tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31590410062030925552012-02-17T11:21:01.738ZThe public transport design and marketing blog. With news, views and features on design and marketing issues for UK bus, train, ferry, tram and airline operators.Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.comBlogger3221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-82501988299025747062012-02-17T11:21:00.000Z2012-02-17T11:21:01.770Z

If you've got an engaging story to tell, have you ever considered ditching the catchy headline stuff and turning to a long copy ad? They're difficult to do, and with only 17% of people ever reading adverts past the headline, perhaps it's no great surprise that clients shy away from them. You rarely see them, or at least, see them done well. Long copy ads have to be exceptionally well crafted

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-85765730912440479902012-02-15T15:11:00.001Z2012-02-15T15:11:14.789Z

Ryanair's risqué charity calendar, featuring a new line-up of scantily-clad female cabin crew, has received over 8,000 complaints from members of the public, while an ad promoting it is being investigated by the ASA for being "sexist". Ryanair released the 2012 calendar last November, promising to donate all proceeds from the £10 calendars to the "butterfly children" of the Debra charity, which

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-16546834460566312552012-02-07T11:49:00.001Z2012-02-09T09:38:52.592Z

Joanne started writing her first book many years ago in Edinburgh. It was mid winter and she was an unemployed, single mother of one. She was on benefits and child support payments, and visited her local cafe during the day to write her book long-hand, while her baby slept. She would then go back to her flat and use a manual typewriter to put her work in a more professional format.

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-16747539943539658822012-02-03T15:20:00.000Z2012-02-06T11:34:00.102Z

Introducing the dinosaur, the plane and the battleship. Could public transport ads ever be this simple? Now there's a challenge...

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-65663355438522606162012-01-27T10:34:00.003Z2012-01-27T10:34:48.121Z

The questions have been asked, the boxes ticked and the scores are in. The great train travelling public have spoken, so here are a few snippets from the recent National Passenger Survey results. Over 30,000 rail travellers were surveyed, with satisfaction scores for individual routes ranging from an impressive 95% to a poor 72%. National Express East Anglia had the lowest overall

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-57586863187271242932012-01-25T17:05:00.001Z2012-01-25T17:07:14.779Z

In what seems a harsh judgement based on one single complaint, the Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that the FirstBus TV advert broadcast last year was misleading when it showed a vehicle displaying “We love low emissions”, with text stating "Our buses produce 4.97 per cent less carbon than conventional diesel buses". The solitary complainant – who clearly had greater knowledge of

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-22145759403862324872012-01-03T16:27:00.000Z2012-01-03T16:27:19.513Z

It's that time of year when train (and bus) companies put up their prices and prepare themselves for the media onslaught that is sure to follow. So ever wondered where all the money goes from your train ticket? The graphic below, supplied by Association of Train Operating Companies, shows how your pound is split between all the interested parties. I think the average traveller will be

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-78204255284475820632011-12-06T14:31:00.001Z2011-12-06T14:53:07.035Z

The following is an extract from an article I've just read. It details an opinion on how social media fits in to today's marketing mix - and is something I wish I'd written myself. Even if I had, it wouldn't be anywhere near as well written as this. And that's why it's quoted. "It has been my opinion that, professionally speaking, they're full of crap. I happen to believe that you have

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-12982274280856726672011-12-02T12:06:00.001Z2011-12-02T12:27:34.816Z

As we mention fairly often on this blog, we are always encouraging people to do things differently. It doesn't matter whether you are a train company, bus company, tram company... or accountancy firm, doing things differently will get you noticed and talked out. No matter what the perception of your industry. This set of posters, for accountancy firm Crunch, is currently running in tube station

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-26151839313790601722011-12-02T10:39:00.001Z2011-12-02T11:26:13.108Z

It doesn't take a genius to work out the country is in a bit of turmoil at the moment. An unsurprising knock on effect has seen most transport companies cutting marketing budgets. This reduction in spending power and more pressure from senior management to increase ROI, means marketers are working with a constant look over their shoulder. And when people are in fear of losing their livelihood,

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-14040478605174346272011-12-01T14:15:00.001Z2011-12-01T14:37:59.519Z

I wonder how many people like this advert. Yes, it is beautifully shot. Yes, it has a nice feel to it. Yes, you may like the music. But is it any good as a piece of communication that, as it turns out, is trying to sell you something? Like too much advertising of the current times it assumes that the viewer already knows what the product is, what it’s for, how it works, why it’s better and

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-74938853086073559732011-11-30T15:22:00.001Z2011-12-01T09:46:15.517Z

There's a well know ad agency boss in America who has just had his book jump to the top of Amazon's eBook best sellers list. To an outsider it seems his overnight success came through the power of social media. With that in mind, here's 10 steps to how he became an overnight social media success. 1. First he wrote and published a book. This took him a couple of years. 2. Next he started

