Posts Tagged ‘Manchester’

Blagger’s Blog 28th October 2011

Friday, October 28th, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s light news success stories included…

… the Stone Roses reuniting for their first tour in well over a decade, which appeared in 95 articles, three more than Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was released in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, an event that featured in 92 headlines…

… French president Nicholas Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni, giving birth to a baby boy, and securing a spot in 40 stories, whereas Basque separatists ETA laid down their arms and only took up 39 pieces…

…. and finally, Irish boy band Westlife splitting up, which hogged 31 stories, while Moody’s downgrading of Spain’s credit rating to A1 was only referenced in 27.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

If your brand message is that the product gives people wings then affiliations with aviators is a great idea. Red Bull do it very well indeed, what with the annual air race and the company’s Air Force Team. This week they performed skydives and ‘never-before-seen wingsuit swoops’ over the Hollywood sign as Los Angeles looked on, which is pretty much the definition of attention grabbing exposure.

Weekly low

When good news comes in the form of a slow down in customer decline you know the company in question has been doing a few things wrong, regardless of subsequent steps taken to compensate. Orange’s broadband arm is in exactly this situation, with the ultimate public humiliation occurring this week as Bruno Duarte, head of the internet side of the business, admitted he was “ashamed” of how customers had been treated. Oh dear.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Auckland

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 27/10/2011)

#xfactor #mcfc

#mufc #youngapprentice

#manchesterderby #stepstosurviveahorrormovie

#towie #manchester

#frozen planet #bbuk

In Manchester plenty of people are watching The Only Way Is Essex, but there’s only one real story that’s had the city talking over the last fews days. Last week they went top of the league, and on Sunday Manchester City gave United a rather humiliating 6-1 stuffing at Old Trafford. Oh, and people are sharing Scream-like #stepstosurviveahorrormovie.

One to watch: lucyjo_hudson (Lucy-Jo Hudson- British Actress; 32,761 followers /16,631 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 27/10/2011)

#xfactor #youngapprentice

#mufc #bbuk

#eastenders #liespeoplealwaystell

#towie #uglygirlsarenotallowed

#frozenplanet #weallhavetried

Britain’s capital is less politically fired up than last week, possibly because The Young Apprentice has begun, or not. Elsewhere Manchester United are in people’s thoughts, as is the broadcast of David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet, a programme that managed to hold a staggering 6.8million strong audience captive when BBC aired the first episode.

One to watch: guardiantech (Guardian Technology- News and comment from the Guardian’s technology team; 1,688,038 followers / 26,380 updates)

Top Auckland #tags (seven days to 27/10/2011)

#rwc2011 #irbawards

#allblacks #rena

#rwc #stepstosurviveahorrorfilm

Though geographically as far from England’s North West as you can get, those in the Kiwi capital are involved in the same rhetoric on scary films as their Mancunian counterparts. But the real news is New Zealand’s All Blacks winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with the trophy paraded through the streets of Auckland after France fell foul of just one point.

One to watch: karlrohde (Karl Rohde- Innovative, business savvy copywriter, journalist, and marketer; 9,935 followers / 3,597 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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October’s notes from the office diary

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

As promised last month we have exciting news from Smoking Gun’s headquarters. So that’s the announcement of a major new international client, a high profile addition to our acclaimed team, and a national award win, amongst other things.

It’s difficult to know where best to begin, but we’ll start by letting you know that our social media achievements for Panda Liquorice have won the Some Comms Best Low Budget Campaign award. Despite always being confident in our work going up against the finest of British digital PR agencies obviously meant stiff competition, and so we’re delighted to have brought home the bacon. Read more on the Some Comms Awards here.

Next up we’d like to introduce Victoria Barker, who arrives in November as our new Associate Director. Joining us from Shop Direct Group, Barker will bring with her a wealth of experience in fashion, property, FMCG, and food & beverage PR. That has resulted in a sizable industry honours list commending a career spent working on brands ranging from Monopoly to Littlewoods and Nicky Clarke hair care.

