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.
Complete Control would like to share with you ten fun activities if you are looking for that extra bit of help when planning/refreshing your ‘stay at home timetable’ with the kids.
We’ve put the list together based on a mixture of resources that we found imaginative, playful and fun and all hopefully helpful for you and your children. We will be regularly posting new Playground lists, so don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest updates.
We hope you and your kids enjoy the activities. If you need any help or new recommendations for children’s digital content, then do contact us at [email protected] or share your question on our Facebook page.
Stay safe!
Whilst many people are experienced in remote working (we’ve always had the option of doing so when needed) it’s now non-negotiable, and with an undefined end-date. Add to this the fact that many people will now have to juggle children and other family members in a confined space, whilst trying to concentrate during a particularly stressful period, it feels like we’ve been catapulted into a different era.
But so far, so good. With one week under our belts, we’re into week two of working from home. We thought we’d share what we’ve learnt so far.
At Armadillo, we’ve been fully cloud-based for a year now (for files, emails and calls) so when desks became dining tables there was no disruption. We’re also Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Experts, which means our client infrastructure is accessible and maintainable from anywhere. That’s really helped ensure a smooth transition.
Since working from home we’ve been kick-starting the day at 9am with an all-agency video call. It‘s less than 15 minutes, but it gives everyone the chance to say good morning, see each other’s friendly, smiling faces and share any key info.
We’re using video chat a lot, actually – whether it’s for an organised team meeting or a quick question that it’s easier to ask face to face. Some have also set up groups with their usual desk mates so they can keep the office camaraderie alive.
We’ve seen some great initiatives popping up as people find new ways of keeping in touch and add some essential social connection to their day.
For example, we’ve started a book club. Our first read is ‘The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work’ by Shawn Achor. We’ve created an open chat room where we can share thoughts as we go and have a date for a group video chat to discuss it.
We’ve also added a new feature to our weekly agency meeting; Agency Through the Keyhole! A willing participant snaps a few shots of their home and we go on a virtual tour via a shared presentation screen, taking guesses at ‘who lives in a house like this?’ in the chat column.
With high levels of uncertainty and change, wellbeing is critical. We’ve recognised that it’s important to look after yourself and include things in your routine and home setup that make you feel good.
One advantage for lots of people is that at home they get to see their pets. Taking a break with them can help you relax and calm your mind. We wish we could all borrow Becky’s gorgeous dog Roo, or cuddle up to Sophie’s adorable mini-lop rabbit Elio.
But really, it’s whatever works for you. Ella, our Creative Digital Designer says: “I kept myself sane by buying fresh daffodils, lighting some scented candles and doing some light weights from my chair.”
If you’ve got any other ideas we’d love to hear them.
Things are changing all the time at the moment: the physical environment we’re in, the type of support our clients need, the hours we do now we’re juggling work and family… We need to stay adaptable and flexible, and focus on what’s truly necessary, day by day.
Our Conceptual Copywriter Carolyn Carswell has created a stand-up desk using a chest of drawers in the quietest part of the house. Our Client Partner Jo Penn is walking on her home treadmill whilst taking conference calls to get some steps in and keep the energy flowing. Our Strategy Director Fiona Craig has made it clear that, now we’re working alongside our children, it’s fine to see their interested faces popping up on our screens. “Let’s make them part of it”, she urges.
Companies will adapt. National and local brewers, including BrewDog and Psychopomp, are switching to producing hand sanitiser, either giving it away to vulnerable people and charities, or requesting donations to support relevant charities. Restaurants and food producers are switching to delivery, where safe and practical.
The key is to keep processes going but appreciate that things are in flux. To be open-minded. And to pivot. One thing’s for sure; we’ll learn a lot – and probably keep hold of a lot of our learnings – when this period of isolation comes to an end.
Get outside if you can. Make time for your daily dose of exercise and don’t compromise. A family walk, solo run or cycle (whilst maintaining distance from others, of course) can make a world of difference. Our Client Services Director, Steve Jefferys, gained some brownie points and cleared his head by mowing the lawn on his lunch break. Take your laptop into the garden. Sit by an open window and see the world beyond your four walls. And remember, this is temporary.
Some advice from our Non-Executive Director, Ann Hiatt, was to pick two or three key things to focus on each day. Giving them proper attention is likely to be much more useful and productive than doing a little bit of everything and not being able to give any of it the head space it needs.
No one knows how long this situation will last, and our main focus is everyone’s health and safety. So we’ll keep sharing our hints and tips to help people navigate this remarkable new set-up.
What we do know is that, when the time comes to socialise in person again, not only will we enjoy meeting up with the whole team and celebrating, the agency way of life and ways of working will undoubtedly change. We believe it will be for the better.
