JPR Marketing

Concerned about Cookies?

charley — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:36:01 +0000

A recent study conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau UK into consumer attitudes to online adverts, privacy and cookies, showed that just 57% of the 2000 people asked, knew the real definition of cookies – and no, we’re not talking about the yummy chocolate chip kind. The study also showed that a large proportion of UK consumers worry about security when using the internet, with a fifth of users deleting their tracking cookies on a weekly basis.

The IAB describe an internet cookie as ‘a small file of letters and numbers stored on an internet user’s computer when a websites is accessed.’ They help websites to keep track of user information, allowing businesses to target more personal, relevant content and advertisements at you. They can also be used to remember user names and passwords on certain websites, as well as ‘safe modes’ and filters on things like search engines. You may have noticed that once you have browsed a specific product on a particular website, it then appears in the adverts down the side of other websites you visit, which is all down to cookies. Some businesses also use them on their websites to measure and analyse traffic, assessing their most viewed content, and the ways in which users came to visit their websites.

It is the responsibility of website owners and businesses conducting online marketing and advertising to provide a better explanation of how they use cookies. It is thought that the more transparency about information gathering, and how digital marketing works, the more likely consumers are to be receptive to it. The report showed that 52% of consumers are happy to see online advertising, as it allows them to access content and services free of charge. 45% want more control over the adverts they see online, and to see more relevant adverts, this highlighting the need for cookies, and more importantly, the need for a wider understanding of their purpose.

Crowdsourcing and competitions make effective marketing campaigns.

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:48:58 +0000

What better way to drum up interest about your newest product than getting your customers to have an input in making it? That’s exactly what McDonalds did in their latest creative campaign to celebrate their 40^th anniversary in Germany. The campaign was called Mein Burger (my burger) and involved the company ‘crowdsourcing’ the design and marketing of their burgers. People were asked to invent their own burgers using an online app on the McDonalds website, and then use both online and offline methods such as videos, posters and banners to promote the burgers, and collect votes. The burger that received the most votes was named the ‘Pretzelnator’ and was made from a mixture of American and Italian cheeses and ham, in a pretzel style bun. This marketing campaign proved to be extremely successful! The website gained seven million page impressions, with 45,000 burger creations within the first seven days of the campaigns launch.

Another company using social media in their marketing campaigns is Budweiser, who are currently hosting a competition on their UK Facebook page. The company is encouraging their fans to submit lyrics for a song that is to be sung by Laura Jeanne, who won the Budweiser talent show, which aired in America. The only problem with this campaign is that there won’t be many British fans that actually saw the talent show!

Expensive, well produced television advertisements are all well and good, but you have to question how many people actually watch adverts today, with more and more people recording television programs using services like Sky +, allowing them to fast forward over adverts. With the rise in popularity of social media websites, it’s no wonder than more and more brands are taking to their Facebook pages to interact and engage with fans, involving them in their most important marketing campaigns.

Samsung unveils its latest creation

charley — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:51:06 +0000

Last night Samsung unveiled its newest handset, the Galaxy S3, set to be released to UK consumers on May 30^th. Their flagship smartphone offers a 4.8in screen, high-speed “beaming” capabilities, an 8 megapixel rear camera and even a 1.9 megapixel front camera complete with intelligent camera features so it can see what you’re doing and respond accordingly. It even responds to gestures so if you lift the phone to your face when you’re texting, for example, it’ll call the person instead. In fact, the whole thing has been designed around enhancing the interaction between the device and its user, with features including “smart stay” (where it can detect eye movement so doesn’t go into sleep mode when you’re reading) and “S Voice” voice recognition software (similar to Siri) all combining to offer an intuitive and user-centric mobile experience.

As for the marketing campaign—well, it’ll be a big one. The phone is being touted as the official smartphone of the Olympics which already gives it a massive boost in the industry, and with everyone being full of Olympics fever it’s a kind of branding that could see it do incredibly well. The company is prepared to invest heavily to promote the new model with the ad campaign positioning it as “effortlessly smart and intuitively simple”. It’ll focus on highlighting the phone’s intuitive features with the strapline “designed for humans” at the centre of the whole thing, with the accompanying text stating “it understands you, share’s what’s in your heart, keeps track of loved ones, recognises who you are, follows your every move”.

It’s a clever concept and one that could prove fruitful for the company, and with so many of the model’s features being centred around making the whole mobile experience better for users it could be incredibly successful. That, combined with Samsung’s already exceptional marketing spend and brand awareness means the phone is expected to solidify Samsung’s position as the only real rival to Apple, with smaller handset makers such as LG, HTC and even BlackBerry and Nokia struggling to catch up. It’s an exciting time for the company and we can’t wait to see what the ad campaign will be all about, but there’s one thing we’re pretty sure of—the Galaxy S3 will fly off the shelves come May 30^th.

