Thoughts from the Fray

Social Media Ostriches

2011-04-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

We spend alot of our time talking to people for the first time about Social Media. Their attitudes towards SM Marketing vary - from those who cant wait to apply best practice and maximise the benefits, to those (and there are many) who know they must embrace it but resemble rabbits caught in the headlights, overwhelmed by the scary notion of "user-generated content".

This week however we came across a new breed - the Social Media Ostrich. Head in the sand, looking up only to declare that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are "not for them". The future for this breed is bleak. Because what they don't realise is that opting out isnt an option. Their target audience will dictate how quickly Social Media's market influence grows and in a year's time (possibly less), they'll simply be dead in the water, beaten to the punch by their Social Media savvy competitors.

Beware the Social Media Spivs

2010-12-29T06:17:00.000-08:00

If some Spiv came up to you in the street, or the pub, and promised you they could find you loads of friends that very same day (for a small fee of course) what would you think?

What sort of friends would they be? How could they possibly value a relationship with you when they know nothing about you? How could they conceivably add value to your life when they can be bought so easily?

And so it is with Social Media. "Followers" on Twitter, or "Friends" and "Fans" on Facebook dont have to be members of your extended family, or even people you're ever likely to want to spend "real" time with. But they should add value to your Social Networking experience in some way, and they should expect they same from you.

As in life, your "Friends" in Social Media say something about who you are. So if your Follower List is rammed with thousands of patently promotional or prostituted Social Media profiles, don't be surprised if someone you would really like to have in your Social Media Network judges you by the company you keep.

And before a horde of Search Engine-obsessed code monkeys beat a path to my door, yes I know there are notable gains to be had via Social Media participation when it comes to Search Performance. The point is if you're active and add value in Social media you'll be popular, gain followers, follow back, build relationships,create links back to your website AND improve your search engine rankings.....

In other words, be active, sociable, add value, treat people with respect and you'll reap the benefits of Social Media - commercially and personally. As in life, the lure of instant gratification may be strong but the rewards are invariably short lived.

Third "Preston Tweetup"

2010-10-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Good turnout again at the Continental in Preston for the third #prestontweetup.
Whilst the topic was a little ambiguous (good effort though BlogPreston guys!), the event organised by BlogPreston and sponsored by Stage9 was well attended, and to me, further proved the city's ever growing appetite in supporting the truly "social" part of Social Media.

Looking back, it seems only yesterday we were planning the "first Preston Tweet-up" - which was actually now over two years ago. Who would have thought that when we participated back then, as early adopters of the social phenomena, we would now be sitting around using our mobile devices instead of laptops!

It was great to see so many of the faces from the first event and to connect with new people on the evening.

In a world where far to many people who are just "on" social media "thinks" they're a guru, it was encouraging to see that (most) people in the room understood the REAL principals of Social Media; participation and engagement!

Looking forward to the next event guys :)

All fired up...

2010-09-29T01:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent 6 hours with four firefighters, delivering a marketing awareness workshop. They are on secondment to Washington Hall International Fire Training Centre from their stations, and find themselves having to "sell" and market" its training services to the Commercial sector.

I was struck by how engaged they were with the content of the day, from heavyweight strategic concepts like McKinsey Matrix and Buyer Paradigms through to practical exercises like designing the customer experience. Clearly they are passionate about the Washington Hall brand and are eager to learn new techniques to ensure its continued success. This passion more than compensated for their lack of a marketing background.

It would seem that if you are genuinely "on a mission" you will embrace new concepts readily, and step out of your comfort zone. I take my hat of to you guys - your desire to learn and succeed was an inspiration.

No substitute for "the extra mile"

2010-09-14T02:45:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday lunchtime a brand new client informed us that their exhibition stand, which should have arrived from China, had been "lost at sea". Furthermore the exhibition opened the following Sunday (that's three working days later). Was there anything we could do?

We sprang into action - pulling favours, designing through the night, meeting vans from Peterborough full of stand plinths and graphics in the early hours of Sunday morning in dark laybys on the A59...

Anyway, the exhibition opened on the Sunday morning, and the stand was not just "there", but looked great. The client had a great show and they're back in today to brief us on a major brand awareness campaign culminating in exhibitions in Hanover and Las Vegas in January.

There really is no substitute for service excellence when it comes to account development.

Mending the roof....

2010-08-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

We signed up a new client on a long term contract this week. A substantial engineering company, they have a full order book for at least 6 months and are running 24 hour double shifts. They couldn't cope with more business if it came along tomorrow, and they're aware of that.

So why have they contracted us? Because, as the old saying goes, "the best time to mend the roof is when the sun is shining". They have commissioned Stage9 to develop a marketing strategy and plan to secure their future, and a PR plan to get them on the radar of A list prospects, acknowledging that it can take years before large players in their target markets are ready to buy (but when they do they buy big). They want us to handle internal communications to engender loyalty and enthusiasm in their workforce.They want us to freshen up their brand presentation to help them compete when the time comes.

UK manufacturing take note - this is how you succeed in the long term.