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-79898656046418195412011-11-30T11:08:00.001Z2011-11-30T11:28:49.584Z

I often walk past outdoor media and question how the hell certain ideas get the final sign off. This poster from e-on fits right in to that bracket. On the plus side - it's simple, uncluttered and is recognisable as a piece of communication trying to sell you energy. On the minus side I'm guessing the illustration has something to do with the word 'fit' in the headline. This being the case

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-81556236898915568362011-11-22T10:33:00.001Z2011-11-22T10:45:33.725Z

One packed cinema, 148 bikers and just two spaces in the film you want to see.  Are you man enough? Good to see Carlsberg advertising back on form. There's plenty of classics in the archive and this is one of my favourites. Des Walker and Bobby Charlton look like they could still play a decent level even now!

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-74575678847091091622011-11-03T11:59:00.000Z2011-11-03T11:59:07.027Z

After recently purchasing a couple of items from the H&M website and subsequently trying to return them, I have come to the conclusion that customer service is the be all and end all of retail.  This won't come as any great surprise but in an age when online spend is at an all-time high, too many companies struggle to get the basics right. And those who struggle, tend to be the ones with a

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-15390150203825732222011-11-02T13:46:00.002Z2011-11-02T13:47:42.064Z

It’s Movember, the month formerly known as November, now dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health; specifically prostate and testicular cancer. We're donating our top lips to the cause for 30 days in an effort to help change the face of men’s health. Our Mos will spark conversations, and no doubt generate some laughs; all in the name of raising vital

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-70790144443121380202011-11-01T16:45:00.000Z2011-11-01T16:45:38.813Z

Until recently the only way to get live departure information in an App would be to pay  a whopping £4.99 - something you can now get for free from Chiltern Railways. The real time feature adds to the integrated mobile ticketing application that the company released earlier in the year, which also enables customers to book any train tickets without a booking fee. The acclaimed App has been

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-91938343007919824072011-11-01T10:06:00.000Z2011-11-01T10:06:52.931Z

According to renowned creative director Dave Trott, people  with money buy brands because they lack the confidence to  recognise product qualities . "People have a sudden influx of money and have to show it by buying 'brands'.So they don't have the confidence to buy a watch for what it looks like, they buy a Rolex.Or a car for what it does, so they buy a BMW, Mercedes, or Rolls. Or a scotch

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-52539162878666422482011-10-31T10:35:00.003Z2011-10-31T10:37:55.149Z

Sir Jimmy Savile, who passed away on Saturday aged 84, will be remembered most for making children's dreams come true, but also goes down in ad history as the man who encouraged a generation to get on the train. RIP Jimmy.

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-75810661873710252852011-10-13T10:17:00.000+01:002011-10-13T10:17:22.179+01:00

Ouch.

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-37526964481993887592011-10-06T10:00:00.000+01:002011-10-06T10:01:00.142+01:00

There has been, and will continue to be, a lot written about Steve Jobs and quite rightly - he was a true visionary and a genius. Everybody knows the groundbreaking products that his company has introduced over the years. And for most of us they are now an indispensable part of our life. But what a lot of people don't know is what a truly great advertising man he was. This article sums

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-23435304899886400542011-10-04T10:07:00.000+01:002011-10-04T10:23:20.652+01:00

While the ad is nice, lighthearted and fun and they should be applauded for trying something new and different, for us TV advertising and bus travel aren't a good fit. To find out why, read our latest newsletter, for free here. <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5556022/">Will First's new TV ad get more people on its buses?</a>

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-44286819934828460902011-10-03T11:23:00.001+01:002011-10-03T11:23:32.856+01:00

As the next round of rail franchises draws ever closer, will customers see TOCs making realistic promises with a view to securing their future as an operator?  The East Coast and West Coast London-to-Scotland lines are among those up for renewal and many TOCs are turning to specialist research companies to determine what would make the train more attractive to customers. Would providing

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-90575018994532906482011-09-29T16:01:00.000+01:002011-09-29T16:01:24.659+01:00

The image of business executives beavering away on their computers and mobile phones while travelling by train is a myth, official research has found. Rather than use their time on board to catch up on work, most businessmen and women while away the hours staring at other passengers and gazing out of the window at the countryside. The reality of how they spend their time on board trains was

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-80900219062798982022011-09-26T15:33:00.000+01:002011-09-26T15:33:22.679+01:00

Do you blame the planning, the research, the brief, the creative, the account handling, the media buying... or yourself!

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-72558745432873140942011-09-22T11:05:00.000+01:002011-09-22T11:05:36.464+01:00

Ever wondered how you can get from London to Bradford in just 6 minutes on the rail network? This great little video from Grand Central shows you how with a driver's eye view of the journey from London Kings Cross to Bradford. It's something that should usually take around three hours, so it's fair to say the driver got a shift on. Let's just hope he wasn't drinking a coffee on the trip!  

