Whale Marketing Agency Pod Blog - Manchester B2B property marketing agency

Trending on Twitter – Why we are obsessed with random nonsense!

2012-01-23T14:34:00.003Z

In recent times on Twitter we have been subjected to #capslockday and trending topics including:

#reason2haveguybestfriend (Because they will tell you that you are tweeting rubbish?)

#sorryimlatebut (I was busy tweeting about the weather?)

#summerplans (To get a life and stop tweeting about what I eat for breakfast?)

Now as a marketer, these types of post do not help me promote the serious benefits of Twitter to my clients. I have won business through someone tweeting their desire for a marketing agency and found a supplier when I needed one within minutes… but most of the time, #Idontunderstandwhy certain topics trend and what drives people to write the nonsense they do.

Is it any wonder that businesses are reticent about putting posts on Twitter.. people have been fired because of Tweets posted and companies have lost clients for inappropriate behaviour online.

To make sure you are not one of them, here is our Twitter checklist for success:

· Have a social media strategy. Monitor what your company are saying as a whole and if you want extra protection… make sure that you put a note on staff Twitter profiles stating they are their own views rather than that of the company.

· Think about what you want to get out of Twitter and what to post… there is no point talking about Justin Bieber or football if you sell soap, focus is key and keep posts relevant.

· Tweet other people … just posting tweets on your own profile will not get you the interaction you need. Actively follow people you want to interact with, see what interests them and build an online rapport.

· Use # Hashtags, RT and @ to gain maximum coverage for your tweets.

· Don’t post negative things about your clients… airing public laundry is not always the best way to resolve your issues and can lead to lawsuits, negativity and most of all can damage your reputation.

The benefits of Twitter when used properly still outweigh the bad points.. you can win new business, find suppliers and build your network but only if you know what you are doing.. .and don’t post things about your boss!

If you want to Tweet me your thoughts on today’s trending topics you can get me on Twitter @marian_at_whale / #getagriponwhatyoutweetpeople !

Brand Development

2012-01-23T14:25:00.001Z

I was recently at an old stately home in Hampshire and in their kitchen were a variety of old branded food items from times gone by.

I couldn’t help but notice this one for Cadbury’s and see how the brand itself is still recognisable over 50 years on!

Any good brand should stand the test of time, being developed and refreshed to remain contemporary whilst remaining recognisable. If you think your brand could use a refresh.. give Marian a call on 0161 236 5395.

Another new client win for Whale!

2011-10-17T14:08:00.004+01:00

Whale are proud to announce our new client, Broughton Park Football Club (Rugby Union)!

The club are the 5^th oldest rugby club in the country and we are looking forward to working with them over the coming months.

Whale is designing the match programmes for the current season as well as helping Broughton Park generate interest in their superb venue. With spectacular panoramic views over parkland & views of the Pennines, Broughton Park offers the ideal setting for Meetings, Seminars, Team Building, Exhibitions and Training or Sporting Events.

So if you are looking for the perfect venue for your Christmas party or corporate event… take a look at this link and get booked in:

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/broughtonpark/a/conferences-events-398.html

Why a good content management system is just as important as a good website design

2011-08-31T09:59:00.005+01:00

When setting up a new website for your business there are a number of factors which need to be addressed, for example is the navigation easy to use, will users be able to find what they are looking for, does the design fit your branding and is all the relevant content present. These are key parts to consider regarding the front-end of your website. But one factor that can often be overlooked is what will the back-end of the website be like?

A good content management system (CMS) is just as important as the website design as this is the area where you can have constant control over your web content. Website content needs to be regularly updated to ensure that the site is current and also to help with SEO rankings.

With a good CMS controlling your website is easy to do. A good CMS does not necessarily mean the one with the most frills and trimmings it just means an efficient system where you can upload content and images easily and quickly and that each update is consistent with the chosen design.

