running a website with a side line in fleet sales? And more to the point does he know you’re stealing content from others in order to run that site?”

Croaky-voiced Dean: “Errr, no he doesn’t.”

“Ok, well if the story isn’t removed in the next hour, I’ll be giving him a call as well as the car manufacturer you’re representing too.”

Dean: “I’m sorry. I’ll fix it now.”

About 15 minutes later the site was down for maintenance… and it hasn’t reappeared since.

The internet has made it all too easy to steal stories. People don’t realise that pinching posts from other websites has a consequence – because more often than not they get away with it.

Unfortunately, copyright theft is too often seen as a forgivable misdemeanor, but it shouldn’t be. Publishers spend large amounts of money on employees, equipment, taxes and offices to let others simply rip off their output.

Sadly, we’ll never put a stop to stories being stolen, but every once in a while it feels good to make a stand. If more of us did it, perhaps people would think twice before hitting CTRL C, CTRL V…

Why Blackball Media’s website took five years to arrive

It’s only when I said it out loud in the office to a few colleagues that I realised just how stupid it sounded – Blackball Media has been trading for five years, pretty much to the day, and only now are we launching a website.

For a company that specialises in publishing – mostly of the online variety – that’s simply an embarrassment, but one that’s simply been the cause of too much else to do.

When I launched Blackball Media back in January 2008, it was out of necessity. I needed a company to process the business bits and bobs behind my idea for a motor trade magazine, Car Dealer, and Blackball Media was it.

Where did the name come from? Well, I’d like to come up with a jazzy reason – something about Blackball Media not conforming, or something equally agency-like, but I won’t – because that’s not us.

I’ll give you the rather boring and real reason – my daughter suggested it because I like playing snooker. Should I have revealed that? Who cares. It’s the truth.

WEBSITE

Anyway, back to this website. It’s here because the work Blackball Media does has grown over the last five years. No longer is the company simply the vehicle behind the award-winning, highest circulation, brilliant motor trade business publication Car Dealer any more (biased? Me?) ohne rezept viagra. The company now provides a variety of services.

Our clients include AOL – who we provide car content for on a daily basis – as well as two Japanese car manufacturers who rely on us to provide news and services for their dealer networks. Using an economic calendar or a ekonominis kalendorius while trading is proven to be helpful.

We’re also working hard to build on our contract publishing services – we’re currently producing a magazine for a global leasing company – as well as investigating further opportunities to provide car content to trade and consumer websites.

This new website’s aim is to showcase the brilliant work my talented team, hidden away down on the south coast, do every day and this blog will aim to bring to life some of the fun we have along the way.

I’ll try not to bore you too much…

James Baggott

Managing director, Blackball Media

Author: James Baggott