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-2355971006066069022011-09-20T15:23:00.000+01:002011-09-23T15:00:08.033+01:00

Train tickets are so complicated for passengers that only a small amount of train users fully understand what they are buying, according to a new report. The Which? research found that people who buy train tickets are not as clued-up as they thought when it comes to purchasing online. Some of the stats include; over 50% said they were confident they knew their tickets’ terms and

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-78798322382578590312011-09-06T13:03:00.000+01:002011-09-06T13:03:20.757+01:00

It's always nice to hear how the big boys choose their ideas. Kraft vice president of marketing for Europe Daryl Fielding was recently quoted as saying that in working with agencies she prefers “a small number of decision-makers - especially around something creative, it is good business practice.  Creative work is very subjective and if you have 15 people [deciding on it] you will dumb it

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-89608474484799118402011-09-02T14:47:00.002+01:002011-09-02T14:47:27.860+01:00

Starts off as something you might have seen before... and ends up as something slightly different. Works well though!

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-49327786461051476852011-09-01T15:03:00.000+01:002011-09-02T10:36:16.965+01:00

If you think using lots of words in your marketing increases the chances of communication being more effective and memorable, take a look at this... The Lord's Prayer contains 56 words, the Gettysburg address, 266; the Ten Commandments, 297 and the Declaration of Independence, 300. A recent U.S government order setting the price of cabbage? A whopping 26,911 words. Only a tiny, tiny

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-75317696853295383522011-09-01T10:36:00.000+01:002011-09-01T10:36:03.652+01:00

Chiltern Railways are to launch an airline style 'premium economy' class on their services between London and Birmingham.  The special 30-seat carriage will have wi-fi, large tables and wide seats and comes at an additional cost of £20 per leg of your journey. Passengers will still have to pay extra for any food and beverages. Chiltern's marketing director Thomas Ableman said: "Businesses told

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-80327507584210916302011-08-31T13:21:00.001+01:002011-09-01T10:01:42.383+01:00

Arriva Trains Wales have re-launched their highly successful Club 55 offer. The promotion, which offers passengers over the age of 55 the chance to travel anywhere on the ATW network for just £18 return, will run between 4 September and 14 December. Passengers with a senior railcard can get a further £2 off this price, while the company has also teamed up with Chiltern Railways, London Midland,

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-38544607333765330292011-08-31T10:21:00.005+01:002011-08-31T11:21:44.260+01:00

The top man at National Express, Andrew Cleaves, is due to start a tour of the country on board his own coaches this week. Andrew will be travelling non-stop to get a real taste of life as a customer with his mission to blog and tweet his way around the UK's only national travel network - unearthing great customer stories and making his own travelling tales. Andrew said, "I do spend a lot of

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-10257011603333505442011-08-25T10:37:00.000+01:002011-09-02T12:59:15.979+01:00

Click image to enlarge Following on from our anti-bullying campaign FTPE also asked us to look at an awareness campaign highlighting the dangers of social media. Like a lot of large companies, they have had number of incidents recently where colleagues posted comments and pictures on Facebook that might be considered

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-60901446639404137752011-08-23T15:31:00.000+01:002011-09-02T12:59:39.411+01:00

Click image to enlarge First TransPennine Express recently approached us to help them tackle bullying and harassment in the workplace. After a couple of isolated incidents, FTPE wanted a campaign to combat this discrimination. Because instances like this were rare at FTPE, it was important that the material wasn't condescending but could be read loud and clear.

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-40036099242256709622011-08-16T11:53:00.000+01:002011-09-02T09:35:28.991+01:00

South West Trains has announced plans for its first ‘Rainbow Day’ -  encouraging people to give the train a try from a specified station on their network. The first ‘Rainbow Day’ will be held at Winchester station on Saturday 20th August and will offer a day return ticket to anywhere on the South West Trains network for just £10 for adults and £5 for children. Tickets will be sold

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-64559604633370181372011-08-04T09:55:00.001+01:002011-08-04T10:03:21.311+01:00

Derby County players yesterday unveiled the Save Our Rail Industry T-shirts they will wear on to the pitch before Saturday’s season opener. The stars will be accompanied by 22 children of redundancy-threatened Bombardier employees. Manager Nigel Clough, who is backing the campaign, will be dedicating his match-day programme notes to the jobs scandal. He said: “This is actually about more than

Roland Scullhttps://profiles.google.com/106342614134461542738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-74138963815762491512011-08-03T16:08:00.000+01:002011-08-03T16:08:20.945+01:00

Mark Ritson is an associate professor of marketing who works with some of the world's most recognised brands. He writes, talks and advises on all things marketing and in a nutshell the guy has been there, done it and bought the marketing t-shirt. In a recent column for Marketing Week he wrote an article entitled 'The seven dumbest sins of social media' in which he pours scorn on the concept of

