IHG and Caffè Nero deliver communications advice for UK’s independent marketing agency sector
Pimento, the UK’s leading independent agency network, has teamed up with leading brands including InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and Caffè Nero, to provide advice, ideas and inspiration for those tackling lockdown-related challenges within the creative sector.
Delivered in conjunction with the Marketing Agencies Action Group (MAAG), RealityHR, and PRCA this series of online events has provided a range of legal, HR, development and finance advice to no less than 2,500 agency professionals over the last six weeks.
COVID-19 has presented a raft of challenges for UK high-street brands, and coffee chain Caffè Nero has been no exception. Joining a session in last week, CEO, Will Stratton-Morris, shared insight into how the retail firm was coping.
Will Stratton-Morris, CEO at Caffè Nero said: “I was delighted to have been invited by Pimento to discuss my own experience of the COVID-19 crisis. While every business is facing their own unique challenges – collectively, we are all going through the same thing, and feeling the same pressures and fears.”
Stephen Knight, founder and CEO of Pimento added: “I have known Will for many years and, given Pimento works with large, multinational brands as well as SMEs, I thought it was important to show our members that these ‘major brands’ were experiencing challenges – and creating solutions.
“Every single speaker we have had has provided expertise, advice and reassurance in these unprecedented times. Pimento will continue to provide guidance and support to its members for as long as the demand is there.”
Aimed at supporting the communications industry during the Coronavirus crisis, these hour-long sessions have featured 15-minute ‘how-to’ workshops from marketing and business experts, professional service members and external organisations – and serve to complement frequent agency-to-agency seminars.
Understanding the need to provide wellbeing and social stimulation too, the entire Pimento member and client network has been invited to various personal development roundtables, digital discos and Pilates classes.
Looking ahead, preparations are already being made for a series of ‘return-to-work’ sessions, aiming to provide practical advice for business owners and marketing professionals alike – who are wondering what the future holds.
ENDS
Pimento is the UK’s leading independent agency network. Founded in 2005, it now boasts over 200 agencies and consultants, covering almost every aspect of marketing services. As such, they are able meet the complex demands of clients by creating bespoke teams, drawn directly from their member network. https://pimento.co.uk/open-for-business
Issued on behalf of Pimento by Scriba PR. For more information, alternate images or to request an interview, please contact Ruth Harrison-Davies (01484 489 333 / ruth@scribapr.com).
Temporary layoffs are an unfortunate reality for many of our clients and candidates at this time.
It’s not a reflection on ‘how well one does as a business’ or ‘how good one is at their job as an individual’, it’s the harsh reality of this situation we are in as the result of an economic downturn. Furlough doesn’t discriminate. But what to do during this time?
Here, we’ve collected a whole bunch of online resources and courses recommended by the experts, as well as our existing internal guides that might take the interest of marketing people and those looking to upskill within this sector.
Make the best of your time by expanding on what you love and teaching yourself something. Some free resources here that might be useful.
You can also take a look at some Marketing-based career paths, to figure out your progression as well as salary benchmarks and where a career in marketing could take you.
Some blogs that we’ve been told are useful.
Learn new things and multi-task at the same time. Here, a collection of some marketing-focused podcasts and webinars to keep you educated and entertained during your furlough time.
Meetups and online communities are a great way of learning new skills, connecting with other marketing professionals and finding out more about where our industry is going next. There’s plenty still happening online.
This article was previously published on the ADLIB blog.
Bristol-based communications agency Purplefish is promoting the work of gift card business Gift Up! in providing a lifeline to thousands of firms which have been forced to stop trading following government lockdowns around the world.
The online platform provider, based at UWE’s Future Space, is offering its innovative service free of charge in an initiative that will enable companies worldwide to continue to bring in revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tech concept, which allows businesses to create virtual gift cards for their products to be sold via any company website, in any native currency, is fully automated and operates in every country across the globe.
With the outbreak of coronavirus leaving business owners across the world with stunted revenue streams due to cancellations and closures, the Gift Up! model provides an optimum alternative method of generating income.
