Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations in the Midlands

Using Social Media Tools in Crisis PR?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:04:00 +0000

Following on from the previous post about the Toyota issue recently, an interesting element to come from their PR Blitz / apology was the use of their social media tools and using You Tube to post their public apology to customers. Their commercial director Jon Williams used the social media tool to issue their brand apology, he hasn't been the first company to use You Tube for this purpose and he probably wont be the last!

The Toyota Brand Disaster

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Well everybody in the industry has been talking about the Toyota Brand disaster in recent weeks, so here is a great post from IBA on the affair!

The cardinal rule – In crisis management: assume the worst

Faced with an unprecedented recall of millions of vehicles and rivals swooping in on its customers, the public relations machine at Toyota Motor Corp – one of the most savvy brand-creators in Asia – is floundering.

As fear, uncertainly and doubt spreads – Is it just the accelerators? Maybe the brakes too? And is the sainted Prius now tainted forever? – the company has failed to convince its public that it is seriously dealing with the problem and that safety is paramount.

The 911 call of 28 August along with the sounds of the caller's Lexus crashing, killing its driver and three members of his family are fresher in the public's memory than any statements from Toyota. And now on 2 February 2010, seven months after that fateful call, Toyota held a news conference in Nagoya – the first appearance by an executive from headquarters since the recent expanded recall – there was no deep bow, a standard fixture in Japan when a firm declares it is responsible for its mistakes, and no apology. Just a little-known Toyota executive in charge of quality, Shinichi Sasaki, explaining part of the reason Toyota decided to use U.S. autoparts maker CTS's accelerators was to help contribute to the local U.S. Economy. Trying to pass the buck?

At last, this Friday, 7 February, Toyota put together a press conference with, at last, President Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder, who previously had only had the courtesy to give a very brief public statement in Davos. He began the news conference with a customary Japanese bow and announced that he will lead a global quality control task force with independent experts acting as extra quality advisers.

Toyota broke the cardinal rule in crisis management: assume the worst. Then take full responsibility, be empathic to the victims and their families and be in control by outlining the problem and how they intend to solve it. And in a crisis such as this, lead from the top.

I recall a similar PR bungle at Coca-Cola just over ten years ago that started in Belgium where sales were banned because of reported cases of poisoning ('where the f*** is Belgium' snarled a dismissive Coca-Cola exec, who took no action), spread to France, Germany then went Europe-wide even to Saudi Arabia. And remember Perrier, whose handling of benzene contamination cost it market leadership and brand value.

Here is another take on the story from USA Today:

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
Toyota, in the midst of three major safety recalls, is apologizing to customers by way of television, print, radio and the Internet even as the crisis cascades.
But experts are divided on whether that media strategy will be effective in helping the automaker through multiple vehicle recalls and federal safety investigations.

Instead of a single problem, Toyota, long known for quality and reliability, has seen its troubles unfold over three months. It started with floor mats jamming accelerators; morphed into a recall of the accelerator mechanism on eight models and a halt to sales; and now includes a recall of the Prius hybrid for brake issues.

"You can't rebuild a house in a hurricane," says Eric Dezenhall, a public relations crisis expert in Washington. And Toyota is dealing with the equivalent of a Category 5 storm, he says.

To try to limit fallout, Toyota is emphasizing its:

•Commitment to the U.S. Last weekend, Toyota launched a special television ad specifically created for the crisis.

The spot acknowledges that the automaker has let down customers when it comes to safety, but emphasizes Toyota's half-century of selling cars in the USA. Toyota is running radio ads, too. There's also a Spanish-language version of the ad campaign.

•Blueprint for fixes. Newspaper ads talk about how Toyota is sending letters to owners and working around-the-clock at dealers to make repairs. Like the TV campaign, it underscores Toyota's large footprint in the U.S., with 172,000 employees in factories and dealerships.

•Focus on customers.Toyota is posting updates at Toyota.com and leveraging social media. On Monday, for instance, Toyota's U.S. sales chief, Jim Lentz, held a live chat at Digg.com, a news site that attracts younger customers.

"We're making sure we're reaching all our customers to make sure they know they are a priority for us," said Toyota spokeswoman Celeste Migliore.

But the effort may be whistling in the wind as more reports of problem vehicles surface, some experts say.

"The ads don't mean anything (if) the actions don't correspond," says Michael Gordon, a crisis public relations specialist in New York.

Jeffrey Liker, a University of Michigan professor who wrote the best-selling book The Toyota Way about the automaker's management philosophy, says Toyota is in a tight spot. If Toyota tries to deny any of the criticism leveled at it, "It would come across as defensive."

But he thinks the automaker is making the right moves — admitting to mistakes and trying to follow through to fix every car involved in the recalls quickly.

"In a crisis, all you can do is solve the problems you know about," Liker says.

The 10 most innovative viral ads of 2009

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:40:00 +0000

Hi All. This year was a great year for viral marketing campaigns and indeed one of my clients, Satellite Broadband Ireland are sponsoring the 2010 Digital Media Awards and together with the girls from Ashville media and RAIC Productions, this viral campaign was produced and is one of my top 10 for 2009! Have a look, it contains some really interesting facts about social media and the explosion of it in recent months and check out the other top 10...

http://www.digitalmedia.ie/

"2009's crop of top viral video advertisements show us that people are willing to embrace a host of creative approaches on the social video Web, from beguiling mini-films, to user-generated advocacy, to YouTube celebrity endorsers, to elaborate commercial-grade productions. That's good news for creators. Regardless of the approach, the key for marketers is a solid understanding of what a brand is, who is the brand's audience, and what moves them. Strangely enough, this formula sounds like traditional advertising. This year's Top 10 is certainly a glimpse of how the viral video ad business is evolving, and as marketers, what we can learn from that evolution." - Josh Warner, Feed Company

1. Inspired Bicycles
Advertiser: Inspired Bicycles
Ad Agency: N/A
Why it works: Inspired Bicycles' team rider Danny MacAskill scales fences in and around Edinburgh, Scotland. The video is as mesmerizing as its hypnotic soundtrack from music group Band of Horses. It's a solid example of how a brand pursuing a niche market - mountain bike trailblazers - can reach the masses with a brilliant viral video execution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

2. SIGNS
Advertiser: Schweppes
Ad Agency: Publicis Mojo and @RadicalMedia
Why it works: A love story with few words, Signs compels you to watch until its poignant end. It conclusively dispels the myth that viral video executions must be short and gimmicky to grab your attention.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY

3. Piano Stairs
Advertiser: Volkswagen
Ad Agency: DDB Stockholm
Why it works: "Take the stairs instead of the escalator and feel better" is something we hear but didn't often see until this sly video from Volkswagen appeared on the Web. It's part of an inspiring campaign, The Fun Theory, that encourages people to come up with fun ways to "do good." The video itself did well indeed, imbuing Volkswagen with a fun new ethos and racking up millions of views in the process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

