Friday 29 March 2013

It's starting to feel a lot like Easter


I’m a big believer in Christmas. Not so much as a religious holiday, more as an essential tonic, necessary to lift our spirits at their lowest point in the year. This is how I explain the mounting hysteria before the festive season and why Easter always seems to be a more low-key affair. Days are getting longer, the weather’s getting warmer and there’s a vague hope that- one day soon- we may be able to step out with fewer than ten layers.

After suffering the coldest March in 50 years however, it seems we’re anticipating the Easter break more than usual this year- we need Easter. Brands and businesses have recognised this consumer willingness to embrace the event. In consequence, there are a number of new and impressive PR and marketing campaigns designed to maximise this opportunity for exposure. What follows is my assessment of a few…

Happy Egg Co.
In a toned-down take on the popular BBC 2 show, Lambing Live, the Happy Egg Co has created a live chick-hatching experience. Aired online using Google+ Hangouts and YouTube, the experience offers a real-time insight into poultry birth. Although irresistibly cute, the chicks are not that charismatic, making long-term or repeat consumer interaction with the campaign unlikely.


 Jewel Bar
As Cadbury’s most popular product between New Year and Easter, the nation’s affection for the Cream Egg is unquestionable. Incorporating this with rum and chocolate liquor, Jewel bar has concocted a cocktail to fatten its clientele and feed the media’s imagination. Packing an impressive 987-calorie punch, the Crème egg mojito affords endless opportunities for the kind of sickening food comparisons (double cheeseburger and fries plus a small coke) and Nigella-esque images loved by Metro and Mail Online.

Tesco
Tesco teamed up with Google Street View for its seasonal marketing campaign. Thousands of virtual eggs were hidden on UK streets on the brand’s Find the Egg website for visitors to hunt down. Prizes were a- plenty, with three eggs valid for exchange with a chocolate bunny, whilst eagle-eyed spotters of golden eggs were rewarded with a Samsung Galaxy Tab. The combination of easy-to-use, familiar technology and uncomplicated rules made for a successful campaign and a concept ripe for adoption and adaption by other brands.


By Polly Robinson

Thursday 21 March 2013

A message from the Mayor to the Chancellor..


As part of the Budget announcement today, the Government made a promise that public sector procurement from small firms would rise fivefold.  As a small business owner I’m not going to hold my breath before diving in to swim with the big fish.  We’re a 10 person PR agency that would like nothing better than to help promote the important programmes and projects that are kicked off each year, and have the track-record to compete against the bigger players.  But access to the tax-funded pounds remains a difficult struggle based on our size.  There are three areas that make the Government’s promise more hot air than warm revenue.  Firstly, access to information about tenders often comes at a price.  Online services that conveniently collate relevant opportunities require paid-for-subscriptions, an expense prohibitive to small businesses.  Secondly, the time it takes to complete a full scale tender could engage half a small company’s workforce to research, draft and illustrate, especially with the often short deadlines.  And finally, the big fish suppliers in the public sector are able to keep costs so low that they can almost ensure a monopoly.  As a reasonably priced agency that has bid for work through formal tendering, we’ve been told our fees can be double the price of other bids that come from larger suppliers.  Big fish able to use economies of scale on other clients to win high profile work.  It’s a big pond of opportunity perhaps?  But while the processes favour the larger sharks, it’s unlikely the little fish will get a bite.

By Lucy George

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Seeking a connection


Many people now feel their phone is their lifeline. I am one of these people.  It’s the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I look at before I go to sleep (sad I know).  Add to this the fact I work in PR, one of the most communicative industries out there, and you’ll begin to see that my phone is so much more than a phone; It’s my livelihood, my connection to colleagues, my clients and the world. I use my phone for nearly everything and it’s always with me. This means there is always a round-the-clock temptation to take mobile phone calls and consult emails, you could say I’m one of those ’24-hour culture’ people.


My close friends and family are used to my ‘condition’ and I’ve heard them mutter ‘it can’t be good for her, never switching off’, ‘does she ever relax’ and (my personal favourite) ‘she loves her phone more than us.’

I’m off to Nepal in a few days for an extended break to see my family. It’s been about five years since my last visit but the almost daily power cuts and unreliable wi-fi remains a vivid and horrific memory.
For the next couple of weeks, the simple task of charging my phone and connecting to the world will become a whole lot more complicated- the very thought of it brings me out in a cold sweat. This means that I’ve approached this holiday with a mix of excitement and trepidation and have spent many a night asking myself whether connectivity is a reasonable price to pay for a temperate climate.

Call it what you will- fate or coincidence, but shortly after booking my holiday late in 2012, we started working with BBOXX, a clean energy company which designs, manufactures and distributes solar-powered battery packs to off-grid communities. Eager to get to know my clients better (and for no personal gain whatsoever) I have decided to take a BBOXX to Nepal.

Once there, I plan to keep a journal to give you the user’s perspective on my BBOXX. My overriding concern right now is that I won’t be able to put the thing together- DIY or electrical goods have always been the bane of my life. Keep your fingers crossed, otherwise my journal will be very heavy on the text, light on the images and no fun for anyone.

By Pema Seely