One problem we have come across when dealing with clients with existing websites is that they have none or very limited CMS capability meaning that whenever they need to change any copy or images they have to contact their website developer to make the changes for them. This is not only time consuming and costly it is a very inefficient way to make changes as you have little control over how the changes look.

A CMS enables you to manage the content on your website to make sure it is up to date, relevant and useful to users.

Some important factors to consider when looking into a CMS system are:

· Can you change layout and size of content?

· Can you access content on all pages?

· Are you able to upload your own media such as images or videos?

· Can you add news stories or case studies? Can you add new pages into the existing navigation?

The complexity of the website will determine what addition capabilities you may require as part of your CMS. It is important that you discuss all these options with your designer/developer before you start to develop your website.

But don’t forget even though a good content management system can be easy to use it still means that any changes made should be thoroughly checked and controlled. Poor content is one of the first things to turn someone away from your site.

Whale Marketing win contract with Swiss-based Glass Manufacturers

2011-08-22T11:18:00.003+01:00

Whale Marketing Limited a full service B2B marketing agency based in Manchester is pleased to have won a contract with Swiss-based Glass Manufacturers; Glaströsch. Whale Marketing will be responsible for marketing their fire glass brand FireSwiss within the UK Market. Although Glaströsch are already a well-established glass provider throughout Europe this is the first time they will be fully concentrating on penetrating the UK market.

Whale will promote the Glaströsch brand in the UK and raise knowledge of their range of FireSwiss; fire glass products.

Whale has a wealth of glass experience with MD Hannah Whale previously fulfilling a marketing role with Pilkington Glass; existing whale clients include CT Glass, K-Seal and Independent Glass.

Hannah Whale, Managing Director said ‘It is great to be working with Glastrosch who have successfully established themselves in other European markets, we are excited about launching their brand in the UK and bringing their extensive, certified and well renown range of fire glass to highly competitive UK market place.’

Are you networking or not working?

2011-08-18T11:39:00.003+01:00

Face to Face networking can be one of the most powerful tools for any business if used properly but how can you ensure that you are getting the best out of it?

With hundreds of different networking groups in any area, finding your networking home is key.

If early mornings are not when you are at your best and you wake up looking and feeling like a member of Kiss then perhaps try a lunch or evening event. If you are a new start up with time on your hands, then attending daytime events may be the best use of your time.

Ask yourself … do you prefer to simply chat to individuals or do you prefer structured 60 second roundtable presentations, do you want to hear a topical guest speaker?

Sometimes, the fear of walking into a group of unknown people can have you heading straight to the bar, but remember you are representing your business and unless you are selling hangover remedies.. you could be damaging your reputation.

There are events to suit all and below we have listed a few of our favourites in the North West:

www.fbeonline.co.uk – Breakfast Networking events for the property and construction sector

www.gmchamber.co.uk – Chamber of Commerce events attract senior business people and are always well located with good attendance.

www.4networking.biz – 4N breakfast events which allow you freedom to visit different venues.

www.networking4business.com – Also known as Simply Networking, these are informal and well attended daytime networking events held in central Manchester.

www.networkcheshire.co.uk – With events held at places like Panacea in Alderley Edge attracting a high level clientele.. what is not to like!

Remember: If you are networking out of normal working hours in your own time, make it enjoyable, make it worthwhile and set yourself goals for each meeting so that you come out having achieved something.

People buy from people and putting your personality on your brand is key, so as you are reaching for that 5^th glass of Chardonnay… remember why you are there and if you have achieved your goals.. then cheers!

Social Media – Friend or foe?

2011-08-11T17:12:00.003+01:00

The recent UK riots have been the cause of much debate… not only about the state of society in general but the part in which social media has played in it all.

The media went crazy.. how was it that so many youths could gather so quickly? The co-ordination must be social media’s fault surely? Should they close down Twitter? Are Blackberries the sole cause of yob culture?

Twitter was a barrage of rumours and incitement and Blackberry’s BBM messaging service was blamed for the fast gathering of looters, but was it all bad news for social media?

