We did it...we're officially PR agency of the year!

We hate to blow our own trumpet but we don’t do it often, and if you can’t do it when you’ve been named PR agency of the year then when can you!

More than 600 media professionals attended the annual How-Do Awards last week where, for the first time, a Chester PR agency took the title of PR Agency of the Year...that's us by the way!

SEO, TV production, app development, event management, publishing and public relations agencies (and even a few of the Hollyoaks cast!) congregated at Lancashire County Cricket Club's The Point to celebrate the high level of media talent in the region.

The PR Agency of the Year category was introduced to the room as the "most highly contended category" by hosts Jim Hancock and Victoria Derbyshire, with eight of the region's top firms making the shortlist and battling it out to take the title.

In a flurry of utter shock and immense pride the 'Chester underdogs' were announced the winners, and three members of our PR team (Kate Cox, Emma Prescott and Jenna Vernon) took to the stage to accept the highly accredited award on behalf of the whole team.

This is a huge accomplishment for a Chester agency to beat the region's leading firms.  We're absolutely thrilled to have won and so proud to be part of a growing, dynamic and ambitious team.

Does Google’s social networking platform have what it takes?

“A life lived and shared. That’s a plus.” According to the latest marketing push from Google+ anyway.
 


The search giant has just embarked on a marketing campaign to drive awareness of its new service which originally launched back in June 2011. Despite plenty of initial interest, the number of users who signed up and haven’t been back since has been well documented. But through a new series of television adverts and Online PR, Google+ is hoping to encourage these people to become active members by highlighting the benefits of the service over rivals such as Twitter and Facebook. The ad uses the strapline: ‘That’s a Plus’ to emphasise the simplicity of sharing content on the site and to promote its different functionalities, such as Circles and Hangouts.
 


As we all know, the social media market today is highly competitive and constantly evolving, but I think one of the biggest obstacles facing Google+ is convincing users it has a USP and can offer something different to Facebook and Twitter.

The stats don’t lie

A recent study by comScore into the most visited social networking sites in the UK put things into perspective:

In terms of total unique users, Facebook leads the way with 30,721,000, followed by Twitter (9,145,000), LinkedIn (7,164,000) and then Google+ (3,907,000).

As for average daily visitors, Facebook is again on top (14,634,000), with Twitter (1,561,000), LinkedIn (849,000) and Tumblr (226,000) all ahead of Google+ (226,000).

It’s clear Google+ is still lagging behind its rivals in terms of unique users but there is still plenty of opportunity for it to grow its fan base.

Google+ for clients

All the interactions you would expect from a social networking site can be easily utilised by any brand on the site. Companies can easily share breaking news, photos and even use video chat to speak to customers. But where I think Google+ will really excel itself is through its suite of measurement tools.

First there’s Ripples which allows users to see how their posts are spreading across Google+, who’s sharing and re-sharing the content and who the key influencers are. But the networking site is promising the launch of a series of new tools in the next few weeks, including page analytics which will allow people to find out even more about users, such as their demographic; information about their social activities, shares and comments. Google+ is also promising the launch of social analytics in the near future offering a variety of tools for brands to track engagement and the impact of personalised recommendations.

It’s clear Google+ still has some way to go to build engagement in the UK, but the availability of metrics like this will be a great asset to any public relations campaign evaluation. The social networking market continues to shift and diversify and here at de Winter we’re ready to help our clients move into these new spaces when the time is right.

Let’s not forget that Google still dominates the search engine market in the UK, as the first port of call for a reported 90 per cent of all Internet searches. With such high figures, Google already has a touch-point with millions of people every single day; the challenge for now is convincing users that Google+ will somehow enhance their overall Google user experience.

The search giant has made no secret of its desire to integrate Google+ into its other products, and the Guardian reported last week that in the US, Google+ profiles have already been pushed into search results. The result of this being that a search for "Mark Zuckerberg" puts his Google+ page ahead of his Facebook page. This is definitely one social network to keep a close eye on.

