A Hygge office in 2017? Award-winner recipe & Ryanair Xmas ad....

A Hygge office for 2017?

The Danish concept of Hygge has really only hit Ireland in a big way this year but its connotations of cosiness, warmth and home comforts resonates particularly well with us in the depth of Winter!  This article in The Guardian is all about Hygge for the office and talks about ‘acoustically-secured cocoons’, adding plants, soothing orange lighting, turning off your phone and building home-like spaces within the office.  It’s not just about the physical environment though, the article says that it’s all about being with others and being forthcoming, friendly and accepting of our colleagues rather than being judgmental.  The author guards against having the office interior ‘too feminine’ and that there must be space for ‘some masculine energy’ too. 

https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/dec/16/end-of-year-burnout-bring-hygge-work-productivity

(Image - Knight Frank)

Ryanair captures the Irish homecoming

We’ve seen a raft of Christmas ads to date from lavish to others made on a smaller budget.  I do hope that Dunnes Stores’ new year resolution is to produce a new Christmas TV commercial for 2017, I’ve always hated that ad, I’m not sure why except the way he looks at the woman (mother/wife – think it’s the former) at the end is with barely concealed disdain!  Anyway, Ryanair have produced a great one which perfectly captures the experiences of those returning home for Christmas….enjoy!

http://www.independent.ie/life/travel/watch-ryanairs-christmas-ad-nails-the-irish-homecoming-perfectly-35305055.html

Christmas Seafood Medley – award winner’s recipe

George Stephens is the BIM Young Fishmonger of the Year 2016 and was on Ireland am (TV3) recently showing how to prepare his delicious Seafood Medley as a Christmas starter.  See video clip below and here’s the recipe:

24 prawns (available from your fishmonger)
: 1 Ripe Avocado cut into cubes
: 1 Baby gem lettuce head cut into slices
: 8 Cherry tomatoes cut in half
: Quarter of a red onion finely sliced
: Quarter of a honey dew melon cut into bite size chunks
: 4 Slices of Irish smoked salmon finely sliced
: 1tbs of rapeseed oil and 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar mixed together

For the seafood sauce:
: 8 tbs of mayonnaise
: 3 tbs of tomato ketchup
: 1 teaspoon of tabasco
: 1 teaspoon of Worchester sauce
: Juice of quarter of a lemon

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop the raw prawns in and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Take the prawns out of the pot and place in a bowl of ice cold water for 3 mins until there cold. Place prawns on kitchen paper and dry them off so there is no water left on them.
3. For the seafood sauce, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, tabasco, Worchester and lemon juice together to create the seafood sauce.
4. In a bowl mix the lettuce and red onion together with the rapeseed oil and vinegar .In a separate bowl mix the prawns, avocado, melon and the seafood sauce together.
5. Arrange the lettuce on the plate first. Now scoop the prawns, melon and avocado neatly in the middle of the lettuce, sprinkle the smoked salmon on top and finish it off with the cherry tomatoes and a slice of lemon.
6. Serve with a slice of brown bread and a glass of vino sol.

http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/809/118227/0/Ireland-AM

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Lego & John Lewis, Small Business Saturday & What would you do?

Small Business Saturday

“Small Business Saturday” is a brilliant initiative which is in its 3^rd year in Ireland and 4^th in the UK – it encourages consumers to buy small and shop at independent stores this Saturday, 3^rd December.  Retail Excellence tell us that for every €10 spent in your local independent shop, it means €40 for the local economy.

I do think this initiative should be promoted much more heavily in Ireland as the Irish day is a bit under the radar.  I certainly haven’t seen or heard that much about it.  It’s also the weekend of the Irish craft fair and that’s a great place to purchase Irish-made gifts for friends, family, clients etc.

