Mediaboss Marketing

Dive Brief:

Even as much of brands' marketing budgets are being put toward purely digital experiences, out-of-home activations remain a fun, memorable way to connect with consumers and generate buzz for a new product launch. These efforts can further be bolstered by digital tie-ins, however, and Perrier is putting a strong emphasis on social media for the Flavor Studio through the influencer component, the Twitter vending machine and what the press release described as an "Insta-worthy" bubble ball pit.

By making the NYC pop-up experience highly shareable, the brand might achieve reach and awareness that extends far outside of the SoHo neighborhood. It's also an opportunity for Perrier to get hands-on with consumers during a highly relevant time of year for sparkling water and other beverage brands the peak of summer.

While the soda category has long been seeing a dip in sales amid consumer desire for less sugary options, sparkling and flavored water brands like Perrier and La Croix have been getting a boost over the past several years as healthier alternatives.

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Perrier's social-focused NYC pop-up stokes the 5 senses - Marketing Dive

Social media marketing veteran Kate Jhaveri has joined Amazons Twitchas senior vice president of marketing, the company announced today.

In her new role, Jhaveri will be tasked with growing the Twitch brand and highlighting new ways that the community canexperience content, Twitch said. She will report to CEO Emmett Shear.

Prior to Twitch, Jhaveri was head of global consumer marketing at Twitterbeginning in 2013 through last August, where she was responsible for brand and product marketing. Jhaveri also previously served as mobile marketing lead at Facebook, where she helped launch and grow various products and services. Additionally, Jhaveri isaMicrosoftalum, where she led marketing and communications efforts for popular products including Windows and Office.

Twitchs primary strength has been looking to its community to help shape the direction of the brand, said Jhaveri, who also serves as secretary of the national board for Planned Parenthood. This has led to a lot of compelling emerging content beyond gaming. Given this constant evolution, my goal is to ensure we shine a light on all of the incredible content that continues to redefine the Twitch experience, as well as our extensive roadmap of products.

Jhaveri replaces Matthew DiPietro, according to Variety, who is taking on another as-yet-unknown role at the company. Last March, Twitch also appointed gaming media veteran Michael Aragon as its new SVP of content.

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Twitch Names Twitter And Facebook Veteran Kate Jhaveri SVP Of Marketing - Tubefilter

Armenia's Golden Apricot international film festival has run into controversy as rights activists accuse organizers of censorship for scrapping part of the event that featured two films dealing with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) themes.

The two features, Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred and Apricot Groves, were scheduled outside the competitive portion of the weeklong festival under the rubric Armenians: Internal And External Views.

Festival organizers, however, canceled the entire slate of 36 films by Armenian directors, as well as foreign productions about Armenia and Armenians, to be shown in the section, saying only that they "apologize for any inconveniences."

The move immediately sparked a backlash from filmmakers and rights groups who said it was a thinly veiled attempt at censorship reminiscent of the Soviet era and the Ottoman Empire.

"We condemn the actions of both the Union of Cinematography of Armenia, that has dared to censor the special program of the Golden Apricot International Festival because of the themes broached in the films Listen To Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred and Apricot Groves," more than 100 of the country's filmmakers, artists, and rights advocates said in a letter to the organizers.

"Golden Apricot should immediately restore the screening of all films regardless of the format. Otherwise the Golden Apricot International Festival should accept that they are the ones who are legitimizing the censorship and changes in the festival."

Facing Prejudice

Though homosexuality has been legal in Armenia since 2003, the subject is still taboo within Armenian society, which is firmly guided by the Apostolic Church.

The country does not recognize formalized same-sex relationships performed locally, has no antidiscrimination laws, and gay men are declared mentally ill and unfit for military service.

In the documentary Listen To Me, written by Hovhannes Ishkhanyan and directed by Gagik Ghazerah, 10 members of the LGBT community relate their experiences of coming out to their friends, families, and community.

Included in the group is Tsomak Oganezova, the owner of a gay pub in Yerevan that was firebombed and vandalized with Nazi symbols in 2012. Oganezova has said she left Armenia after the attacks "to be with those like me."

Pouria Heidary Oureh's Apricot Groves is about Aram, an Iranian-Armenian trans man who has lived in the United States since childhood. The story follows him as he returns to Armenia to meet his girlfriend's conservative family and make preparations for their marriage.

Both films have already been featured at festivals around the world.

"Understanding the fact that this is not only discrimination against the Armenian LGBT community, and a violation of freedom of expression and freedom to create, but also a slap to Armenian cinematography, we are calling upon the Ministry of Culture of Armenia, the staff, and sponsors, and partners of the...festival to put all their efforts to restore the whole...program," supporters wrote in a petition to Culture Minister Armen Amiryan*, the Cinematographers Union, and festival organizers.

'Officially Sanctioned Hate'

Given the hostile conditions they face, many LGBT people say they remain closeted to avoid discrimination and violence.

In 2015, a local tabloid outed dozens of LGBT advocates, calling on readers to shun them and providing links to their Facebook profiles. The victims filed suit against the publication, but the court ruled in favor of the paper and made the plaintiffs pay $100 in fees.

That incident came after a 2012 study was published showing 55 percent of Armenians would reject a friend or relative if they came out.

"Hate speech in Armenia is rising day by day," activist Mamikon Hovsepyan said after being one of the journalists outed by the tabloid. "The homophobic media has the support of government officials and promotes aggression and hate toward LGBT people."

