#MarketingTitbits – content marketing, lenses, Aldi

content-lenses-aldi-smaller1. Ways to invite your followers into your content marketing
Content marketing has grown in popularity recently, but with the opportunity comes challenge for many businesses of how to go about taking advantage of it. A good example of comes from Vitamin Water, which partnered with Facebook and created the successful ‘flavour creator’ campaign. It worked perfectly cultivating interest and engagement with their target audience. But how have others capitalised on the power of content marketing?

Here are 5 ways to help draw your target audience into your world. Click here. 

 

2. Google inks a deal with Novartis to make smart contact lenses

The tech world has seen a rise in wearable items recently and Google is a major contributor to this. We’ve seen the introduction of watches and Google Glass to name but two. But never one to rest on their laurels, Google are now looking to expand even further after partnering with Novartis to develop ‘smart contact lenses’ that could provide vision correction or measure glucose levels for sufferers of diabetes.

To read more about the new lenses, click here. 

 

3. UK consumers rate Aldi top brand

As you may already know, discount grocers have rocked the retail sector over the last 12 months, and recent surveys about the nation’s top brands have certainly reinforced this.

Aldi has topped the list of YouGov’s top 10 brands relating to consumer perception, with a Buzz score of 25.9, shaking off rivals such as John Lewis and Sainsburys in terms of positive associations with the brands.

To read more and find out who else made the top 10, click here.

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We’re running a half marathon!


This year, we decided to set ourselves a challenge that would help develop us and raise some money for a fantastic cause at the same time.

After much debate, deliberation and no small amount of ‘gentle’ persuasion, it was agreed that a half marathon would be a fitting activity. Although challenging, it is an achievable target for us all to aim for.

The Basingstoke Half Marathon was 100 days away, fell on Lenny’s birthday and was at a start time that fitted in with the family commitments of the team. It was as if it was meant to be!

So, we booked it.

We will all be running for Marie Curie Cancer Care. We all chose a charity that meant something to us personally and in true democratic style, entered the names into a hat.

Jake Spencer, the IT brains in the business, was drawn and he chose Marie Curie Cancer Care. It is a cause close to his and his brother, Josh’s, heart. The wonderful nurses at the Marie Curie hospice in Hampstead, London, made the last difficult and emotional days of their much-loved Grandfather, Charles Elvey, so much more positive and bearable for Charles and the whole family. They provided support, love, care, laughter and advice and made sure Charles’ last days were as comfortable and positive as possible. Jake and Josh’s whole family are so grateful for the support these fantastic people bring to people like us at such a difficult time.

We hope you’ll agree the charity does a brilliant job and help us in raising some much needed money to ensure the charity can continue to help people and families at such a difficult period in their lives.If you can spare anything, please visit our Just Giving page. Every penny counts, so any donation you make will be incredibly gratefully received.

Thank you so much in advance from all the TLC Business team!

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#MarketingTitbits – Keep Calm.., World Cup, speaking

slogan-videos-speaking-smaller1. Keep Calm and Carry On – the unlikely success of a failed slogan
“Keep Calm and Carry On” is now one of the most iconic British slogans. The slogan itself, as well as various interpretations, is used all over the world on a wide range of merchandise.

Despite being produced in 1939, the original poster was not seen by the public until 2001 when a second-hand book shop owner found a copy in a box of books bought at an auction. The poster was displayed in the bookshop and they began selling reproductions later that year.

To read more about this slogan and its place in today’s society, click here.

 

2. 20 best branded Vines and Instagram videos from World Cup 2014

As you probably already know, the World Cup has finally come to a close with Germany taking the trophy. This is a great time to look back on the last four weeks and the many brands that have cashed in on the football tournament.

We’ve seen tropical, ‘Brazil’ inspired flavours of vodka, sweets and even fried chicken. Have a look at this article from Econsultancy that highlights the best branded Vine and Instagram videos of the last 4 weeks. To read more, click here. 

 

3. 7 bad speaking habits that turn people off

Last year, author Julian Treasure gave a TED talk showing that anyone can speak effectively and exactly how to do it. As well as giving tips of what you can do, he outlines exactly what not to do and explained about bad speaking habits that you should eliminate.

