Reason's for business presentation failure

Often we develop a business presentation format (content, tone, style, format etc) and expect to be able to replicate delivery of this set presentation. The challenge – You cant deal with everybody the same way

So how does this manifest itself in the business presentation situation

• Firstly – individuals listen / follow differently. This is a really simple example "No Problem" could mean there is no problem or could mean "No; Problem" i.e. No we cant do, that it would be a problem. The challenge exists of miss communication where I say one thing and you interpret something completely different
• Listening abilities; apparently we think at 500 words per minute.
• So we start a presentation,
• In presenting ideas the recipient is processing the ideas and information provided and working out what you said.
• During this processing stage they miss some of the key content
• The process of persuasion varies i.e. what gets the Financial Director excited, possibly wont excite the Sales & Marketing Director. The challenge being "Whats in it for me" and if there are different people involved appealing to them all

Sequence of persuassion for business presentation

4. Once the business presentation has finished what do you want the person to do

• How will you respond to questions
• What support information do you have
• How do you establish the next steps.
• How do you establish that the person has fully understood

4 key reasons why Cambridgeshire marketing activities don't work

The short 6 minute video below explores

• The nonsense of not concentrating on selling more to existing customer's
• The energy sapping and inefficient activity of going for new customers
• How new products or services get developed without knowing if there is a customer need
• Why sometimes the best thing to do is something completely different
• How you can significantly improve your marketing activities

Cambridgeshire marketing activities can be improved by

1. Clearly segmenting their existing customer list
   • Which existing customers would you benefit from sacking (that's right, are there customers that would actually be beneficial for you to lose or give to your competitors)
   • Which type of customers are the most profitable – not all customers are equal, are there certain customers where you should be providing a higher level of service
   • etc
2. Targeting and profiling which new customers they want to gain
   • If you know the reasons why existing people use you it makes it easier to work out who to target
   • How to target them
   • When to market to them
   • etc
3. Identifying from existing customers what additional products or services they have a need to purchase
   • Especially if they tell you about shortfalls in current supply
   • Pains that they have that aren't being met
   • The value that they would be prepared to pay if such a product or service was available
   • etc
4. Knowing how well their existing products or services matched the needs of their existing market
   • Sometimes the product you were making just isn't relevant any more Analogue Televisions, Slide Rules etc
   • What if you come across a unique product that is suitable for a completely different set of customers
   • etc

You will see there are lots of etc's above. The issue of marketing is a subject way bigger than can be covered in a 5 minute video.

Marketing Stimulation

That's why we have created Marketing Stimulation a unique programme to improve Cambridgeshire marketing activities. With four half day sessions, internet research, 1:1 mentoring it provides the perfect way to get practical marketing help to grow your business.

Eligible companies may be able to access up to 70%  grant funding towards the cost of Marketing Stimulation.

For more information on Marketing Stimulation visit or call 01733 785658

The following video summarises 5 of the key point covered in the Peterborough Marketing Taster Session held at the Eco Innovation Centre.

This video follows on from a 90 minute marketing taster session. The session covered

What is marketing  -

• a very big question and we summarised it by SCP (satisfying customers profitably)

Why do Customers buy from you

Looking at the 5 L model developed by Bob Hogg

• Live – those businesses / people you currently do business with
• Loyal – those who love to purchase from you
• Likely – the element that many focus on first – due to the thrill of the chase and naivety
• Lapsed – those who we fought hard to get but who haven't purchased again
• Lost – those who have dropped out of our radar and are buying elsewhere

Decision making process and influences

Is your product or service FIT for purpose

• Considering segmentation – the process of breaking the market into smaller groups of people who exhibit similar needs. So that we can identify what the exact needs of the segment are

• Considering what makes up your product or service from the perspective of

• Core benefit – problem solved for the customer
• Actual product – the physical design / functionality
• Augmented – warranty / after sales service / branding
• Potential – future developments

• Where is the product in its product life cycle

The importance of being different

• Are you just the same as your competitors or do you have a Blackpool Tower factor
• Looking at the issue of direct, indirect and future competitors
• Establishing where you are positioned in relation to your competitors against the factors of pricing and perceived user value

Why a marketing action plan is important

• the importance of having an effective strategy (doing the right things) and combining it with efficient tactics (doing things right)
• Looking at your business from a customer and product perspective in order to identify which approaches are market penetration – doing more with your existing customers
• product/ service development – identifying what new developments could be offered to your existing customers
• market development – which new customer segments could you target
• diversification – do you need to offer new products to a new target audience

How to get found on the web

• What is the search engine of choice – almost 100% use Google
• 4 key factors to get found on the web
• make sure its for a highly relevant term
• make sure that there is actually traffic for that search term
• choose a term that isn't massively competitive
• make sure that if you get found for the term it has commercial significance
• What happens when a visitor arrives at your website?
• Can you use offline activities to get people to your website

How to ensure your advertising isn't a waste of money

Far too much to cover in this summary so I will produce a separate detailed document. E mail andrew@bdolphin.co.uk and mark subject as 'Advertising a waste of money' and I will send you the report

In summary: An approach for marketing Return on Investment

1. Know your target customer
2. Make the offer and message relevant
3. Select the relevant media
4. Establish what action do you want them to take
5. Measure

Marketing Taster Session A Cocktail of Marketing Information

Marketing Taster is a 90 minute session providing an overview of selected key marketing activities.