Amongst all of the chaos and blame, The Guardian ran an article which was poignant called, ‘Social media can help riot-hit communities recover’

The article pointed out the positive side of social media and the role it can play in rebuilding communities. During the riots, individuals were able to gain reassurance from tweets by official government bodies and police twitter streams and you could quickly follow escalation of violent areas, validated by photography helping people to stay away from riot areas.

Critics are quick to forget that Social Media helped a great deal with the clear up and in bringing communities together to support local business and catch the looters. #riotcleanup and #RiotcleanupManc became UK wide trending topics on Twitter and Facebook and out of this, the humble broom became the new icon for community spirit and the embodiment of all things good.

Catching the looters became society’s way of managing the issue civilly, posting photos and videos and shopping those caught inciting violence as well as sharing success stories of arrests such as the yob who burnt down Miss Selfridge in Manchester.

As a Manchester based business, we saw the effect this had first-hand. Communities such as this pull together even stronger in times of crises and although social media seemed to play a part in the cause… the aftermath is where we should focus. A few hundred looters got together to riot, but to put this in perspective… hundreds of thousands of people came together to support each other in the aftermath and this is exactly what social media was made for.

Lorem ipsum - Why we use the same old Latin page filler!

2011-08-01T16:52:00.004+01:00

How many times have you seen the following:

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

Yes, the bog standard filler for designers with no copy to run into the artwork.. but why do we use this and where does it come from?

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. It comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC.

The lorem ipsum text is typically a section of the above copy with words altered, added and removed that make it nonsensical in meaning and not proper Latin.

Where text is easy to read in a document, people tend to focus on that, rather than upon overall presentation, so publishers use lorem ipsum when displaying a typeface, design elements or page layout in order to direct the focus to the publication style and not the meaning of the text.

If you are over lorem ipsum and want to be different... try scrambling your own nonsense phrases such as our copy above! (We wanted something Whale related for ours and so we used an excerpt from Moby Dick and reversed it, just to be different!) .)..

Is email marketing just spam or a powerful marketing tool?

2011-07-18T09:50:00.001+01:00

All of us receive some sort of email communication from different companies every day some of which I am sure you don’t even read so how effective is this form of communication in a marketing plan?

First of all email marketing is totally measurable. All email marketing software provides you with a report to show how many people have opened the email and how many have clicked on a link. Depending on the software you are using you will be able to see exactly what link they clicked. Google analytics will also show you where people have linked to your website from an email campaign. This is a something that is not possible with postal mailers. Research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association US showed that email marketing was expected to generate an ROI of $42.08 for every dollar spent on it in 2010. As such, it outperforms all the other direct marketing channels examined, such as print (reference). This is an excellent tool to have as you can keep track on ROI’s and also give a follow up call to anyone that has opened the email.

Email marketing can be targeted at specific audiences keeping the content relevant to the person receiving it, which is much more cost effective than producing a number of different printed materials. You can also target a larger audience at a much smaller cost.

It is true that not everyone you send the communication to will read it but the same can be said for any marketing communication sent out, email marketing is a cost effective tool which can be easily measured and should be considered in any marketing strategy.

However it is important as with any form of direct marketing that you follow up and check your reports and follow up on any clicks. If you do not do this then you will have no way of measuring how successful a campaign has been.

Trending on Twitter – Why we are obsessed with random nonsense!

2011-07-14T10:54:00.002+01:00

Apparently, last week on Twitter we had #capslockday and trending topics included:

#reason2haveguybestfriend (Because they will tell you that you are tweeting rubbish?)

#sorryimlatebut (I was busy tweeting about the weather?)

#summerplans (To get a life and stop tweeting about what I eat for breakfast?)

Is it any wonder that businesses are reticent about putting posts on Twitter.. people have been fired because of Tweets posted and companies have lost clients for inappropriate behaviour online.