Why more brands should be using YouTube

YouTube is a fantastic tool for any social savvy business. It helps you reach out to a whole new generation of people that traditional marketing can often miss. But how can brands make the most of this vital PR resource?

Consider the following…

What do you want to achieve?

People love the multimedia aspect of social networking, but only when it provokes an emotion. Whether its laughter, tears or a healthy debate, you need to decide how you want the viewer to feel and run with it.

So if you’re appealing on behalf of a charity you need to tug at the viewers’ heartstrings and make them want to support your cause.

Or maybe you’re trying to sell a product? Link its primary use with a relatable situation. But don’t make it too complex. Remember, YouTube users are simply browsing so anything too serious will be overlooked.

Don’t take it too seriously

It’s easy to throw a lot of money into creating the most intellectual video YouTube has ever seen. Filled with important key messages, it’s almost guaranteed to make your business stand out from the rest. However, YouTube is the wrong platform for this tactic. Why? Because that isn’t what social media is about. We don’t want to be bombarded with thought provoking messages during our lunch hours - think Rude Tube regular ‘cat playing piano’.

Mini-movie!

Take the latest Titanic trailer for example. The video promises more action, more effects, more explosions and even more monsters… Ok so it isn’t the real trailer, but the spoof has achieved five times as many views as the original. Why? Because that’s what the YouTube generation wants to see.

My point? The biggest YouTube hits come in the form of movie trailers with comedy elements. So why not follow the example of brands such as Dirt Devil who have utilised this obsession and created their own comedy sketch. This video has been viewed by over 2 million people without the cost of TV advertising.

It’s not all about stats...

So your video has reeled in an impressive 500,000 views over the last few weeks. Fantastic! But now it’s three months later and everyone has forgotten about you. Why? You didn’t think big enough. The key is to create something that sticks. After all, Gio Compario didn’t get where he is today by being a one hit wonder…

And lastly, be realistic!

It’s unlikely that your video will hit 500,000 views in a matter of weeks. However, a video still being shared three, six or even 12 months down the line is far more impressive than one that went viral in its first week, yet fizzled out the next.

An A to Z of tips for dealing with fashion journalists

I attended The Business of Shopping event in Manchester this week with keynote speakers Lynn Franks and editor of Company magazine Victoria White. Here’s an A-Z of tips for dealing with national fashion journalists.

Audience; know who you should be speaking to and only pitch a story to relevant titles.
Breakfast; this is the best time to take journalists out, rather than cocktails or lunch.
Cupcakes; national fashion mags are receiving up to 10 boxes a week! Surely there’s a new fashionable pastry by now...according to Kate in our office it’s cinnamon swirls!
Diets; bear in mind most fashion journalists are on one most of the time. They were once sent a fruit basket and it was gone by mid morning so consider go healthy instead.
Enthusiasm; love what you’re selling in and be passionate; your pitch will be received much better.
Facebook; do it properly...do NOT send journalists friend requests! Company has a closed group where readers request to join.
Great thinking; find unique ways to target journalists i.e. know what they like. Schuh saw that Victoria mentioned a pair of their shoes in her blog and sent her a pair!
High St fashion; Company runs awards every year – worth being aware of.
Information; get as much of it as possible, know who exactly you need to be dealing with.
Juniors; be their friend! They love freebies, are always really fun and the easiest to pitch to.
Knowledge; know the publication you’re pitching to.
London; when pitching products, where possible go to London to meet journalists face to face.
Monthly; Company, like most monthly mags, works 3 months in advance. For quick turn around news contact the web team.
Networking; social networking is now huge and all the journalists use it...in fact they’re all on Pinterest.
Online; target their web team more frequently.
Phone calls; prefer emails over calls. When you do call don’t try to speak to the editor.
Queen bees; don’t pitch to editors, as they don’t make specific decision on each section, speak to features assistant etc.
Roots to market; be aware of apps and other roots of promoting your clients.
Street style; Company has a new street style app which has sponsorship opportunities.
Twitter; Company loves it!
Upgrade; Company recently produced research to define their consumers, they found that their readers were interested in what they own, how they look, what they’ve done and who they know, which links directly back to how and why people use Facebook.
Victoria; don’t call journalists hun, babes, darling...apparently they don’t like it!
Work place antics; what used to be considered inappropriate is now acceptable due to social media. Apparently Company often has people wandering round in chicken suits and they always tweet/facebook it. This week a PR firm brought in loads of kittens so there were pictures of all the journalists holding them on Facebook and Twitter!
Xtra mile; get to know the journalists you’re dealing with.
Year planner; you can get forward features from the features assistant so plan ahead.
Zapper; augmented reality apps, they look set to be the next big thing!