To find out what the main bad habits most of us are guilty of are, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Twitter, Slogans, Colours

Twitter-slogans-colours2-smaller1. Twitter ‘Buy Now’ button appears for the first time
Twitter have added a new feature to your news feed which you may have already noticed. The ‘Buy now’ button was first spotted last Monday and by clicking it users can buy the product from a website called Fancy.

So far, the button has only been appearing on the mobile version of the social networking site and it could be that the button is an experiment or an accidental release. To read more, click here. 

 

2. The winning straplines that stand the test of time

“Just do it”, “I’m lovin’ it” and “Making life taste better” are three examples of memorable straplines from some of the brands we love. Despite the plethora of inspired straplines, there is a real overabundance of forgotten slogans that didn’t catch on, or were just plain awful!

Picking a good slogan can be hard but Marketing Week has written an article helping to do so. To read the full article, click here. 

 

3. Can you identify these brands by their trademarked colours?

Colour is one of the first things that you notice about a brand and often the most memorable. When you think of the colour blue you might think of Twitter, Ford and HP or for red Levi’s, Coca-Cola or Vodafone.

Different colours connote different emotions and usually a brand’s colour scheme will be heavily influenced by the emotions they portray. To see if you can identify popular brands by their trademarked colours, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Glass, Pinterest, networking

Glass-Pinnterest-networking-smaller1. Google Glass is coming to the UK
Until recently, Google Glass has been available only to those living in the USA. However, the company released a statement earlier this week stating that they will begin offering Glass to individuals in Great Britain.

Along with the statement, Google provided potential customers with a video showing Glass being used in London; to give them an idea of how they might use the device locally. The video includes features such as language translation, a sat-nav system, and video recording.

To read more, click here. 

 

2. The most pinned places on earth

Not so long ago, the only way to see and save images from far corners of the earth was to tear them out of travel magazines and stick them into scrapbooks or on the wall. However, times have changed and the traditional methods of ‘scrap-booking’ have been replaced with the internet, and in particular Pinterest.

If you possess that certain wanderlust you may already have a Pinterest ‘Travel’ board set up, but just in case you haven’t, we’ve got the perfect article for you. Mashable have brought us a list of the 30 most pinned locations all around the world. 

 

3. 7 networking secrets everyone should learn in their 20s

Networking is a very important skill for all business professionals. It enables individuals to make strong connections with other business professionals and some might argue that good networking is the key to success in business.

This week, we saw a great article from Business Insider with seven networking secrets everyone should learn. To have a look at the list, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Google, app, social media

google-scent-socialmedia-smaller1. 10 Google Doodle is celebrating the World Cup in style

For those of you who use Google, you are probably now used to the company celebrating historic moments through their Google doodles. The animations, interactive games and imaginative cartoons have been used in the past to celebrate things such as Valentine’s Day and the birthday of the Rubik’s Cube.

However, this month Google have been brightening up the search engine with a new Google doodle for every day of the World Cup. If you have missed these ingenious doodles then click here to see all of them. 

 

2. This app can send scented text messages

Last week, a Harvard University professor unveiled a brand new app for the iPhone. oSnap has been developed by him and his students and allows the user to send text messages accompanied by a photo and a scent to one another.

The app lets you take a photo and then asks you to tag scent notes that go along with it, up to 8 in total. The message is then sent and the user on the other end can use the oPhone to receive the photo and accompanying smell. Despite the fact that the phone is currently only available at the Natural History Museum in New York and Le Laboratoire in Paris, the team are currently raising support hoping to make the phone available in homes.

To read more, click here. 

 

3. 19 social media fails of this year so far

Especially for those who are new to it, it can be hard to find the right content to use on your social media channels. Our first piece of advice is to find content that is relevant to your followers and post as regularly as possible.

Our second piece of advice is to not do what these people have done. Have a look at this article from Econsultancy that highlights some of the most cringe worthy and horrific social media fails of the year so far, enjoy!

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#MarketingTitbits – smart homes, Street View, Dove

myspace-instagram-worldcup-smaller1. Myspace is sending old users their old photos to win them back
Myspace, which was founded back in 2003, was at one time the most visited website in the United States, surpassing Google. Despite several redesigns to the social network’s layout, Myspace has lost many users and this year they have set up a new campaign to get old users back.