To make sure you are not one of them, here is our Twitter checklist for success:

· 1) Have a social media strategy. Monitor what your company are saying as a whole and if you want extra protection… make sure that you put a note on staff Twitter profiles stating they are their own views rather than that of the company.

· 2) Think about what you want to get out of Twitter and what to post… there is no point talking about Justin Bieber or football if you sell soap, focus is key and keep posts relevant.

· 3) Tweet other people … just posting tweets on your own profile will not get you the interaction you need. Actively follow people you want to interact with, see what interests them and build an online rapport.

· 4) Use # Hashtags, RT and @ to gain maximum coverage for your tweets.

· 5) Don’t post negative things about your clients… airing public laundry is not always the best way to resolve your issues and can lead to lawsuits, negativity and most of all can damage your reputation.

If you want to Tweet me your thoughts on today’s trending topics you can get me on Twitter @marian_at_whale / #getagriponwhatyoutweetpeople !

Designing to sell on a large scale – Tips for marketing your property

2011-06-28T09:29:00.003+01:00

Property agents and developers rely heavily on marketing to sell or rent their buildings (and land) and this starts from the moment the plans are drawn up and the planning application is submitted. From gaining the support of local communities through to branding the building itself, the site signage, and the glossy brochures have to sell, sell, sell.

Whether its industrial, office, retail or residential everything is aimed at achieving ROI, to fill empty properties, increase footfall and raise the sites profile for the client; You are encouraging people to part with a lot of money, so how do you ensure that your brochure / signage is marketing your property in the best possible light?

Whale have put together our top tips for marketing your property:

· Branding – Make sure you get the name right from the start and create a brand which is desirable. A good brand gives a site personality and should make people connect with it, they should feel like they could live or work there. Your brand should reflect the selling points of the site and be punchy … gaining their attention at the first hurdle.

· Design – Make your building stand out whether by its signage, the promotional emails you send out, PR, brochures and the website - appeal to your target audience. There should be a synergy running through the creative, if someone receives a brochure sees the signage and clicks on the website they know they’re in the right place.

· Copy – Be creative with your copy and link it to the branding. Build up excitement by promoting the lifestyle, the opportunities it offers and sell benefits not just features.

· Imagery – Make sure you have the best shots available of your property and take different angle shots. If you are selling off plan, creative inviting floor plans along with 3D impressions of how it will look will add to the feel of the marketing. Using aspirational people based imagery will persuade your target audience to buy into the lifestyle.

· Call to action / invitation – What do you want people to do after seeing your material? Book a visit? Request information? Come to a launch? Don’t forget to ask them!

· Contact Details – Make sure you offer various methods of contact to appeal to a larger audience, some people will just want to email for information and others will want to call and ask questions. Don’t alienate potential renters or buyers by not offering them their preferred means of contact. You can also offer the brochure to download on a website which they can get by entering contact information, this then adds to your database of potential clients to follow up with.

· Launch Events – Placing an ad can be quite expensive and not too cost effective, ask yourself, who do you want to see the ad? Gather a list, be specific, invite them to a launch event, whether its breakfast or lunch with your tailored captive audience you’ll find it will be more cost effective than an ad.

If you need help with marketing your property, we work with Peel, Knight Frank, CBRE, DTZ, Cushman & Wakefield and King Sturge so contact Marian@whalemarketing.co.uk who will be happy to speak to you about your requirements.

How to write good PR content for Business to Business industries.

2011-06-22T09:24:00.004+01:00

Here at the whalepod we are passionate about creating great content which will engage with B2B audiences and will inform and entice them towards our clients products/services. Although all pieces of PR tend to follow the same rules of content; there is a different focus applied to B2B than B2C PR articles.

For any B2B company knowledge & information is key. B2B decisions are made through a different thought process than B2C they work on the basis of getting to know all the keys facts to help them make a decision on whether a product/service is for them. Whereas consumers make snappier decisions on whether the offer is right or whether it is supported by their favourite celebrity.