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-88459180693786668532011-08-03T10:45:00.000+01:002011-08-03T10:45:59.234+01:00

Stagecoach are to launch Britain's first sleeper coach service on their Megabus route between Glasgow and London.  The sleeper coaches are the latest innovation from Stagecoach and will compete with ScotRail's established Caledonian Sleeper service for the overnight passenger who wants some decent sleep. The sleeper coach fares will initially start at an attractive price of £40.50 for a single

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-22508772395643253332011-08-02T15:03:00.000+01:002011-08-02T15:03:46.223+01:00

In a blog post last month we highlighted East Coast Trains' £25 first class promotion. To coincide with a flat £25 return first class fare, the promotion highlighted 25 reasons why people should try first class with the operator. A gentleman called David Giles took up their offer, and has since written an insightful and humorous account of the difference between the campaign's promises and the

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-87848711346649127312011-08-02T11:30:00.000+01:002011-08-02T11:30:38.505+01:00

I often wonder how many clients see ideas as a risk - rather than something that could potentially further their careers. Their motivation may be very different from the brief they give the agency, so it's the agency's job to find out what the client's real objective is. This can often involve reading not only between the lines but under them and over them too! Just to find that special

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-89000987593091380672011-08-01T11:22:00.000+01:002011-08-01T11:22:31.088+01:00

Last month we told you how Chiltern have upped their game in the fight with Virgin for passengers between the west Midlands and London. Now they have gone one better. Chiltern has become the first rail company in Britain to scrap its (complicated) fares system and, from September, introduce a ticket range its customers can actually understand. Out go the myriad of supersaver, advance and apex

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-72265106215867381372011-07-04T11:03:00.000+01:002011-07-04T11:03:53.784+01:00

Go Ahead have launched their service 36 in Sunderland, with the incentive of trying the bus for free until Monday 11 July. Sitting alongside the freebie offer the company are promising - 1. No timetable - buses are scheduled to run approx every 10 mins during the day 2. Guaranteed best prices when passengers board - they will refund the difference if you can find the same journey cheaper with

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-53287845309395724022011-06-27T11:54:00.000+01:002011-06-27T11:54:55.467+01:00

East Coast Trains is encouraging people to try their new, improved first class service by making 100,000 seats available at a bargain price. The promotion offers first class travel on the East Coast network at just £25 for a one-way journey - giving people a real incentive to either upgrade from standard class or switch to the train for their journey. Tickets can be booked exclusively from a

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-26736489436813557942011-06-16T10:26:00.005+01:002011-07-04T11:08:11.404+01:00

On the back of rising petrol prices and lack of knowledge about bus travel, Reading Buses invited us to produce an integrated campaign to encourage modal shift in the town. The simple, in-your-face campaign, consisting of 48 & 6 sheets, petrol pump ads, direct mail, on-bus material and screens at The Oracle shopping centre directs consumers to the website www.trythebus.com. The website not only

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-32043094182587273482011-06-16T10:08:00.001+01:002011-06-16T10:33:02.513+01:00

Burger King in America has given away 50,000 Whoppers this week and counting on TV in a very clever new campaign. If you stare at a spinning Whopper for 5 minutes – you get a free Whopper. If you stare at it for 10 minutes you get 2 free Whoppers, and so on. So far, Americans have stared for over 300,000 minutes. If viewership continues at this pace, they will have stared at a spinning Whopper

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-88848429563969616312011-06-10T13:20:00.000+01:002011-06-10T13:20:01.159+01:00

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-7477670609559747402011-06-10T10:54:00.000+01:002011-06-10T10:54:15.834+01:00

In the battle for business passengers on the Birmingham to London route, Chiltern Railways has become the first rail operator in the UK to offer free wireless internet access. The route, which is one of the most competitive around, has been the subject of aggressive marketing by Virgin over the last couple of years - largely targeting Chiltern's slower comparative journey times. (See below) l

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-15416419767845992082011-06-09T14:18:00.001+01:002011-06-09T14:20:35.465+01:00

Pretty close as it turns out!

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-89221056084964736462011-06-06T16:05:00.000+01:002011-06-06T16:05:32.060+01:00

Have you spent too much money building awareness of your identity to even consider this or if you could spend the extra revenue it generated - would you consider it? Reckon I know what most customers would choose...