For those companies with limited time Marketing Nuggets provides a series of 7 x 60 minute sessions whereby marketing activities can be covered in more detail more information can be found at Marketing Nuggets.

For those companies who are looking to grow there business Marketing Stimulation provides a great environment to look at key marketing issues and then develop them in a productive framework, with the ability to test assumptions. Click here for more information on how Marketing Stimulation.

Writing for the Web – CIM event notes

Following the recent CIM 'Writing for the Web' event please find the additional content. Within the video the following writing for the web points are considered. These notes and video should be used in conjunction with the core course notes.

Writing for the web – observations from the writing section

1. What are the objectives of your writing – ultimately what conversion are you looking for

• Clicks
• Calls
• Information request
• Linkage
• Authority
• etc

2. What’s the value of the information / content you are creating to the reader

• Information
• Hints
• Guidance
• Checklists

Is it strengthening your relationship and building authority
3. B2B as per B2C the power of emotion

• What is the pain that it trying to be resolved
• What is the pleasure looking to be achieved

4. Segmentation and the ability to be able to develop clear messages for each segment

5. What stage is your customer in their buying process

• With correct information can you help them in their customer journey
• Within the copy you can’t just say buy my stuff – but are there times when you can
• This page is for you if…

6. Great unique on topic content is really important and there’s never been a better time for it

• Both to help in the sales process
• To create authority on the web

7. Formatting sometimes to get noticed you will upset the style police –  text in red box

8. How do you write – first person / third person – Don’t ‘we’ on your customer

9. Thank you pages

• If somebody has signed up / registered is this a great opportunity for you to be different
• Similar opportunity for personalisation as per error messages

10. Make your content memorable

11.Writing for the web is different to print – you can make the page do stuff

• Are you maximising the way you create the page to convey your message
  • Charts
  • Diagrams
  • Links
  • Video
  • Imagery – zoom

12. Getting into the persona of your customer

• Scan reader / First time reader / Complete reader

13. Approaches to create great copy for the web

14. Tracking – at what point of your copy do you lose your reader – analytics

15. Are you clear about what your offer is and what you want your customer to do

The annotated slides from the event are attached and available for download

Writing for the web core course notes

For more information on writing for the web or internet marketing visit www.bdolphin.co.uk or call Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or email andrew@bdolphin.co.uk or contact Richard Groom on 01733 891860 or e mail richard@marketingability.co.uk

A school friend and I will be taking a trip of a lifetime to visit and experience life in the largest slum in the world in July 2011. The Kibera Slums, Nairobi in Kenya holds over one million people in the size of a large council estate. Kenya although surprisingly is a strong developing country still has major poverty spots.

Below is a short video showing the conditions we will be facing

We are going with the organisation called Soap Box Communications Trust (www.soapboxtrust.com) who is well established Christian organisation that also believes the families in the Kibera slums deserve a better life than the one they are currently having.

Whilst out there our main project will be helping to build a school so they aren’t learning in the horrendous slum conditions. We will also be sharing experience with the families in the slum and growing a relationship with these people, as their way of living will be totally different one to ours. I truly believe this trip will be life changing for everyone involved as we all experience something we haven’t experienced before.

To cover the costs of the trip and building material for the school  we need to raise £1500 each.  Any donations will be greatly received from the company, not only by us, but by people whose  lives we will be affecting. Please click on the link below…
http://www.securio.net/modules/soapbox/index.cfm?fa=account.list
Click on the 'not registered' section on the left hand side of Existing Members Login – and complete the details (Soapbox use this information for registration purposes)
Input the amount your would wish to Donate
Select Rebecca Goode from the Drop Down box…
Or Alternatively forward donations to -
Rebecca Goode, 43 The Gannocks, Orton Waterville, Peterborough,
PE2 5DZ, and I can then forward these to Soapbox.

Marketing to a UK population that's getting older (but not fitter)

Went to very interesting Chartered Institute of Marketing event in Cambridge where the subject was marketing to a mature audience. The presentation started with a discussion on what age does youth end and old age begin? A very challenging quandary but the average answers were available!

When does youth end?

but crucially when does old age begin

When does old age begin?

With such wide variances how can one and should one use age as a segmentation characteristic? From a sales and marketing perspective we appear to focus on youthfulness, A great example of this is featured in the following article

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1202399/The-faces-Twiggy-59-How-airbrushing-Olay-ad-hides-truth-skin-shes-in.html A great example of the power of photoshop, just what would happen to the brand, to sales if a natural stance was projected?