Alongside our latest recruit we’re delighted to announce a huge win here at Smoking Gun.  We’ll now be looking after UK press relations and campaign work for two of Columbia Sportswear’s brands; Montrail and Mountain Hardwear.

The US company already has a fantastic reputation in the sports world, which is in no small part thanks to the quality of its products, pro-competitions and athlete sponsorships. As such we’re proud to be working with such an illustrious company, and keen to help build its British presence in the same way we’ve assisted BURRDA and Manchester United, to name but two clients.  Meanwhile, another huge firm is about call on our expertise, but we’ll leave the details of that until our plans are finalised.

Away from our Spinningfields desks it has been another busy month outside the office. The Manchester Food and Drink Festival was enjoyable as ever, and our part in the pop up gig by Louis Barabbas and the Bedlam Six for Blacksticks Blue certainly didn’t go unnoticed. The acclaimed band also provided the soundtrack to the brand’s advert which we’ve embedded below.

Aside from all that members of the Smoking Gun team also attended eConsultancy training sessions and How Do’s Future of Media Engagement seminar to ensure they remain ahead of the game. And we still have time to celebrate with our former office-mates at Madhouse Associates, who mark 13 years of quality creative work on the 27th. All of which just about sums up a lightening fast, frantically busy but wholly successful October, meaning our sights are firmly set on the next four weeks as the Christmas period gets ever closer.

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The Blagger’s Blog 7th October 2011

Friday, October 7th, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort



Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s PR success stories included…

… Carlos Tevez allegedly refusing to play against Bayern Munich, which appeared in 87 articles, while Al Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki was killed in Yemen and only appeared in 62 stories…

… the launch of Strictly  Come Dancing’s latest series, an event that grabbed no less than 80 headlines, beating the fatal roof-collapse at the Kellingsley Colliery, a tragedy that featured in 44 stores…

…. and finally, Rhianna getting told off by a farmer during her video shoot in Northern Ireland, resulting in 38 stories, yet the Navy is to loose 1,000 jobs and only 32 articles ran.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

Here in the UK we recently enjoyed IKEA’s well conceived Happy To Bed Time TV ad campaign. But in Sweden, the birthplace of said flatpack cathedral, viewers have been treated to something even better, namely this upbeat showcase of household appliances that make up a climber’s paradise.

Weekly low

Tributes come pouring in from the likes of Barack Obama, Alan Sugar, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates following the death of Steve Jobs, aged 56, the technical wizard that established Apple in his garage, with headlines reading along the lines of ‘The Man Who Changed the World‘.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Birmingham

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 6/10/2011)

#xfactor #mufc

#cpc2011 #mcfc

#manchester #fifa12

#theyneedtobringback   #motd

#mobos #lfc

Regardless of your political disposition there’s no denying the annual Conservative Party Conference is a big deal in Manchester, with the leading party in town and a huge area cordoned off with security gates. And in other news on Wednesday October 5th the MOBO Awards took Glasgow, and the UK, by storm.

One to watch: lucyjo_hudson (Lucy Jo Hudson- Actress; 31,039 followers /16,348 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 6/10/2011)

#xfactor #cpc11

#arsenal #theyneedtobringback

#mobos #whatyoushouldknowaboutme

#northLondonisred

Arsenal fans show support for their under-performing side, meanwhile fans of off-road motor sports have been discussing the World Rally Championships, and at the same time people have been sharing thoughts on what things #theyneedtobringback and the aforementioned Music of Black Origin Awards.

One to watch: channel4news (Channel 4 News- In depth analysis and current affairs; 73,469 followers /11,303 updates)

Top Birmingham #tags (seven days to 6/10/2011)

#xfactor #mobos

#rwc2011 #avfc

#bcfc #motd

#lfc #whatyoushouldknowaboutme

#newsnight #bbuk

X Factor completes its hatrick this week by appearing high on the agenda in all three of Britain’s biggest cities, though so do Aston Villa FC and Birmingham City FC in Britain’s second most populous city. Newsnight has also got everyone talking, with Big Brother providing another shared focal point.

One to watch: birminghampost (Birmingham Post- Quality journalism; 8,653 followers /11,303 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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September’s notes from the office diary

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

Despite summer vanishing there’s a buzz around Smoking Gun HQ this month. So here’s the latest on our new staff, clients and free industry information.