In the UK, as well as targeting consumers, their Small Business Saturday encourages networking between small business owners and some are laying on workshops/talks for would-be entrepreneurs. In Tunbridge Wells in Kent, a collaboration between business and the local Council sees small businesses get free retail space in the town’s main shopping centre for the day.  That’s a really fantastic practical support for a small business in the run up to Christmas. Support from a local council is key and the organisers say 80% of local authorities are supportive – bah humbug to the other 20%.  Some have even agreed to have free parking for the day in the town centres.  Not sure if Irish county councils are on board in this way, but they should be.

https://www.businessworld.ie/news/Taoiseach-urges-support-for-Small-Business-Saturday-566715.html

https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/nov/29/local-resurgence-20000-independents-gear-up-for-small-business-saturday

Lego recreates last 5 John Lewis Xmas ads

At a key time of year for Lego, this is a smart move by them – they capitalise on the perennial popularity of the John Lewis Christmas ads and recreate the last five of them including this year’s Buster the Box in lego – enjoy!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/john-lewis-christmas-advert-lego-video-a7447481.html

Very Powerful Campaign – Domestic Abuse

The current “What would you do?” campaign targeting bystanders, friends and family of domestic abuse victims is really very powerful and hard to watch.  The €950k campaign is being run on TV, online, outdoor and print by COSC – the national office for the prevention of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.  I don’t know who did the PR for this campaign but they’re also doing a great job – I’ve heard countless discussions on radio about domestic violence over the past few weeks.

Apparently it was devised because while many people suspect or know that someone they know is being abused they’re unsure of what to do – and many just walk away.  I was astounded to read the following in thejournal.ie, “Figures in the Attitudes to Domestic Abuse in Ireland survey show that 9% of people would help a friend, 65% would help a stranger and 38% would help a neighbour being subjected to domestic abuse” – so the less well we know someone, the more likely we are to help them?  Hopefully this campaign will change those figures.

http://whatwouldyoudo.ie/

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Best times to post on social media; Brands & Millenials & make a living from Instagram

Best times to post on social media in 2016?

Timing is everything on social media - so when is the best time to post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram?  It all depends on who your audience is, what they want and what social networks they’re on according to this Hootsuite blog.

Unsurprisingly 75% of your Facebook posts’ engagement occurs within the first 5 hours of posting and Thursday and Friday between 1pm and 3pm seem to be the best time to post – but, of course, it does depend on your business.  A couple of tools to help you with Twitter timings are recommended in this article also and surprisingly Wednesday gets the nod for being a good time to tweet?!!  For Instagram, they recommend you think of a day in the life of your audience and what times they are likely to check and scroll through Instagram.

http://bit.ly/2cr61Qo

Brands need to get serious about Millennials

The much-maligned Gen Y or Millenials – the Me-Me-Me generation - who came to adulthood around 2,000 – are now parents who were shaped by the recession and had to develop a new relationship with money.  But brands aren’t engaging with them according to planning agency, MCCP who always have fantastic insights for marketers.

According to this article by Michael Cullen, Millenials are “looking for brands to be authentic and relevant, understanding their new life stage and responsibilities, but without treating them like they inherited the priorities and sensibilities of previous generations.”  They are brand loyal once they're treated right. MCCP says brands need to get serious about Millennials before they start chasing the younger model.

http://www.independent.ie/business/media/adlib-the-lost-generation-for-modern-brands-35087003.html

Want to make a living from Instagram?

I’ve seen a couple of articles recently on the jealousy/cattiness between ‘traditional media’ journalists and bloggers and the Vogue V bloggers story is certainly evidence of that.  But this article from an anonymous Instagrammer gives an insight into how they make a living.  According to her, you need 10,000 followers on Instagram to make a living.  She also says that Instagrammers are meant to put #ad or #sc (sponsored content) when they have been paid by brands to post – but that many of them don’t.  This girl seems to take her job extremely seriously even paying professional photographers and taking considerable time to style her shots.  The pressure to be first with a post just sounds like an exhausting way to make a living to me – but the lifestyle probably seems really glamorous to people a lot younger than me!  It’s worth a read though.  