So how can a brand relate to an older audience? The following advert from Coca Cola makes me smile even if it does portray some strereotypes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j9KWEGmq9Y

The challenge appears to be that with an ageing population and a shift from a youth culture to an aged culture as marketers we need to start revisiting or reconsidering how we market to what is an ageing audience. All of this is occuring whilst we are going through a technical revolution and with more marcoms activities occurring than a full time marketing professional can keep up with.

As marketers we have so many on line activities to use Twitter, Facebook, Linked in, SMS, Foursquare, E mail, Websites etc all of which make our lives so much easier that sometimes we forget that 43% of the population without internet access don't want it! So as our population ages it has never been as important to practice safe and efficient Online and Offline marketing. If you would like more information on Online / Offline marketing we call it Collaborative Marketing then please call Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or e mail andrew@bdolphin.co.uk or visit http://www.bdolphin.co.uk/training/create-your-sales-generation-machine-workshop/

I.e. are there customers searching for what I'm promoting and if they are, will they visit my website?

PECT Peterborough Environment City Trust were looking to identify what environmental / green keyword searches were being used. We conducted some keyword research and the results were frightening.

Having conducted keyword research analysis with over 100 companies, there are some common characteristics that come out during the interactive process that we conduct with clients.

1. As you are looking at 'actual' keyword search numbers (quantitative information) it allows you to banish any previous gut feel assumptions that you may have had about the words you thought would be searched for
2. In many cases the volumes of searches on exact match terms for specialised products can be incredibly low
3. We have found that for some keywords the numbers and results  just don't add up i.e. it would be very difficult to get a number one Google ranking  and any ranking activities just wouldn't give a return on investment
4. The process helps you identify lots and lots of options. The challenge is to work out which elements you are going to focus on and prioritise
5. We are amazed and the number of companies that cant easily add or change content and elements of their site, websites have moved on and this doesn't need to be the case

The keyword research process we adopt to help clients identify if there is anybody searching follows the 4 steps below

The ROI keyword identification process

Firstly – working directly with the client we identify the highly relevant words

Secondly – we identify those words with good traffic. If only 10 people are searching for your keyword per day, that means if you are number 1 in Google you will only get about 4 visitors per day. That equates to about 1500 keyword visitors over the course of a year, if your online ratio of sales is 1000:1 that could mean there are only 1.5 sales available. This might make that keyword on its own unviable

Thirdly – which are the words where there is low / lower competition. Using the example above if you were number 2 as opposed to number 1 you would probably only get 1 visitor a day. Therefore the importance of being number 1 is high and this is more easily achieved if there is lower competition.

Finally – we ensure that the ROI stacks up and that there is a potential profitable output achieveable

The whole keyword research process helped banish assumptions and made me think differently about the wording for products and services
Kim Coley – PECT

If you would like more information on how keyword research could benefit you in your web development please call Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or e mail andrew@bdolphin.co.uk

If you would like more information on the Investors in the Environment accreditation scheme please contact Kim Coley on 01733 866436 or e mail Kim at  kim.coley@pect.org.uk or visit www.iie.uk.com

Working with Cambridgeshire based engineering company Seefold Engineering Services we have developed a range of videos to showcase its wide range of products and services (Key point: it's all about the messages – not the technology to create the video)

If a picture paints a 1000 words, then how many words are conveyed by a 30 second video. Seefold Engineering Services wanted to showcase information on their HVAC capabilities and specific industry sector information. This was achieved quickly and cost effectively using the latest video technology, see the example below.

The video allowed SES to profile their wide range of bathroom fitting capabilities in an easy to follow format for the viewer. The video is also stored on an i phone which allows SES engineers to show customers without web access their bathroom capabilities. Customer feedback has been very positive to this format. The simplicity of the system allows SES to easily add additional images as new bathrooms are designed and installed.

With a great track record of installing heating and plumbing into heritage buildings, SES wanted a video that they could use when initially contacting new heritage contacts. Over time the video could be enhance by the addition of customer testimonials.

The classic marketing problem is that we have clients who say "I didn't know you did that", the development of a 120 second video which showcases the diverse services provided by SES allows them to easily give a flavour to a customer of the wide range of services they are able to provide. If a customer requires more information on a specific service they can find additional information on the website www.seefold.co.uk

If you would like to know more about these high impact videos can be developed then please call Andrew on 01733 361729 or e mail andrew@bdolphin.co.uk or visit the website www.bdolphin.co.uk.

Note a 30 second can often be developed for as little as £hundreds which can make it a highly cost effective promotional tool.

Market Research – can quick and dirty be effective for SME's

For businesses knowledge of what customers / prospects want, need, think, value and what helps them in purchasing decisions is critical, if they wish to develop efficiently and effectively.

So is this where good old market research kicks in?

For me market research isn’t a one size fits all activity and over the course of a few articles, we will explore some of the ways that SME’s in particular can gain great information which will help them in the decision making process.

Detailed, statistically sound research conducted methodically and then rigorously critiqued and checked is essential in many cases (especially where the levels of investment are high or the business case justifies / requires).

What about quick and dirty approaches that can be conducted in a shorter time frame and at a fraction of the cost? Research that answers questions like

• How can I make sure that a new product or service that is being developed is fit for purpose?
• How can I make sure this product / service is required and valued?

