Strategy
Hot desk – the importance of research in marketing communications (part III)
Following on from the tips I gave in previous posts on strategy and desk-based research, I have some more key pieces of advice in this final post in the series. I ended the previous piece by mentioning that official, governmental …
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Hot desk – the importance of research in marketing communications (part II)
In my previous blog on desk-based research, I provided an explanation as to why the research (and in particular desk-based research) process is so crucially important for b2b marketers hoping to develop a strategic, evidence-based marcomms campaign. I also outlined …
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Hot desk – the importance of research in marketing communications
Few marketing professionals would disagree that a marketing communications campaign must be underpinned by a clear and well-defined strategy, if it is to meet and exceed its objectives. However, while a ‘strategic approach’ is upheld as industry best practice, a …
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Why you need to market smarter in 2013, and how to do it
It’s nearly the end of January. You might be feeling pretty pleased that you’ve planned, budgeted and agreed all your 2013 marketing activity. Or maybe you’re painfully aware that you haven’t yet – and are thinking you now need to …
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Why US packaging businesses must go global
I recently tuned into an interesting webinar from Packaging Digest, on the topic of global packaging opportunities. It included some useful content I wanted to share with you. I’m already an advocate of companies taking the plunge and selling more …
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Search becomes social
Search and PR are becoming more and more intrinsically linked. A successful b2b PR campaign often sees a bank of compelling, newsworthy content developed and a well thought-out content strategy is vital if a website is to perform well in …
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Key marketing challenges in the packaging sector
If you operate in the packaging sector, you probably already know that worldwide packaging industry revenues are predicted to increase to $530 billion in 2014 (from $429 billion in 2009, Pike Research). Plus there’s good news for the packaged food …
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Nine layers of modern marketing
In a recent presentation in Manchester, IBM’s Peter Jakob gave an interesting assessment of how modern marketing has evolved with his ‘nine layers’. It made for a fascinating presentation and hopefully interesting reading – with a twist from yours truly. …
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Train to gain: seeing the value of training in a changing environment
Marketing has long been one of the fastest moving business sectors. This is even more evident in the current age of online and social media. Taking account of these technological changes marketing best practice continues to evolve – incorporating new …
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Make a lasting impression: how to become a media-friendly organisation
“Tell him I’m on the phone. I’ll call back later.” (Later) “I’m in a meeting. Can’t talk until tomorrow.” (Tomorrow) “God, why won’t they go away. Just tell them no comment.” Sounds familiar? Overcoming the fear factor in dealing with …
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Six secrets of evaluating creative
For me, one of the highlights of working at BDB is seeing a campaign come to life. Having developed the brief and discussed it with the creative team, we wait with baited breath to see the results. Expectations are high. …
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Generating ideas: Top tips for running a creative thinking session
Coming up with the big idea for that top viral email, target-smashing direct mail piece or award-winning PR campaign requires insight and inspiration – and some precious thinking space. So where do you have your best ideas? I bet it …
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Can centralised international marketing really meet local requirements?
Every international business has its own approach to marketing communications. Some advocate tightly controlled activity – formulated and policed by its head office. Others adopt a far more laisser-faire approach, empowering different countries and divisions to do what they feel …
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2010 imports surge, exports barely rise. What can we do to help?
“Britain’s trade deficit widened more sharply than expected in March, fuelling fears that the economy may not be in line for the export-led recovery that had been widely hoped for” Daily Telegraph 21 May 2010. At a time when every …
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Five top tips for agency selection
Agencies are fighting hard for every bit of new business, and they’ve stepped up their efforts to impress – promising the world and, too often, failing to deliver. So it’s crucial to see past the showmanship of the pitch. These …
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