Refreshing,don't you think?

Want more business? Stay in bed...

2010-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

We talk alot to clients about Social media these days, because we see it as an integral part of reputation management and profile development - two of the central objectives of PR. However at its simplest its also just a great way of networking, which is why it amazes me when owners of small businesses tell me they "dont have time for all that Twitter and Facebook stuff". Small businesses are constantly looking for ways to generate "Return on Involvement" - in other words where effort can substitute for budget in delivering high quality business referrals and opportunities. That's why thousands get up at 5am or worse once, twice or even three times a week to attend networking breakfasts and referral club meetings. Yet they havent got time for SOCIAL Networking?

Try this.... Next week delegate the referral breakfast, grab the laptop and spend a couple of hours looking at what your competitors, clients and prospects are doing on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. It will open up a world of new, free networking opportunities, whilst reducing your caffeine and calorie intake considerably.

A Room for Improvement

2010-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

We recently opened our Lytham offices in the iconic Clock Tower at the centre of the town. It was built in 1872 and was the home of the town's "Improvement Commissioners", who met to discuss how Lytham could be developed for the benefit of its citizens, in the late 1800's.

The sense of history as I approach the massive black iron gates each morning is palpable.It has demonstrated to me the value of an office experience of substance and character. It engenders a real sense of pride in what we do and a desire to help the businesses of the town to thrive - a desire the Improvement Commissioners would no doubt relate to.

Credit where credit's due?

2009-08-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday manufacturing output was up, order book strength saw its biggest increase in 13 years and the pound gained strength against the Euro. The FTSE surged to a 10 month high. House prices rose for the third consecutive month. This recession, once alleged to be the deepest for 60 years will apparently be over, for the UK at least, within three months.

The reason? According to the Wall Street Journal "the prompt fiscal stimulus package and bank recapitalisation scheme in the UK helped the economy speed ahead in the race towards recovery. This swift decision-making and timely action has been lacking in the Eurozone which will lag significantly behind."

Did we just get a really big, global thing right?

Negotiation - nature or nurture?

2009-03-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my wife completed a tricky, complex negotiation successfully. As a result my seven year old son found himself eating an additional helping of his "five a day" every day for a week, in return for a limited increase in his PS2 (PlayStation to the uninitiated) time. However he turned the tables shortly afterwards in a gloriously intricate manouevre that secured a trip to the Pier at the weekend AND some goalkeeping gloves. The strategy involved a 24 hour charm offensive and some reverse psychology followed by the ultimate close - flowers (bankrolled by dad in a separate but no less impressive negotiation founded in emotional blackmail)and the unprompted tidying of his room.

I shouldnt be surprised. He spends alot of time with his mother. He's learnt from the master.

The Leaders and the Led

2009-03-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

There is often tension betwen marketing and other disciplines as the battle to decided how an organisation should be "led" is played out. Should the organisation be true to itself or simply follow the latest research-led finding on audience attitudes? The truth is the two are not mutually exclusive. A successful organisations believes in itself, its values and finds compellingly different and special ways to articulate them - to find fulfilment both for itself and its audience. Its not led, it leads.

Marketing Myopia

2009-03-07T23:36:00.000-08:00

A company I had hoped to work with contacted me last week to say that their biggest client had gone into administration and that it was " all hands to the pump" at the moment. As a result they couldnt undertake the marketing planning exercise we had talked about. Is my world just so marketing-centric I've lost touch with reality, or should they have been saying "can we bring the marketing planning exercise forward as now more than ever we need the right strategy to deal with our difficult challenges"? I dont understand why people dont understand - when your market is contracting you either need to take business from your competitors to survive at their expense,find new products to sell or markets to sell into, or sell more to existing customers. The success of any of these strategies is dependent upon your ability to get your marketing strategy and tactics right. Or is it just me?

New Reality

2009-02-25T01:19:00.000-08:00

This is a phrase that's cropping up more and more in media commentary and political speeches. Will it replace "Credit Crunch" - let's hope so! The latter has taken on a depressingly popularist life of its own and makes me cringe everytime it rears its ugly syllables in broadcasting, advertising - everywhere (if another restaurant offers me the opportunity to "crunch through the crunch" I will not be responsible for my actions).
So what is the "New Reality"? It seems to depend, as always, what your agenda is. For me its the realisation that we all need to sharpen up our marketing act to surivive let alone thrive, and that there's no room for complacency any longer. Politicians being politicians it means a view of the world that suits their agenda at any given moment.

What's your New Reality?

The power of focus

2009-02-16T21:57:00.000-08:00

I was with a client the other day. We've been working together for a few months now and were reviewing what we'd achieved. The business has gone from basket case to odds-on survivor in the last quarter and its clear why. FOCUS. The first thing we did back in November last year was look at where we could gain the quickest profitable return for our efforts whilst simultaneously opening up more opportunities with a short time-to-market. Analysis showed this clearly wasnt in the client's core market, which was tender-obsessed, cash-strapped and high maintainence for little reward. We spotted one opportunity in a market where the client could complete an existing project easily with the right amount of FOCUS, create instant opportunities to cross-sell, benefit from first mover advantage and replicate development work already completed to roll out on a reasonable scale. He piled all his limited resources in this direction and now has a delighted client-turned advocate lining up new opportunities for him. He's turning down opportunities to tender in his traditional sector.