Need a quick round-up of the recent Advertising Association (AA) trust paper? Here are our top five insights from the report, as well as our take on what they mean for the world of written communications.
1. Advertising is the least trusted industry
Trust in advertising has been falling since the 1990s, when around 50% of the public felt favourably towards the industry. Now, just 25% of people view advertising in a favourable light. Advertising has slipped into last place when it comes to the industries we trust, behind even energy and banking.
As you might have seen in our recent blog about The Edelman Trust Barometer, trust is something we value more than ever.
The AA asserts that, if banking and energy have found ways to foster public trust, advertising needs to do the same. And it’s not too late to do so either, as research found that the industry is still seen as a ‘good thing with downsides’, and a cause for annoyance rather than genuine concern.
2. 97% of people think ‘advertising’ also covers other types of marketing and promotion
While the AA’s report primarily offers guidance to the advertising industry, it points out the vast majority of consumers group other kinds of marketing and promotion into the same bucket. This could mean that other forms of promotion, like content marketing, might be viewed with as much suspicion and irritation as billboards and online ads. So, it’s important for anyone using written or visual mediums for sales to consider transparency and integrity as key factors in maintaining the impact of your communications.
3. ‘Bombardment’ is the public’s biggest concern about advertising
Unsurprisingly, the number one thing irking the public about ads is how repetitive and obtrusive they can be. Many of us also worry about how invasive advertising sometimes feels, particularly ads that follow us around the internet even after we’ve bought the product.
Though this raises questions about how tech companies use our data to target us, these findings could encourage brands to step away from intensive advertising campaigns. The AA suggests that reducing the frequency of adverts is also likely to benefit companies financially. It could free up budgets for other marketing strategies that feel more genuine and build better relationships with new and existing customers.
4. Favourability and trust in advertising are driven by how responsible the industry is
Independent think tank Credos found that the advertising industry needs to be more responsible if it wants to build people’s trust. Credos’ findings echo those in The Edelman Trust Barometer, which revealed that ethics are three times more important in establishing stakeholder trust than an industry’s perceived competence.
And, while the ASA makes sure that all advertising meets its standards, the AA suggests that companies need to self-regulate too. Producing content that is straightforward, honest and clear needs to be a priority if the ad world wants to turn its reputation around.
5. Showing how advertising can affect social change is a major priority
Following the ASA’s 2017 ‘gender stereotype’ ban, the AA wants the ad industry to become more aware of the cultural impact great ads can have. It has formed the UK’s Chapter of the Unstereotype Alliance, which encourages companies to get rid of lazy and harmful gender-based stereotypes. The alliance also works to promote socio-economic, race, age and ability diversity across the ad world.
Unilever found that when it tested progressive ads through Kantar Millward Brown, the ads created 25% more branded impact and were viewed as 21% more credible than previous campaigns. So, it’s clear that there’s an appetite for socially responsible and progressive ads, rather than those relying on the same old tired tropes.
Building trust is key
Our take on this report is that consumers feel jaded by aggressive advertising and it’s damaging the overall reputation of marketing. As the ASA implements tighter controls to make sure adverts are accurate and transparent, companies might be looking for different strategies to promote their brand.
Carefully curated content and a well-implemented content strategy can complement advertising, drawing people to your brand, products and services without an overtly sales-y feel. By offering your audience genuine and thoughtful content you can earn their attention, loyalty and trust.
Looking to make your content more trustworthy? Get in touch and see how we can help you.
Following a pitch win back in March 2019, PDSA approached us with a big project. They wanted us to help plan their fundraising strategy and produce supporting collateral and events to attract a younger, more digitally active audience.
As the UK’s leading veterinary charity, PSDA wanted their fundraising guide and supporting material to be informative and motivational, but visually appealing in a way that would capture the attention of a new generation of supporters.
OPTIMISE
We approached them with two design proposals for the fundraising guide. The first was more in line with their current fundraising material and represented the ‘traditional’ PDSA branding. The second was a complete revamp and drastic departure from what they currently had in place. To our delight, PDSA went with the second.
ELEVATE
The fundraising guide was stripped to a single colour – the bold PDSA pink – and coupled with a new font, fun graphic elements, quirky animal illustrations and a catchy title (#FundraiseLikeABeast). In line with the target audience, this was initially created as a digital download – accessible on mobile devices – followed by a print version.
This new style was then developed across supporting material, including:
TRANSFORM
To further transform and diversify their fundraising product range, we were asked to create a new virtual event that would encourage supporters to engage with the charity.
After researching competitor activity and thinking about the motivations of our target audience, we decided to tap into the ‘challenge’ element of virtual events. This led to the creation of Dog’s Dinner Challenge; an event that plays on the fun of hosting a meal for friends or family, with a ‘side dish’ of fundraising for pets in need.
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