This year, jury members at the Golden Apricot festival include Britain's Hugh Hudson, who directed the Oscar-winning 1981 epic Chariots Of Fire, and Dutch director Tom Fassaert.

*CORRECTED from original version.

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Armenian Film Festival Sparks LGBT Outrage, Cries Of Censorship - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

BY: Katelyn Caralle July 11, 2017 10:36 am

The Associated Press Stylebook, the traditional journalist stylistic handbook for decades, has sparked controversy over new updates that have right-leaning journalists and politicians concerned about potentially biased language.

The AP annually updates its stylebook in the spring to give journalists guidance on style and grammar. These changes are often analyzed and publicized, but the most recent updates have some observers particularly concerned.

Fox News host Shannon Bream on Tuesday listed changes that have some people questioning if the intent is to censor words more likely to be used by conservatives.

"The AP Stylebook tells people to change pro-life' to anti-abortion,'" Bream reported. "Militant,' lone wolves,' or attackers,' those are the preferred terms rather than terrorist' or Islamist.' And illegal immigrant' or undocumented,' well those are no longer considered acceptable words."

Dave Hoppe, former chief of staff to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), discussed the importance of language and the AP's changes along with the campaign director at the Center for Progress Action Fund, Emily Tisch Sussman.

"The thing you have to look at is that use of language is a very powerful tool. And to make choices like this, and I think in some cases bias choices like this, is something you have to watch very carefully," Hoppe said. "In extreme cases, this is actually censorship. So one has to be careful and be fair to use the language that both sides like."

One change that seems to be causing the most discussion is the disparity between "pro-life" and "anti-abortion."

Bream read off the change that instead of using "pro-choice" or "pro-abortion," journalists should use "pro-abortion rights." The AP also guides journalists to no longer use the term "abortionists" because it claims that term only refers to people who perform clandestine, or unsafe, abortions.

Bream then asked whether it is possible for language to truly be neutral in any story that raises such controversial and emotional topics.

Sussman said these standards exist so everyone can agree on and be aware of what is being reported.

"It's important to have a distinction if you are anti-abortion, pro-abortion, or pro-choice. There are people who can be anti-abortion and pro-choice, that is possible," Sussman said. "So I think it's important that we have clear guidelines."

"Use the word pro-life,' that is the phrase preferred by people who are pro-life. There's no problem in using it; it's not confusing to people to use it. It's very clear what they mean," Hoppe said. "That you use one set of words as opposed to the other and are told specifically not to use a certain set of words, it seems to me is bias and that's where the power of language can come in to try and turn people's minds and turn their thoughts away."

Sussman disagreed, arguing that it is important to be as specific as possible when talking about emotional issues like abortion and immigration.

"I do think that being anti-abortion is as specific as possible. I don't think that being pro-life is as specific as possible," Sussman said. "That would imply that someone would be pro-life in other contexts like death penalty or health care."

"To choose the language that someone prefers, I don't think is specific," she added. "As culture is moving, our definitions have to evolve as well."

Some other AP guideline amendments include calling migrants or refugees fleeing to Europe "people struggling to enter Europe." The AP also says that journalists should describe people who dispute that the world is warming as either "climate-change doubters" or "those who reject mainstream climate science."

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AP Stylebook Updates Spur Controversy Over Worries of Conservative Censorship - Washington Free Beacon

Egyptian Artists Continue to Produce Thrilling Art Despite Increased Censorship

The arts and culture scene in Egypt has been Oxygenating the freedom of expression discoursedespite battling against repression and government censorship.

In recent years, creative works of artstarting from music productions, television series or filmshave faced many legal consequences suffocating the creative process.

The independent Egyptian rock band Cairokee was set to launch their latest albumNotaa Bedaor A Drop of White. However, on 2 July, Cairokee announced that the General Authority for Censorship of works of art rejected a number of songs and prevented the distribution of the album in the market.

18 Days is an Egyptian film focusing on the 18 days of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and has been banned to be aired in Egypt since then. The film combined glossary of directors, sound engineers and editors among others to produce a film with many Egyptian artists on voluntary basis.

On 4 July, the film has been leaked on the internet allowing people to view it after many years of unjustified ban.

While Ramadan television series represent a great opportunity for artists to show off their best talents, clever scripts, thrilling events and smart directing, lawsuits remain an annual obstacle that impose censorship restrictions on Ramadan biggest hits.

This year, Ramadan seriesLa Totfe El Shams,or Dont let the Sun Set, faced a lawsuit on claims of offending the president. The lawsuit cameafter airing episode number 14 was aired showing a graffiti on a wall that says Sisi the traitor.

The Association from Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) and The World Forum on Music and Censorship (FREEMUSE) have conducted a study called Censors of Creativity that explores case studies of artistic censorship tracing legal cases from courts, local news and international conventions.

Article 1 of the law [38/1992]states that the objective of the censorship of cinema, theater, musical works, and the performing arts is to protect the public order, public morals, and the higher interests of the state, stated in the study.

However, the effects of art censorship or unjustified restrictions of the right to freedom of artistic expression and creativity are devastating,according to researchers in the study.

Historically, contemporary arthas beenapowerful and impactfulway to address pressing political and social issues. Egyptian artists continue to work around the oppression and censorship in Egypt.

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Egyptian Artists Continue to Produce Thrilling Art Despite Increased Censorship - Egyptian Streets