When a gift card is purchased via Gift Up!, merchants are credited with the money immediately, rather than having to wait until the product or service is redeemed by the recipient, providing financial support to relieve the cashflow crisis faced by firms worldwide.
This comes during a boom in gift card sales during recent weeks as consumers look to take advantage of deals and offers to be redeemed once closures are lifted.
Whilst Gift Up! usually takes a cut of each gift card sold, founders Lee Tracey and Alex Allen are offering up to $5000 in gift card revenue free of any fees whatsoever, to any business in any country, as a goodwill gesture during this period of global pandemic.
The software-building duo, who started the company in 2017 and now handle gift card sales for over 15,000 customers internationally, have partnered with Eventbrite and Stripe and count amongst their clients the likes of BrewDog and Nordic Choice Hotels as well as thousands of smaller local-based businesses all over the world.
The average Gift Up! business customer generates $10,000 annually in revenue, with its largest client reaping in $1m a year through its sales of online gift cards.
Commenting on the initiative, Gift Up! co-founder Lee Tracey, said: “We’ve found ourselves in an incredibly unique position amid the COVID-19 crisis to make a huge difference to the lives of business owners across the world through our platform.
“For the first time in our lifetime, we’ve crafted some software that can genuinely play a part in affecting the success or failure of companies that have nowhere else to turn right now, and that’s an amazing thing to be able to do.
“Gift Up! is perfect for any kind of business, from manicures to massages; jukebox tokens to ten-pin bowling; overnight stays to open-air gigs, we’ve seen it all. If you’re affected by the shutdown and can no longer service your customers, Gift Up! can help.
“We’ve had customers getting in touch to say that Gift Up! is literally going to save their business. We urge firms to take full advantage of our offer and to spread the word far and wide – we want to help as many people as possible.”
Business owner and Gift Up! customer Victoria Armstrong set up her massage company in 2011 and has felt the financial hit of the coronavirus since closing completely in compliance with social distancing regulations.
“It’s a crazy time for service-led businesses like Bristol Massage Therapy, having to shut up shop and essentially cutting off our income entirely as we physically cannot continue in the circumstances.
“Gift Up! has provided a safety net for us in enabling our customers to purchase massages to be redeemed in the future – as a gift for somebody else or banking it for themselves once this is all over.
“We have loyal customers who want to support us through this time and I’ve been able to provide them with a simple way to do that through Gift Up!.
“The ease is outstanding – it is truly a hands-off, stress-free process and I encourage other business owners to sign-up to continue to protect themselves for the future by generating much-needed income.”
To find out more about the Gift Up! COVID-19 initiative, visit www.giftupapp.com/covid19
In response to these unprecedented times, a group of South West agencies have joined together to produce a survey to discover how the marketing community is handling the Covid-19 crisis.
Unlike other recent surveys Discovidery is focussed entirely at the marketing sector including brand departments, agencies, start-ups, education and supplier businesses.
The survey partnership includes AdLib, Creative Bath, Hurricane, P15, Noisy Little Monkey, MediaClash, Edit, Create Health, Loom and SearchStar.
‘Times are tough for almost everyone at the moment and Firehaus have been thinking about what we might do to help our region in particular’ said Beth Pope, Founder and Brand Partner. ‘We wanted to help, but how? Which led to the idea of running a survey for real insight’.
Nick Barthram, Founder and Strategy Partner said ‘We tested our idea and the result is Discovidery. This will temperature-check the marketing sector in the South West to understand how needs have changed during the crisis. Everyone involved in marketing in the region is very interested in the opportunities brands are finding or creating for themselves, and how they may be able to innovate to deliver’.
You can complete the anonymous survey here if you haven’t already. The survey results will be openly shared.
‘We engaged a group of like-minded people who are committed to the region, even if they work nationally or internationally’ says Ian Bates, Founder and Creative Partner. ‘They are as keen as us to understand and help wherever possible. We’re all keen to help the region survive and possibly thrive during the crisis’.