4. BooneOakley.com
Advertiser: Boone Oakley
Ad Agency: Boone Oakley
Why it works: Boone Oakley, an ad agency from Charlotte, North Carolina, uses an interactive YouTube video to tell its story and showcase client work. Audacious and attention-getting, it puts the young company on the short list of ad agencies who get it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elo7WeIydh8

5. Hosting Your Party
Advertiser: Microsoft
Ad Agency: N/A
Why it works: This is the ultimate anti-viral: a video that generates millions of views simply because of how profoundly it misses the mark. Comments have been disabled, but all you have to do is talk to someone you know who's watched it to know why it was so generously passed around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cX4t5-YpHQ

6. YouTube HD Camera Trick Challenge
Advertiser: Samsung
Ad Agency: Viral Factory
Why it works: One cunning way to get people talking about and sharing your video is to make them wonder how you shot it in the first place. Samsung went to great lengths to protect the "trick" in the video for their new HD camera phone, which got tech geeks riled up to try solving the puzzle. Geeks happen to be the audience most likely to buy the HD new camera phone, which is why this video makes our Top 10.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX8iVo5vc8o

7. United Breaks Guitars
Advertiser: Dave Carroll
Ad Agency: N/A
Why it works: A traumatic experience for one flyer becomes a public relations disaster for United Airlines, when musician Dave Carroll uses a YouTube video to vent frustrations after his guitar is damaged at Chicago O'Hare airport. The takeaway: Viral video is a wonderful tool for consumer advocacy because chances are you're not the only one who is upset. In this case, United was inundated with additional complaints after United Breaks Guitars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

8. All the Single Babies
Advertiser: singlebabies.com
Ad Agency: User Generated
Why it works: The huge popularity of this video, a baby dancing to a Beyonce song, is channeling ad revenue and donations into his college fund. This quick reaction to a YouTube hit shows us the toddler's dad has moves of his own - something sluggish advertisers can learn from.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikTxfIDYx6Q

9. Guy Catches Laptop with His Butt
Advertiser: MSI Computers
Ad Agency: N/A
Why it works: In much the way Airplane parodies disaster films, this cheeseball video spoofs last year's viral video hit Ray-Ban's Guy Catches Glasses with Face. The inside joke is why we picked the video for this year's Top 10. If you're not on the web, you don't get it. But for the millions who saw Ray-Ban's video, it's a wink and a nod, and an ironic sign that the viral video medium is maturing (or not).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEoyAGK-VAU

10. JK Wedding Dance
Advertiser: Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz
Ad Agency: N/A
Why it works: A couple's wedding entourage dances down the aisle to Chris Brown's song "Forever," springboarding this video into viral history (at least for '09). Instead of stripping the video of its music - something copyright owners are permitted to do on YouTube - Sony used its popularity to sell more Chris Brown albums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Source: Marc Zacharoff, Art Director at Dedicate

Calling All Women In Business

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:58:00 +0000

New opportunity for 60 women entrepreneurs. Apply now at www.goingforgrowth.com Going for Growth is an EU initiative that has successfully supported women entrepreneurs. New applicants for the programme are now being invited. Participants will learn from lead entrepreneurs including Amanda Pratt, Anne Heraty, Norah Casey among others. Suitable applicants to the programme will have a strong determination to grow their own business and must be willing to commit fully to the initiative. Information about the programme and details of how to apply are available at www.goingforgrowth.com

This programme is sponsored by the European Social Fund, Enterprise Ireland and the Equality for Women Measure, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Get Publicity - The Flashmob Way?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:52:00 +0000

Since 2003, a strange phenomenon known as the flashmob has been breaking out at odd times, in odd places around the world. Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English defines flashmob as "a group of people who organise on the internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse."

Some notable flashmobs of the past include Worldwide Pillow Fight Day (or International Pillow Fight Day). This was a pillow fight flash mob that took place in March 2008 and saw more than 5,000 citizens of New York City participate.

Around the time of Michael Jackson's death, a tribute was paid to him in Stockholm. One person starts an patented Jackson dance routine with more and more dancers seamlessly joining in until eventually there is a massive group of dancers, all perfectly choreographed to 'Beat It'. When the song ends, these seemingly regular strangers all walk away and camera footage brilliantly captures numerous tourists and shoppers with 'What just happened?' written all over their faces.

The flashmob phenomenon has now arrived on our own green shores. Recently, in Cork, to the jaunty tune of ELO's 'Mr Blue Sky', some Irish participants attempted to achieve the same bewildering feat. A big group of people do end up moving in synch, however, our own Irish twist is indeed added to the video. Close-ups of embarrassed looking teenagers joking and slagging one another provoke empathy. Passers-by look less in awe and more like something absolutely raving is happening to their fellow Corkonians. When the song ends, the characteristic dispersion doesn't occur. Instead, people stand and laugh and chat, analysing how it all went and checking out the photos their mates took on their phones. If you're in need of a giggle, it's definitely worth a look.

Managing Twitter Accounts for Companies | Ignite Social Media

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Managing Twitter Accounts for Companies | Ignite Social Media

Posted using ShareThis

RTÉ's Dragons' Den Seeks Entrepreneurs

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:06:00 +0000

'One idea, one pitch, one deal away from the dream'

Here at Thornton MPR, we always encourage new business start ups and we love nothing more than seeing people go for it and taking a risk. So if you think you have what it takes, then download this application form and fill it in, what have you got to loose!

The hit RTE series Dragons Den is seeking Entrepreneurs. They are looking for applications from Ireland’s budding inventors and business minds with killer ideas, amazing inventions and new must have products.

Do you have a killer idea, an amazing invention or a new 'must have' product ready for investment?

Do you have the powers of persuasion needed to part the Dragons from their cash?

If so then apply online now at: www.rte.ie/dragonsden or download the attached application form.

*Applicants must be available from filming dates in November 2009 and January 2010

dragonsdenapplication2009.rtf

Twitter allows adverts

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:42:00 +0000

I was asked by one of my students in class the other day, how Twitter makes its money and up until now they didnt! So here is the latest news from Twitter...

Twitter, the fast-growing microblogging site has changed its terms for users to allow advertisers to reach its more than 45 million monthly visitors.

Twitter, the two-year-old venture capital-backed company that lets people send an unlimited number of 140-character messages, is just now beginning to ramp up efforts to monetise, or gain revenue from, its popular site. It has now revised its "terms of service" to specify that it may run ads. Advertising revenue is the time-honored way for websites to generate revenue while remaining free for consumers. Explosive growth in social networking is attracting interest: worldwide unique visitors to Twitter's site reached 44.5 million in June, up 15-fold year-on-year, according to ComScore.