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2016/mar/02/instagram-professional-instagrammer-blogger-filter

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Ikea's Dining Club, Media Pref of Chocoholics & what makes a great ad campaign

What makes a great ad campaign

Some of the nominees for the advertising effectiveness awards give their thoughts in this short video on what makes a great ad campaign.  The ADFX 2016 awards honour ad campaigns that deliver real results and they’re organised by IAPI – Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland.

The nominees’ suggestions include: have a Big Thought – this shouldn’t be a surprise to a client but rather the creative strategy and execution should; set the bar high; ensure the client is on board with your strategy before you do anything; long-term relationships between client and agency work best as when things go wrong, they won’t bale on each other and finally, hire people who run towards problems rather than away from them.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/adfx/secrets-of-success-what-makes-a-great-ad-campaign-1.2796635

Ikea’s pop-up Dining Club

To showcase their wares, popularise the dinnery party and get people cooking together, Swedish retailer Ikea has opened a pop up restaurant, “The Dining Club” in trendy Shoreditch, east London. Visitors can each bring up to 20 guests all of whom work alongside chefs to prepare simple Scandinavian-themed dishes.  Their iconic Swedish Meatballs are not on the menu however! 

Ikea say they run a “Life at Home” survey each year and it shows that people are spending less and less time cooking and eating so this initiative in the UK aims to redress that.  The Dining Club features the smallest kitchen in the world (about the size of a bath), runs workshops and hosted tutored dinner parties.  It has a virtual reality kitchen which, usefully, enables you to experience your workspace from the height of your pets!!

https://www.theguardian.com/business/shortcuts/2016/sep/18/ikeas-popup-restaurant-a-flatpack-recipe-for-the-undesirable

Chocoholics and media usage

Well I just had to include this story, being partial to chocolate myself!  This TGI data for chocolate lovers in Ireland shows that 15% of adults (540,000 people) eat chocolate once a day or more.  My immaturity is evident when I read that 25-34 years old are 20% more likely to be in this chocoholic group, whilst those aged 65+ are 45% less likely.  They are also 32% more likely to be aged 15-34, not married or living as a couple, do not live with son/daughter or live with parents. 

Media-wise,

they are 28% more likely to agree that they cannot resist buying magazines, 23% more likely to agree that pop up ads help them find interesting things on the internet and 23% more likely to agree that on TV they enjoy the ads as much as the programmes.  For more insights on chocoholics, see http://www.adworld.ie/2016/09/16/insight-week-courting-chocoholics/

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Developing a global marketing strategy, the latest in loyalty marketing & companies who lobby

Developing a global marketing strategy

 “No one size fits all”.  If developing an international marketing strategy, local behaviours and trends have to be taken into account according to this article which presents findings from Kantar Worldpanel’s Brand Footprint Annual Report 2016.   The unifying global trend is for convenience and this is driving strategies to impact on the “moment of truth” – when a shopper chooses one brand over another. 

The article tells us that ease of access is the most important factor for buyers of FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) – but I was interested to read that supermarkets only account for 30% of sales in the Philippines and Thailand versus 80% of sales in western Europe. The author explains how yoghurt maker Yakult manages the logistics of there being 18,000 islands in Indonesia!  She also talks about the ‘Lidl Effect’ and the ‘Uberisation of FMCG”.

https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/aug/04/developing-global-brand-marketing-strategy

The latest in loyalty marketing

Participation is the Holy Grail for loyalty according to Leanne Papaioannou of Chilli Pepper.  Points for Action (PFA) programmes are the new focus for incentivising consumers, she tells us and explains that these reward consumers for taking action rather than just for what they spend and aim to engage consumers beyond the everyday transaction.