JPR Marketing

The Cola wars take to Twitter

charley — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:00:18 +0000

The Pepsi/Coca Cola feud has been raging for decades, but now the giants of the cola industry have taken to Twitter to battle it out. And things are quickly escalating—Pepsi was the first to embrace the social media concept but over the last few years they’ve lost market share to Coca Cola, and as a result are planning on investing an additional $600million on marketing over the next 12 months. Their social media campaigns will form a key part of that investment, and just this week they’ve announced their partnership with Twitter to provide live video streaming of concerts to their followers.

It’s a bold move for the company, and it reflects the image it’s had over the last few years. Pepsi has always been squarely centred in the realm of pop culture, using a huge array of pop stars and celebrities in their ads, and it’s something they’re keen to continue. Their global ad campaign will feature Nicki Minaj and the company will encourage their followers to interact with celebrities, bringing interaction and engagement to a whole new level. There’s no word yet on the musicians who will be taking part in the Twitter concerts but we can’t wait to find out who’ll be there, and despite the fact that Coca Cola is also prominent in the social media scene it seems that Pepsi might just have the edge for the time being.

It’s a marketing tactic that could yield huge results. With so many people engaging in social networking these days it’s the perfect time to get involved, and it could be a great way to strengthen brand awareness and marketing techniques as a whole—according to a 2011 survey conducted by Nielsen, consumers are 55% more likely to remember ads that include social media components than those that don’t, showing that both Pepsi and Coca Cola are on the right track. But who will be victorious? Time will tell, but in the meantime we can all look forward to seeing just how the cola wars will play out.

Is your website Cookie Compliant?

charley — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:13:07 +0000

Juno Web Design of Nottingham, have recently created a free module which will allow companies that use the Magento programme for their eCommerce stores, to be completely compliant with the EU Cookie Law.

On the 26^th May 2011, a new EU law came into effect that enforced website owners to make changes to their sites. This included alerting users to the fact that websites use Cookies to store information about the user on the PC. The law requires websites to inform users that their information will be stored and they can confirm that they are happy with that process, then continue browsing. Companies have been given up until the 26^th May 2012 and if not compliant, could face fines of up to £500,000.

As a reaction to this EU directive,JunoWebDesign, based in Nottingham, have produced a Free Cookie Law Compliance Magento Module, specifically for those companies that use the Magento structure.

CLICK HERE to view the Free Cookie Compliance Module for Magento

Module creator, Andrew Slater said “ Many website producers and larger companies believe this Law will not be enforced, but it has been documented that fines will be placed. I believe larger companies will be made an example of, then others will rush to sort out their compliance”.

The Free module will be available on the main Magento store and directly from Juno Web Design.

Juno Web Design specialises in high turnover Magneto retail stores in the UK and abroad, and have reacted to a need for such modules in the market. All their Magento clients will be Cookie Law Compliant. This will change the way people browse and shop online.

JPR Marketing

How to get more Facebook likes.

charley — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:38:47 +0000

Getting ‘likes’ for your facebook page is a tricky business. Many people employ social media strategies that are more ineffective than a chocolate teapot. So, what shouldn’t you do when looking for more likes on your facebook brand page?

Don’t scatter your blog post, product page or whatever other content with so many buttons it’s hard to see what you’ve actually written. It might be useful to have one or two ‘like me on facebook’, ‘follow me on Twitter’ buttons, but there’s definitely a line. Not only will you obscure your actual content, you’ll probably end up annoying the vast majority of people who visit your page, as well as putting them off coming back.

Shameless pleading for facebook likes is also another no-no. Whether you’re direct messaging obscure personal facebook friends or tweeting incessantly with endless links, you won’t send out a good message. Instead, you’ll look desperate and unprofessional.

Well then, what’s the right way of getting more facebook likes?

Instead of putting energy into making people like your page through sheer persistence, put that time, effort and money into creating real, engaging content. A social media presence for any brand is all about creating an experience for users, so if people aren’t responding to you, reassessing how you’re conducting yourself is essential.

You wouldn’t go around pestering people to promote you without building a relationship in real life, so don’t do the same online. Give people a reason to want to ‘like’ you. Give them content that will make them think, make them laugh or just make them smile. This is definitely preferable to repeatedly shoving how awesome you are at everything ever down their throats.

Creating engaging, honest content should take preference over any convoluted social media strategy. The proof of this is definitely in the pudding.

JPR Marketing

Hitchhike with a “like”

charley — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:09:51 +0000

The VW Beetle, an iconic motor vehicle has been given a new look and an interesting launch platform.

Volkswagen plan to launch the new 3rd Generation Beetle later this year, using Facebook as their chosen platform.

The new Hitchhike with a “like” game will appear on their dedicated Facebook page and the campaign was created by Tribal DDB, an agency in Amsterdam. The winners of the competition will travel around Europe in a new 3rd generation VW Beetle.

The game encourages users to reach a European city of their choice by “Hitchhiking”. Points are collected along the way to unlock prizes and release special music tracks. Every time a user is offered a virtual “ride” by one of the games characters, a short film is played. If the user collects enough points, they could be in for a trip of a lifetime, in a beautiful new Beetle.