Can brands benefit from Facebook timeline?

‘Confusing’ and ‘annoying’ was the general response to the news of Facebook Timeline brand pages being rolled out in the UK from the 30th March.

Now that the social media giant has introduced the feature to brands, many companies have been left struggling to understand the inevitable changes… but does this sound all too familiar?

It’s not the first time Facebook has enforced change onto its users, and it certainly won’t be the last. The newsfeed style page didn’t receive a warm welcome either, as users reluctantly accepted the re-design. However, can anyone actually remember what Facebook looked like before?

Unsurprisingly many users are stubbornly holding onto the old design for as long as Facebook will allow, yet in a matter of weeks we’ll all be forced to take that leap and join competitors who have already embraced the change.

The news of Facebook’s business timeline spread quickly, sparking debate between users as to whether or not the compulsory changes will boost or hinder a brands social presence.

In my opinion, it’ll do both. The new timeline is a disaster for those who are still blissfully unaware of social media’s role in business. Yet the social media savvy will benefit greatly from the new page.

Why? The timeline opens up a whole new world of social interaction by allowing a brand to better manage its following and truly engage with fans.

How? The timeline tells a story. It allows fans to follow a company’s journey, which will not only boost customer loyalty but also help to reinforce key messages. Plus, the banner is a fantastic opportunity to put some personality into a page.

Those who still haven’t fully embraced the wonderful world of social networking will struggle to understand the pros and cons of this new design. Brands need to rethink their entire social media strategy as the way they engage with fans is about to change massively – posts need to be more meaningful.

So what new features are available? Facebook aims to strip a brand of its corporate mask and reveal the people behind it. As scary as this may sound, it’s the best thing that can happen to a company. The new design aims to further ‘humanize’ brands by featuring friend activity more prominently, and has introduced a ‘pinned post’ feature to expose visitors to key messages when they first log onto a page.

But what’s perhaps the most interesting changes are those being made to Facebook’s policy. Previously brands were unable to contact followers, but the new page will boost customer service greatly as it allows fans to send direct messages to a brand.

Still the question remains, is the new design too confusing? I’ll admit, at first glance the design is annoying. However, has anyone noticed how it forces you to look at posts more carefully than normal? The design makes it almost impossible to skim through the updates! Ideal for marketing...

So is your brand ready for the switch? Whether we like it or not, Facebook is about to change. Companies should embrace Facebook’s latest makeover fast and start preparing for the inevitable, or face being left behind.

Outrageous viewpoints!

I recently read an irritating - I mean interesting - article in the Observer by John Naughton about designers ruining the web 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/19/john-naughton-webpage-obesity?INTCMP=SRCH

Website technology is changing at a dramatic speed each day (I still can't believe that 12 years ago we only had one machine that accessed the email and internet) and along with this so has people's expectations as to what constitutes a great website and what doesn't. 

Yes, Mr Naughton does make a valid point regarding broadband speeds that when you want to access key details on a web page you can be waiting for the 'designery' stuff to load. This can be more apparent on mobile devices, especially in areas without good signal. However, its not just down to the design that has contributed to the size increases in websites. Improvements in web development also play a key role in this, such as image galleries, animation, music and video players all play their part in generating websites which require fast broadband speeds.

That's why research plays a key role in any website development. Information such as knowing who your target market is, what devices they're most likely to access your site on and what your key competitors are doing can all help define how your website appears and interacts.