Some analysts are sceptical that advertising will catch on in a meaningful way on social networks, arguing that companies are reluctant to juxtapose their brands with unpredictable, and potentially offensive, user-generated content. But some analysts point out that users of social networking websites tend to spend a lot of time on these sites, providing an attractive platform for advertisers to promote their brands - especially if preferences are tracked. Twitter kept its new clause on advertising open-ended, and stressed it was subject to change. (c) Reuters

Do you think your business card is special?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:29:00 +0000

We all have them...a little card that we pass around to new business contacts and shower out like confetti when we enter a networking event! Most of our cards are quite conservative and just do what they say on the tin. However I came across this article the other day with examples of various business cards. Some wacky, some brilliant and some really inventive designs. Take a look...51 Creative Business Cards Ideas

What is Social Media?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Social Media and social networking is exploding all around the world at the minute and is becoming the fastest growing activity on the internet. So with so many people using social networking sites, how can you tap into this market to get customers and for the benefit of your business? This is a presentation I looked at with my class of 2nd years in college recently. It provides some interesting reading! This will be a massive growth area over the coming years, an area where companies will tap into the technology, an area where millionaires will be made and an area where the next generation of marketers will hook us, the consumer!

What is Social Media?

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

Community Games Finals Coming up this weekend in Athlone

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:54:00 +0000

National Finals of the HSE Community Games, Athlone

Friday 21st August Sunday 23rd August 2009

The community games finals comes to Athlone this weekend, which marks the end of a thirty-five year relationship with Mosney, Co Meath, where over 8,000 children from all over the country have competed annually in the Games since its inception, including many sports personalities.

It is expected that because of the opportunities provided by the new venue, in future years over 9,000 children will participate at the National Finals. In addition to providing the sports facilities, the new venue will also provide 2,500 bed spaces, hosting all participants in one location.

AIT's high-tech sports facilities include an eight-lane Olympics-standard athletics track, as well as a full size FIFA 2-star astro-turf soccer pitch and a full-size GAA pitch, which can accommodate a mixture of events including soccer, hockey, Gaelic football and hurling. Competitions will also take place in the institute's multipurpose centre, which contains a basketball court, four badminton courts, two volleyball courts, indoor soccer and a contemporary fitness suite.

Hosting the Games is an ideal opportunity to showcase the facilities at AIT and in Athlone town, and make this a very enjoyable event for all participants. HSE are title sponsors of the Community Games, the theme for their partnership is 'Active Healthy Lives', this reflects the organization's shared goals.

The partnership has produced guidelines for promoting health at their events including tips for sun safety, healthy eating, physical activity, smoking and alcohol.

For more information on HSE Community Games and the National Finals 2009;

Log onto: http://www.communitygames.ie/
HSE Community games Head Office
Email: admin@communitygames.ie
Telephone: 01-6251180

3 Ireland Launches New Sky Sports Football Package

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:45:00 +0000

3Ireland scores with Sky Sports

Mobile operator 3 Ireland has launched a new Sky Sports football package that includes video action of goals and analysis for its subscribers.

The package also includes free alerts letting them know when a video clip of their team is available on Planet 3. It also allows free browsing for the latest news on 'My Team', as well as access to Sky Sports News and Sky Sports 1, 2 and 3 for 99c per day or €1.99 per week.

RTE announces its Autumn line up...

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:43:00 +0000

RTÉ Radio has launched its new autumn seasons across its 11 national radio services, including its four FM services, six digital services and the new RTÉ Radio 1 Extra.

Miriam O'Callaghan, Marty Whelan, Deirdre Purcell and Eibhlín Ní Chonghaile take up key new slots in the schedule that sees a total of 13 new series, including brand new arts, rural affairs, music and sports programming.

Announcing the new schedules, her first since becoming managing director of RTÉ Radio in February, Clare Duignan described the challenge of creating real value and choice for listeners in an increasingly competitive radio market and against the backdrop of a changing economic climate.

Meanwhile, RTÉ Radio Drama and RTÉ Radio 1's Documentary on One will premiere an ambitious new slate of original plays and documentaries alongside a returning schedule of regional, maritime, news and current affairs, poetry, specialist music, business, religious and disability programming, across all the services.

Ms Duignan announced several key changes to the schedule, including the move of Dave Fanning to the 7pm slot on RTÉ 2fm and the extension of Drivetime to 7pm, with Des Cahill rejoining the show. Marty Whelan will present the weekday lunchtime slot on RTÉ Lyric. Author Deirdre Purcell will present at weekends on the station, and Gay Byrne returns on Sundays.

Using Internal PR to Boost Your Staff Morale

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Sorry I havent posted in ages! I have been busy with work ( a great complaint these days) and I have moved office! So I am back to posting you the latest news of Marketing & PR in the Midlands - from Mullingar, Co Westmeath. This is my latest article that I have written for publication, hope you get some useful advice from it! Its all about going back to basics!

Your staff are your front line - Have YOU told them their doing a good job?

In the midst of cutbacks, layoffs and an uncertain future for our jobs and our businesses, internal communications has been the biggest casualty within companies. The staff who kept companies going over the last couple of decades now feel cast aside, out of the loop or simply not informed in their role for the company and the future of that company.

This is now one of the biggest challenges facing businesses in the current economic climate and at the moment in every SME up and down the country, internal communications is the key to the future survival of many businesses.

Historically we have been concentrating on well managed external public relations for our companies, our image and identity, and internal communications was relatively low on the agenda. However, the focus now has placed internal communications at the centre stage for many companies both large and small in the Irish market.

As businesses grow and evolve, the need for effective internal communications increases. Small companies tend to manage quite well with ad hoc internal communications structures. A technique called “Management by Walking About” (MBWA) can allow a manager to talk to almost all staff in an information way in the course of an hour or two and this is the system that is used by most small companies in Ireland.

However as companies grow these ad hoc systems are not only insufficient but can be destructive and counter productive. A growing portion of employees feel “left out” of important events within the company while the communications vacuum is filled by the grapevine. Over the difficult and challenging times since the economic downturn began, it is this grapevine which has imbedded itself into the core of many companies in Ireland. The reason why? No internal communications!

Information gets passed around through the grapevine at work but most of the time it casts the information in the worst possible light and causes scaremongering among staff. The off shoot of the grapevine is that employees start to suspect that there must be a reason why they have not been informed of something directly by management. This vacuum and creation of paranoia can destroy morale within an organisation which can in turn reduce productivity and performance, which can both impact heavily on the bottom line of a company. During these turbulent times and when job security has become such an issue for all of us, it is important that internal communications steps in to fill this vacuum and to quell the rumours of the grapevine.

Why Internal PR?

 It aims to encourage and promote internal communications among employees and to generate a good flow of communications among all level of employees.
 All staff are important communicators for their business and are your mini sales people, so keep them informed.
 It’s about promoting the company as well as motivating employees to do more.
 Internal PR ensures there is a formal structure for communication in companies.
 It is used to increase productivity.
 To build loyalty.
 To counteract rumours.
 To give people a sense of belonging.