Listed below is a table that outlines some examples of ‘quick and dirty’ approaches used to get information to help in the business decision making process. Each of these will be explained in more detail in later articles

The reasons that many SME’s don’t conduct research are

1. Cost – SME’s see it as expensive
2. Time – SME’s think it will take a very long time
3. Value – SME’s think that the research will be an academic exercise resulting in a report and very little new information

In the next edition we will explore these 3 issues and look at some of the quick and dirty research techniques in more detail. For more information call Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or visit www.bdolphin.co.uk

How can we get more done at work

We all want to get more done during the course of the day but what is the key issue that stops us achieving. I have been to a number of events recently where this has been a key focus. In recent business trips to the US I have listened to Dr Lisa Lang talk about the 'Theory of Constraints' and more recently i sat in on a session called the 'power of single focus'. Essentially what both approaches lead towards is as business leaders / business owners we try and take on too many projects and manage too many tasks simultaneously. This results in us constantly stopping and starting.

In summary 'Theory of Constraints' and the 'Power of Single focus' suggest that if you focus on a single project and complete of much of it as you can before moving onto the next project you will achieve significantly more with the same level of resource. If you would like more information on this then please contact Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or e mail andrew@bdolphin.co.uk and he will be pleased to send you an information sheet.

Final thought for the power of single focus which was particularly useful for SME owner managers was

"Change your clients mindset or Change your clients"

Effective Marketing Masterclass

A FREE ½ day Masterclass, providing practical sales and marketing, tips and techniques to apply to your business.

Find out how your website can generate customers

• Generate more high quality contacts through improved networking
• Identify if you could gain more business through an improved green message
• See how virtual and remote marketing can produce real business benefits

The Masterclass is being held on June 11^th at Regus Building, Stuart House, Peterborough

Timings: Registration and networking 8.00am to 8.30

8.30 to 12.30 Masterclasses, 12.30 networking over a buffet

More details can be found at http://www.bdolphin.co.uk/p/regus-marketing-masterclass/

The following 4 step approach seems to summarise the e commerce and internet marketing process.

1. Build your mailing list -

Seems easy but how are you going to do it effectively. In our experience clients who have purchased e mail lists have regretted it. For us quality is everything in the list. better to have 500 quality people in teh list than 5000 randoms.

2. Build relationships -

Just like allot of marketing its all about TRUST. So what can you do to start the process of building a relationship. If you were going on a date you wouldn't ask your partner for marriage straight away. We find that with many on line sites the suppliers are asking for an order to soon. We have no relationship and no trust, which makes us suspicious. We have a variety of approaches that we use with clients to help them build on line relationships with their prospects.

3. Sell product & services

Ultimately for many online businesses we only start to generate cash once we have sold something. So ultimately we need to be selling products / services

4. Enable others to sell for you

Now this is the interesting part. What is the opportunity to get others to help sell our products or services? What if suddenly there were another 1000 people looking to help us sell? If you would like to know more about increasing the numbers of people who can promote your product or service on the web then call Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or visit www.bdolphin.co.uk

How can an SME maximise the value of its brand, in fact for an SME how relevant is a brand. Andrew Goode a Director of Blue Dolphin Business Development on behalf of Angle PlC delivered a 1/2 day workshop entitled valuing your brand.

Content covered within the interactive workshop included

• The marketing benefits of building a strong brand
• The power of branding – highlighting how through blind or brand tasting, choice can be impacted
• Looking at the marketing elements of branding and identifying Lincolnshire brands that we love and respect
• Reviewing market driving brands that challenge convention aqnd provide a unique experience
• The use of Eliminate, Reduce, Increase and Create to develop a market leading brand
• Using a shorthand branding approach to help identify the phrase that captures the brand
• Identifying how strong is your brand from a marketing context
• Valuing your brand to consider the issue of pricing and positioning

Video clips from the event will be uploaded shortly.

For more information on workshops or training that can be delivered by Blue Dolphin call Andrew Goode on 01733 361729 or visit http://www.bdolphin.co.uk/training/

A FREE ½ day Masterclass, providing practical sales and marketing, tips and techniques to apply to your business.

Generating business through the web - Speaker Andrew Goode – Blue Dolphin

Profitable sales through meeting people and making contacts - Speaker Brian  Soanes – Business Club (Peterborough)

Virtual & Remote marketing produces real business benefits  -  Speaker Jonathan Hough – Regus

Going Green for increased business -  Speaker - Stephen Everett – Protect and Preserve

For more details click here

As a Huntingdon independent retailer

• Are you looking to increase your sales and grow your business?
• Would you benefit from some practical training, support and advice focused around your business activities?
• Do you want to improve the effectiveness of your marketing activities both offline and online i.e. achieve more at a lower cost?
• What if you could test some of your Sales messages and Promotional materials before you committed to £ spend?

The Huntingdon Retailer Marketing Action programme is designed to help you develop the most effective marketing actions for your business.