Yes a photographer's website is all about the images and depending what photography field you're in, a large proportion of their web traffic is made up of marketing, design and advertising companies who all use high broadband speeds. Where as a site like Wikipedia is all about the content so fast loading is essential which is why the design can be stripped back.

However, as mentioned earlier, people's expectations and in our case client expectations means we have to deliver something that's not only highly functional and easy to navigate but also pleasing to the eye. 

The design has to play a big part in any website build and will only become more of a necessity over time as technologies and competitors improve their online presence more and more. Mr Naughton says himself that designers embarked on a successful campaign to gain control of the detail of webpages - and you have to ask yourself why was it so successful… Simple, because it had to be.

I also must point out that Mr Naughton's reference to Peter Norvig's site being highly functional is, in my view, an outrageous statement to make and truly does make me want to reach for the sick bag!

People have to learn to move with the times. Whether we agree and like the internet or not, it is the future and will only grow bigger and better and become more important to our businesses. With that said, whether you're a designer, web developer or company MD we all have to keep our online presence one step ahead of our competitors to stand out.

A great web design team such as de Winter will craft the design appropriately, will listen to the clients needs and also determine what their clients needs are before any design is undertaken. We pride ourselves in designing highly effective (and when needed fast loading) sites time and time again.

Drop us an email or call 01244 320677 to see how we could improve your online presence.

Pinterest – a genuine challenger to the social media crown?

Towards the end of last week, I read about the ‘explosion’ in popularity of Pinterest.com, a new social networking websitewhich describes itself as “avirtual pinboard … allowing you to organise and share all the beautiful thingsyou find on the web”.

Ragan.com suggests Pinterest already has around 12million unique users in America and retains and engages users two tothree times more effectively than Twitter did at the same stage in itsdevelopment - pretty impressive when you consider the site only launched inMarch 2010.

So, bound by the terms of modern-day PR,requiring those working in the sector to keep one finger firmly on the pulse ofsocial technology, I decided to register an account for myself, and I have tosay, I genuinely think it has huge potential.
There are some obvious similarities betweenPinterest and Twitter, although the new player has clearly focused on a clean user-faceand has put its trust in visual content instead of a text-based approach. Someof the key functionalities are:

• Pinterest requires members to select any number of ‘pinboards’they like with the option to categorise as they please, for example, ‘Food andDrink’, ‘Sporting Equipment’ and ‘Interior Design Ideas’.


• Members can then ‘pin’ web content they find interesting on their ownpinboards and keep a collection of ideas in one place.


• Users can browse pinboards created by other people with similar interestswith the option to ‘repin’ found content on their own board.


• Users can also comment on any pins they find interesting

Pinterest allows users to use their Facebook or Twitterlogins to find friends on the site, so I took up the option to sync my accountwith my Facebook contacts. To my disappointment, I found only three ofmy 400 friends were registered with Pinterest, suggesting the concept hasn’tquite taken off in the UK yet. In fact, a report earlier this month from the DailyMail confirmed there were just 200,000 British Pinterest users, althoughthe site did increase its UK market share by 68 percent in January alone which is an encouraging statistic.

For me, Pinterest is currently a unique social networking websitewhich offers users the chance to create a visual expression of their individualpersonality. The site itself claims people typically use its pinboardsto plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favourite recipes.

Marketing Week reported this month that Pinterest isn’tyet open to brands to build profiles, so we can’t build a de Winter profilejust yet. However, the site itself has admitted that while its short-termvision is on growth and making Pinterest morevaluable, “making money is a long term goal”. A Mashable.com report hasshown that it drives more traffic to third-party websites than Google+, LinkedInand YouTube combined, so it seems only a matter of time before the creatorsrelax these rules and let individual brands sign up.

As the old adage goes, ‘a picture is worth a thousandwords’, so it will be interesting to see if 2012 isthe year a new player emerges to challenge Facebook and Twitter in the socialmarkets. One thing’s for sure, the team here at de Winter will certainly be watching with ‘Pinterest’.