Nick Dean, Managing Director at ADLIB said, ‘We’ve got some seriously strong marketing talent here in the South West. So we’re keen to help collate how they are responding to the challenges COVID-19 throws at them and see how they’re evolving’.
‘The South West marketing community has a history of creativity, resilience and collaboration’, added Toby Brown, Head of Marketing at Edit, ‘so it’s vital we continue to share knowledge and inspiration in difficult times.’
The survey will launches today with findings expected to be reported in around 14 days.
If you’d like to be a partner contact [email protected]
Smart city marketing can be complicated: smart cities don’t exist in most of the world, so how can you market them?
A fully functioning smart city does not yet exist, however there are many who are focusing on quick progression. This means that technology suppliers are looking for ways to impact that procurement process.
What exactly does a smart city mean?
When most people think about a smart city, we think about buses that always manage to arrive at your bus stop when you want them, bins that can tell when they are almost full, and street lights that only turn on when someone is walking home.
Those technologies all contribute to a smart city, but what a smart city means is something a bit more intangible: it’s a city that uses technology to make its citizens’ lives better. That’s it. There is no required amount of technology to meet the definition of a smart city, and some people believe the less technology we use, the more we’ll focus on the people themselves.
Will smart cities work?
It’s the question on many people’s lips. After all, as a species we only gained the power of flight just over a year ago! The idea that we will soon live in futuristic cities which tend to our every need is quite an attractive one, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that every street will magically be transformed.
Instead, when it comes to smart city marketing we need to consider who it will work for. Those over the age of 65 did not grow up in the digital age and so some digital changes, such as digital currencies or apps for transport, aren’t used by that particular demographic. How can we make those changes work for them, if they have a technology barrier already up?
That’s why smart cities will work when they can be more inclusive for everyone, and a huge part of that is clever smart city marketing that gets the message out there for everyone.
When will smart cities be completed?
Every city which is aiming to become smarter has different timelines because they have different motives. Exeter wants to see smart city technologies used to make the area low carbon. Bristol uses trial smart city technology to save lives around its harbourside. Depending on the priorities for the city, the smart city projects will be completed at different times.
The fact is, now is the best time for smart city marketing as this is the procurement and fitting part of the schedule. If your technology naturally fits in with a smart city vision then your campaigns should be directed at smart city decision makers to put yourself in the running to deliver.
We work closely with leaders in the smart city space, helping them get noticed. Is it time your business got noticed by the smart city industry? Get in touch now.
Successfully maintaining the correct tone of voice in crisis communications is notoriously tough. You need to think carefully about what to say and how to say it, but you don’t want it to sound overly crafted and unnatural. You want to be honest and transparent, but there are some things that you just can’t share with your audience. Your stakeholders want to understand the impact on the business, but you don’t want to appear to prioritise that over human suffering.
In short, it’s a balancing act. And one that you might get just right on some days and fall short on others. There’s no magic recipe and every organisation will have different communication priorities. But here are some quick tips that might help you find the right way for your business.
Starting a new relationship during a crisis may seem like another trip hazard, but if it provides you with the support you need to overcome the challenges you face then it is an investment worth making. Our communication consultants and planners are specialists in the art of effective tone of voice in crisis communications and are on hand to help you through these challenges. If you’d like to know more about our experience and team, just get in touch.
Here are five ways you can bring a bit of colour and timbre to your emails.
By Rob Pellow, Digital Experience Director, at Armadillo
You know that feeling when Facebook tells you it’s your friend’s birthday half an hour after you’ve already written on their wall? It’s pretty annoying to get pointless notifications, isn’t it? But it also leaves you feeling that they should already know you have. It ends up looking like a much more basic approach than it should be
And that’s a problem with a lot of communication. You can gather all the data and automation in the world, but if you don’t add any human thought to it, then it underwhelms and loses its value to the customer. Which is a shame for emails in particular, where the size of the prize is potentially huge (the median email marketing ROI is 122% according to eMarketer)
The “white noise” in your inbox is the underwhelming, wallpaper emails that you probably get with frequency but that don’t do anything to convince you to interact with them or the brand that sends them. Bland is not where you want your brand to be. So, here are five ways you can bring a bit of colour and timbre to your emails – particularly during an unprecedented surge in internet use (up 30% according to Vodafone):
Moneysupermarket is a great example of a brand which has spent much more time thinking about its communications, sent fewer emails in response, and got better results. It’s not always about investing more in an email programme, just investing more time in thinking about and planning it.