Di Burton MD of Ciada PR, whose clients include 10 Downing Street once commented “68% of customers defect from an organisation because of staff attitudes or indifference and the more dissatisfied staff feel about their organisation, the more likely they are to speak critically about the organisation.”

What is needed for Internal PR to Work?

1. Management Commitment - you firstly need buy in from the management and a commitment that they are going to implement it on a consistent basis, after all you cannot expect your employees to engage in better communication when you are doing the opposite! But bear in mind, it must be a two way communication process where your staff can participate AND give you feedback.

2. An Actual Plan – A good communications strategy will be strongly liked to the overall business strategy of an organisation. First step for SME’s should be an evaluation of the existing situation with your company, in order to develop a benchmark against which to measure change. This is known as an IC Audit – Internal Communications Audit.

3. Link between Employee and Company Goals – It is important that your employees make a link between their jobs and the organisations goals. Employees can only work effectively if they can participate in the organisation and they can only participate effectively if they are fully informed. Staff who have the possibility to participate and feel that their opinion is being heard are more likely to be motivated and effective in the work that they are doing.

How to implement it in Your Company:
1. Start with an internal communications audit. What works well, what isn’t working. Set objectives on what you want to achieve as a company. Look at your systems that you currently have in place. These systems include memos, meetings, staff notice boards, internal email, newsletters etc. Are these systems working, look at their effectiveness and asses their impact both positive and negative?

2. Liaise with HR on the plan. They know the cost of getting an internal communications audit wrong. Their goal is to decrease the rate of attrition.

3. Look at the board of directors / management and how they do or don’t communicate. Do they take responsibility for their own communications? Are they committed?

The key to internal PR in these challenging times is to remember that internal PR is 80% attitude and 20% tools. You must bear in mind that employees need to make connections with each other through the use of these tools and social outings which generates good company spirit.

According to Ellen Gunning, director of the Irish Academy of Public Relations and author of “Public Relations a Practical Approach”, “ good internal communications, generating a better quality of working experience, leads to increased productivity, fewer quality control problems, lower absenteeism, greater customer satisfaction and more recommendations and referrals. Conversely, poor internal communications leads to poor motivation, boredom and an increase in quality control problems as well as absenteeism etc.”

The Golden Rule:
So during these challenging times for all of us in business, my golden rule on how we should deal with staff morale is to go back to basics and follow the green cross code!

Stop, Look, Listen, Think…

 Stop what you are doing.
 Look at your company and how you are communicating. What works, what doesn’t work, what you need to change, what communication problems you are having etc.
 Listen to your employees. They are your company; they hear everything through the grapevine, communicate with them, listen to them and involve them.
 Think about how you can change your internal communication to the benefit of your employees and your bottom line.

Orla Thornton is from Thornton MPR – a marketing and public relations company based in the midlands. For more information visit www.thorntonmpr.ie or call 044 9330982 or email orla@thorntonmpr.ie

London is doing it...Dublin is doing it...Is Mullingar ready to Swap Till You Drop?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Thornton MPR Brings The Midlands First Swap Till You Drop Event to Mullingar

On Thursday night an event is taking place in the Annebrook Hotel for any women who loves fashion and for all of the women & recessionista’s out there who are looking for a bargain! The “Swap Till You Drop” event is being held this Thursday 28th from 7.00pm until 9.00pm where tickets will cost you €20.00 with all proceeds for this Swap going to the Westmeath Special Olympics.

If you haven’t already dropped in your clothes for the event the organisers are having two extra drop off nights due to demand. So bring your items to the Annebrook Hotel on Wednesday 27th from 5pm – 7pm or Thursday 28th from 5pm – 6pm.

Ladies can expect an evening of clothes, bags and shoe swapping, along with some papering in the paper zone with mini makeovers, mini hair styles and mini manicures and nail painting all while enjoying your complimentary drink at the drinks reception.

This event is a must for any woman who loves fashion and let face it, we all have a couple of pieces in our wardrobes that we never wear, a bag that is always in the back of our wardrobe or a pair of shoes that lie lonely in a box because they are too tight. Well this Thursday come along to the Annebrook Hotel and give those pieces a new home. There are no guarantees that you’ll find anything you like, and you don’t get to take things back if you don’t – but its very rare that anyone goes home without something they like.

Swap Till You Drop organiser, Orla Thornton from midlands based PR company Thornton MPR says, “We all love to shop and we all have items in our wardrobes, whether they are clothes, bags or shoes that we have never worn or have only taken out once to a wedding, so this Swap Till You Drop event is the perfect way to get some new clothes without spending money”, she says. If you are panicking that this isn’t for you, you think your clothes aren’t fashionable enough, to big, to small, to old or too unlovable to swap then think again.

However there are rules with this Swap Till You Drop event, which are listed on Thornton MPR’s blog for people to read before attending. Orla ads, “Once a piece is through the door and hanging on the rail, it no longer belongs to you. Women need bring items that they love but don’t wear and they will get things they love but do wear.”

Frock Swap Event for Special Olympics

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:12:00 +0000

SWAP TILL YOU DROP FOR WESTMEATH SPECIAL OLYMPICS

“Women always want clothes, credit crunch or not”, so said the infamous Twiggy and next Thursday 28th May in the Annebrook hotel at 7pm you will have your chance to swap till you drop and exercise the Recessionistas in you to take part in the midlands first Frock Swapping event.

So unburden your wardrobe, bring your unwanted garments to this party with link minded ladies and leave with some fab newly exchanged pieces!

Prior to the Swap night, you will be able to drop off your clothes on Friday 22nd from 6pm – 9pm & Saturday 23rd from 10.00am to 1.00pm to the Annebrook Hotel. Bring along all your unwanted garments you are happy to exchange ( worn or unworn and in a desirable condition) including shoes and bags and we will provide tags for each item received to be used on the Swapping night on Thursday 28th May from 7.00 pm – 9.00pm

The Rules?

+ You must bring two items or more to the frock swap drop off evening on the 22nd or 23rd

+ Women’s clothing only!

+ All swap items must be of good quality and condition, clean and laundered
Items will be refused if they do not meet these standards

+ When you hand in your swap items you will be given a Colour card that categorises your item

+ Red = High End Fashion and Designer Wear – e.g. Dior, Chanel, Louis Vitton, Quin & Donnelly, Paul Costelloe etc
+ Green = High Street Fashion – e.g. Reiss, Topshop, Ted Baker, Avoca, Zara etc

+Each item will entitle you to one currency card which in turn provides you with the opportunity to shop for items of similar value.

+ One card for one item

+ If you have a green card you can swap for green items

+ If you have a red card you can swap for red and or green

+ Dresses, skirts, trousers, jackets, coats, suits, blouses, jumpers, scarves, gloves, handbags, shoes, and boots all accepted.