Businesses will want proof that a product/service works before investing their time or money into it. This is an important factor to consider when writing PR as you need to think about whether you are providing the reader with all the information that they feel is relevant. You need to ensure content has substance that engages with, informs and influences your audience, but at the same time keeps both your audience and of course your clients satisfied.

You need to understand the industry and its audience. Most B2B companies are serious about what they do and will not appreciate mistakes when it comes to knowledge within their trade. Make sure you check all spelling of people’s names, places, products and technical references. Who will want to do business with someone who can’t get the basics right?

It is also important to provide comment and opinion but to make sure that it is based on fact. The last thing you need is someone commenting back that they disagree with your comment; which is something we see happening within trade press.

But also let’s not forget that just like B2C you’ve got to make it interesting. Try and think of different topics to write your PR on. It is great to showcase recent projects you have completed but why not think of other ways that you can showcase your business through interesting feature pieces on subject matters that will engage with the reader and show them that you have influence within their trade.

Secrets of the Superbrands

2011-06-14T09:49:00.001+01:00

We in the Whalepod have been inspired by watching BBC3’s documentary series ‘Secrets of the Superbrands’.

The programme attempts to explore how exactly it is that giants like Coca Cola, Nike and McDonalds ensure global coverage and why is it that their logos are so memorable?

Alex Riley, the programmes presenter, thinks he's immune to brands. So how did that pair of Adidas trainers get in his wardrobe? How did that can of Heinz Baked Beans make it into his shopping trolley? Why do we buy, trust and even idolise these brands?

The sheer power of the so called superbrands had the Whale Marketing team captivated. We have worked on branding with hundreds of clients over the years but are fascinated by how these consumer giants continue to dominate the market. So, what about B2B clients.. could these strategies work when you are aiming at a completely different type of audience?

B2B brand promotion works very differently compared to B2C. For example, B2B brands avoid mass market broadcasts and generally use media that can be targeted at a specific business audience, such as direct marketing both on and offline.

B2B companies are present where their potential customers are: Trade Shows, Exhibitions and increasingly so in online communities but they never advertise on a mass scale like the Superbrands.

As a B2B marketer your brand is your most valuable asset, particularly in recessions as B2B prospects and customers conduct significant research leading up to purchases. That means you as a marketer have to educate them early on, and establish your brand as a trusted resource that gets their problems and has the solution.

You may never be McDonalds… but you can certainly learn from their relationship building tactics. In B2B world, your brand is key and by making your corporate clients trust in it in the long run you will reap the rewards.

How important is Social Media for B2B Marketing?

2011-06-06T16:15:00.005+01:00

With over 30billion pieces of content shared on facebook and 95 million tweets each day it is hardly surprising that we keep getting told that social media marketing is integral to any marketing campaign. The benefits of using facebook and twitter to target teenage girls about a new make-up range is pretty obvious but what about business to business marketing, can social media really help?

The big difference between B2B and B2C is that with B2B you are not trying to convert a million individual consumers to become your customer you are trying to reach a smaller number of large companies to invest their budget in your products or services. This may make you think that social media will therefore play a less important part in trying to target this audience but this is incorrect as a study has shown that over 86% of B2B companies are using social media in one way or another.

This means that if you are not participating in social media yourself you are missing out on an opportunity to reach a wide percentage of your target audience.

One main thing to consider when thinking about social media for B2B is that interaction is not going to lead to automatic sales. Social media is about moulding relationships, providing an opinion and attracting attention to be recognised. Businesses use other businesses because of their expertise and a bigger decision making process is involved than B2C; this is why using social media platforms is so beneficial to B2B companies as you are able to showcase your expertise and knowledge.

One main advantage of utilising social media platforms is that it will increase your SEO ranking, as by appearing across multiple platforms you are increasing the chances of your search terms being found. Research has also shown that people are now turning to social media platforms instead of search engines to find out the information they need.