One of the ways brand emails slip into the realms of white noise is by following a very linear path with emails: “we’ve got new products – let’s tell the world about them”.
Or they might spend too much time looking at a plan for a year in one go, filling slots, and end up scrapping around for content: “what can we send this segment at the end of October?”
The starting point actually needs to be “what do we want customers or potential customers to think, feel or do at the end of the year? And what effect do we want it to have on our business?” A monetary effect is an obvious one, but objectives can also include brand-building.
Amazon are undeniably big email communicators (in the US, Amazon owns a massive 30% market share in e-commerce according to Vero. I’m not saying Amazon has got their strategy wrong, but not every brand is Amazon.
Not every business has that level of data around their customers, what they browse for, what they buy. And not every brand has the breadth of products they can cross-sell effectively.
If the sole goal is to keep going until a customer buys, then Amazon’s strategy is working. But the power of the Amazon approach is often reminding people they need to buy something else from Amazon, rather than the product in the email. Think about your customer journey and if you’re not Amazon, don’t use theirs as a blueprint.
Keep your eyes on the prize. Each time, there should be a value exchange for the customer or prospect. What are you asking them to do, and what’s in it for them? If in doubt, think about the pub test. You’re talking to your mate over a pint (in the good old days when we could!) – you ask him to give you his email address and tell him all the cool sh*t he’ll get if he does. Would that convince him?
There’s a lot more to email than a quick lever to pull in the quest to sell more. Even if sales are your key objective, blanket “white noise” emails will do more harm in the long run, than good.
As I’m writing this, the world has gone into lockdown for who knows how long and the one thing people can’t do is be targeted for a quick buck. The doors are now closed. But CRM (and especially email) provides the perfect channel for continuing to communicate with your audience. To do this effectively, however, understanding all that I’ve talked about above is vital. You have to understand the role you would normally play in a customer’s life and then transition that away from sales and into authentic value.
I believe this will make us all better at understanding how people really perceive our brands, enabling us to communicate with them on a more human level once things go back to ‘normal’.
By Carolyn Carswell, Conceptual Copywriter, Armadillo
In the week lockdown was announced I opened an email from a high-end paint and wallpaper company. The headline read, ‘HOW WE’RE RESPONDING TO COVID-19’ in terribly serious capital letters. Important stuff. Of course I opened it.
Part of me hoped they’d be adding a new shade to their sample book. A gloomy, ominous, depressing shade of ‘Lockdown’, or perhaps the perfect muted and much-coveted ‘Loo Roll’. Maybe they were offering a 50% discount for all those stuck indoors who finally have time to add some statement wallpaper to the downstairs bathroom…
Sadly not. Instead, it told me their teams were working hard on producing and delivering, ‘so you can still order everything you need for your project’. It seemed a little off-colour.
Since then I’ve had emails from artisan tea companies with the subject line, ‘Don’t run out of your favourite tea!’, promising that bulk orders will get 10% off and jump to the front of the shipping queue; a message from a high-street accessories brand advertising their new season reductions on bobbles, headbands and earrings; and over 900 earnest words from the CEO of a bike and car kit shop.
Email is taking centre stage thanks to the channel’s ability to respond directly and personally. We’re all glued to our phones, performing round-robin checks on social media, WhatsApp and our inboxes. As long as we’re social distancing, the reach of out-of-home channels is massively reduced. Email’s ability to cut through, however, is heightened. But with such a captive audience, nailing the copy tone is more important than ever.
Go back to basics
To start with, you might need to completely re-think your comms strategy. Take a look at your own inbox and notice the overwhelm. Consider where, in the midst of all the messaging, you want your brand to sit. What can you add that’s either essential information, or of practical use to people? Is it helpful? Is it appropriate? If not, perhaps the best thing you can do right now is stay quiet.