+ No Penney’s clothes allowed. No T-Shirts allowed ( Unless Designer)

+ Minimum of Two Items – Maximum of 6 Items

What Happens on the Night?
Arriving at the Annebrook on Thursday 28th at 7.00pm you will be greeted and you must present your confirmation number for entrance. This confirmation number will be sent to you at the email address you provide when booking. You will have already have handed over your clothes on the drop off evenings and you will have received your colour cards accordingly. You can then enjoy a complimentary drink and get a peak at the clothes before the swap. At 7pm the swap will start and you can swap till you drop…well until 9.00pm when the event finishes.

Tickets for the Swap Till You Drop Night are €20.00 and your place can be booked by emailing swap@thorntonmpr.ie . All places must be booked in advance of the night. For any queries call the Westmeath Special Olympics office on 044 9334874.

14 Ways to Grow Your Business

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:56:00 +0000

An article written by Orla Thornton of Thornton MPR was recently featured in Eddie Hobbs Magazine, You & Your Money, looking at 14 ways to grow your business, so here it is for you in case you didnt pick up the magazine.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan – what you spend, how you do it, what you need it for, are you going to use it and what are you going to get from it.

2. Put the Customer back At the Core of Your Business – each employee should see the exchange with your customer as part of a customer relationship, not a transaction. Your customer IS your business.

3. Learn How to Introduce Yourself and Your Business in 30 seconds

4. Stay Visible, Be Smart & Keep it Simple – go back to basics

5. Be Creative – be more creative than your competitors & do it on a shoestring.

6. Advertise – use it in a sustained approach and get value.

7. Don’t Panic & Devalue Your Brand – a well thought out promotional campaign can generate short term interest and develop long term business. A badly executed campaign / special offer can devalue your brand.

8. Revise & Refresh Your Marketing & PR Plan – dust it off this time being realistic and if you don’t have a marketing and PR plan GET ONE and weave into the business plan.

9. Be Positive – positivity is essential for staff moral, a happy staff is a productive staff.

10. Involve Front Line Staff –they are all experts in their own area. Use their creative ideas, ask their opinion!

11. Keep Your Customers Satisfied – their needs are constantly changing, ask them if they are happy with your service? Simple but true!

12. Retain & Reward – 80% of business comes from 20% of your customers & existing clients, treat them well. Loyal customers buy more & spread good word of mouth.

13. Do a Simple Health Check – of your existing marketing & PR tools.

14. Maximise Opportunities – Everything your clients comes into contact with is a marketing & PR opportunity.

For April & May, Thornton MPR- Marketing & Public Relations are offering a free advice clinic to businesses with all proceeds going towards the Westmeath Special Olympics Fundraising Campaign. In exchange for a €50.00 donation you can get a one hour marketing & PR consultation to point you in the right direction with all proceeds going towards the Westmeath Special Olympics campaign. Book your place by contacting Orla Thornton - emailing orla@thorntonmpr.ie calling 0449390606 or log onto www.thorntonmpr.ie

Thornton MPR – Marketing & Public Relations is a dynamic consultancy which focuses on providing the best marketing and public relations solutions to our clients.

Our refreshing, creative and individual approach helps us offer an individual, personalised and professional service. Whether you seek to raise your profile through media exposure, want communication material that has real impact, need an event or project managed or need some practical marketing and PR advice, we can develop the right solution for you.

Thornton MPR combines PR expertise, creativity and business know how to deliver marketing & PR solutions that are carefully and creatively designed. We ensure that your message is delivered to the right people at the right time in the right way. We work with your budget, requirements and timeframe to provide you with the best results, within budget and on time. We are passionate about helping you to succeed.

A CULINARY STAR IS BORN

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Ireland's answer to a new star chef is about to be decided on the RTE series HEAT and Mullingar is serving up its answer to the new kid on the block. (chefs block that is!). Trevor Thornton has just made it to the final of the series which will take place next Tuesday 14th April at 8.30 on RTE 1.

The metro man was hip a couple of years ago but is this now a sign of the evolution of men in Ireland, a 31 year old plastics engineer from Mullingar able to cook up “Langues de Chat” quicker than you can look it up in the culinary dictionary!

Trevor stunned the judges last night with his elaborate and delicately put together menu, crafted from his amateur cooking skills that he has only been dying to put into professional practice in recent times. On last nights show he served the following mouthwatering and uniquely created menu which was created by Trevor Thornton himself!

Pan Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Veloute, Cep Ravioli and a Parmesan Crisp

***

Tournedos of Fillet Beef with seared Foie Gras, Pomme Mazime and Maderia Jus

***

Light Chocolate Sponge Layered with Vanilla Cream, Pecan Praline topped with Chocolate and accompanied with fresh raspberries!

***

So who just is this guy? Well believe it or not, behind those nerves of steel, confident artful hands and creative imagination lies an engineer by day and budding mini Kevin Thornton by night. Now please note, he is not just any old engineer, he is a Plastic engineer working for Trend Technologies in Mullingar.

Cooking has always fascinated Trevor from an early age, but he credits his mother, Kathleen for his interest in it, watching his mother cook amazing and adventurous food when he was a child. Trevor adds, " I always liked cooking, but the show really took my menus and style to a different level and this year when they were advertising for new contestants I was actually the first person to email, so obviously I was keen" he laughed.

Trevor, 31 lives in Mullingar with his beautiful new Tina, who makes a mean Rhubarb Crumble! They both got married in December while the show was being filmed! Lucky he has an understanding wife who supported his passion for the art of cooking and let him off making some of the wedding decisions in the run up to the big day. However Trevor showed his passion continued into his big day when he choose a venue that is renowned for its food, Rathmullan House in Donegal and had a huge part to play in the menu that was served to their guests for the day.

Trevor would love to indulge a little more in his passion for cooking, however he is mindful of the future. He treasures his job with Trend technologies as a engineer but of course would love to dabble in the cooking at the weekends. So here it is, if you are a restaurant and you would like to offer this budding chef work in your kitchens, you know where to go!

Trevor says that he doesn't cook like he did last night at the semi final the whole time, but those around him know that even a burger rustled up in his kitchen turns out to be the best, most delicious burger you have ever eaten!

The midlands local paper the Westmeath Examiner featured an article by the Midlands chef this week and I am confident that we will be hearing more from this guy in weeks to come. Kevin Thornton better watch out, as Trevor's fastidious attention to detail and keen competitive spirit means that someday there could be a new Thornton's Restaurant with a Michelin star!

Trevor is now only one step away from being crowned HEAT champion 2009.

The final has arrived!

From hundreds and hundreds of applicants the amateurs were whittled down to 20 wannabes who have been put through some of the most gruelling challenges they could imagine. From the white hot HEAT kitchen to cooking for expert judges, these chefs have proven their worth and truly earned their place in the final. Only two remain, Patricia George and Trevor Thornton.

