Beauty Success Story, Jodie Kidd Brand Ambassador & targeting Dubliners

Beautiful Success Story!

Most female readers will likely have heard of Glossybox – the beauty box company which sends miniature beauty samples to customers.   Just short of their 3^rd anniversary, they are doing business across 3 continents and 10 countries and in today’s Guardian, Rachel Kavanagh, MD, for Glossybox UK & Ireland, gives her tips which include: know your brand, know your products and what makes them different and make good hires.

http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2014/jul/21/beauty-industry-glossybox-sme

Interesting Celebrity Tie Up

This is an interesting celebrity tie-up - sports lifestyle firm, Green Lamb, which produces ladies’ golf wear and is based in Cork has signed up the cool Jodie Kidd as the ‘face’ of their brand.   The former party girl who is best known as a model and horsewoman - as well as getting to the final of the UK Celebrity Masterchef last week, topping the celebrity fast lap leaderboard in “Top Gear” for a series and competing in “Strictly Come Dancing” a few years ago - has presumably been brought on board to help increase the brand’s profile in the UK?  Apparently she is also a keen amateur golfer with a handicap of 18 so she is a relevant choice.  Wonder how Green Lamb felt when the pic used to announce the partnership in the story below featured Kidd in the nip?!   You never have complete control when working with high profile people as they have featured in so many photos and so many articles before the partnership.

http://www.independent.ie/business/corkbased-firm-green-lamb-signs-supermodel-jodie-kidd-30433966.html

Reaching more Dubliners

Good news for any business trying to target Dubliners - the Gazette Group of newspapers now has 7 newspapers covering the greater Dublin region.  The “Dublin City Gazette” joins the existing 6 newspapers which span the M50 – Dundrum, Dun Laoghaire, Swords, Blanchardstown, Lucan and Clondalkin.  Combined they have a circulation of 57,000+ and can be collected from any one of 250 collection points.

http://www.adworld.ie/news/read/?id=f85125c5-e453-4f42-b482-508a737302fd

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Product Placement solution to fast-forwarding ads, Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling & more..

Product Placement & 'Digital Insertion' - solution to fast-forwarding ads? 

With so many people recording programmes and fast-forwarding through the ads and/or viewing programmes on services like Netflix, product placement looks set to grow and grow.  It’s been around for years but now that ‘digital insertion’ is possible e.g. inserting different brands into different programmes or films after they have been filmed – as relevant to that particular marketplace, it looks like it will have exponential growth.  This is an interesting article from Joe O’Shea.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/why-product-placement-is-now-bigger-than-ever-30425167.html

Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling

Another great article from prdaily.com on how to construct a story - I really like number 14  - “Why must you tell this story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it” - and I agree with the author that no. 9 is also very good – “When you're stuck, make a list of what wouldn't happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.”

This one is a rap on the knuckles – “Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating” – bah, humbug, she’s removed an easy option!

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16845.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Savicom&utm_campaign=What%20makes%20a%20perfect%20social%20profile%3B%20Facebook%27s%20%27golden%20rule%27%20violation%3B%20The%20problem%20with%20%27Re%27%3B%20New%20Twitter%20analytics%3B%20and%20more&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prdaily.com%2FMain%2FArticles%2F16845.aspx&utm_content=grainne%40grainnebyrnepr.ie

Dublin Samaritans want to be ‘first port of call’ – not last resort

Dublin Samaritans this week will launch their “Talk to Us” awareness campaign which is targeting men as research shows that middle aged men are now the group most at risk of suicide. They’re encouraging men from the ‘buffer generation’ (caught between the stoic, silent, austere style of their fathers and the more open, individualistic attitude of their sons) to open up and talk to someone about their feelings.  Next week Dublin Samaritans volunteers will take to the streets of the capital to remind people that they are there 24/7, 365 days a year for people who are struggling to cope.  Disclosure, I do some PR work with the Dublin Samaritans – a fantastic group of people.

http://www.businessandleadership.com/marketing/item/46758-dublin-samaritans-to-take/#

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www.twitter.com/diyPRireland

Twitter masterclass from Apprentice social media guru, 9 Qs to help discover Brand YOU etc

Twitter Masterclass from BBC Apprentice social media guru

To stand out on Twitter - Be Human, Be Different, Be Funny - so says David Levin, the man responsible for the social media campaigns for BBC’s The Apprentice, for BBC’s The Voice and many more.  Also see if you can catch a ‘topical wave’ like Tourism Ireland did for the Kimye honeymoon.  This article also cites Mr. Tayto as doing social media well – its Facebook page has 275,000 fans.

http://www.independent.ie/business/why-social-media-really-clicks-with-irish-companies-30409205.html

9 questions to help you discover Brand YOU!