Papaioannou quotes a number of examples of PFAs in action - she explains how, in Australia, scare-based safety ads hadn't worked in reaching young motorists, so Samsung switched to a carrot-based strategy and ran a pilot launch for its S-Drive loyalty programme.  Stateside, pharmacy giant, Walgreens' Balance Rewards Programme (BRP) rewards customer for positive life choices and staying active while South African financial services provider Discovery Health launched an App which tracks fitness and training, maintains running groups through social networks and registers points for lifestyle decisions.   She concludes by saying that today's best loyalty programmes have a broader take on customer relationships.

http://www.independent.ie/business/media/adlib-the-smarter-ways-to-buy-loyalty-34992309.html

Minimalist approach to new lobbying rules a mistake for Irish firms

John Carroll, CEO, the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) advises in this article that the lobbying regulator, the Standards Commission, will shortly have the powers to investigate possible infringements and take enforcement actions against those who are not compliant.  Consequently, he recommends that businesses take stock of their approach to lobbying compliance. The Standards Commission on its website

Has a three-step guide to what is lobbying activity.  http://www.sipo.gov.ie/Website/en/About-Us/Registration-of-Lobbying/

However, the damage for non-compliance with the Act will be reputational, he says. “While the commission will soon have enforcement powers, it is the media that will be the main police for the legislation.”  Ultimately, Carroll says that for a company to impact policy, the argument must stand up to public scrutiny, and if an organisation is undertaking lobbying activity that it cannot stand behind in public, then it must consider why it is undertaking that activity.

https://fora.ie/readme/lobby-act-ireland-2945293-Aug2016/

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Pull like a dog when handling the media, targeting food watchers & 'Making Memories'

Pull like a dog when handling the media!

The O’Donovan brothers may have won silver but they are liquid gold for the media!  That’s because of their easy charm, honesty and because they are themselves in media interviews.  In this interesting article by Jack Murray of Mediahq.com, he explains that journalists are always looking for some nugget, something interesting for both themselves and their readers/viewers/listeners.  While this may sound like stating the bleeding obvious, Jack recounts that many interviewees actually have nothing interesting to say!  They spout out the same old themes and their personalities have been rehearsed out of them.  His advice when he trains people for media interviews is to be the best version of themselves.  See other tips ……

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/never-dull-never-boring-the-odonovans-natural-humour-is-a-lesson-in-handling-media-34971894.html

Targeting ‘food watchers’

These insights from Adworld.ie/Irish Marketing Journal are always interesting.  This one concerns ‘food watchers’ and we’re told that 33% of Irish adults agree that “news on food influences my dietary habits” compared to 25% of adults in Northern Ireland and 26% in Great Britain, according to a TGI study from Kantar Media.  The survey also shows that they are 87% more likely to acknowledge that they buy products from companies who sponsor exhibitions or music events and 61% more likely to believe that celebrities influence their purchase decisions.

http://www.adworld.ie/2016/08/05/insight-week-food-watchers/

Powerful ad campaign from Make a Wish

It’s not often we see TV commercials or hear ads that give you a catch in your throat – every time you hear or see them.  But the new campaign from Make a Wish is very powerful.   My first exposure to the ‘Make Memories’ campaign was the TV ad with the little girl watching her family play football in the park - it then transcribes she has passed away and that the seat she is sitting on is dedicated to her.  It just stopped me in my tracks.  Then I heard the ‘princess’ radio ad which is also very, very moving.  This is a little girl’s brother talking about the best day in all the family’s lives when ‘all the princesses’ came to visit his little sister.  He concludes by saying “I wish you had known her.”  I think they are using real people’s stories to show how they help make lasting memories for families with seriously ill children.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/real-life/appeal-for-public-support-as-makememories-campaign-launched-by-make-a-wish-414780.html

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

How to make it as a Blogger, new 'Stories' from Instagram, book-lovers and good targeting by M&S....