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-18732327369444481492011-06-06T10:50:00.000+01:002011-06-06T10:50:29.363+01:00

There is a great story that does the rounds of the advertising world about a British Rail pitch. An agency called ABM were pitching for the account against some very good agencies but they were the underdogs. If they were to stand a chance they had to find a way to prove they knew something the other agencies didn’t. Legend has it that on the day of the pitch, the top management of British Rail

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-2488737468535680412011-05-31T16:06:00.000+01:002011-05-31T16:06:34.613+01:00

@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.bodytext, li.bodytext, div.bodytext { margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Passengers on Stockholm's local

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-76574085730113579212011-05-25T11:17:00.001+01:002011-05-25T13:14:46.889+01:00

The ad shares the journey of comic and impressionist Rory Bremner, as he travels up to Edinburgh on an East Coast service. Although it's beautifully shot, the ad seems more like self promotion for the east coast itself rather than the train service that shares its name. It shows the product in all its glory but where are the benefits (a subtle hint about journey times and wi-fi apart)? Where's

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-31867032415243209392011-05-09T17:01:00.000+01:002011-05-09T17:01:18.011+01:00

Don't worry if it's not, you're probably in good company. Can't wait to see the fire engine.

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-43747661245880506242011-05-05T11:32:00.001+01:002011-05-05T14:10:42.051+01:00

Over the last few years, marketers have become obsessed with wanting to do the latest thing and, in their quest, the concept of an idea seems to have been lost . The current in vogue area is technology. However what seems to have been forgotten is, if it’s just technology, they won’t have it exclusively and their competitors will have it too. So if everyone is using the same technology, the

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-50747319382151703492011-05-04T16:50:00.001+01:002011-05-04T16:54:02.086+01:00

This quote is for all you marketers who want to 'engage' with your customers.  It is for all you marketers who believe your brand comes before your product. It is for all you marketers who are obsessed with popularity rather than bottom line profitability.  It goes like this... "We don’t get them to try our product by convincing them to love our brand; we get them to love our brand by

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-50607454422769771422011-05-04T10:45:00.001+01:002011-05-05T14:12:29.130+01:00

thetrainline.com have recently launched a new TV campaign and it's fair to say there's been a positive reaction from Joe Public (and Vernon Kay). The ad, which features 80's party band Black Lace, uses the catchy line 'Choo, choo, choo - make savings with the trainline' as its hook, rhyming it with the band's classic 'Do, do, do come on and do the conga' anthem. Funny? Yes. Different? Yes.

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-68442390375512396672011-05-04T10:08:00.000+01:002011-05-04T10:08:03.242+01:00

Just stumbled upon a range of bus liveries from around the world and have picked three of our favourites to highlight. Think it's a shame that more ideas like this are not seen on the UK's roads. I get the feeling that many marketers would love the opportunity to do something really different but are often shackled by the powers that be - who perhaps think their livery/identity should prevail

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-694105795762063312011-04-07T12:04:00.000+01:002011-04-07T12:04:48.639+01:00

Carlsberg have announced they aim to double profits of their flagship brand by 2015 - not by revamping the product but by revamping its branding.  The change, which is to include a new range of packaging, advertising and a new slogan, is part of the company’s ambition 'to be the fastest growing global beer company by giving customers an understanding of what it stands for, rather than just a

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-88072069481914267042011-04-06T10:07:00.000+01:002011-04-06T10:07:38.621+01:00

It's not often a brand will put an obstacle between its product and customers, but that's exactly what Coca-Cola did when it placed fully stocked 3.5m tall vending machines with unreachable coin slots across Latin America on world Friendship Day. Ogilvy Argentina was briefed by Coca-Cola to find a way to celebrate Friendship Day, celebrated in June in Buenos Aires and February in the rest of

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-82750235579033997172011-04-05T15:43:00.001+01:002011-05-03T15:23:56.649+01:00

A train poster from the glory days of rail travel has made it into the Outdoor Hall of Fame - a celebration of the greatest outdoor advertising through the years years. The whole range of posters including work by Heinz, Guiness and Bovril can be seen here.On the theme of great train advertising, below are a few of our favourites that have graced the industry over the years. Notice the lack of

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-54437649388247290722011-04-05T15:11:00.000+01:002011-04-05T15:11:28.551+01:00

According to the Association of Train Operating Companies, the train is fast becoming the transport mode of choice for long distance travellers in the UK. The organisation said the trend reflected tough financial times and the increasing availability of cheap advance fares on the railways - suggesting 800,000 are sold each week compared to just 500,00 five years ago. Certain routes, however,

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-88626396975660521142011-03-31T10:19:00.002+01:002011-04-07T14:51:35.153+01:00

They are a major player on the high street, have a good online presence, have been around for years and do great marketing. They sell clothes which although aren't really my style, I can appreciate the quality and work that goes into designing and making them. However, after buying a present for my girlfriend in one of their stores and experiencing the after-service, my positive comments come

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-15766673893004295092011-03-30T14:50:00.000+01:002011-03-30T14:50:27.860+01:00

Eurostar this week launched their new visual identity - to coincide with a raft of improvements the operator has planned. Before and after Many companies introduce a new logo with the intention of hoodwinking customers into thinking things must have changed at the organisation in question. Unless changes are made to the product, service or personnel (bascially the things that