  
What’s included in the Huntingdon Retailer Marketing Action

Huntingdon Retailer Marketing Action is a unique 3 stage programme of practical training, facilitated discussion, 1:1 action marketing and review designed specifically to help independent retailers improve their business performance. It is delivered by professionals in Marketing, Business Development and Internet Marketing

•  Explore which marketing approach will generate your business the most sales
• Review your existing Sales & promotion approaches to identify where you are wasting money
• Identify if online activities could generate additional business
• Identify opportunities for joint relationships with other retailers

 Proposed Timetable 

 * If you employ between 5 and 249 people (to include all staff / helpers / volunteers) you could be eligible for Leadership & Management funding to pay for the cost of training excluding VAT. All you will pay for the programme is the VAT a total cost of £87.50

 ONLY 16 places available

The intensive nature of the support provided means that a maximum of 16 will be allowed on the programme. Register your interest by calling Judith on 01733 361729 or e mail judith@bdolphin.co.uk

The following practical marketeers will be providing the support

Bob Hogg FCIM Partner at Marketing Ability	Lyndon Wright BSc Director at 2buy1click	Andrew Goode MCIM  MBA Director at Blue Dolphin

For more information visit www.bdolphin.co.uk/huntingdon-retailers or call 01733 361729 

Can great customer service improve your business performance?

I recently attended a great presentation on transforming customer service, which was held in Peterborough.
Nine of the key points that i took away from the event are listed below

1. Ensure you business avoids "I cant help you I work in customer services"
2. Are there opportunities for 'Random acts of kindness' (which remove the routine of the transaction)
3. Make sure you deliver the promise
4. Provide a personal touch where possible
5. Go the extra mile
6. Always resolve customer problems
7. Turn routine transactions into orgasmic experiences
8. Ensure that 'support' dont become a sales prevention team
9. Make sure the 'customer' is a part of weverything you do

Finally business should be fun, make sure you and your team are smiling. For more information on how to improve your customer experience click here

Internet marketing tips for small business websites

1. Keeping Google happy

• Make sure your content is fresh - when was the last time you added some new content?
• Ensure you have incoming links
• Stickability – what will make a customer stay on your site

2. Do one thing but benefit twice

• Articles – provide fresh content and the opportunity for links
• Videos – provide the oppotrtunity for links and importantly conversion

3. Make sure you submit articles

• A good article should be informative (not self promotion) and approximately 500 words long
• It should hopefully have a long life
• Great article topics include
  • things you must know / avoid
  • reasons for choosing
  • Biggest mistakes

4. E zine aerticles

• Ezinearticles.com – set yourself up as an author
• Write an article and submit  to ezinearticles.com
• Modify say a bullet point – put on your website and "Fresh content"

5. Video – we now watch more video on the web than we watch TV

• video is a great medium so why not create a video of a happy customer
• A video of a before and after experience
• Your product in action
• Remember – if a picture paints a 1,000 words, a video is about 10,000
• Windows movie maker is great for editing, You Tube is great for hosting

For more information on internet marketing visit http://www.bdolphin.co.uk/making-the-web-work-for-you/

A current marketing project for a client has been to build them a website. Part of the project has been to develop content both to get found on the web and importantly to get interested parties to pick up the phone.
In developing the copy for the website it became clear that the selection of holiday accommodation is a very emotive decision. This brought home to me how when you tell a story from a personal experience it creates a powerful message. For example

• "When i first drove up the driveway to the cottages, I was amazed by the remoteness of there location"
• "I couldnt wait to sit down and relax by the log fires"
• "We were all excited about using the outdoor hot tub"
• "Its the best cottage we have ever stopped in"

True stories that reflect the needs of your customer will engage with them. If you are looking to engage with your customers through words, then stories could be the ideal medium. There is no need to glorify or exaggerate, just illustrating the examples, issues, problems that a customer has and highlighting how your product / service has helped the customer experience is enough.

For more information on creating marketing stories see http://www.bdolphin.co.uk/marketing-training-courses/how-to-write-for-the-web/

Events fundraising is on the increase, according to a number of surveys carried out by the Event Managers' Forum. Apparently 46% of charities claim that the recession has had only a small impact on their events fundraising, while 23% say that it has had no effect at all. Mass participation events are still regarded as the 'Holy Grail' of fundraising, such as the 'Race for Life' and challenge events are becoming more popular.
Third Sector, 20 October 2009, p35

London's The Evening Standard is to become a free newspaper, in the interests of achieving a wider circulation, despite the loss of £12m in revenues. The plan is to distribute the paper in London high streets, supermarkets and railway stations.
The Daily Telegraph, 2 October 2009, p29
The Independent, 5 October 2009, p45

According to research from the Advertising Association, buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) promotions don't necessarily encourage consumers to buy things they don't want. More than two-thirds of consumers see these promotions as a way of helping out with their finances and only one in five say it encourages them to buy things unnecessarily. However the Chartered Institute of Marketing has pointed out that it is difficult for a brand which has price promoted heavily to return to its former premium positioning.
Marketing Week, 1 October 2009, p7