How to make it as a blogger

Doesn’t this just sound like the best job in the world – getting paid to travel the world – but as this very substantial article points out, it takes a lot of work behind the scenes.  As the author is a former PR girl (I feel her pain!) she knows what it’s like to have a job that appears glamorous but is swan-like in reality.  She gives some great tips on how to build a blog – stick to your niche, build your brand, focus on one social media channel and more.  She also gives advice on how to make money from a blog including having affiliate links, getting sponsored posts and doing paid-for press trips.  Well worth a read if you want your blog to be your job.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/it-s-a-hard-blog-life-how-to-make-it-as-a-travel-blogger-1.2730298

Instagram Stories – how to produce one

As the various social media channels continue to be ‘inspired’ by features of the others, Instagram has introduced ‘Stories’ – this allows you share the moments of your day – and these stories disappear after 24 hours.  Like Snapchat, Stories has a pen annotation tool and the common Instagram filters.  This article also details how to produce a story.

http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/instagram-launches-snapchatstyle-stories-how-it-works-and-when-will-i-get-it-34934594.html

A great example of customer targeting – M&S

Marks & Spencer (M&S) sponsor an online Daily Mail story on a very regular basis – so in amongst the celebrity gossip teasers on the right hand side of the page (reading these is my guilty lunchtime pleasure!) a sponsored story appears and it’s usually about food or fashion.  This is excellent media buying when you consider the very strong female readership of the Mail online (and in print).  In this article they are cleverly promoting their Brazilian-inspired foods – timely as the Olympic opening ceremony is tomorrow (Friday 5^th August).  I’ve seen this Summer range in store but this advertorial explains what the various foodstuffs are, so next time I’d be more likely to buy them.  Clever use of marketing budget.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3718422/Ay-Caramba-eyes-turn-Rio-Olympics-15-fabulous-South-American-foods-win-GOLD-flavour.html

How to target book-lovers

These TGI insights from Adworld.ie are always worth a read – this one talks about book readers in Ireland and how to target these ‘cultured, open-minded’ people.  22% of Irish adults have bought a book in the past year – including hardbacks, paperbacks or eBooks.  The article tells us that book readers are likely to be in the heaviest fifth consumers of cinema, newspapers, magazines and outdoor media.

http://www.adworld.ie/2016/07/22/insight-week-reaching-irelands-book-readers/

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Ad posters rejected by 'Remain', London's first Naked restaurant & immature Business...

Ad posters that ‘Remain’ rejected

This is an interesting thing for an ad agency to do – according to the UK Independent newspaper, M&C Saatchi who handled the Brexit ‘Remain’ campaign, has released posters that were rejected by their client.   Saatchi’s strategy was devised around “Don’t leave it, lead it” and included some fairly controversial posters – including one of Nigel Farage depicted as Hitler.  The Leave campaign has been accused of lacking fire and some of these posters certainly would have stirred things up and got people talking.

http://ind.pn/29eAy65

London’s first naked restaurant = Digital Detox

In this always-on relentless digital bombardment, some brands are trying to connect with customers in a more meaningful way. Interestingly they say in this Marketing Week article that millennials are attracted to a time for ‘digital detox’- I would have thought it was an older cohort, but either way, it’s a healthy sign!  Drinks brand innocent introduced their “Unplugged” festival – or ‘restival’ as they call it – to meet this consumer need.

London’s first naked restaurant, The Bunyadi aims to liberate people from the outside world.  Phones are banned, there is no electricity, lighting is by candlelight and food is cooked over a fire – and staff and customers are all naked! Not in a million years…….I like the concept but I’m a typical Irish prude when it comes to nakedness in public!!

http://bit.ly/29kCdVp

Business must ‘immature with age’

When we are young life is a series of ‘firsts’ but by middle age (hate those two words!), we have lost our sense of wonder, the author says, and a series of ‘lasts’ begins!  Cheerful, eh?!  But he’s right.  Start-up businesses launch with enthusiasm but all companies undergo institutional aging, become conservative and obsessed with processes.  He maintains that creative businesses in particular need to retain their youthfulness – I would argue that all businesses do.  Cynicism is the opposite of creativity, he says, and we all need to work to sustain our sense of wonder.

https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/jul/05/secret-youth-businesses-keep-startup-wonder

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

How to create a buzz around your crowdfunding..

