There’s something great about the Superbowl. I’m not in to ‘baseball’ or the Pittsburg Steelers, but the adverts they run during the frequent advertising breaks are just the best. It’s like the companies are all trying to out-do each other in the ‘ridiculous’ stakes.
We particularly loved the EDS advert. I’m not even sure what they do but they certainly attracted the attention and might even encourage a few people to take a look at their website. Take a look for yourself:
Who wouldn’t want the job of Creative Director or Marketing Director here? Imaging the brief…
“So, the Super Bowl is coming up and we want an ad. Something that really stands out. How about some cowboys herding cats?” (says the Marketing Director sarcastically). “Try and link it to our generic strap-line would you?”
We think they got the interpretation of that creative brief just right!
Which are your favourite advertisements during the Super Bowl.
Those who know me will be aware that I’m not one to shy away from a bargain but it is only recently that I have been introduced to the world of “group buying”.
In the last few days I’ve spotted articles in marketing magazine and on econsultancy further exploring the issue. For those who don’t know what this is it’s a collective buying tool which allows you to purchase products or services with discounts ranging from 50% to 90% – a marketing method we may know better as loss leading. Some of todays offers can be seen on Groupon or LivingSocial.
The econsultancy article raises an interesting view of whether this is simply a method of customer acquisition which actually just re-acquires existing customers through offering a cheap price to all. It got me thinking as to what it would be like if every sector applied this to their sales strategy. We’d have media agencies offering loss leading prices for advertising space, digital agencies giving free SEO consultancy and affiliates sending traffic to sites with no charges and not to mention the team here at Network Marketing providing some of the best marketing candidates around to our clients jobs for 10% rates!
Where’s the future in that for a business? How can a company be completely focussed on quality of service, product, customer service or indeed anything other than price and hope to be successful when it’s the ‘quality’ aspect that differentiates them?
Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the value of these groups and will be keeping a close eye on them for suitable one off bargains but will I become a long-term customer of the businesses I buy from – probably not. There are significant analogies between this situation and the recruitment agency offering to work at low rates just to get their foot in the door. In the long run the result will always be poorer quality of service, product or customer service which will ultimately mean very little repeat business.
Following the official announcement at the end of 2010 that Tiger Woods has been dropped as the face of Gillette, it forces celebrity sponsorship in to the spotlight and whether or not such deals can really add value to a brand and their accompanying marketing campaigns.
Are the celebrities and sponsorship deals really worth all the money that they demand from companies? Tiger Woods’ sponsorship deal was rumoured to have cost an incredible £2.5 million and where it cannot be denied that the celebrity ‘brands’ can help attract new markets, Proctor and Gamble were thrown in to the midst of a PR nightmare last year when regulations of Tiger Woods personal life came to the forefront of the world’s media. Trapped in contracts and knowing the incredible marketing cost associated with such a global campaign, Gillette had limited choice but to quietly continue with the partnership. Probably a painstaking year for them, no doubt. A year that could have seen a worrying backlash from their target market and damage to a brand that has taken years to develop.
Companies being associated with celebrity scandals is becoming a regular occurance. We had Kate Moss dropped by several brands, including Rimmel cosmetics, following exposure of her cocaine-taking, then Kerry Katona only recently dropped as the face of Iceland due to another high profiled drugs problem.
Is it worth all the trouble? Do these celebrity endorsements really work to the point of having to pay a fortune to greedy celebrities who only really get paid to smile at a camera, whilst you are having to pray every day that they don’t get pictured with your competitor, or that skeletons comes out of their closet that could subsequently damage your reputation?
This recent article in Media Guardian provides an interesting insight into the issue. PR guru Mark Bokowski claims that brands are slowly moving away from involving individuals due to the risk involved. However, the long line of celebrities gracing our television ad breaks does not seem to be disappearing any time soon. Is this the continuing way forward for brands of the 21st Century, or are companies going to start to realise they have more to offer than having to rely on the persona of celebrities who just want their 5 minutes of fame?
Spotted this article on Marketing Week. Well, it’s a brave move dropping the name from the logo but I suppose wherever you are in the world, when you need a coffee you just instantly recognise that green logo so perhaps they just don’t need the name. Nike and Apple led the way and it’s obviously not done them any harm.
Spotted this really interesting article on the BBC website about Le Web conference in Paris. I hadn’t heard of it before but am absolutely sure that, in this wonderful digital region of Yorkshire we must have had some representatives there??