The social network has started emailing past users old photos of them from their profiles, along with a line that reads “The good, the rad and the what were you thinking…” and a link that takes them directly to their Myspace profile.

To read more, click here. 

 

2. 16 of the best branded Instagram videos of May 2014

Instagram is now one of the most widely used image-based social networks. It is not just individuals use the platform to share photos and videos with their followers; many brands are doing the same thing.

This week we saw a great article highlighting some of the best branded Instagram videos, including Nike, Vogue and Google Glass.

To read the full article and watch the videos, click here. 

 

3. 10 most shared branded ads for the 2014 World Cup, so far

With the start of the World Cup steadily approaching, we have already seen many brands cash in on the event. Brazil-themed products are springing up everywhere, some good and some bad.

Some of the best World Cup-themed adverts include Nike, Samsung, Emirates and Coca-Cola and all four appear in the 10 most shared so far. To have a look at the full list, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Coca-Cola, World Cup, inventions

coke-inventions-worldcup-smaller1. Coke launches free fitness classes as part of £20m anti-obesity drive
Coca-Cola Great Britain is in the process of launching a new anti-obesity drive. The programme, Coca-Cola Zero ParkLives, will bring free sports activities to parks all over the country including badminton, Pilates and Zumba.

The company are spending £20million on Coca-Cola Zero ParkLives and they aim to get 1 million people active by 2020. The success of ParkLives will be measured by a panel put together by UKactive. 

 

2. World Cup 2014: what should we expect from brands?

Every time a major international sporting event takes place, brands of all shapes and sizes take the opportunity to jump on the band wagon and launch themed marketing campaigns.

This year’s World Cup in Brazil is no exception and brands such as Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Adidas, Google and Continental have already released their World Cup themed advertising. To have a look at what we should expect from them and other brands over the coming month, click here. 

 

3. Accidental inventions that changed the world

The majority of the products we use today were invented for a specific purpose with time, money, effort poured into them for the specific goal of realising them. For example, the first iPod or Mac Computer didn’t happen by chance.

However, despite this, there are a large number of inventions that we have come to rely on today that were invented by accident or by someone trying to invent something else entirely. Coca-Cola, penicillin and Post-it notes are to name but a few. To have a look at a full list, click here.

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#MarketingTitbits – Google, social media, quotes

Google-socialmedia-quotes-smaller11. Study says that Google is now the world’s most valuable brand
For the last few years, Apple has been credited as the world’s most valuable brand. Their place in the number one spot has been envied and aspired to by many, but none more than Google.

However, this year the results are in and Google have finally managed to overtake Apple, taking the title of the world’s most valuable brand. The BrandZ study is undertaken by Millward Brown and estimates Google’s brand value at $158,843,000, compared to Apple’s $147,880,000. Here are the top 10 brands and the brand value of each in dollars.

  1. Google 158,843
  2. Apple 147,880
  3. IBM 107,541
  4. Microsoft 90,185
  5. McDonald’s 85,706
  6. Coca Cola 80,683
  7. Visa 79,197
  8. AT&T 77,883
  9. Marlboro 67,341
  10. Amazon 64,255

To read more, click here. 

 

2. What are the best social media marketing campaigns of all time?

In late 2007, 100,000 businesses were already using Facebook to interact with their customers. Today, millions of businesses all over the world are doing the same thing. This just goes to show how relevant social media has become for business, within a 7 year period.

We’ve found an article from Econsultancy this week highlighting some of the best social media marketing campaigns over the last 7 years. Some of them include Old Spice, GoPro, Barak Obama’s Presidential Campaigns and Oreo. To read more, click here. 

 

3. 15 quotes about creativity from advertising legends

Today, in any industry, creativity is a must. Whether you are thinking of ideas for a company name, new product or logo, it can sometimes be hard to get inspiration. To help you get inspired, here are some wise words from advertising legends.

“Most ideas are a bit scary, and if an idea isn’t scary, it’s not an idea at all.” Lee Clow, chairman, TBWA/Media Arts Lab

To read more, click here.