Are young people the same in these two cities in terms of their needs and interests for marketing purposes? In fact they are probably more similar than they were ten years ago because of the ubiquity of communications and entertainment. However the use of geo-demographics and socio-demographics only allows for segments and sub-segments – one also needs to understand cultural differences.
Springboard, Autumn 2009, p31

An EU court has ruled that the clothes and jewellery maker, JOOP! cannot register an exclamation mark as a trade mark because it will be seen by consumers as just 'laudatory advertising or an eye-catching gimmick'.  The exclamation mark is not deemed distinctive enough and is unlikely to indicate to consumers the commercial origin of the goods, which is the function of a trade mark. JOOP! had applied to register a trade mark for both a single exclamation mark and a boxed exclamation mark!
Out-law.com, 1 October 2009

Coke Recycles
Coca-Cola has produced its first ad   encouraging consumers to recycle. 'The Keep it Going. Recycle' campaign will support the company's strategy to reduce its carbon footprint. Southampton will be the first city to benefit from the launch of Coke's recycling bins. Coke Recycling Zones have already appeared at Thorpe Park and Manchester Airport. Research by the Carbon Trust has found that packaging accounts for the greatest proportion of a drinks company's carbon footprint.
Marketing Week, 17 September 2009, p5

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) is introducing a social media resource to stimulate debate and understanding amongst its members. The IPA has identified Ten Principles of Social Media and would like agencies and brands to include social media in all marketing activity.
New Media Age, 17 September 2009, p6

Cadbury's Dairy Milk has launched a music single and video to mark the brand's conversion to Fair Trade products. The single has been released on the Glass and a Half Full Records label, specially created for the campaign and launched on TV at the weekend as a 60-second ad.
Campaign, 18 September 2009, p1

Technology is no good without great content and a precise message that will be remebered by the audience, therefore we work closely with clients to ensure that the message is right. If you would like more information on how to create a high impact professional presentation then simply call Andrew on 01733 361729.

MARKETING students from Peterborough have clinched great results in their exams – beating the national average.

Marketers from Peterborough featured prominently in the results of professional qualifications exams published by The Chartered Institute of Marketing last week.

Overall, the results show a 94 per cent pass rate for Peterborough candidates who studied with marketing Ability, with 12 per cent achieving distinction grades for these internationally CIM recognised qualifications.

In the CIM Professional Diploma, one of the most sought-after marketing qualifications, 100 per cent of Marketing Ability candidates passed.

The courses for these qualifications in Peterborough are run by the locally-based training business Marketing Ability through their Peterborough College of Marketing division.

Principal tutor at the college Bob Hogg said: “We are delighted that our students’ hard work has paid off. They all combined their studies with full-time jobs and other commitments, so i’s especially impressive that they did so well, outshining the national averages by a long way.

“There are a large number of organisations with their marketing decision-makers based in Peterborough, together with numerous marketing support companies.

“This means that Peterborough has a vibrant marketing community, and these results prove there are new marketing professionals making progress in their careers to ensure this community carries on well into the future.”

Information about Peterborough College of Marketing’s programme of courses for the coming year can be found at www.marketingability.co.uk

The college is also holding an induction evening at the Marriott Hotel in Lynch Wood on 7th September

There is agreement amongst marketing experts that places can be branded in the same way as consumer goods and services. However place brands will have some unique concepts which differentiate them from products and services. This research shows that local people are important for a 'destination brand-building' process. Consumers will use this factor to evaluate destinations and to aid their decisions about tourism. A great deal of a place's image is likely to rest upon the stereotyping of the 'typical' local people.
Journal of Brand Management, Vol 16 (7) pp420-438

Blue Dolphin will be attending the Stompernet coference 7th to 9th August taking place at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta Georgia. The event will provide the opportunity to be updated on the latest in proven internet strategies and techniques plus network with internet marketers from around the world. We will provide details on some of the key findings once we return.

There is agreement amongst marketing experts that places can be branded in the same way as consumer goods and services. However place brands will have some unique concepts which differentiate them from products and services. This research shows that local people are important for a 'destination brand-building' process. Consumers will use this factor to evaluate destinations and to aid their decisions about tourism. A great deal of a place's image is likely to rest upon the stereotyping of the 'typical' local people.
Journal of Brand Management, Vol 16 (7) pp420-438

Forget about chewing sweets, try some spray candy. Small containers of spray-on-the-tongue sweets are apparently very popular.  All tastes are catered for; there is the marshmallow-like Hello Kitty brand or SpongeBob SquarePants' 'fruity fresh breath' for the kids. Calorie-free simulated dessert sprays, including key lime pie, might appeal more to the adult palate.
Wired, July 2009, p60

According to the Global Reputation Pulse Study from the Reputation Institute, which looks at the top 140 listed companies, Marks & Spencer is the most reputable company among British consumers. Smith & Nephew and Cadbury are the second and third most trusted brands, while Morrisons comes in fourth place. Companies are judged according to trust, esteem, admiration and 'good feelings'.
Marketing Week, 4th June 2009, p6