There are 5 levels of the game which players have to get through, starting as a rookie and working up through the ranks to “hitchhiking king”. The more points players collect, the bigger and better the prize. Prizes include festival tickets, free music tracks, skateboards and random objects of desire such as Fender guitars.

“This game is a real experience of the spirit of the 21st Century Beetle” said Robin Cenijn, interaction designer for Tribal DDB Amsterdam, “It allows you to travel with the iconic car but in an absolutely modern way, bringing in the social aspect of the journey with sharing rides and comparing them with your Facebook friends.”

We look forward to the launch of this new game and will no doubt be playing along. Another great way to use a social media site to promote and market new products.

The evolution of Timeline on Facebook has allowed companies to create more buzz around their products and services, thus driving more traffic.

JPR Marketing

Drawing, the worlds new favourite pastime.

charley — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:14:34 +0000

Mobile application- Draw Something, has knocked the biggest used app-Angry Birds off the top spot. To date Draw Something has been downloaded by 50 Million users and that number is still growing.

The game is played between friends and the premis is that you guess what the other person have drawn, earning you points and coins. A great interactive game which passes the time. It was only launched 50 days ago and has already achieved an incredible following. It steps up against the most popular app and game of 2011- Angry Birds, which spurred massive followings and a range of merchandise.

Draw something now sits at the top of the charts in both the iTunes paid and free sections.

Over 6 billion doodles have been shared between users since the game has been launched. Firstly, users were producing 3 drawings per second, now it’s more around the 3000 drawings per seconds mark!

It is amazing what simple concepts catch the imaginations of users, especially when these apps are free. The app is launched across platforms such as Facebook and Android.

So, as we sit on the train, doodling away, we think about what type of app will be the next big thing.

Draw Something has really boosted a way of engaging with one another in a creative pastime! What a brilliant idea.

Apps are pretty easy to produce, contrary to peoples perceptions, and are created not only make peoples lives easier, but to provide service information and to entertain.

The market for free apps is booming, but to access the full version of the apps, you will have to purchase the fuller version.

The most expensive app in the world currently stands at around £600 to £1000 and are industry specific, making professionals jobs a whole lot easier.

Apps can make big money and big impressions.

JPR Marketing

When PR goes bad.

charley — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:46:47 +0000

We realise the art of PR is a fine one, building relationships and promoting services and products in a positive light. PR and media companies go beyond the means of creativity to create a huge buzz around a company, but if it goes bad, how do you fix it??

Today we take a look at some of the worst PR disasters.

McDonald’s, the worlds biggest fast food chain, started a Twitter campaign in the latter end of 2011, based on the idea of eating something amazing. They wanted consumers to hash tag the term #Mcdstories and provide the world with little snippets from Maccy lovers. Unfortunately, customers stared to use that tag as a platform to tell others of horror stories. The tag was live for over 2 hours then had to be pulled by the fast food giant.

Also in 2011, mobile phone producer Blackberry, got a bashing from its followers on Twitter.

What seems to be a bit of a problem with companies putting their necks on the line, is that they are open to customer rants and opinions. Some companies are very proactive and provide a solution to problems, contacting customers and ensuring they are going to do something about issues.

Other companies using social media, have encountered the rough end of the stick and have not acted appropriately, either deleting comments from users or completely ignoring them. This is not great PR and companies will loose customers who will then go to contenders.

There are also those loyal fans who will die by companies sides, so when a UK jewellery range was accused of copying another UK boutique jewellery store, they chose to ignore and delete, which has not put them in a great light.

So, be very wary when it comes to using social media for PR, you need to have a risk plan, try and avoid any controversy, and if all else fails, make sure you contact customers.

JPR Marketing.

PR stunts that make the headlines

charley — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:38:21 +0000

Last week involved a flurry of PR stunts that made the headline, many food based, which caught our attention at JPR Marketing.

For all those caffeine addicts visiting the coffee chain Starbucks last week, if they introduced themselves and told the staff their names, they received a free Latte!

Mr Kipling thrilled cake fans by creating interactive advert sites which dispensed FREE CAKES. 19 sites offered 500 free cakes a day and the poster campaigns let off a lovely sweet smell of cake.

Cadburys celebrated their half a million visitors on GOOGLE+ by creating a giant chocolate version of their social media website.

Pizza lovers have been drawn to the Domino’s Facebook page, where, if they spend over £10 on orders, they will receive free cookies. Finally, ice cream Kings Ben and Jerrys showed their support for Pro Gay Marriage by re-naming their popular “Oh My! Apple Pie” -”Apperly -ever-after” although this rather nice apple based dessert will only be available to buy by the scoop.

Since the economic climate has changed, people have become more food obsessed, resorting to cooking at home and purchasing less “treats” but these PR campaigns have caused a real stir on the streets and in the media.

This week we’re keeping out eyes peeled for a range of interesting PR not only out on the streets but online.

JPR Marketing