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-6431211923618777722011-03-16T14:43:00.000Z2011-03-16T14:43:10.941Z

Only the other week we were praising East Midlands Trains for their ad campaign with celebrity twins Jedward. Firstly it was different, and secondly, the use of twins was relevant to the campaign. The company has since employed Dagenham based Stacey Solomon to be the face of its latest campaign - highlighting their great value fares. Whilst Miss Solomon can be classed as a celebrity (she is

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-62814786622611625062011-03-02T12:25:00.003Z2011-03-03T16:23:56.163Z

This a picture of a billboard I drive past on the way to work (click picture to enlarge). Most advertisers appreciate that this type of media should be used to give the passing viewer a quick and memorable snapshot of the product or service in question. In Asda's case - 'Blimey that's cheap, I'll go and buy some'. But in order to place a value on something you first have to know the quantity

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-10842683215372937972011-02-25T16:31:00.001Z2011-03-03T16:23:09.344Z

A new Smartcard initiative called 'Pop' has recently been launched in Tyne and Wear. The scheme, which will continue to roll out over the next two years, sees ticketless travel introduced to all forms of public transport in the area. Users of the Metro, bus, ferry and rail systems will all benefit in a scheme that it is hoped can adapted for other retail, public and commercial uses in the future

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-84071705346739840402011-02-23T12:49:00.000Z2011-02-23T12:49:18.454Z

East Midlands Trains walked away from the recent Rail Business  Awards with a smile on their face - after a little help from Jedward. The Stagecoach owned company who are based in Derby, won the Information Technology Excellence award for their Best Fare Finder tool, to sit alongside highly commended awards for the launch of its megabusplus.com service and for the work it has been doing to

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-38930002724491715682011-02-22T12:18:00.000Z2011-02-22T12:18:28.781Z

Does this poster really stop you and ask to be taken notice of? Does it beg not to be ignored? Has it got a strong call to action? Is it well designed? The answer to all four questions is I'm afraid, a resounding no. Stagecoach have committed the cardinal sin of not attempting to be different. For some reason they have decided that a promotion with fuel rises at its core, should show a petrol

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-64068035465318734252011-02-02T16:22:00.000Z2011-02-02T16:22:31.265Z

The Huddersfield to Sheffield Penistone Line service is not all it seems. Throughout the year, the regular Northern Rail service becomes the Music Train - where local jazz musicians play tunes for the appreciation of the traveling public. Throw in the chance to purchase on-board ales provided by a local brewery, and all in all, you have a service that likes to put a sense of enjoyment back in

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-23057510859835274652011-01-25T17:09:00.000Z2011-01-25T17:09:54.070Z

Channel 5 have just unveiled another new, improved logo. The identity, which is to compliment a new on air look launched next month,  features the word "channel" for the first time in its history. Nice design work but it won't alter the quality of programmes though will it? Surely that's the problem Mr Desmond, not the logo.

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-83854941660209353382011-01-20T10:42:00.005Z2011-01-20T16:53:57.180Z

Retail queen Mary Portas is back in a new Channel 4 series - Mary Portas: Secret Shopper in which she tackles the customer service levels of Britain's high street shops.As well as having more experience than you can shake a stick at, Mary has a brilliant knack of making things appear remarkably simple. In last night's episode she gives a three point plan for dealing with customers - hello, smile

Mike Fletcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606021102273884989noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-8886138651682148082011-01-11T10:36:00.000Z2011-01-11T10:36:53.693Z

Around 100 people got the tube with no trousers on this week, as part of the annual No Trousers Tube Ride: London. The event, originally set up in the US in 2002, aims to promote more silliness in the world and give people more things to laugh about. Hard to argue with that really! Volunteers needed to have a willingness to take their trousers off on public transport and the 'ability' to keep a

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-3977393288991790932010-12-15T11:26:00.001Z2010-12-15T11:27:08.067Z

Follow a 'strategic review of its brand', the airline bmi has unveiled a new logo using the name British Midland International. According to the company's chief commercial officer Joerg Hennemann, the new logo offers a “larger logo footprint, enabling it to achieve greater presence and standout in its communications.” In a nutshell the brief to the agency was 'make the logo a damn sight bigger

Mikenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-21129322297109880902010-12-14T14:34:00.000Z2010-12-14T14:34:59.143Z

For those of you who take notice of toilet roll advertising, Andrex  have ditched their iconic puppy. Sort of. The much loved dog has been replaced by a computer generated image  in the brand's latest ad campaign, leaving the pooch to pick up its acting P45. According to a top marketer at Andrex parent company Kimberly-Clark, the move made 'the Andrex puppy more contemporary and reflective of

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-77454881573723423782010-12-14T10:51:00.001Z2010-12-14T11:39:19.339Z

BeVox, a network of amateur singing groups, chose Sheffield station as the location for an impromptu carol concert to promote their company. A nice touch and very festive.