Many of us SMEs plan each week to dedicate some time to planning, to working on the business instead of in it etc etc – but if you’re like me, the week slips by, you get caught up in operational stuff - and it remains on the To Do list.   So, this article on LinkedIn which suggests we do a “Quick Take on Brand You” – appealed – initially, of course, because of the reference to “quick”!  But, of course, if these things are to be done properly, they require some time and thought – so I’ve already started working on Brand Me today – honest!    

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140707051838-8825351-9-questions-that-tell-you-what-your-brand-stands-for-today?trk=nus-cha-roll-art-title

Coup for Failte Ireland

Thumbs up to Failte Ireland who got international sportswear brand, Columbia to bring international key adventure and outdoor journalists to sample the Wild Atlantic Way very recently.  The journalists took part in adventure sports in Donegal – some even taking part in Gaelforce North - and the photography and video footage that Columbia took will be used to promote its 2015 clothing range globally.  While I, along with Fiona Bolger Communications, am doing some work with Failte Ireland on their EDEN project, unfortunately I wasn’t involved in this!

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/transport-and-tourism/ireland-looks-a-picture-in-new-indirect-tourism-push-1.1856170

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does my Bottom Line look big in this?

Does my bottom line look big in this?

Primark/Penneys will use social media and their own customers to help launch their first US store next year.  ‘Primania’ is Primark’s social media site which is “owned by Primark customers”, where, amongst other things, they can upload photos of how they are wearing the retailer’s looks.  ‘FashionFinder’ is the ASOS version and their editorial director says that “young women are on social media every 30 seconds.”  This article also refers to how other retailers are using social media and traditional publishing to extend their reach.

http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/jun/29/primania-fashion-retailers-social-sharing-websites?CMP=ema_789

How Walmart responded to critical NYT article

Responding to a critical piece in the New York Times, Walmart’s Vice President of Corporate Communications wrote a sarcastic blog as if he were ‘correcting’ a first draft of the article.  On the plus side this got a lot of media coverage but while Walmart might get away with this approach (as they’re such a large force in the US), I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for others. As this article states, a letter correcting the facts would probably have been published in the NYT - and a client should also, of course, post the correction on their website and in a blog.  The tone of the blog can be more tongue-in-cheek if desired.

http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2014/06/24/walmart-picks-a-fight-with-new-york-times-good-pr-or-bad/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2906172&hq_l=10&hq_v=aaa5d58855

How to use Instagram for your business

Are you, like me, still grappling with how best to use Instagram for your business?  Or even trying to decide if we should?  This is a good article on how all businesses can use the very influential social media site - use story-telling, profile the people behind the business and keep product info to a minimum – apply the 40/40/20 rule advises creative agency, The Company of Huskies in this good article…

http://www.independent.ie/business/small-business/advice-centre/too-many-irish-firms-are-ignoring-the-value-of-instagram-dont-get-left-behind-30366279.html

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Instagram ads coming to Ireland? B2B social media tips & Business Travellers - insight

Instagram ads – coming to Ireland?

Apparently Instagram ads are crossing the Atlantic soon but to date, they’ve been reserved for the big brands with the big budgets – this post suggests 4 steps to get maximum impact on Instagram at a fraction of the cost. 1) Ask yourself why you are on Instagram? 2) Be visually compelling 3) Use relevant hashtags and 4) Make user-generated content worthwhile

http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2014/jun/13/instagram-adverts-uk-brands-cost?CMP=new_1194

B2B – 7 Tips on better social media

“Many of us in B2B – especially in professional services are having a tough time getting to grips with social media in a really meaningful way” – so says Heidi Taylor, Director of Public Sector Marketing at PwC – here she offers 7 tips on how B2B can do social media better: Listen; Don’t push; Add value; Respond; Be Visible & patient; Quality and Measure & Evaluate – but do it yourself.