World adspend predictions
Advertising spend in the UK is forecast to decline until 2011 according to latest data from ZenithOptimedia. China will overtake the UK this year as the world's fourth-largest advertising market, behind Germany and Japan. However it will be some time before China catches up with the world's largest market, the US.  By 2011 the internet is expected to have a 15.1% share of ad spend, while all other media will shrink.
The Times, 7 July 2009, p40
The Financial Times, 6 July 2009, p23

Understanding whats of importance and value to your customers is a fundamental part of marketing. Blue Dolphin has developed "Find Out" a great service for companies  to use to gather vital customer information. If you would benefit from knowing more about your customers likes/ dislikes / opinions / preffered options then Find Out could be the ideal service for you. For more details simply call 01733 361729 and Find Out

In September the new CIM accredited courses will commence at Peterborough College of Marketing.
If you are interested in studying for any of these courses and want to know more information give Bob Hogg a call on 01733 233658 or visit the website http://www.marketingability.co.uk/news.php

There will be an introductory meeting on Monday 7th of September for all students at the Marriott Hotel Peterborough with formal tutorials starting Monday 14th of September

The PR Week/Brands2Life survey of 102 communications heads reveals how the recession has been affecting PR departments. Half of communications directors claim to have lost more than 10% of their budgets over the last year, while 41% have had to lose staff. It is not surprising therefore that 'doing more with fewer people' is cited as the most pressing issue by 52% of respondents. In-house departments are now spending an average of 15% of their budgets on digital work, while 69% of PR departments have responsibility for social media.
PR Week, 10 July 2009, pp20-23

All Odeon cinemas are to be equipped with Bluetooth within the next two months, after research showed that 65% of 15 to 24 year-old cinema-goers would download content to their phones. The cinema ad agency, Digital Cinema Media (DCM), expects more than 163,000 downloads a month, consisting of content, vouchers, and promotions for advertisers such as Five, Warner, Xbox and Yahoo.
New Media Age, 11 June 2009, p11

The European Court of Justice has overturned the Belgian ban on the practice of offering a free product when another is purchased. Marketers are naturally relieved that there will be fewer restrictions on their promotions and campaigns.
Incentive & Motivation, July/August 2009, p8

Six panellists from banking, technology and social media backgrounds met recently to discuss the future of social media in banking.  They concluded that social media can help banks build trust and communities of customers, as well as support customer service. They believe Twitter, Facebook and the like are not designed for corporate use, but "there will be a bonus for banks that experiment early". Financial services are still in the educational phase with social media, unlike some other sectors. 
Computer Weekly, 23-29 June 2009, p7

New research by B2B Marketing has revealed that three-quarters of BtoB marketers have increased their volume of email campaigns and   messages in the last 12 months. Email was regarded as 'important' or 'critical' as a marketing channel by 93% of respondents.  The most common objective for email marketing was 'driving web traffic' as cited by 75% of respondents, while 'maintaining customer relationships' was mentioned by 73%.  The third most popular objective was 'brand building'. Details of the survey results are presented in a series of graphs.
B2B Marketing, June 2009, pp28-29

High street fashion may be suffering, but its online counterparts are experiencing something of a boom, as evidenced by luxury retailer Net-a-Porter's near trebling of pre-tax profits last year. Another luxury fashion retailer, My-wardrobe.com, has forecast sales growth of 200% in the year to June. The cheaper online fashion ranges are led by Asos and New Look. Growth in sales from online is faster than offline as people grow accustomed to online shopping. People feel more in control when they shop online and know how much they are spending.
The Financial Times, 10 June 2009, p20

The big four supermarkets spent £13m more on advertising in the first five months of the year than they did last year, according to consultancy Billetts. This represents an increase of 14% at a time when advertising prices have fallen. The explanation given by Billetts is that shoppers are becoming less loyal and are looking for bargains, so the supermarkets have upped the advertising to compensate.
The Grocer, 27 June 2009, p5

Advertisements will often try to encourage consumers to imagine they are in a situation where they can benefit from the product being advertised. However where the ad wants consumers to benefit someone else, getting them to imagine themselves in that person's situation can conflict with the image they have of themselves as a helper. This can decrease the effectiveness of the ad. Five experiments were conducted to test this theory. Results revealed that when participants considered the appeal for help, characteristics that increased the ease with which they were able to imagine the situation, such as a photo of the victim, had a positive effect on their willingness to help and on the amount of money donated.
Journal of Marketing Research, June 2009, pp421-434

Luxury sector resilient in parts
Although the luxury sector appears to be suffering from the recession, and indeed is predicted to shrink by 10% this year, some parts of the sector are thriving. Handbag-maker Hermès, whose Birkin bag retails at £4,000 upwards – Victoria Beckham reportedly owns 100 of them – is selling well, as is upmarket shoe supplier Kurt Geiger and yacht-maker Oyster Marine. These are the "strong, strong brands", that succeed because they are reassuring for the consumer to buy; after all "a Louis Vuitton bag is forever", says Claudia D'Arpizio of Bain consultancy. On the other hand brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Dior and Chanel are finding things much tougher.
The Guardian, 24 June 2009, p23