First up, while still settling in to our new address, we have welcomed another highly experienced PR face to the team. Carolanne Bamford joins us after a spell in London with international communications consultancy Hill & Knowlton, bringing even more big industry experience to our ever-burgeoning enterprise. Along with expertise in digital strategy Carolanne boasts razor sharp observational skills- just take a look at her evaluation of Jordan’s new publication, Katy- My Magazine.

And now every Wednesday there’s another reason to head for the Smoking Gun blog, as we’ll be posting our weekly infographic. Bringing you a fascinating overview of today’s talking points via easy to digest imagery, so far everything from the first statistics on Google+ and a guide on how to build the perfect LinkedIn profile, to advice on job hunting via social media has been covered.

On to new business, and we’re proud to announce our team will now be representing technology firm Martin Dawes. With a fully integrated campaign designed to push the specialist audio-visual communications arm of the business the latest brand to join our retail PR client list presents a fresh set of challenges. As such we can’t wait to start providing proof of how our digitally-minded PR expertise can help bolster the company’s reputation.

And that’s not all, as we’re currently dotting the is and crossing the ts on contracts with two international brands, so more news to follow regarding those next month. It’s also nice to know all this hard work isn’t going unnoticed, as we’ve been shortlisted for another two illustrious accolades. This time it’s the CIPR PRide awards, so we’ll be attending our North West regional dinner, hoping to pick up the title of Outstanding Small Consultancy, and Best Use of Social Media for Panda Liquorice.

We are, of course, delighted to be working with Panda, and this is the second nomination we’ve received recently as a result of our efforts. By way of celebrating the success of this ongoing relationship we’d like to share the love a little, so make a comment on our Facebook Page explaining why we should pick you for a chance of receiving a healthy supply of delicious liquorice, delivered directly to your office. Witty one liners at the ready then.

Aside from all this we have, as per usual, been at some of the most noteworthy dates in Manchester’s recent diary. So that’s the exclusive opening of the new pop up bowling alley outside our Spinningfields office, the Social Media Cafe, Arcade Fire at the MEN, and more live music inside Pretty Green. But don’t worry if you didn’t make it to any of these, October’s looking equally busy so hopefully we’ll see you about town over the next few weeks.

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News In Tweets September 2011

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

22nd September – Mark Zuckerberg announces Facebook will change forever

67% more leads are generated every month by companies with a blog

2014 is the year in which video is expected to account for 90% of all online traffic

4.9million users connected to public Wi-Fi hotspots in the last year

$3.08billion will be spent on social networks by US advertisers during 2011

Social media is directly connected with riots in the UK, and revolutions abroad

Phone hacking scandal proves to be great news for Sunday papers

Smoking Gun PR and Madhouse Associates appointed by Verdo Renewables

Boston Globe to pioneer new dual website format

National Business Awards and Some Comms shortlist Smoking Gun campaigns

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The Blagger’s Blog 23rd September 2011

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week’s PR success stories included…

… London Fashion Week, which grabbed 86 headlines, whereas the appointment of Bernard Hogan Howe as the new Met Police Chief only appeared in 71 articles…

… Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy premiering, with 54 journalists reporting on the event, while former IMF head Dominique Strauss Kahn broke silence on the allegations he sexually assaulted a hotel maid by admitting to a ‘moral failing’, and only 31 stories appeared…

…. and finally, Novak Djokovic winning the US Open, resulting in 58 articles running, one more than focused on David Cameron and Nicholas Sarkozy’s trip to Tripoli.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high

This is what you get by combining glamour model Rhian Sugden and testicular cancer. The following video was created for the Male Cancer Awareness Campaign by JWT London, and grabs your attention for a couple of reasons from the word go, then turns into something slightly disturbing, before hitting home with a common sense message that’s guaranteed to stay with you, even if it is just because of the scantily clad focal point.