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-36920121461850037482010-12-02T14:28:00.001Z2010-12-02T14:29:10.820Z

Virgin Trains stand for everything I like about a brand.  They're dynamic, they challenge the marketing status quo and they're not afraid to upset a few people along the way. However not everything they do meets with my customer perspective approval. Take their on board 'train shop' - selling the usual selection of tea, coffee, and food goodies. In an increasingly cashless society, they've

Mikenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-70627180740264683372010-11-22T12:57:00.001Z2010-11-22T13:42:56.927Z

Over the past week or so, a few famous people have been vocal in their support of train travel. Rio Ferdinand can be seen here using a Virgin Trains service from Manchester to London and saying 'I love traveling on the train - it's nice and easy. You can get up and have a stretch.' Actor John Barrowman appeared on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Chris Moyles last week and praised the service

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-7272196048256924742010-11-17T15:27:00.002Z2010-11-18T09:28:29.025Z

Stella Artois is positioned as a premium lager - at the top of its tree and proud to be reassuringly expensive. But if you're claiming to be the best, you've to back it up in everything you do. And that includes your advertising. Having simple grammatical errors so prominent is just not good enough when it comes to justifying your premium positioning. Back to basics I'm afraid boys.

Mikenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-32400606455709885152010-11-10T10:20:00.001Z2010-11-10T10:21:28.794Z

Marks & Spencer CEO Marc Bolland has recently identified a number of changes he intends to make in the iconic organisation. One of them concerns the promises their all singing, all dancing advertising campaigns make - the latest of which can be seen here. Marc says 'It’s also been apparent in recent years that the glitzy image that M&S portrays in its advertising with stars such as Twiggy and

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-56757112977102036232010-11-08T14:31:00.000Z2010-11-08T14:31:26.132Z

The following ad copy was supplied anonymously to Campaign magazine and we'd like to share it with you. "It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-77774771614416784032010-11-05T15:07:00.000Z2010-11-05T15:07:50.890Z

In 1997 TBWA\Chiat\Day, a Los Angeles based ad agency, developed the slogan 'Think Different' for Apple Computers. The positioning was to form the basis the legendary 'Crazy Ones' TV commercial, initially played during the 1997 Superbowl. The ad paid homage to those in society who were a little bit wacky, a little bit crazy, who believed they could change the world. Einstein, Martin Luther King

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-44398246987283751622010-11-02T10:17:00.000Z2010-11-02T10:17:16.888Z

Grand Central Trains is offering free first class return travel to London for any MPs whose constituencies lie on their route. The offer, which is estimated to cost the company over £60,000 a year, is something Grand Central has done since its first route was opened between Sunderland and Kings Cross in 2007. MPs can only claim the cost of an anytime standard open ticket following reforms

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-18277362936859738772010-10-27T14:07:00.000+01:002010-10-27T14:07:16.188+01:00

Starbucks has over 16 million 'fans' on its Facebook page. Using this statistic, it is in fact the most popular brand on the site. So Facebook must be pretty good don't you think, bringing all these people into contact with the world's most well known coffee shop chain? Thinking about it, maybe Facebook could do the same for your brand too? It doesn't really work like that though does it?

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-62420105938076334902010-10-26T11:51:00.000+01:002010-10-26T11:51:48.373+01:00

Now that's a pretty powerful ambassador. We can feel a campaign brewing already...

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-65308321846201847132010-10-20T09:47:00.000+01:002010-10-20T09:47:33.226+01:00

In light of Carling's recent dip in retail sales (down 5.2% to July this year), their marketing director has decided to concentrate efforts on their "British sociability" positioning. According to Mr McDonough “Every brand goes through an evolution stage and we are at a natural inflection point with Carling, looking at how we broaden its appeal.” I get the last bit, the first bit is beyond me

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-18286749490573847452010-10-12T12:03:00.003+01:002010-10-12T12:28:19.880+01:00

With sales down 10% in 2009 and a further 4% this year, Gap in the U.S faced a few problems. Was their solution to get to the bottom of it with a root and branch overhaul of the company to see where the real problem was? Nope, it was to design a new logo. That will turn the company around they thought. Same staff, same product lines, same customer service, same training program, same

Mikenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-59454913245466699742010-10-12T10:10:00.001+01:002010-10-12T10:11:14.705+01:00

A Virgin advert in the Conservative Party Conference brochure claimed an average journey time of just over two hours for the journey between the Capital and the Second City. Perhaps a tad embarrassing as the usual journey time is actually 81 minutes - a time already considered poor by many of the region's great and good as it is only eight minutes faster than the service was 30 years ago. Of

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-18349614867226517972010-10-11T10:24:00.003+01:002010-10-13T10:00:57.493+01:00

The ad, part of a £4million campaign, was first aired in the break of the Xfactor (their target market is young mums). The Yeo Valley farmers "cooked a rap video" rapping not about their bling, girls and fast cars but instead their cows, tractors and wax jackets - matters a little bit closer to home. It goes along with our belief that to do anything that is going to have dramatic, results you

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-81342070786411943122010-10-11T09:39:00.004+01:002010-10-11T10:25:56.460+01:00

It's a great display of tech and really well crafted, but unless you care to read about how it's done you wouldn't know that it's all projected. Take that out of the equation and you've got an ad that just looks like poor computer generated special effects. I suppose thats why it has only 2,552 views and more importantly one comment in five days. This, on the other hand.