B2B companies are more likely than B2C to maintain a company blog and participate on Twitter so make sure you don’t get bogged down with the perception that social media has no place in your marketing strategy as you just might be missing out on the quickest and cheapest way to reach your target audience.

Having a ‘Whale of a time’ for Charity

2011-04-12T15:45:00.003+01:00

Valerie Castan, our Account Manager is raising funds for local charity The Christies running London Marathon this Sunday.

We have supported various local charities in the North West and are happy to back Valerie who is showing her support for Christies.

Valerie has been running for over 6 years and after the loss of a loved one she decided to start raising funds for Cancer Research and the Christies completing Race for Life in 2007 and Manchester Bupa 10k run in 2006 and 2009.

She also took part in Manchester’s first walking night Shine Marathon for Cancer Research UK in May 2010.

This year is a much bigger challenge and she will run the complete course of London Marathon on Sunday.

Hannah Whale, Managing Director said: “The local charity, Christies is one close to our hearts. We wish her the best of luck and hope it will further raise money for a truly great cause.”

Are you social media savvy?

2011-04-06T10:16:00.009+01:00

Social media has been the industry buzz word for some time now and it seems it is here to stay.

Amongst the mass of options available are you asking yourself: “What do I want from it?” “How will my business benefit from it?” “Which forum is for me?” “Are my customers/ competitors using it?”

There are so many platforms to choose from, it is important to select the right ones.
See how many you recognise.

Image

Social networks are fundamentally shaping the way customers interact with brands in the modern age. They are changing the way we promote products and influencing how the market evolves.

A common misconception is that social networking is just for individuals; but B2B is now also catching onto the current trend and businesses are understanding how important it is.

Ask yourself this: Is your business making the most of the internet to promote its brand and engage with its customers?

More businesses than ever are developing their presence online through social networks. You need to choose your weapon correctly and having a presence online requires some effort but should not distract you from developing your business offline.

The online landscape changes continually, Myspace lost 10 million members in February and a total of 50 million were lost over a year. Twitter took 5 years to establish itself and has been growing at an amazing rate.

So, are your target audience sitting on Twitter or Facebook all day looking for your services? The answer is probably no, but what social networks can do is allow interaction, assist you in developing your brand and identity and raise your profile. It puts your brand in the forefront of the customers mind for when they do need you. You can position yourself as an expert, provide amazing customer service levels and be at the top of your game.

Having an online presence is compulsory these days, but it should go hand in hand with a fully integrated marketing approach. Social media marketing should be partnered with a strong brand strategy, both online and offline.

Are you going to be the next big thing on Youtube?

2011-04-06T09:33:00.005+01:00

Lately we have been thinking a lot about viral videos in the office.

Success stories propelling unknown brands and individuals alike to online stardom have impacted dramatically on the rapid development of online video content websites such as Youtube and Vimeo.

There is a lot of video content out there, in November 2010, 35 hours of video were uploaded every minute on Youtube .

So, how do you stand out from the crowd? What transforms a good viral campaign to one with millions of viewers? Is this a profitable route for your business? How can you turn viewers into potential customers?

Creating a viral can be a great way to increase exposure, get your brand name out there and generate traffic to your website.

One of our favourite example is:

“Will it blend “- 155,995,569 views.

Started in 2007, it presents a very successful series of infomercials gone viral, promoting Blendtec’s powerful blender

What is important with online video is the need to manage expectations when it comes to the success of your YouTube content.

Are all the viewers potential buyers? A successful viral campaign does not necessarily generate sales. It might lead to it eventually.

Having a great video is not a guarantee for success. There is a need for a promotion and distribution plan.

If you want to use video to promote your brand, your product, your service, you need to be very clear about your objectives, have set targets and work towards them with rigour.

A strategic approach is just as important as the content if not more.

A few points to consider before going viral:

1) Have realistic expectations

2) Think about your target audience

3) Create an angle. Edgy, surprising, funny, original, sexy or emotional?