For the final they return to the HEAT restaurant one last time and will be expected to cook the meals of their lives. And just to add on some extra pressure, there will be some well known faces in the restaurant. Who will stand the HEAT, and who will become HEAT Champion 2009?

We, of course, are routing for the best, Chef Thornton...Chef Trevor Thornton...

Thornton MPR - Marketing & Public Relations

Twitter Trends - Is it Worth Following? Can it Improve Your Business?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Ok, so its Orla Thornton here! I must apologise for my gap since this and the last post! The last time I posted, we spoke about Twitter, the new social networking phenomenon that everyone is raving about at the minute.

I had mentioned that I was going to ask my class of mature students at AIT who was using it. So, the results. Out of a class of 25 only 1 person was using it, and that was just to see what all of the talk was about! So is it really the new must have tool that we, as business owners should all be using?

Well the frank answer is that it all depends on what you put into it and what you want to get out of it. You have to ask yourself, what are my reasons for starting a Twitter site for my business, what do I want to achieve? Do I want to increase my sales or to I want to engage with my consumer?

So how can you use Twitter for your business. Here is a quick snapshot look into the Twitter trends and terms you need to know.

Celebrity Twitter Streams
While Twitter is primarily used as a self-promotional tool, a large part of the service's appeal is the voyeurism it offers. Through Twitter, celebrities are taking PR initiatives into their own hands, using their tweets to directly reach out to their fans who love following their favorite public figures with such intimacy. Of course there is always the chance you're following a fake, but the blog Valebrity verifies the genuine high-profile users.

Twitter Branding
Want to check out how the competition is using Twitter? A new directory of tweeting brands, Twitter Tracker, compiles real-time updates from companies using the service, such as Whole Foods, JetBlue, and Starbucks.
TweetUps: A TweetUp is an impromptu gathering of fellow Twitter users, many of whom have previously never met in person. These events are usually publicized in the feed of a Twitter user who has an exceptionally large number of followers.

Twitter Slang
Much of the Twitter lexicon originates in gaming terms, like pwned (which we wrote about in New Slang, w00t (it's like a cheer - woot woot! But those "o"s are zeros!), and FTW (for the win), all of which users often use to punctuate their tweets (e.g., "@twitterfriend I just dominated that run. W00t!").

Hashtags
A commonly used character of the 140 permitted in each tweet is the number sign, or the "hashtag." A hashtag is placed before a word in a tweet so that it can be tracked as a trend - Twitter trends change almost daily. For example, when candy company Skittles recently incorporated Twitter users into its online marketing, under the Trend dropdown menu on the Twitter homepage, #skittles was listed. Noted fantasy author Neil Gaiman has a large Twitter following, and after he tweeted about his 33,333rd fan ushering in the "Armageddon," within hours, Armageddon was one of the highest ranking trends. The power of Twitter!

So are you still confused?
Look at the following corporate twitter accounts worth following and their case studies might explain it in real practical terms for you.

Corporate Twitter Accounts Worth Following

@ Palm Inc - Palm has taken the inventive step of using Twitter to break news to its customer base. It also uses the account to respond to customer queries.

@ Dell Outlet - Dell's Outlet twitter feed has more than 100,000 followers, and rightly so. It lets users know about incredible and often very brief deals. Not a bad idea when you have stock you need to get rid of fast in these times!

@ Starbucks - Starbucks uses its account to receive customer feedback, give information about new products and quickly answers questions.

@ Southwest Ait - Southwest Airlines, an American airline answers a customers questions and gives a glimpse into the lives of Southwest Employees.

There are million more examples that I could point out to you but take a look yourself and you wont loose anything if you try it out. However make sure you have a purpose in starting to Tweat, there is no point in starting an account to rabbit on about useless information. If it is going to benefit your consumer, it has to be useful!

Good luck Tweating...

Posted by Orla Thornton
Thornton MPR - Marketing & Public Relations
Marketing & Public Relations in Mullingar, the Midlands, Ireland and across the World!
www.thorntonmpr.ie

Twitter... Are you Tweeting?

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:01:00 +0000

This is a really good presentation I found online today, it will give you a brief insight into Twitter, the new tool that everyone is talking about! So look at the presentation and give me your feedback.

Do you use Twitter? Are you Tweeting to your friends or like minded business associates? Can it be beneficial for your business?

It has been described by many as the fastest growing phenomena on the Internet, yet are we really using it properly or at all? I am going to put this question to my students at AIT ( Athlone Institute of Technology) tomorrow and ask them do they use it, why and for what purpose! The results should be interesting and I will post the feedback from the class and another article on Twitter.

Out of a class of 25 students all studying a Dip in Marketing, Advertising & PR, how many of them are using the " fastest growing phenomena on the Internet"?

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Twitter... what's all the fuss about?

View more presentations from madebymany. (tags: future guide)

For March, April & May, Thornton MPR- Marketing & Public Relations are offering a free advice clinic to businesses with all proceeds going towards the Westmeath Special Olympics Fundraising Campaign. In exchange for a €50.00 donation you can get a one hour marketing & PR consultation to point you in the right direction with all proceeds going towards the Westmeath Special Olympics campaign. Book your place by contacting Orla Thornton - emailing orla@thorntonmpr.ie calling 0449390606 or log onto www.thorntonmpr.ie

Content Marketing Basics

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:26:00 +0000

What is Content Marketing?

Definition: Content marketing is an umbrella term encompassing all marketing formats that involve the creation or sharing of content for the purpose of engaging current and potential consumer bases. In contrast to traditional marketing methods that aim to increase sales or awareness through interruption techniques, content marketing subscribes to the notion that delivering high-quality, relevant and valuable information to prospects and customers drives profitable consumer action.

In other words content marketing is about offering your customers and prospects something useful instead of chasing them with sales pitches. It must be useful information.

In our consumer world today, people choose to make up their own minds. They do their own research; arm themselves with information about the product, the company, its people. When we decide to buy a car we do our research, trawl through the online sites, visit our local dealerships, check out what trade in price you are being offered, what extras they will give you and compare the price with other dealerships. You do this process for any purchase that you make, whether it’s a car, a diamond ring or a washing machine.

WE educate ourselves as part of the process of consumer and buyer behavior and now YOU need to get involved in this process if you want to build up a relationship with your clients and inform them!

Content marketing includes all of the following examples:

 Whenever you pick up a copy of your supermarket’s customer magazine
 When a local businesswoman speaks at a networking event
 Recipe cards from food companies
 Articles in the local paper or online
 Your website text
 Customer newsletters
 Content, content, content and more content.

Why Engage in Content Marketing?
Do it well and customers will actually seek out your marketing precisely because it is useful. They’ll also be more likely to pass it on, look forward to more in future and become an engaged and loyal customer. You become their trusted resource. Sounds good, but how to I put it into practice within my company / shop / business…

Five Quick Examples of Content Marketing
1. A customer newsletter that educates - not just sells
2. Free workshops
3. A printed trend guide for your industry
4. A ‘How To’ video that you distribute online
5. Online tools that your customers can use (ex. a mortgage calculator)

Learning Point - The only rule is that content marketing is designed to educate or entertain. It’s not an overt sales pitch.