Tips for crowdfunding success

Unusually for my blog, I’m focusing on just subject as I came across this excellent article in The Guardian on crowdfunding – though it is quite long - so one article is enough this time!  It is definitely worth a read and amongst the things it recommends are:

·       identify one third of your funds beforehand from friends, family and investors;

·       make sure you understand all the Terms & Conditions of the crowdfunding platform you are signing up to – different platforms have different T&Cs;

·       hone your pitch to perfection before posting it online – cite what the product is and why consumers need it, detail the principles of the business, its traction so far and how scalable it could be;

·       remember that crowdfunding is hard work.

The article also gives 5 Tips for Success…..

http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/may/10/crowdfunding-explained-alternative-finance-secret-success

www.diyPR.ie

Photo from The Guardian

10 tips on how to make your business story newsworthy

It’s not about you – it’s about them!  Ask yourself - what impact will your news have on the readers, listeners, viewers, the community at large?

Contextualise - tap into a wider trend.  What’s the macro view? What trends are taking place in your industry sector? Or, create your own news – surveys are excellent.

Comparisons are good - What’s going on in other markets e.g. EU, US, UK, Emerging?

Celebrity Endorsements - They work!  But make sure celebrity’s brand image matches your brand values

Customer Testimonials -High profile clients – use testimonials in press releases, on website, on social media, blogs

Every press release should have 5x W’s and 1x H in the first two paragraphs – Who, What, Where, When, Why and How? 

    
Key Opinion Leader
An independent KOL adds credibility e.g. nutritionist for food industry

Imagery
A good photo or video can get you coverage even if story is not strong

Reactive Media Relations
If story breaks in the media that is relevant to your industry – be prepared to comment – quickly.  Position yourself as industry expert. Have your ‘boiler plate’ written. Use Google alerts to keep track of news relevant to your industry – and of your competitors!

Writing Style Tips
- Keep it short - particularly for online and broadcast media
- Write in the 3^rd Person - “You” or “I” should only be used in quotations

 - Make sure the tone is relevant to type of media you are targeting
- Include your contact details - mobile number, email address & date of issue

Photo: New York Times newsroom, 1942

www.diyPR.ie 

5 tools to fire up your blog, why watches are all set to the same time & mistakes business leaders make

5 tips to fire up your blog

There’s actually only 5 tips in this article from PR Daily – 5 suggestions on how to fire up your blog.  These include a couple of tools you can use to generate ideas for the blog, one which generates a title for your blog and even one that generates the content.  I haven’t tried any of these yet but tempted ……!

http://bit.ly/1WnWLQR

Why watches are all set to the same time in ads!

Have you always wondered why watches are all set to the same time in ads?  No, me neither!  In fact, I never noticed – but as this article says, that means the advertisers are doing their job properly!  Apparently all watches are set at 10.10 – this frames the brand name and logo and gives the watch a ‘smiley’ face!  I just had to include this essential fact in my blog!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/watch-watches-time-adverts-same-10-10-a6948421.html

Mistakes Business Leaders commonly make

Ireland’s leading executives were asked about the mistakes they commonly see business people repeating – these include:

·       Creating a Yes man culture;

·       Not thinking strategicially;

·       Ignoring technology;

·       Trying to do it all;

·       Working in, not on, the business and

·       Not listening.

Worth a read….

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/common-pitfalls-top-business-leaders-sure-avoid-101328585--finance.html

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

PR coup - or disaster - for Betfair, VR headsets come to Ireland & Radio celebrates centenary here

PR coup – or disaster - for Betfair?

“Switching Saddles” – the campaign in the UK which has seen dual Olympic gold-winning cyclist, Victoria Pendleton switch the bike for a horse could be one of the best PR coups ever – or a major disaster, according to this measured article.  Her enthusiasm for her new sport is accepted as being completely genuine.  But if, when participating in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham on Friday 18^th March, she, her horse, another rider or another horse has an accident due to her inexperience, fingers will be pointed.  But well done to Betfair – not an official sponsor at Cheltenham – who, so far, are reaping the publicity rewards.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/mar/07/victoria-pendleton-cheltenham-festival-pr-genius-disaster

Virtual Reality – arrives in Ireland within next few weeks!