Last Wednesday saw the launch of Microsoft's search engine, Bing. Microsoft states that 30% of searches end without achieving the desired result. But Bing, it claims, can produce results and content more in keeping with how users search. Microsoft aims to be the second-biggest search player behind Google within five years, thus supplanting Yahoo! It also intends to attract advertisers to its search engine through enhanced 'intent to buy' on the part of the user as a result of more relevant search results. In the US Microsoft has a $100m budget with which to advertise Bing. It is certainly serious about its new product!
Marketing, 3 June 2009, p2
New Media Age, 4 June 2009, pp1-2

According to the Global Reputation Pulse Study from the Reputation Institute, which looks at the top 140 listed companies, Marks & Spencer is the most reputable company among British consumers. Smith & Nephew and Cadbury are the second and third most trusted brands, while Morrisons comes in fourth place. Companies are judged according to trust, esteem, admiration and 'good feelings'.
Marketing Week, 4th June 2009, p6

The Energy Saving Trust, the not-for-profit organisation, is to change its online strategy as it tries to convince consumers that they can implement energy-saving measures cost-effectively.  The site needs to become more attractive and useful to people who want to save energy cheaply, and aims to increase traffic from 1.5 to 1.7 million by next March. It will also integrate social networking feeds into the website.  
Marketing Week, 25 June 2009, p8

On the 18th June at Market Rasen a business event about

• Customer attraction and retention
• The need for contented and inspired staff
• Ethical positioning and contribution
• Enhancing sales
• Effective use of the web

For more details or to identify if you are eleigible for a FREE place call Judith on 01733 361729

Research by Mintel reveals that the number of new food and drink products in the first quarter of 2009 was down by 51%. However brands are still bringing new products to market, even during the recession. Colgate-Palmolive has launched a four-pack of disposable mini-toothbrushes and an on-the-go mouth freshener called Wisp, while Kimberley-Clark has introduced premium 'pure and natural' Huggies baby products. It is thought that economic conditions are less important to the success of a launch than whether the product addresses genuine customer needs. The trick is to innovate, but at the right price

Financial Times, 4 June 2009, p16

Marketing Ability (a partner company of Blue Dolphin) has been awarded Chartered Institute of Marketing status to deliver the E marketing award. Commented Richard Groom "We are really pleased to have developed such an important strategic based E course. By delivering over 3 seperate days we believe it will provide delegates with the maximum ability to consider the E issues within their organisations"

Full details of the course can be found at http://www.marketingability.co.uk/e-marketing-award.php

Or for more details call Judith on 01733 361729

Peterborough College of Marketing will be starting its latest Postgraduate Diploma course in January. The course is a superb opportunity to take your marketing skills to the next level.

The benefits of the Postgraduate course are immense and include opportunities to:
• Meet like-minded professionals from other industries.
• Discuss and debate marketing strategy, identifying alternative approaches for your organisation.
• Part of the syllabus involves a work-based assignment, giving you the opportunity to look at your business from a broader perspective
• Gain the highest level of Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) qualification.
If you have significant experience in a marketing role or an alternative CIM qualification you may meet the Postgraduate programme entry requirements.

Call Bob Hogg, principal tutor, on 01733 233658 for an informal chat about the Postgraduate programme or find further information at www.marketingability.co.uk/postgrad.php
Peterborough College of Marketing is the education arm of Marketing Ability, the specialist marketing training company managed by Blue Dolphin’s Andrew Goode and other marketing professionals.

Business-to-business marketers should get ready to run Bluetooth marketing campaigns, says the author of this article. Bluetooth was removed from the Information Commissioners Office's list of communication media that requires consumers to opt-in to marketing messages, and debate rages as to whether Bluetooth marketing is ethical. However, there are ways in which the technology can be used without being invasive.
B2B Marketing, May 2008, pp18-20

The adage "If its sounds to good to be true, it often is"is a wise adage to follow. Listed below are TEN marketing techniques that don't cost a fortune, are incredibly simple but are proven to generate business.

Marketing doesn't have to be complicated and these approaches are simple and effective

1. Increase your prices

Test an increase in your prices – "People do not buy on price even in highly competitive markets"

2. Call your 40 best customers and ask them what they need and get 2 referals

3. Get networking

People buy from People (they like), therefore what are your opportunities of meeting prospective customers

4. Public speaking

Where do your prospective customers meet as a group

5. Cut your advertising budget by 50%

6. Maximise the power of PR – position you / your comapny as the experts

7. UP Sell

8. Improve your sales skills

9. Maximise the power of e mailing

10. Consider joint venture opportunities

Elevator pitch should contain

• A hook
• Maximum of 220 words (i.e. can be delivered in 60 seconds)
• Passion
• A request (call to action)

An example of an elevator pitch for Graphic Designer – How not to do it

An example of an elevator pitch for Accountant – How not to do it