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The importance of implementing a marketing strategy in your business

marketing-stratgey
“Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point.” ― Henry Mintzberg (academic and author)

With 50% of new businesses failing in their first year, the excitement of jumping in head first and growing a business can sometimes lead to important preparation activities, such as research, strategy and planning, being left behind. Attempting to master the multiple and ever-changing marketing channels available without a clear direction can be impossible. The creation and effective implementation of a marketing strategy can be the difference between a business sinking and swimming.

Not only does a marketing strategy establish solid and tangible goals, it also provides an understanding of target markets and customers, which serves as a valuable foundation for future communication campaigns. A good marketing strategy should provide the business with focus and direction by identifying the opportunities worth pursuing, as well as the threats to avoid.

 

When completing your strategy, here are just some of the factors you should consider:

  • Unique selling point – what makes your product or service different from competitors? Think beyond your experience in the industry
  • Target market – will you be focusing on businesses or consumers? Where are they located? What is their job title etc.?
  • The pricing and position of the product or service – are they aligned? Will you be offering a premium service or product at a premium price?
  • Marketing materials and platforms – will you adopt social media and email marketing campaigns to attract your target market?

For inspiration, take a look at some well-known brands who have recently changed their marketing strategy in order to grow their business and generate a wider appeal:

 

Müller

 One of the largest producers of dairy products in Europe, Müller, have produced some memorable marketing campaigns over the years, sponsoring Aston Villa football club and most recently using Nicole Scherzinger in a campaign of television commercials.

At the start of 2014, the company decided to rethink their marketing strategy and have begun training staff from other areas of the company in marketing in order to share responsibility for the brand.

Müller’s staff training scheme, “BCubed”, teaches their marketing strategy in a bid to encourage ground breaking ideas for marketing campaigns and new products throughout the company. Müller plan to hold internal workshops and have already asked staff to share new product ideas in a ballot, which took place last October.

Michael Inpong, the company’s UK Marketing Director says “Marketing is central at Müller so we need to make sure we know how it affects every part of the business.”

 

IKEA

The Swedish furniture company, IKEA, which is famous for its flat-pack furniture, have recently implemented an updated marketing strategy.

IKEA’s past focus used to be on individual rooms; however, their new strategy highlights specific activities that take place in the home. The brands recent campaigns have been shot in a music video format, focusing on entertaining, spring cleaning and outdoor living as a way of improving your home.

IKEA’s marketing manager says “Awareness isn’t where I would like it to be and preference for the brand could be stronger.” He claims that this is because of people’s attitudes towards their homes, they’re more interested in the newest gadgets and electronic goods so they ignore the fact that their home is “falling apart” around them.  Ikea hope to change this attitude with their new marketing strategy.

 

Coke Zero

Coke Zero, the low calorie version of Coca Cola, was first introduced in 2005, marketed specifically at men who were seen to associate diet drinks with women.

Earlier this year, Coca Cola re-launched the product, which has come to be nicknamed “Bloke Coke”.  Coke Zero have changed their marketing strategy and now hope to reach out to a “new demographic” of young people, not just men. Their new campaign plays on the slogan “Just Add Zero” and shows a young male adding “Zero” to certain aspects of his life, which become infinitely better.

Coca Cola’s Great Britain marketing activation director says “Coke Zero has seen a healthy sales growth in the UK in a short space of time and now we’re marking a new edgier direction with the ‘Just Add Zero’ platform, which we believe is a life philosophy.”

Only time will tell if the new marketing strategies adopted by the likes of IKEA and Coke Zero will be successful. To create an effective strategy, it must be simple to understand, with a realistic and clear path of action that different members of the business can apply. To generate the desired results, a strategy should be reviewed and updated throughout the year.

just-add-zero4

How we can help:

If you’re still in need of some inspiration for your marketing strategy, Growth Vouchers might be a step in the right direction.

Your business could be eligible for up to £2000 of match funding from the £30m government funded scheme. If your business is successful during the application process, the vouchers can then be spent on strategic advice in certain areas, one of which is marketing.

If you would like to find out more about the government’s Growth Vouchers scheme, click here. 

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