With VR headsets arriving in Ireland shortly, this article looks at how some Irish companies are working with it.  Plans afoot to use the headsets for viewing houses and training the defence forces for peacekeeping missions.  A Waterford company, Immersive VR Education is launching Apollo 11 based on the NASA mission, having raised money initially on Kickstarter.  They also have a Titanic project in the works and VR lectures.  A Sligo-based company, Mind Myths plan to use VR to improve wellbeing and mental health.  Should be some really interesting VR stuff emerging over the next few months…

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/vr-development-ireland-2641856-Mar2016/

The Rising isn’t the only Centenary!

The first radio broadcast in Ireland took place during the Easter Rising week – have to admit I didn’t know that!  And radio is still a very powerful medium in this country with 83% of people here tuning into a radio station every day.  And it’s not just the older cohort of the population that listen – 77% of 15-35 year olds are ‘habitual radio listeners’ according to this article from John McGee in the Sunday Independent.  But radio hasn’t stood still – they’ve been staging live events, engaged with brand partnerships and content-focused offerings - such as podcasts and live-streaming.

http://www.independent.ie/business/time-to-celebrate-a-centenary-of-irish-broadcast-heroes-34514674.html

www.diyPR.ie

11 Instagram tools & Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on doing business in China...

11 Instagram tools

A very useful article detailing 11 tools to make better use of Instagram including “Videohance” which produces 15 second videos - although introduced in 2013, videos are still not widely used on Instagram – photos tend to dominate, so video is a great way to stand out.  Another one I like the sound of is “Word Swag” where you can overlay text on your photos.  “iWatermark” helps prevent others using your photos without crediting you. “Flipagram” helps make a collage of your photos while “Diptic” produces a scrapbook effect.  And if you’re always blaming the quality of photos on your phone - like me - try “Camera+” to help improve them!

http://bit.ly/1UjaZBu

Llewelyn-Bowen & doing business in China

The flamboyant designer, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen advises people who want to do business in China not to listen to advice about how difficult it is to do so.  While he refers in the article to British brands, the advice would apply to us here in Ireland also. The key he says is understanding what your brand stands for and how it resonates with the Chinese market.  He stands for every day, affordable design which is appealing to the growing middles class in China.  He had been told that he would have to stay up all night drinking with the boss to get a deal and that the Chinese are only into minimalist zen design – wrong on both counts according to his experiences to date.  Worth a read….

http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2016/feb/29/laurence-llewelyn-bowen-china-exports

What to look at before you leap

For anyone thinking of making the leap into entrepreneurship, there’s some good, practical tips here.  These include; Don’t get too wedded to your idea; Do the research; Ensure you have a mix of Creativity + Discipline + Stamina; Ask yourself will it make money; Work out your costs - and then double them and likewise with the timeframe that you expect to be up and running. Do a risk analysis and it’s recommended that you take advice from people who have run their own businesses, who’ve walked the walk.  And, interestingly, build a team - as Enterprise Ireland say they will “almost never” invest in a one man band.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/start-ups-look-before-you-leap-1.2548299

www.diyPR.ie

Donald Trump's Comms Strategy, marketing trends 2016 & latest radio listenership figures

Communication Strategies from Donald Trump

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that The Donald has outperformed all expectations and the cynics to date.  Why is that?  This article from “PR Daily” spells out his excellent communication strategies.  Trump is very clear on what he stands for – “Make America Great Again” and he resonates with many Americans on this topic.  Also, he knows how to tap into emotions, he speaks the language of his audience, he has a clear narrative and he deliberately sets out to be different to his opponents.