Weekly low

X Factor made the extremely bad decision to allow Ceri Rees, a tone deaf woman with mental problems, to audition for a fourth time in six years. She was rejected, with her audition lasting around one sixth of the entire show. Later accusations came from a close friend of the failed hopeful that producers from the reality show had invited her back purely for ratings, appalling everyone from mental health charities to Richard Madeley.

Battle of the tweets: Manchester vs London vs Sheffield

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 23/9/2011)

#mufc #xfactor

#mcfc #arsenal

#bbuk #motd

#cfc

If Twitter be a window on society then we’re not entirely sure how to comment on the fact that, for the sixth consecutive week, only two topics can be seen as dominant in Manchester. X Factor remains the most popular thing on Earth, ever, though given Ceri Rees-gate that might be about to change (slightly), and even if that happens football will always hold firm, and this week it’s mainly been Man United 3, Chelsea 1… Tottenham Hotspur 4, Liverpool 0.

One to watch: benhibbs (Ben Hibbs- Writer / Journalist; 12,062 followers / 8,931 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 23/9/2011)

#xfactor #lfw

#arsenal #mufc

#lfc #cfc

#afc #rwc2011

#lifewouldbebetter

The Premiership is obviously as high on the agenda in Britain’s capital as it is up north, though there’s a little more acknowledgement here that Arsenal’s loss to Blackburn was significant for both teams. Refreshingly, for none sporting types, people in London have also been listing how things could be improved, meanwhile the glamourous behemoth that is London Fashion Week was obviously the talk of town’s high society.

One to watch: sbtvonline (SB.TV- The UK’s leading youth broadcaster; 42,221 followers / 50,409 updates)

Top Sheffield #tags (seven days to 23/9/2011)

#swfc #xfactor

#motel #madeinchelsea

#arsenal #rwc2011

#downtonabbey #mufc

#sufc

It might just be that in a Steel City with a smaller population than Manchester or London quieter voices shout louder, or half the population of Yorkshire’s second largest town may actually have been watching filthy rich docusoaps and period dramas all week. Either way Downton Abbey, ITV’s Victorian series, and Made In Chelsea, the reality TV show focusing on abhorrently rich socialites, are both trending in Sheffield.

One to watch: chrisspooner (Chris Spooner- Creative designer, avid blogger; 48,481 followers / 8,608 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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The Blagger’s Blog August 12th 2011

Friday, August 12th, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week there were…

…24 articles on the alleged corruption within Cleveland’s police force that has resulted in the chief constable and deputy being arrested, while X Factor songstress Cher Lloyd hit number one with Swagger Jagger and made almost as many headlines- 20 to be exact…

…Vince Cable responded to the Hargreaves copyright review concerning digital content and illegal filesharing and 23 stories ran, with Jim Carrey’s new popcorn release, Mr Popper’s Penguins, also grabbing 23 articles…

…and finally human rights groups threatened to boycott the Gibson inquiry, which investigates British complicity in torture, and 18 stories were published, just one more than the number that covered Sally Bercow’s potential involvement in Celebrity Big Brother, which appeared in 17 pieces.

(Source: Journalisted.com)

Weekly high:

Wrangler launches a new interactive campaign via its European website. Mark Your Territory explores the way people interact with their environment through activities and street art, and allows you to control the movements of characters featured in the video footage. Click and drag to see people draw on Perspex, dip their head into a bucket of cold water, and jump off some steps. Here’s the website.

Weekly low:

Levi’s pulls proposed ad campaign, ‘Go Forth’, in the wake of UK rioting. The TV and cinema commercial was filmed in Berlin on May Day, a day of organised, peaceful political protest, and was designed to emphasise the clothing brand’s youthful energy. Now it has been postponed in a gesture of sensitivity to those caught up in the recent English unrest, which is a shame, as it’s a great piece of work.

Battle of the Tweets: Manchester vs London vs Melbourne

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 11/8/2011)

#manchesterriots #mufc

#manchester #scholeslegend

#riots #mcfc

#riotcleanup #ukriots

#manchestercleanup

In contrast to the soft news focus last time round this week is dominated by the riots that have rocked England’s major cities. Though not as violent or widespread as those in London, Tuesday saw Manchester experience serious civil unrest, with Wednesday’s display of community spirit during the cleanup also a talking point, while tributes pour in for United’s now retired Paul Scholes.