If you haven’t seen the article then here’s a link to Le Web – The Tech Worlds Best Talk About the Hottest Trends
As you may have noticed Leeds was a buzz of digital activity last week with the culmination of the Leeds Digital Festival being the DADI’s happening on Friday 12th November. Set in the rather grand Saviles the event was host to the crème de la crème of digital agencies all flexing their digi muscles.
It really was a night of celebration with trophies being handed to an array of different agencies; some new ones on the radar include Young who were crowned with the ultimate honour, taking home the Grand Prix award for Learn Something Every Day Campaign
The Chairman’s award went to Hamptons Associates for their work with Brewdog an unusual Beer company who’s hedonistic range includes Trashy Blonde…with the strap line “you know you shouldn’t” and 5.AM Saint.
Digital Agency of the Year and Creative Team of the Year went to MadeByPi with DADI individual of the Year going to Aidan Cook MD of Former agency Sense Internet, overall MadeByPi swept the board winning a record number of awards.
Entertainment was kindly provided by Phil Nichol a Canadian comedian, singer-songwriter, and actor. His risqué humour certainly made a lasting impression with the audience with his song entitled “Eskimo”…
As the wee hours of the night came upon us their were various people reliving their youth on the dance floor, “spinning around bright young things”…no names mentioned but you know who you are! Needless to say Network Marketing and The Book were there til the lights came on!
Even though we’re not quite at the end of 2010 it‘s been such an amazing year for the digital market in Yorkshire that we thought we’d share our stats on what’s been happening. As it’s also Leeds Digital Festival this week we thought all of you digital marketers (or wannabes) would be itching to know how your industry has changed compared to last year.Here’s just a few *stats to get your juices flowing:
Digital marketing recruitment volumes are up 40% on the same period across 2009
Digital recruitment, agency side (working within a digital agency), has grown by 10% compared with 2009
Digital recruitment into client side positions has increased by 30%
85% of agencies we deal with now have a credible digital offering as part of their solutions for clients compared to 65% in 2009.
Implementation of social media as a channel (such as Facebook and Twitter)within the job description for digital roles is up 80% compared with 2009
Pure social media recruitment is up 300% from a very low base
A mobile element now features in 35% of briefs (including development/application of apps) compared to less than 5% in 2009
(*All statistics relate to Network Marketing recruitment market insights and compare November 2008- October 2009 with November 2009 to October 2010.) Conclusions
Whilst the digital market is still growing strongly, there are clear signs that the discipline is maturing across the marketing field. Growth in the sector has been predominately within the client side although agencies like twentysix and MadebyPi have grown considerably. The growth client-side demonstrates a greater understanding of the discipline for clients and a greater confidence in creating strategies and implementing them in-house. This could also further demonstrate a real adoption of digital strategies as a core channel for many client side companies.
For agencies, the market has become very fragmented. Where a year or two ago there were a select number of purists delivering digital solutions to clients, now, the majority of traditional ‘off-line’ agencies have a digital offering. Perhaps this is driven from a client requirement where a marketing and creative solution invariably requires a digital angle and they are reticent to pass this on to a 3rd party. Whilst social media has been the buzz-word over the past 12 months many companies appear to be still struggling to see the transparent return on investment of social media. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding of the discipline that has been likened to a bonfire burning away in the background rather than the fireworks of PPC or advertising activity (analogy courtesy of Jono Marcus Lucre Social).
See it more as brand building – not generating immediate sales (contrary to the expectations of most online activity).The Leeds Digital Festival running this week demonstrates without doubt however that Leeds is positioned as an incredibly strong force in digital marketing.Future TrendsDigital is here to stay.
“No kidding” I hear you say. I’ll explain. In a current debate on our Linkedin group Mark Bower from CoolPink made a very important point. The audience has changed. Digital is no longer a bolt on to a marketing strategy, it’s a fundamental part of marketing that needs to be integrated.
Our stats above substantiate this. Clients have embraced digital marketing at a greater rate over the past year and will continue to do so. Marketing spend will still be split across disciplines with, most likely, a proportionately larger percentage being driven online.What digital has got that most other marketing channels don’t have is the ability to be completely innovative. And I for one believe we have some of the most innovative people in the industry based right here in Yorkshire.
For further information regarding this survey please contact Jonathan Hirst
Following a really busy few months from the NM team an executive decision was made that we should all be “treated” to an afternoon out orienteering in Roundhay Park and post action food and drink at the Roundhay Fox. I think everyone was in agreement as to where the real treat lay in these two elements to the day.