http://bit.ly/1PzP2uo

Marketing Trends in 2016

Marketing people are more interested in what underpins a trend rather than in the trend itself, according to planning agency, MCCP – and this gives brands staying power and impact with customers.  In this article from Michael Cullen, he reports on a talk on trends for 2016 given by MCCP.  They warned that brands which don’t empower green customers will be punished, that food brands must focus on natural ingredients and that marketers should care less about technology and more about the outcome.  There’s a wealth more to read about here….

http://www.independent.ie/business/media/getting-inside-the-minds-of-consumers-34442029.html

RTE performs strongly in JNLRs

RTE performed very well and increased its listenership by 64,000 in 2015 according to the most recent JNLRs (Joint National Listenership Research).  The top 4 programmes are:

1.    Morning Ireland

2.    Marian Finucane, Saturday

3.    Liveline

4.    News at One.

RTE Radio 1’s Sean O’Rourke now has more listeners than Pat Kenny in his last year at RTE – Sean is up by 33,000 since last year and now attracts 331,000 daily.  Ray D’Arcy’s show has added an impressive 22,000 listeners since he took over, bringing it to 215,000 while Mary Wilson’s “Drivetime” has 18,000 more listeners this year.

6,000 more people are tuning into Newstalk Breakfast since last year and now 171,000 every day enjoy the spats between Ivan Yates and Chris Donoghue.  Not such good news for Pat Kenny who has 9,000 fewer listeners than last year at 133,000.

At Today FM, both Ian Dempsey (breakfast show) and Alison Curtis (weekend) increased by 6,000 bringing them to 187,000 and 141,000 respectively.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/radio-1-builds-recovery-as-today-fm-slides-jnlr-survey-1.2521540

www.grainnebyrnePR.ie

Raise funds for your business? 3 blog tips from Cisco & Unbelievable Brands

Raise funds for a Cat Café, Topless Male Waiters..?!!!!

Want to raise funds for a fledgling business idea?  How about crowd-funding?  And the quirkier the better – or maybe not!  The Irish Times here highlights 5 would-be entrepreneurs who are seeking crowd-funding including a café where you can play with cats while you have coffee, a restaurant with topless male waiters in tight shorts and ‘food you will rave about’ and the one I really liked – a drone to help monitor the treatment of animals.  Interestingly, the drone idea has raised the most funds – the others very little to date.  The cat café idea fascinates me – I know they have the cafes elsewhere in the world – but why a Cat Café and not a dog one?  Cats don’t really interact with you unless they feel like it – and/or unless there’s food involved.  As the proud servant of a cat called Millie, I wouldn’t pay €10 to have a coffee and play with her as I’d be hanging around for hours just waiting for her to deign to give me a few minutes’ attention!!  I’m not sure how they got the cats in the pic above to be so co-operative!  Maybe Japanese cats are different?!

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/sip-coffee-with-cats-or-have-dinner-served-by-a-man-in-tight-shorts-1.2510906

3 Tips from Cisco on maximising your Blog

Okay we’re not all the size of Cisco or anywhere near it (I’m a SOHO myself – small office, home office) but it’s always interesting to see how the big boys do it – so here they offer 3 tips to having a successful blog.  They recommend – activating your employee base, inviting guest bloggers and experimenting with social media – but not relying on it.  They post an amazing 27 pieces of content to their blog every day – but they only promote about 3.  Interestingly, they say they get more traffic from RSS subscriptions than from social media.

http://bit.ly/1nNed3q

Unbelievable brands

Don’t use “we believe” or “we passionately believe” in your marketing messaging, begs the author of this article in The Guardian.  He cites a few examples of brands with genuine beliefs and values including Ella’s Kitchen and Honda’s Hate Something, Change Something campaign.  Introduce real people behind the brand and, if appropriate, get Moral.  But not all brands have such stories – companies like Unilever with its many sub brands have to take a different tack.  So Walk the Walk he says and rally around a cause that’s worthy of belief, time and effort.  Another example he gives is of Volvo’s commitment to road safety which saw them develop a glow-in-the-dark paint.

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2016/jan/22/unbelievable-brands-give-values-bad-name-marketing

www.diypr.ie