January 2018

There are so many organisations we have met who have admitted to not having a business or marketing plan. For many they feel there isn’t a need or rather understand the benefits of having one and for others it’s simply a question of not having the time or knowing where to start to put one together. We all live in a busy world with competing demands, however, failing to have a plan is in many ways like starting a journey without a map. How can we arrive at our chosen destination, be that the sunny climes of San Francisco or doubling our annual turnover if we don’t have any idea of how we are going to get there or what we are wanting to achieve? It’s vital before we set off in any direction to review where we are now as a business, where we want to be and how we are going to get there. Taking those necessary steps will allow us to create a meaningful plan, with the right marketing activity and tactics to help us reach those much desired goals. Marketing planning in 5 simple steps Here are the 5 key steps to building a marketing plan…

There is nothing better than creating a release and then seeing it featured online or in paper. But what steps do you need to take to ensure your story generates the coverage it deserves and sparks the interest of journalists? Below I provide 6 top tips to creating a winning press release. Stand out from the crowd and get your story heard! Is your story newsworthy and will anyone care? The first question to ask yourself when starting to write a release is, do you have a story that is newsworthy and will anyone care? The key to this is ensuring you pick the right angle for your release, drawing out the elements that are relevant to the specific journalist, publication, blogger etc. Do your research and pay careful consideration to the types of publications or online platforms your story is most relevant for and where they are based and create a targeted distribution list. For example there is little point in pitching a regional business story to a national magazine within the culture sector for example. For a business title, this could be a story about growth, expansion or new appointments. Draw out the most important elements of the story…

Guest blog post by Three Motion The stats speak for themselves, over 52% of SMEs are using video content within their digital marketing strategy. 2016 has seen an increase in the amount of social network platforms vying for the title of ‘most popular video sharing website.’ While social media big hitters, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram strive to evolve their video streaming functionality, new players are continually emerging, offering Live Video and other innovative ways of delivering video to our devices. As consumers we are spoilt for choice, both on which platforms and channels to consume our time – and as producers, from which to deploy. ‘Over 52% of SMEs are using video content’ As the amount of content being uploaded and viewed continues to spiral upwards, the only clear conclusion we can draw from this phenomenon is that our appetite for sharing and consuming video, shows no sign of waning. For those companies who are yet to create content, this can be a daunting first step. The question of what ‘message’ or ‘story’ to prioritise first is an important one and in most cases there is a clear journey that your audiences can (and should) take as they meet your…

So it is thought that your brand is what people say about you when you leave the room. Whether that be an individual, product or service, your brand is made up of the characteristics that define who you are and what ultimately make your business unique.  But what is it that make some brands strong and able to connect effectively with audiences with others less so and how can you maintain the confidence and belief that your brand is delivering what you need it to as your business adapts and grows? Every organisation, irrespective of sector or industry share brand qualities that define who they are and set them apart from the competition.  From the innovation of Apple to the quality and all round Britishness of Marks & Spencer, brands and their qualities become synonymous with one another. The success of such brands lie in their ability to fully understand who they and their markets are, alongside effective promotion of their offerings and USP’s through consistent brand communications, whether that be via design, online presence or written content.  However, businesses don’t always get this right, with many falling short, creating a disconnect between what is being portrayed externally versus the…

With so many different marketing channels from PR, event management, digital, social and content, it can be difficult to know the best way to bring them together as a whole to deliver a successful campaign to meet your business goals. Each element on their own are indeed very powerful bringing their own valuable benefits to business but combine them in the right way and this is where the magic can happen for your brand! Our experience of working across the marketing mix has been invaluable in enabling me and my team to build integrated marketing campaigns that successfully profile, position, and win new business for brands. So how can a campaign help your brand? There are many benefits to building an integrated marketing campaign for your product or service. I have often likened this to producing a piece of artwork or rustling up a tasty bit of cuisine.  With the right ingredients and application, the outcome can be pretty impressive, resulting in something that is both distinctive and memorable. Get it wrong and quite the opposite can happen. The same analogy is true when building campaigns for brands.  Get the sum of parts right and execute it well to help…