One to watch: designshack (Design Shack– Daily news and inspiration for designers; 13,533 followers / 3,966 updates)

Top London #tags (seven days to 11/8/2011)

#riotcleanup #tottenham

#riots #prayforlondon

#ukriots #enfield

#london #hackney

#mufc

What a week in the capital, with widespread violence having revealed an uglier side to British life. Hotspots like Tottenham and Enfield understandably make appearances, as do the more positive messages of solidarity and a desire to make things right, or at least clean again. Meanwhile, in more upbeat news, Manchester United won the Community Shield, making more than a few Londoners happy.

One to watch: ftfinancenews (FT– Financial Times news on banks, insurance, property and financial services; 182,478 followers / 16,812 updates)

Top Melbourne #tags (seven days to 11/8/2011)

#masterchef #qanda

#census #whatiwishthecensusasked

#melbourne #prayforlondon

#afldonsswans #asylumseekers

#census2011

Everyone in Australia’s capital of understated cool seems to be obsessed with one great British export- Masterchef. On top of that support for the plight of Londoners is being voiced, and on August 9th the country held it’s 16th census, marking 100 years of census taking on the world’s largest singular landmass, with some people adding what they think are funny suggestions for future surveys.

One to watch: problogger (Darren Rowse –I blog about Twitter and tweet about blogging; 145,560 followers /29,118 updates)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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The Blagger’s Blog 1st July 2011

Friday, July 1st, 2011

A weekly roundup of talking points, sans effort

Worth the paper it’s printed on?

Last week there were…

…67 articles written about Cheryl & Ashley Cole possibly getting back together, but only 23 articles on the worst riots in Belfast for over a decade…

…49 articles on Beyonce closing Glastonbury, yet just 45 articles on a Russian plane crash  in which 44 people died…

…36 articles about George Clooney breaking up with his girlfriend, even though only 12 articles reported on PC Simon Harwood being charged with the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson during the 2009 G20 protests.

(Source: Journalisted)

Weekly high:

Greenpeace launch guerrilla marketing campaign against Volkswagen based on the car manufacturer’s Star Wars themed adverts and poor environmental record.

Weekly low:

Hearts FC don’t suspend Scotland U21 international Craig Thompson after he was added to the sex offenders register, lose a sponsor as a result, and then suspend him.

Battle of the Tweets: Manchester vs London vs New York

Top Manchester #tags (seven days to 30/6/2011)

#glastonbury #glasto

#wimbledon #mufc

#beyonce #manchester

#apprentice #ineedtostop

#mcfc #threeatglasto

Everyone’s off to the world’s most famous festival to see Beyonce, and those who aren’t will catch the coverage via BBC #threeatglasto. Both of the city’s teams battle it out for tweet supremacy, and a lot of people need to stop doing seemingly unconnected things.

Top London #tags (seven days to 30/6/2011)

#wimbledon   #glastonbury

#glasto   #ineedtostop

#beyonce   #youcantdateme

#f1   #waystoirritateme

#apprentice   #teamfollowback

Wimbledon is in full swing, and fields further away are high on the agenda too, as is Formula 1. Elsewhere more people promise to help others get a following, for a follow, by joining #teamfollowback, and, again, there are a few habits that need to be cut out.

Top New York #tags (seven days to 30/6/2011)

#nyc                   #ineedtostop

#youcantdateme   #equalityforall

#waystoirritateme   #ny4m

#teamfollowback   #betawords

#marriageequality   #pride

We all love NYC, while plenty of people tell others what annoys them. Again there’s a whole lot of stuff the Tweeters want to stop, while gay marriage is approved, making New York the most populous state in America to allow same sex weddings.

(Source: Trendsmap)

That was The Blagger’s Blog, a selection of statements, statistics and noteworthy newsies from across the media and social world, amalgamated, allowing the time-starved professional to start a conversation from thin air.

If there is a success story, blunder, or tweeting town you’d like to see included email hello@smokinggunpr.co.uk or tweet using #blaggersblog. Happy Friday!