Deliver with empathy
The first ‘audience’ section of every good brief is designed to gain insight — because if we have insight, we have understanding. But be wary of empathy that is explicit or patronising. If you’re a seller of gardening equipment to a largely 50+ customer base, your audience may be more anxious than most. It’s better to acknowledge this anxiety indirectly, rather than adding to the load. Do they want to hear how you’re protecting staff, and read words like ‘worldwide pandemic’ and ‘unprecedented times’? I’d wager they’d much rather a calm and positive email bursting with inspiring ideas to keep them productive and distracted.
Stay on-brand
Consider your brand’s place in all this and use the same tone of voice recipients have come to expect. Maybe yours is one that can reassure with upbeat, practical advice. Or perhaps you’re best placed to add light-hearted distraction. Whatever your message, make sure it feels authentic. There is comfort and reassurance in the familiar.
Keep it light
Unless we’re selling essentials like food or pharmaceuticals, we have a responsibility to dial down the anxiety. Topshop are doing a brilliant job of this by dangling luxury loungewear in front of our eyes as we work from home in, let’s be honest, our comfiest dog-walking leggings. They’re acknowledging the situation, but they’re not using it as an excuse to become besties. Write copy that feels positive, warm, reassuring and empowering, and avoid copy that is too formal, too serious, or too brand-centric.
Keep it short
Right now we’re experiencing information overload. Even the government are sending texts. So when your customers check their inbox, they won’t thank you for delivering a tome. More is not reassuring. More is boring — and really quite overwhelming.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to marketing in a crisis. Each brand (and audience) is different. But with a little forethought it’s possible to strike a copy tone that raises a smile and people’s spirits — instead of an eye-roll and a backlash.
This article first appeared in New Digital Age.
Carolyn Carswell is a Conceptual Copywriter at Armadillo.
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This was a webinar by Accelerate Agency for hour on the 31st of March 2020 where were offering hands-on advice to grow your SaaS company using best practice digital marketing techniques.
The session covered tips and tricks for Inbound Lead Gen & Analytics, as well as an expert panel from leading SaaS companies.
Accelerates Analytics Director, Phil Pearce and Search Director Nick Brown presented ‘Rapidly Scale your Digital Marketing For SaaS’.
Our panellists also included: Xiaoyun TU, Global Head of Lead Generation at Brightpearl and Sam O’Brien, Senior Website Optimisation & User Experience Manager – EMEA, APAC.
Our Panel talked about SaaS marketing strategies.
This was instead of our March 17th event due to COVID.
Join this informal online panel discussion with Joanna Randall, Purplefish, Andy Hawkins, itech4good and Jack Thompson, Ginkgo.
The session will focus on your sales and marketing strategies through these fast changing and challenging times as we navigate our way through running businesses through the coronavirus crisis.
The temptation for many businesses is to cut costs and pause all marketing and external communications activity. We will explore why this may not be the best strategy and how to pull back too far could mean you are on the back foot when we enter the recovery phase.
We will look at adapting your business planning strategies and take live questions from you on what you should and shouldn’t be doing right now. We also encourage you to send over any questions in advance to [email protected]
Once you have registered you will receive a link to join the live webinar.
About the panel:
Joanna Randall, founder of communications agency Purplefish, is a senior communications consultant with 25 years’ experience in the public relations and marketing sector. Broad ranging agency experience includes issues and crisis management and advising on creative and commercial strategies to support business growth through the marketing, PR and social media channels.
Jack Thompson is a business development consultant with 15 years’ experience of consulting at C-level with businesses of all shapes and sizes from start-ups to multinationals. He uses his experience to help marketing agencies and tech companies with their business development strategy.
Andy Hawkins is chief purpose officer at itech4good – helping clients through their challenges using technology. A disaster recovery planner, Andy also has experience as business development director working for global firms. Andy’s firm, itech4good, collaborates with business, government, civil society, academia and individuals to optimise this opportunity using an intelligent, insight driven process which benefits society.
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