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/opinion/b2b-needs-to-sharpen-its-social-media-game/4010788.article?cmpid=mwbreak_348515

Business Travellers

Continuing their great series, “Insights of the Week”, Adworld.ie and Kantar this week looked at business travellers and state that a mixed media campaign - comprising cinema and outdoor - would be very effective in reaching them. 41% of these travellers are more likely to be in the AB category and they are 34% more likely to shop online.

http://www.adworld.ie/news/read/?id=81049e69-5fef-4905-ac38-65e8ad3e8f15

www.linkedin.com/company/diy-pr

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England World Cup Team's "Mind Mechanic", Marketing to Men, Singletons v Couples .....

England Football Team’s “Mind Mechanic”

Steve Peters – also known as the “Mind Mechanic” - is working with the England World Cup team - so let’s see how that goes for him over the next four weeks!  Author of “The Chimp Paradox”, he says that we need to manager our ‘inner chimp’ – the part of our brain that deals with emotions and gut instincts.  While these are great for basic survival instincts, we need a plan to manage them.  Steve deals with 4 separate areas when working with businesses – or teams: Individuals & their emotions; Managing other people; Communications and the Culture of the organisation.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/steve-peters-making-money-by-managing-the-inner-chimp-9503369.html

Marketing to Men

Millward Brown recently hosted what sounds like a really interesting seminar on how to market to men – a very under-researched area, they say.  So they set about redressing this with research spanning several months and presented their findings at the seminar.  There is widespread frustration and even anger with the way males are depicted in advertising and they recommend that successful advertising includes: always ensuring that the portrayal of men is sympathetic and humorous; not worrying about alienating women and acknowledging that men are crying out for social justice to behave bigger, better and bolder.  Anyone marketing to men would want to get a hold of this research.

http://www.adworld.ie/news/read/?id=2db9dedf-5367-4a1e-a0b4-c30451284f64

Singletons v Couples

This is another good TGI insight featured on adworld.ie  on the different lifestyles of singletons versus couples.  Starting with a quote from Oscar Wilde - "one should always be in love and that is the reason one should never marry", they move on to tell us that 32% of Irish adults are single while 58% are married or in a couple.  One of the more interesting stats for me was that 74% of those in a couple donated to a charity in the past year while only 58% of singletons did.  More here…..

http://www.adworld.ie/news/read/?id=431e6744-9034-4481-bd3f-7caf135ad45c

www.linkedin.com/company/diy-pr

www.twitter.com/diyPRireland

5 creative uses of Snapchat, how to target Culture Vultures & more.......

5x Creative Uses of Snapchat

Examples from WWF (World Wildlife Fund), NBA (National Basketball Association), GrubHub (an online food ordering company), Audi and cosmetics company, NARS on how to use Snapchat to reach your target audiences.  While this is a US-focused article, good ideas are universal!

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/16717.aspx

How to target Culture Vultures

Another interesting piece from Adworld.ie and Kantar Media – museum visitors are more likely to ‘holiday off the beaten track’ and more likely to see bus stop advertising – while Dublin Zoo visitors are more likely to use ‘on demand’ TV, to buy brands their kids prefer and to go to animation movies.

http://www.adworld.ie/news/read/?id=b6efc5db-5f12-4c71-85ad-a4a768b8b7a9

George Hook interviews young entrepreneurs

Last Thursday, on the “Kickstart your Business” slot on Newstalk, George Hook and Ger Tannam of Islandbridge Brand Development spoke to two schoolchildren from Griffith College Multidenominational School,  South Circular Road, Dublin about their new business, the “Health Pack”.  Louis Rosney and Eduardo Nestor, representing their class, told George how the Pack is aimed at countering obesity and they developed it for the “Biz Factor” final a few weeks ago.

The Health Pack contains lesson plans, a website subscription, recipe cards, seeds, a seasonal planting calendar and much more. They will generate revenue by selling the packs - for a class of 30, the Packs would cost between 90 and 100 euro. The children secured agreement with Bank of Ireland for a €500 loan.  Biz Factor is organised by Bizworld Ireland, which takes entrepreneurship into the classroom and this is their annual awards programme.  Bizworld won the 2014 David Manley Emerging Social Entrepreneur Award – disclosure - I’ve worked with both DMA and with Bizworld!

http://openheartbranding.blogspot.ie/2014/05/packing-healthy-punch.html

www.linkedin.com/company/diy-pr

www.twitter.com/diyPRireland