We are bombarded with advertising messages on a daily basis and as the day goes on we become immune to their message. Content marketing turns this on its head. Instead of trying to grab people’s attention when they really don’t want to be listening, you create something that they actually want – useful information or entertaining content.

Three reasons why you need to check out content marketing:

1. People Come to You:
Content marketing creates information and entertaining content that people want.
2. Smarter Prospects Make Better Buyers:
Good content makes prospective customers smarter and helps them solve problems. Done well it helps you to become a trusted resource and encourages customer loyalty and new business.
3. Content is an Asset:
You want something that builds over time.

Posted by
Orla Thornton
Thornton MPR - Marketing & Public Relations
www.thorntonmpr.ie

Westmeath Special Olympics Fundraising Campaign Needs You to Help Us...

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:34:00 +0000

The Westmeath Special Olympics office has launched its 2009 fundraising campaign, as part of the national fundraising drive for the charity. The campaign, which runs from 5th January to 1st May 2009, is asking the people of Ireland to donate or get involved and organise any fundraising event to support Special Olympics in their own community. The counties two launch events took place on Tuesday where the athletes of some of the Special Olympics affiliated clubs in Westmeath were present along with JJ Naughton representing Special Olympic Irelands premier sponsor Eircom.

The campaign, aims to raise €5 million in 2009. The money raised will change lives and make a real difference in Westmeath. There are approx 872 people with an intellectual disability in Westmeath but only 216 of them are athletes in Special Olympics Ireland. Money raised will go towards providing sports training and competition for those athletes and to reach out to those people in Ireland not already involved. It will also be used to recruit and train volunteers and to develop new clubs through out Ireland.

CEO of Special Olympics Ireland, Matt English said “Special Olympics Ireland changes the lives of thousands of athletes and their families, every day in communities throughout Ireland; but there is so much more that can be done and many more people we need to reach. Partnering with eircom to help drive the 2009 Special Olympics Ireland Fundraising Campaign we know that with the public’s support we will raise the essential funds needed to deliver on our promise to change lives for the better”

A dedicated Special Olympics Ireland fundraising campaign office has been set up to support and coordinate the campaign in County Westmeath. The office is located in Pearse Street Mullingar beside the Greville Arms Hotel.

Speaking about eircom’s involvement Managing Director eircom Retail Cathal Magee said”eircom is delighted to partner Special Olympics Ireland for the 2009 fundraising campaign as it will help create more athlete opportunities in local communities. And eircom is proud to stand together with Special Olympics, as we have done since 1985, to help change people’s lives in a real and meaningful way.

Help us find Westmeath’s Granny…

As part of the fundraising campaign for 2009, it sees the inaugural ‘Granny of the Year’ contest take place in every town, city and county in the island of Ireland to find Ireland’s best Granny. We are looking for Westmeath’s Granny to represent our County! So if you want to show your granny how much you care for and appreciate her? Now's your chance to tell the world why you think your Granny is simply the best! Help us to find and reward that very special lady who is a shining example of what being a Granny is all about. Nominate your Granny today!

All you need to do is:

• Fill in Nomination Form- closing date 28th Feb
• Send in your sponsorship fee by 30th March- minimum of €250
• Attend your local event

Fantastic prizes are to be won with a prize also going to the person who raises the most money overall. This is the perfect opportunity to get your whole community involved and raise lots of money for Special Olympics Ireland.

Contestants will be judged on how much they love being a Granny. If there are any special talents or inspirational stories to be had, don’t be shy and share them with your community. County heats will take place all over the land. The winners will progress to the Regional finals with the Grand Final to take place in Dublin. We are looking for that special Granny to represent Westmeath, so phone us, email us or call into the office on Pearse street in Mullingar to pick up your nomination form and nominate your Granny!

For further information
To get involved in the County Westmeath campaign please contact Martina or Orla in the Westmeath Office by phoning 044 9334874 or 044 9396384 or by email to westmeath@specialolympics.ie. Eircom, premier sponsor of Special Olympics Ireland, has given the campaign a boost by providing valuable IT and telephone services for each county coordinator and local Eircom representative JJ Naughton was pictured at the launch of the fundraising campaign on Tuesday night.

Fundraising projects, large and small are already planned and taking place including the search for the 2009 Granny of the Year and an All Ireland Collection Day which is scheduled to take place on 24th April 2009. If you cant think up of an event let us know as we have a list of events ranging from A – Z that people that run ranging from a fun run, coffee morning, have your female friends over for a dinner party night, poker night, painting competition, raffles, non uniform , county colours day, fashion shows and many other ideas!

To find out more about the campaign or request a fundraising pack text CHANGE and your name to 51444 (ROI) 86122 or alternatively Lo-1850 555 222 (ROI) / Lo-call for NI 00800 555 222 55 or email fundraising@specialolympics.ie.

Are You In The B2B Marketing Space...

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:56:00 +0000

....If so then you need to read the following survey results about the Media Habits of Key Executives.

Key business people read an average of 2.1 newspapers, watch an hour-and-a-half of television and listen to an hour-and-a-half of radio a day, according to new research from the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI).

In addition, 98 per cent of business people go online regularly, with the majority referring to the internet more than three times a day as they track down news and do research.

Typically, business people cite Michael O'Leary as the businessman they most respect and their favourite ad of the past year is the Cadbury's Gorilla commercial.

These findings are from a survey of 480 senior business executives throughout last year by Amárach Research, on behalf of IAPI. It's the first survey of Irish business media usage since 2002 and the first ever to cover broadcast media and online, as well as printed matter. The article was published in the Sunday Business Post recently.

‘‘We wanted to produce something useful for the marketing industry,’’ said IAPI president Brian Swords. ‘‘Anyone interested in the B2B marketing space will need to know what people like this watch on TV, what they might do with direct mail and how they use the internet.”

So, to keep your finger on the pulse click the link below and read Catherine O'Mahonys article to find out which paper, magazine and radio station comes out on top in this recent survey.

http://www.thepost.ie/ezineSBP/story.asp?storyid=38845

Posted by:

Orla Thornton
Thornton MPR - Marketing & Public Relations
www.thorntonmpr.ie

10 Tips For Your Website

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:53:00 +0000

10 Tips for Your Website

This is a great article I came across from Ann Donnelly’s blog on Search Engine Optimization. So if you are looking at ways to improve your website or just need some inspiration then read on.