4) Set objectives. More traffic to your website? Raise awareness of your brand?

5) Develop a strategic promotional plan

6) Have fun with it!

Top 10 tips for PR

2011-04-06T09:19:00.004+01:00

Kat Johnson from Aedas spoke at CIMCIG – “How to get the best from PR”

1) Choose an angle

2) Write news worthy content

3) Write in a style journalists like

4) Know your subject – research relevant literature

5) Send releases ready to print

6) Write releases in advance – time sensitive

7) “On/Off record” – Treat everything you say as “on the record”

8) Respect deadlines

9) Build relationships

10) Follow up with a thank you

We share our views on PR

2011-04-06T09:12:00.004+01:00

PR - Marian Arnold, Account Manager for Whale Marketing, tells us her views on PR.

1) What does PR mean to you?

For me working in B2B, PR is all about raising a company’s profile and making sure the brand is promoted in a positive light. It is about projecting corporate image and ensuring you protect a company at the same time.

2) Is social media hindering or helping PR?

Personally I believe it is helping more than hindering. Nowadays news is out quicker, information and press releases are more than ever time sensitive and being able to react quickly is key.

As with everything, there is a downside, the problem is that as with good news, negative news spreads just as quickly.

PR is also about managing any crisis situations and being a step ahead. Having an open and honest policy showing transparency from the start is the best way to win over your audience as people are much wiser to spin than they used to be.

3) Can you create something news worthy out of nothing?

Good PR is about finding an angle. A good agency will be able to find interesting information and create news worthy content from limited material, even generating entire news campaigns from scratch.

4) What is your best tip?

Write something relevant to the audience and tailor your content not only to the audience but the publication itself. Ask editors what they need to fill their magazines, get forward features lists and plan meticulously. Building relationships with key media at the early stages will stand you in good stead.

5) How can businesses benefit from PR?

It is vital for any company to have a public presence and speak to their target audience through trade and local press. You have to be current and talk about issues relevant to your sector, ensuring you stay at the forefront of people’s minds because if you don’t, your competition will!

6) Good PR/ Bad PR

Everyone knows the bad example of BP. The way they handled the crisis was too little, too late. Twitter was used against the brand when fake accounts were created thus creating negative news for the brand. http://twitter.com/#!/bpglobalpr

A good example of PR was Radio 1’s Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave whose record attempt raised more than £2.4m for Comic Relief.

Taking part in an attempt to break the record for the ‘longest ever radio show’, Chris and Dave remained on the airwaves of Radio 1 for an impressive 50 hours- officially marking their broadcast as The Guinness World Record for longest ever radio show by a team.

PR comes in many guises but generally, you are trying to get people on your side, to know, like and trust you and more importantly, to buy into your product or service.

Express Language Solutions - Finalists in Salford Business Awards for the 3rd year running!

2011-04-05T12:05:00.004+01:00

Congratulations to our new client, Express Language Solutions, an industry leading translation and interpreting provider, who once again have made the finals of the Salford Business Awards.

ELS work with clients such as local authorities, housing associations, the NHS, law firms, private companies and banks and last year were runners up in the Salford Business Awards Competition. This year they are hoping to be selected as winners at the Entrepreneur Award category.

Marian Arnold, ELS Account Manager at Whale Marketing said:

“We are delighted to be working with ELS and wish them the best of luck for the Awards. We are lucky enough to be going with them to support their efforts and look forward to the outcome.”

For more information about ELS, see their website www.expresslanguagesolutions.com

Product placement now live on a TV near you

2011-02-28T17:08:00.011Z

Nescafé has become the first company to use new product placement regulation last week.

Nescafé created a buzz in the media (The Telegraph, BBC, Marketing Week, The Drum, Metro and How Do amongst others) by becoming the first company to take advantage of the new product placement rule.

