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