Isnt it great when a plan comes together?

The media revolving door

2009-02-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

I've been driving around alot today and I'm awestruck by the media narcissism of our radio output. All day I've had to listen to news, comment, phone -ins, text ins and email-ins about the shinanag-ins of assorted media commentators. Clarkson, Thatcher, Ross, Brand - spokespeople from Stonewall (and not a gay insult in sight - uh?), versus oiks from satirical web channels - not to mention the listening masses picking apart the minutae of the golliwog/scottish idiot subtext, and how it represents a window into the depravity of our broadcasting culture,etc etc.
Please. We're in recession, hurtling towards depression. Get a life and a grip on the real news agenda, before its too late for all of us...

Oh God (with no offence meant to anyone of a non-christian persuasion) - I've just blogged about the media. Its all over....

The rise of the Crunch Collectives

2009-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

More and more people are starting up their own businesses. For some its because they've been laid off, others are just fulfilling an ambition to be their own boss. But the rise of the independent practitioner in the marketing and creative industry has given rise to a phenomenon so suited to the times it could change the face of the sector and signal the demise of the mid-size full service agency.
Crunch Collectives are loosely associated groups of professionals with complementary skills. They come together in whichever combination is required to meet the client brief; their overheads are low and dispersed, so the client is only paying the costs associated with the specific project and not, for example, funding the fixed costs of an agency team irrelevant to his or her current requirements. Designers, PRs, Strategists, SEOs, Event Production Specialists, Photographers - they are all collaborating and combining to provide a perfect skills match for a client's project with a great value proposition and the ability to switch their service off and on as required.
Full service agencies - beware the Crunch Collectives.

A time for David....

2009-01-25T22:53:00.000-08:00

I read today that a small local company has just won its largest contract in 37 years. A Lancashire-based workwear minnow Simon Jersey has taken on the might of the Corporate Catwalk to land the Emirates airline contract to design and manufacturer all their new in-cabin clothing. On my local high street no sooner was the Monolithic Woolworths sign torn down but B&M Bargains, an established but comparatively diminutive retailer, moved in and opened within days. Yesterday it was packed. It seems recession is no time for Goliaths. So rise up all you Davids and rush headlong into fray,slingshot in hand, picking fights with the big boys. There's never been a better time ......

Obamarama

2009-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

Its inauguration day and the USA is in a state of euphoria, the glow of which is even permeating the recessional permafrost of Europe and the rest of the world. One observation, two questions (neither of which I know the answer to): Observation - how precarious and unpredictable can financial markets be when the dollar draws more strength at the sight of Obama being sworn in, than when the US Govt pumped a gazillion dollars into its toxic financial markets (or do the speculators know something we dont?). Question 1 - could someone like Obama every rise so quickly and spectacularly through the BRITISH political system without being someone notable's son, daughter, pal from Eton etc? Question 2 - how long will the US public give him when they realise he cant wave a magic wand, make a "Berliner" style speech and reverse the meteoric rise in home repossessions and job losses single-handedly?

Answers on a postcard.

Shop local?

2009-01-12T23:05:00.000-08:00

I've never subscribed to the view that you should select suppliers on the basis that they're local and you therefore support the local economy and keep local citizens in work etc etc. Dont get me wrong, I love to see the town centre flourishing and my kinsfolk happy and prosperous - the problem is, I also want the best job done for my money and sometimes that cant be done by companies on my doorstep. Better we all strive to win business because we're the best at what we do than winning it because we're part of the local charity effort. Dont get me wrong, I'm happy to play the "and I'm just round the corner so you get the best possible service" card whenever I can, because in some instances proximity may be a powerful selection criteria and a big advantage to the client. Put "I should have your business out of loyalty to your town or region"? No thanks. If the central platform of your sales pitch is an attempt to appeal to some premeval tribal instinct rather than a passionate presentation of why your outstanding value, you deserve to lose out.

To participate, or not?

2009-01-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

A networking evening and the dreaded 30 seconds to talk about your business and why people should send business your way. "My name's Julie and I refuse to participate in a recession" announced a delegate, as if she had stumbled into a branch meeting of Credit Crunchers Anonymous. A laudable attitude I thought, a robust rejection of the negativity surrounding these dire economic times. But hang on, will she be saying that when she fights for the remaining scraps of Woolworths stock at 90% off, or when her mortgage company reluctantly reduces her monthly payments in line with the interest rate plunge? Surely we all participate - its a question of how. As Paul McGee said "within every adversity lurks a seed of equal or greater opportunity".

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T01:32:00.000-08:00

New Year, New Start... New PR Agency?

Thought for the day...

2008-12-16T02:37:00.000-08:00

"Within every adversity resides a seed of equal or greater opportunity"