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Staying local(ish)

Friday, June 17th, 2011

The North West has always boasted a staggering level of creative output. Whether you’re talking about the region’s much-loved and lauded bands, designers like Peter Saville, or the wealth of high-profile creative agencies that have a registered address in the area.

On Mount Street we’re proud of where we do business, and that goes further than hitting repeat on The Stone Roses while we ponder our latest innovative solution to a company’s digital PR, social media, or comprehensive public relations quandary.  In fact, we’d go so far as to say we take great pleasure in learning about any work being undertaken by our peers, and not least when there’s a direct link to projects in the Smoking Gun portfolio.

Sportswear manufacturer Burrda is a familiar face round these parts, we’ve been working with them for some time now and the partnership has been happy. So let’s hope Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Premiership club that wears a kit made by our own athletic clothes brand, find the same when reaping the fruits of a new deal with Salford design house Raw. Given the fact said agency has delivered on cutting edge aesthetic contracts for the likes of Liverpool FC and the F.A. we’re pretty sure they will.

This got us thinking about the sector, and region, as a whole. According to Creative Choices there are over 4,500 creative businesses based in the North West. On top of that there are a further 5,650 freelancers working in anything from advertising to cultural heritage and the arts. But when you live in a globalised world local doesn’t necessarily mean the same county, which is good because the national statistics prove even more staggering. Circa 1997 the industry in Britain had a GVA of £31.2bn, which, by 2006, had leapt to an even more impressive £57bn.

OK, so that’s pre-recession. However, look at the figures for 2008, a year wherein creativity accounted for 4.1 per cent of all exported goods and services. Also consider that NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) predicted the sector would grow by 4% between 2009 and 2013, more than double the rate of any other industry. That means in two years we could be looking, awestruck no doubt, at an area that adds some £85bn to the UK economy, and employs more people than the financial services. Whichever way you look at it then, if you’re searching for PR, marketing, digital production, design, or any other eye-catching solutions then this is the right country. And with one of the highest concentrations of creative business in Europe, the North West is a key talent pool to dip into.

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Engaging fresh audiences, attracting new business

Friday, May 6th, 2011

It’s one of the biggest problems a brand can face. How do you break into new markets, without alienating your core customer base?

To celebrate Love Liquorice Day we recently embarked on a campaign to try and help a prominent, all-natural snack appeal to younger people. And the client made a huge impact thanks to a wild animal marauding through Manchester, and a little help from You Tube.

By filming a bear making his way from motorway to metropolitan city centre plenty of people were given more than a memorable introduction to the product, and not least those on their lunch break when the short was shot. So Panda Liquorice’s Panda Loose in Manchester video was a hit. As was the Facebook game we helped create for the company Page.

The online puzzle is perfect break-time fodder to say the least. It also proves that through intelligent, personalised use of social networks it’s possible to develop a relationship with this new audience. Because young people might not respond well to blatant advertising, but we’ve developed a loyal following for Panda on Facebook with levels of response well above average. So when we asked fans to swap their Facebook profile picture for the brand’s, the response was fantastic.

The modern consumer is wise to traditional marketing, and no group more so than the under-30s. Realising this is essential. Appealing to them goes much further than computer games and viral videos though. Panda has been adding to its range to become more youth friendly for some time, meaning when fresh eyes focus they see something worth buying. New Product Development, in this case the introduction of flavours like blueberry, raspberry and cherry, is nothing new, but it remains a highly effective way of broadening brand horizons.

It’s also an expensive business of course. Setting sights on the right targets, with a product the new customer wants, is the only recipe for success. And the core ingredients therein are focus groups and sample studies. Research reactions, whether positive or negative, and fine tune or re-write the concept to meet consumer demands and desires, before running with any idea.

Nothing’s worse than a great campaign for a poorly targeted product, except a terrible campaign for a terribly targeted product. These steps avoid such situations, so success will be all about the new push. For younger audiences we’ve shown how this can be done without huge expenditure, though the most important word of all is originality. It’s the only way to stand out in a crowded world wide web, and make people remember the name long after the subtle sell.

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