The first part of the task was to all meet at the carpark at Roundhay park for 2pm sharp – surely with what was planned for the rest of the afternoon an inability to do this would not bode well yet I regret to report not all were on time. When we had full attendance we had to prepare ourselves through a simple warm-up which turned out to be far from simple. After much leg-kicking arm throwing and hugging ourselves we were ready for part one of the event.
We were split into four teams of three, each of which we were told had a mix of brain and brawn, although I’m sure I class as both!! This team environment also got our competitive spirits going, which in all honesty doesn’t take much encouragement.
The first task was, in my view, a mini version of the Worlds Strongest Man Atlas Stones event except instead of weights from 100 – 160kg we were to carry 12 – 40kg and instead of putting them on pillars we ran with them in a relay race style – so in essence probably not much like said event after all. Each team completed the course and there time was recorded with the quickest team supposedly having a head start in the second and main event – the fastest team consisting of Dan Kondras, Jonny Duke and Jeannette Hirst.
After this we were given some much needed recovery time whilst learning how to map read. Each team was provided with a map of the park and a number of questions which had numerical answers which could be put together to provide co-ordinates of various points within the park where we could find clues leading to a final answer.
A clever twist meant the slowest team in the warm-up event were given a 90 second head start and each team set off in 90second intervals with the fastest team leaving last as they had the pace to catch up. We had 2 hours in which to get to all check points and record the relevant clue at the point before returning to the base camp to finish. All teams set off on their way to lakes, statues, trees and other landmarks around the park and as far out as Oakwood Clock.
Just 59 minutes later the winning team of Helena Krzeminski, Emma Thomson and Tom Fordham returned having SUSSED IT! and got to all 10 landmarks to record the relevant letters and symbols which ingeniously spelt SUSSED_IT! After a while the three other teams slowly started drifting in one having not made it to all check-points, one having not been able to use a map and one that spent 30 mins looking for a check point which didn’t exist due to a slight technical glitch with a co-ordinate from the answer to an initial question.
Celebrating finishing the task with water and a tracker bar we all discussed the fun and frolics that were involved, conducted some post match interviews (which hopefully will never be broadcast) and then were ready to hit the Roundhay Fox.
The usual Network Marketing couple of quiet drinks and a sophisticated meal followed and off we all went for a well earned sleep oblivious to the aches and pains that lay around the corner when we woke.
It was a great afternoon and delivered above and beyond expectations. Big thanks go out to Phill and the rest of the Out-Fit team who we’d recommend to anyone looking for an outdoor orienteering / team building event and congratulations again to the winning team on the day of Helena, Emma and Tom.
Network Marketing was proud to lend our support to Mark Strafford (Marketing Assistant) at Chapter Eight. Mark has set out to raise money to enable him to partake in a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. The climb will be taking place at the end of August, all in aid of Childreach International (www.childreach.org.uk), a charity that specialises in children’s projects in parts of Asia and Africa. Mark and his friends certainly came up with a unique way of raising the money.
Mark had the unenviable task of picking up 72 dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts from Manchester, and delivering them to local businesses in Leeds. By the time that Mark had arrived at our offices, he had managed to raise £1900 of the £2300 needed to enable him to go on the climb.
All of the Network Marketing office was informed last night that we would be receiving 24 Krispy Kreme doughnuts, the money kindly being donated by our director, Jonathan Hirst.
The excitement today was intense with the anticipation of when they would arrive. Some of the office had even forgone food to make space for them.
After tasting the doughnuts, two of our staff decided that they would like to make an extra contribution, so purchased a dozen more doughnuts each. Charity has never tasted so good.
Good luck to Mark on his epic adventure, from everyone at Network Marketing.
The objective: To enjoy a team building event that wasn’t your usual “let’s get drunk” and then bond…although obviously that did come later
On a sunny July day the team at Network Marketing enjoyed a voyage into the forest for treetop madness…described on their website as “high-wire forest adventure” we set off like a group of intrepid explorers eager to exert our natural prowess, in this high octane sport. This was our afternoon at Go-Ape!
There was blood, sweat, yelps and a lot of wood chippings as people tried to complete the giant obstacle course in a respectful manner. The course also boasted the country’s best zip line (which is the longest at 426 metres long and over 30 metres high). Battered ego’s and bruises aside the event really was a bit scary, certainly a challenge, a lot of fun, the pictures even more so!
Anna Traversing the Rope Bridge
Dale 100ft Up in the air
Everyone completed the course – even those that really didn’t like heights – and rewarded themselves with a good feed a beautiful gastro pub in Newton on Derwent called the Half Moon Inn.
by Rajvir Khatra – Agency Consultant at Network Marketing
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