This Morning - Via Metro - www.metro.co.uk

Ofcom agreed in December 2010 to introduce product placement, allowing brands to "paid-for placement of products, services and trade marks in TV programmes". Expecting to boost revenue further, the new rule comes in following a year-on-year decline in 2009 but a rebound in 2010 according to New Stateman.

Product placement will allow advertisers to increase their "front of mind" presence by clever positioning on targeted programmes.

Will product placement increase brand loyalty by associating and linking products to popular programmes?

Mass exposure, brand affinity, brand awareness and brand loyalty are some of the results advertisers might expect from strategic placements.

Think Coca Cola on the American Idol - Who can miss those giant size containers!

Photo from American-Idol

With a positive outlook on TV advertising spends, commercial programmes and brands will hopefully work hand in hand to feature product placements with integrity and without excess.

This is the first step towards very exciting opportunities for brands to create and develop new forms of loyalty towards their products.

The incredible shift in TV watching habits in the last few years means advertisers can tailor their advertising to very targeted audiences; mobile TV, digital recorders, TV On Demand online, You Tube brand sponsored channels and other video sharing websites to name but a few offer those facilities.

Whilst this is still in early days, the UK is offering potentially fantastic opportunities for brands - TV history in the making!

Are you having a laugh?

2011-02-15T15:42:00.000Z

Barnardo's ran on an interesting event about Laughology last week.

Guest speaker Stephanie Davies, Creative Director and Founder of Laughology, followed with a talk about "Laughing Matters - The psychology of humour".

With The talk was quite inspirational and tackled the serious topics like productivity, self-esteem, communication, and stress amongst others.

Stephanie, who has over 10 years of experience under her belt, with humour and easy-to-relate-to examples managed to put across a strong message on how Laughology and humour can help with or even overcome difficult situations being on a personal or professional level.

This is what Laughology is claiming to help with:

reduce stress, enhance general health and well-being,
improve performance, communication and presentation skills,
boost creativity and productivity,
encourage learning and increase retention,
manage pain and encourage positive thinking,
build self-esteem and confidence, and
strengthen and improve relationships.

Humour is important in the workplace. Humour helps creating stronger bonds with employees, people and friends, lowering stress levels, developing friendlier and a more pleasant working environment.

We know that already at Whale Marketing and we are always making sure we are having a whale of a time with our staff and our clients!

Manchester - A moving city

2011-02-14T14:03:00.000Z

Great Ancoats Business Forum and fbe Networking Breakfast events brought to our attention the dynamicity of Manchester.

Road works and cranes seem to be symbols of dynamic development and Manchester's cityscape is dotted with a profusion of them.

A few exciting hubs are re-emerging around Ancoats, Piccadilly and St Peter Square - to focus on the city centre.

Here in Ancoats (top of the Northern Quarter) we are surrounded by potentially fantastic living and working places but they are all empty shells. The economic downturn is here very tangible as most developments have been on stand-by for the past 18 months at least.

But not everything is doom and gloom as Sarah Tower, located between Blossom Street and Jersey Street, and 42nd street are the latest development to be reactivated with work starting this month.

Another interesting project that made the news (again) on Thursday in the MEN was the future of Manchester's London Rd Fire Station.

Owned by Britannia Group, who has been granted various permissions to start work and who has been mentioned over the years (MEN, BBC, Manchester Confidential), the building is at the heart of a polemic between its owner and Manchester City Council.

The CPO (Compulsory purchase order) is still in the news and we will hear a final say in a few months from now.

Argent, responsible for some of the most exciting developments across Manchester city centre (Piccadilly Place, One Piccadilly Garden, The Hive), are striking again in the civic heart of Manchester with Elisabeth House on St Peter's Sq.

St Peter's Square, with the Central Library and the Town Hall extension, is going through a multimillion pound facelift.

Summer 2010 saw 5 projects nominated with inspirational designs for the redevelopment of the square.

Now down to 3 shortlisted (with results in the coming weeks), it seems that September might see the beginning of the Elisabeth House project.

The project is taking shape slowly so watch this space.