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-4775548401097848712010-09-28T10:24:00.002+01:002010-10-04T14:37:40.630+01:00

East Coast are in the papers today for something that according to them 'was standard across the train industry'. And maybe this where the problem lies. The story involves a gentleman, who having bought an advance first class ticket for travel between Birmingham to Durham, decided to get off one stop early at Darlington - as it was closer to his home. As far as he was concerned he had paid for

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-4099394876854641712010-09-20T11:02:00.001+01:002010-09-20T11:09:48.246+01:00

Greener Journeys is the UK bus and coach industry’s campaign encouraging people to switch from cars to buses and coaches. Their current campaign is the ONE Billion Challenge: Remove one billion car journeys from our roads over the next three years (2011-2014) by getting people to change just one journey a month from the car to bus or coach. This morning Sir Moir Lockhead, Chief Executive of

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-41482847489302912232010-09-15T13:02:00.001+01:002010-09-20T11:22:12.861+01:00

National Express is giving away 100,000 coach seats for £1 each.There is a catch, as usual:They're available in limited numbers (100,000 I suppose).For selected journeys only.Book before 31 October 2010See if you can find one at a sensible time here. I couldn't.

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-1860965286802423572010-09-08T11:14:00.008+01:002010-09-08T11:27:56.947+01:00

National Express Group, owners of the Stansted Express, have been reprimanded by the advertising watchdog over a recent ad campaign. The posters which highlighted the Stansted Airport to Liverpool Street Station service, were deemed to have misled travelers in to believing the service could reach 'central' London in just 35 minutes. Unfortunately, 35 mins will only get you as far as Tottenham

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-56680592576552360302010-09-07T12:40:00.000+01:002010-09-07T12:40:48.763+01:00

Well according to a new Deloitte report based on a 2,000-strong YouGov survey, definitely not online if that's what you were thinking. Unsurprisingly for us but perhaps so for the marketers we work with, the results are refreshingly old fashioned. Online came in last place with a whopping 3%, preceded by cinema, leaflets, posters, then radio at 15%, magazines at 17% and newspapers with 30%.

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-70374696554568627742010-09-03T15:16:00.001+01:002010-09-03T15:17:21.788+01:00

Tippex has gone viral with a very nicely produced interactive YouTube campaign, titled “NSFW. A hunter shoots a bear!”. At the end of the video the hunter erases 'shoots' from the title with some Tippex and then you can type what the hunter should do to the bear. Although it's very impressive, it's not completely original. Burger King and their ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky released '

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-5183977358757045282010-09-02T10:24:00.004+01:002010-09-02T10:38:13.926+01:00

Phone boxes and interactive bus shelters across the UK are set to be changed into beach huts in a series of special builds for the latest Foster's campaign. The activity brings to life Foster’s new ‘Good Call!’ campaign that sees Aussies Brad and Dan offering “no worries” advice over the phone to British men from a sun-kissed beach Down Under. From 30th August phone boxes in JCDecaux’s

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-42838941043995396562010-09-01T10:53:00.001+01:002010-09-01T10:54:06.608+01:00

Companies that keep their small promises have a much easier time keeping big ones.  If an organisation commits to - answer your call withing three rings or respond to you within 28 days or pass your concerns on to the managing director - and sticks to it, they earn a reputation. That reputation makes their communication worth more in the eyes of every consumer. Guess it all depends on what

Mikenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-28477105290215874582010-08-31T15:28:00.000+01:002010-08-31T15:28:14.704+01:00

Congratulations go to Hastings Borough Council for daring to be different. Having become increasingly frustrated at people's attitudes to dog fouling on the streets and payments of their historic town, the Council decided to do something about it. And, unusually in the 'scared to offend anyone public sector' they challenged a local agency to come up with something a little different to get

Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3159041006203092555.post-74023459288037561542010-08-25T15:17:00.002+01:002010-08-25T15:18:57.003+01:00

As I said back in February, the 'man your man could smell like' campaign is one of the best I've seen for a very long time. But there has been a lot of press about the fact that the buzz it created has not been translated into increased sales. I was very sceptical, something this brilliant and creative must have had a positive effect on the bottom line. Well here is the the case study from the 

Rolsnoreply@blogger.com0