In a world of automation, do marketers fear experimentation?
Are creative marketers becoming marginalized in our pursuit for a data-driven approach? Continue reading In a world of automation, do marketers fear experimentation?
Category: Trends
Free underwear and the art of marketing through LinkedIn
Linkedin has made real progress over the last 24 months. By putting greater focus on content it’s been moving solidly towards improved user engagement; and in return saw its advertising revenue grow 45% in Q3 over the same period last year. However, it’s still not seen as a hotbed for marketing creativity. Brands have typically favoured FaceBook and Twitter as a vehicle for audience engagement and I could probably count the number of great marketing campaigns that use Linkedin on one hand. What that means is that when a clever campaign is launched it does get attention. Free underwear & the … Continue reading Free underwear and the art of marketing through LinkedIn
Applying the 70:20:10 innovation rule to your marketing
The 70:20:10 rule is frequently cited as a useful formula for delivering an optimally blended mix of marketing content. For those not familiar with it, it suggests: 70% of your content should be low risk; it talks to the fundaments of your proposition and you know it works. It’s the stuff that keeps the lights on and the furnaces burning. 20% should innovate off of your 70%. It’s a little edgier and might go deeper into the core proposition. It might be used to pull targets further down the sales funnel, perhaps leveraging long-form, niche content. 10% is your room for … Continue reading Applying the 70:20:10 innovation rule to your marketing
Brands don’t always own their name on Twitter, and this is what happens…
Once upon a time, connecting your brand across online properties was relatively easy. So long as you had the URL, there was little else to think about. Today, the landscape is very different with organisations having to connect their brand across multiple social sites; each with very different trademark policies and control points. I was reminded of this today following the launch of the John Lewis Christmas advertisement. For those outside of the UK, John Lewis is a highly respected retailer (think Nordstrom in the US). The launch of its Christmas adverts have become something of an event, creating lots … Continue reading Brands don’t always own their name on Twitter, and this is what happens…
We’ve forgotten the value of long form content in B2B marketing
Those who have been in the marketing industry for more than ten years will remember that once upon a time, the majority of content produced was long form. Lengthy whitepapers, detailed case studies and 2500 word by lined articles. These were the norm. However, over the last few years, as the idea of “content marketing” began to explode (we’ll ignore the fact that we were doing this 15 years ago, we just didn’t have a name for it), the art of long form content started to be lost. Gone were the in-depth pieces that conveyed deep domain expertise, making way … Continue reading We’ve forgotten the value of long form content in B2B marketing
This guy was mediocre, what he did to increase his popularity will blow your mind!
You clicked. I knew you would. But is it fair? Have you clicked because you value my commentary or because the headline delivered an emotional promise? Do you consider this click-bait or will this post actually deliver something? If you are a B2B marketer I hope this will be of interest, because I want to understand whether the “Upworthy-Style” of headline writing has any place in B2B marketing. The Upworthy headline has infiltrated almost every corner of the internet and anyone who’s spent time on Facebook will recognise the style. There is no room for debate in the proposition they present. … Continue reading This guy was mediocre, what he did to increase his popularity will blow your mind!
It’s 2013. Having a website, even an app, is no longer a badge of honour
I’m not singling out Ikea here, there’s a list of guilty advertisers that should also take note of what I’m about to say. When telling your customers how they can shop with you, stop mixing platforms with the adjective for connectedness, “online”. It’s become de rigueur for many brands to add a strap along the lines of; “Instore, Online, Mobile” to their advertising. But it’s meaningless and makes you sound naive . The lines between different forms of connectivity have blurred too much for this to make any sense. I can be online on my mobile. I’m assuming that by online, they mean their website (as … Continue reading It’s 2013. Having a website, even an app, is no longer a badge of honour
Twitter’s place in television.
“Thank-you Prime Minister….and now here’s what Steve in Chelmsford thinks”. Do you care what Steve in Chelmsford has to say about the war in Syria? The BBC (or any other major broadcaster) certainly thinks his opinion adds valuable commentary to that provided by both trained journalists and respected commentators. Yes, Twitter’s role in television has me slightly concerned. Let me start by saying that I’m a hashtag fan, and I regularly use Zeebox to check other viewers’ thoughts on something I’m watching. It’s inclusive and reaffirming to see your sentiment shared across a wider community. But it’s my choice to do … Continue reading Twitter’s place in television.
The same device for two years?
Who wants to be tied to the same mobile device for two years? Published in today’s Telecom.com (on behalf of WDS, A Xerox Company), my views on the future of the mobile device subsidy and the growing misalignment between operator business models and hardware innovation lifecycles. Continue reading The same device for two years?
Is all smartphone photography narcissistic?
In the smartphone camera vs digital SLR debate I’ve come to the conclusion that technical comparisons are irrelevant. For me it’s a question of curation, narcissism and Starbuck’s Lattes. A post on The Verge about smartphone photography has really got … Continue reading Is all smartphone photography narcissistic?
SaaS Toolkit 