January is a busy time for people searching the net for bargains, holidays for the year, new business ideas, etc. So it is a good time to make sure that your website is getting you the best possible results. It's also a good time to set out the goals for the results you want from your website in 2009, in order to make sure that your website is working for you. Here are my recommendations:

1. Get a face lift.
Take a good, objective look at your website and ask yourself, "Does the design of my site reflect the image I want to portray for my business?" In the past you may have felt that you didn't have the budget for a professionally designed website and took on the job yourself; you may have used a student, relative or other less experienced designer; or perhaps the image of your business has changed over the years since your site was first designed. Now is the time to make the changes to make sure that your site is appealing to your market and portrays your brand in a way that will increase your sales. Find an experienced web development company with a portfolio of websites for clients in similar industries to yours, that shows that they can capture the image required for your business. It's important that your site isn't just a bit of text about your business, products and services -- make sure your site is based around proven online marketing techniques to move the visitor to become a customer.

2. Get Management. (Content Management System vs. Website Management Service).
It is important to keep your website fresh, interesting and attractive to keep visitors coming. Ask your web development company about adding a Content Management System , so that you can either update all the pages of your site or perhaps just relevant sections (i.e. News, Events, Rates, etc.) If you think that you will not have the time or desire to make changes to your site yourself, you may prefer to take out a Website Management Service. Most web development companies offer a contract service that will save you money on site alterations and perhaps include other benefits; such as priority or expedited service, a higher level of support, etc.

3. Get Results (as in the best possible Search Engine Results).
You cannot overlook the great opportunities to increase your traffic through better search engine results. If your site was developed a few years ago, or if you web developer wasn't search engine savvy, there may be some simple things that can be done throughout your site to improve results. If you are in a very competitive market on the Internet you probably understand the value of search engine placement, but better results may take more time and effort. I still get a lot of new clients that think that search engines are not going to be an important source of visitors to their sites, but within a year they then see the benefit of all that unexpected traffic to bring them new business, as well as PR/marketing and networking opportunities.

4. Get Links.
Quality incoming links are important for a few reasons. It's a good way to bring in more traffic. Link building is a good opportunity to network with like minded business people. Search engines track the links into your site and a number of good quality links will improve your search results. For more information, see my post on Link Building the DIY Way.

5. Get Freedom (from Spam)
Spam has gotten to be an expected factor in using the Internet. The problem is that it is easy to lose the good messages in the spam filter. First consider if you can stop using any addresses that are already getting spammed. Once they are in the spammers lists, they are not coming off and the amount of spam will just grown and grow. Use one address for yourself that will never be used on a website and kept absolutely safe, use another on your website (but encrypted so not exposed to email address harvesting programmes used by spammers) and a third address that you can post on third party sites that may be accessed by spammers (you know this one will get spammed, but you can change this account as needed). Make sure that your web developer "spam proofs" your enquiry forms.

6. Get E-Mailing
A few years ago Email Marketing was called the killer marketing Tool. This is still very true and it's stood the test of time (well a few years is a long time in this rapidly developing industry). Start by adding a subscription form on your website and ask people to sign up every chance you get (enquiry forms, point of sale, etc.). Be sure that you don't spam - by sending messages to people that have not requested the information - besides being illegal, it's annoying and not a good way to market your business. Your best targets are people that have used your business before, and it's usually easy to get them to subscribe for special offers, news and other interesting information that you can pass on. Some businesses find it sufficient to send a newsletter 1-2 times a year, perhaps to help boost business during the slow period. If you can generate interesting, relevant content more frequently - and it suits the nature of your business - you may want to send mailings as often as needed (i.e. whenever new products/services are added, when you are offering a special offer, etc.) We recommend using a third party mailing list management service, like iContact , as it provides a secure way to maintain your list, an easy way to compose professional looking newsletters, makes it easier to get through spam filters and provides good statistics on how many recipients opened your message and clicked links, etc.

7. Get Blogging
A blog - a user friendly, online 'diary' - is another way to provide interesting, up to date information about your business. The search engines 'love' blogs and regular Internet users do as well. There are many tools to make it easy for visitors to refer your blog posts to others using the net. You just need to add links into your website and your blog becomes an excellent marketing tool. Including useful, timely information also helps to establish yourself as an expert in your field and is a good 'magnet' for incoming links.

8. Get (Social) Networking
If any of the names MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. are not completely foreign to you, you are ready to take the plunge and use one/all of these Social Networking sites to promote your business. Like blogs, these sites are set up so that it's easy to send 'your message' to a large community of people. It takes time to build your community, but as you do, more and more people find out about your business. Using these sites can be less time consuming than writing regular
blog posts -- but the more time you put in, the more you will get out of it.

9. Get a 'Tech Check'
The best €150 I spent in 2008 was to the Enterprise Board for a Tech Check, technology audit of our business. The result was a detailed, independent report on the technology we were currently using in our business, along with recommendations for new systems and procedures that we could use now and for any expected expansion. I hesitated to sign up for the service initially as I assumed that the person assigned would be pushing his own services and his recommendations would be geared to that; but it is part of the scheme that the auditor cannot provide the follow up services. In fact, my auditor doesn't provide such services for a living and most of his recommendations were things I could do myself, were free or very cheap and easy to download from the Internet. So if you have concerns about the security of your data, how to do back-ups more efficiently, if you need a better programme to manage your accounts, etc. this service will get you the answers you are looking for.

10. Give Outstanding Service
The one area where many web businesses fall down is in providing a decent level of customer service, so this is a great opportunity for you to stand out from your competitors. Many Irish e-commerce site owners are concerned about the fact that Irish VAT, one of the highest in Europe, has risen and UK VAT has dropped; so prices on Irish sites will appear higher than ever. Yes people are more price conscious these days, but when shopping online more people are concerned about doing business with a reliable, established business that they can talk to if needed. Be sure that your website provides clear contact details. Answer enquiries within 24 hours (sooner, if possible, even if just to say that you've received the message and will get back to the sender promptly). Offer delivery times and costs equivalent to your competitors (even if in neighbouring countries). Focus on the customers needs and strive to provide that to them, even if it means giving that little bit extra. This will set you apart from the pack.

With the concern about keeping your business going strong in the current economic client it's important to make the most of your current resources, so resolve to make the most of your website and see the results in 2009.

One In A Million!

orla@thorntonmpr.ie (Thornton MPR - Marketing and Public Relations) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:21:00 +0000

Well, any of you who know me, know that I am not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination. My father has often tried to rub a little bit of his passion for watching golf off on me, but the only time I do watch it is when I am with him! However one sport I do enjoy watching is Rugby and it seems I am not the only one.

An amazing 1 million people tuned into the friendly match between Ireland and New Zealand last week which makes it one of the ten most popular programmes watched in Ireland this year.

The atmosphere seemed to be electric at the match even by just watching it on the TV you could feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, especially when the Kiwi Munster guys did their Haka which was proceeded by a "stare off" competition between the two sides, which went on for so long that the referee had to ask them to move along as he wanted to start the match!

So if you were not one of the million television viewers in Ireland that watched the match here is a clip of the Munster Haka.