Follow My Footsteps

whoshouldivotefor.com round 2 - Post debates and bigots

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 21:21:00 +0000

Before tomorrows debate I wanted to see how my opinions have changed since last doing this a couple of weeks ago. The questions have changed to build in the party manifestos so the results should be more accurate.

I am pleased to see that the Lib Dems are out in front for my vote. Each time I hear a snippet in the news I like what I am hearing and Nick Clegg does come with the least amount of baggage. However he is still a politician and the question is how much of what they are saying will get done if he got in?

My ideal for running the country would be to get rid of them all and put a coalition of Dawn French, Des Lynham and Terry Wogan in power! They would definitely have the trust and backing of the nation and remove some of the stiffness from politics. Plus they would all be experienced enough to know not to slag someone off until the mic is turned off! Brown's 'Bigot' comment is by far the most entertaining part of the election!

Take the Who Should You Vote For? England quiz

Liberal Democrat		38
Green		22
Labour		10
Conservative		0
UK Independence	-11

You expected: LIB
Your recommendation: Liberal Democrat
Click here for more details about these results

Know your web browsing rights

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:05:00 +0000

I have been using Firefox for years now but many people at work, friends and family still use Internet Explorer. I wanted to post this blog here to spread the word about the Opentochoice campaign to get people thinking about their web browser. I originally posted it on www.fwddigital.com

Some of you may have seen this logo or seen the ‘Open to Choice’ screen already, but for those of you who haven’t or who are not sure what it means we think it’s time you were made aware that you have the right to choose your web browser.

There are better browsers out there that Internet Explorer but so many people either don’t know what other options are out there or why they should change. Hopefully this will go some way towards answering those questions. For more information have a look at http://opentochoice.org or follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/opentochoice

“Our lives are full of choices. Where to eat? What to read? Who to spend time with?
The choices we make determine the quality of our life, and how we see the world. So many of these choices we take quite seriously, weighing the consequences, thinking about the implications, and choosing carefully and thoughtfully.

So it’s strange, then, that the majority of people in the world haven’t ever considered the Web browser on their computer or mobile phone — that so many people every day use the browser that comes by default.
It’s an important choice because the Web browser has become one of the most critical and trusted relationships of our modern lives – with nearly perfect knowledge of everything we do. It is the lens through which we look at the virtual world, and the medium by which we connect, learn, share, and collaborate. The browser you choose is responsible for providing you with the necessary tools to manage your online life, and to protect your privacy and security.

And so we’re pleased to support the European Commission and Microsoft in also recognizing how important choice is. In accordance with a landmark settlement, if you’re using a Windows PC in Europe and you’re still using the default Web browser, in the coming weeks and months you’ll see a Browser Choice screen appear. That screen will provide you the opportunity to make an active choice in the source of the software that acts on your behalf to broker your online experiences, and meet your own unique needs and interests.

As an international non-profit organization, Mozilla has always believed that the freedom to make smart choices should be central to making the Web, and the world, a better place. This shows through with Mozilla Firefox, a free, open-source Web browser that more than 350 million people around the world have chosen to use every day. Values of choice and self-determination are built into everything that we do, including Firefox.

We believe that the Browser Choice screen is an important milestone towards helping more people take control of their online lives — and we hope for the conversation to become broader and deeper. We’ve set up opentochoice.org as one place for you to discuss what this choice means to you — and we hope that you’ll add your own voice to this conversation and those to come.
Whether or not you decide to keep your current Web browser, we encourage you to learn more about your browser and the impacts it has on the way you see the world, and to make your own choice.
Mitchell Baker, Mozilla Chair & John Lilly, Mozilla CEO”

Follow any of these links to find out more about the options those browsers give you:

Who should I vote for?

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:20:00 +0000

I found this website: www.whoshouldivotefor.com and got some surprising results. It asks you a series of questions based on the environment, economy etc and provides you with the party that best meets your answers. I expected the answers be Conservative but as you can see the results were very different.

Take the Who Should You Vote For? UK General Election quiz

Green		32
Liberal Democrat		19
Conservative		4
UK Independence	-7
Labour	-8

You expected: CON
Your recommendation: Green
Click here for more details about these results

Living in Balham means we are part of the Battersea constituency. At the moment it is a marginally held Labour seat and it is now a major focus for the Tories. I want to vote for a party that has a chance of getting in but obviously my beliefs are very much aligned with the Greens. I have less than a month to decide. Time to get reading!

Wild Beasts in North Wales

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:39:00 +0000

Going back to work on a Monday morning after a week off is always pretty hard. The tube journey from Balham to Bank has already made the holiday seem like it never happened. All of the fresh air, feedom and calmness I felt in the North Wales countryside was replaced in an instant with heat, armpits and delays. The only plus point being that FWD Digital and FWD Marketing are now nearly settled in our new offices at 145 Leadenhall Street now and this is my first day here which is quite exciting.

Brave or stupid?
If you remember the weather over the Easter weekend was not the best. Scotland and Northern areas were even seeing snow storms! Therefore we were aprehensive of a holiday in Wales, let alone the camping holiday we had gone for! Telling people about the holiday we had decided on either had them wishing us luck or asking if we were crazy! (Please note this was not our desired holiday destination, we were somewhat restricted by budget.) After the 6 hour drive we arrived at our campsite in the pouring rain. We were staying at a campsite in Beddgellert which is in Snowdonia national park. Unfortunately due to the rain you couldn't seen Snowdon on the drive up.

The tent was great though, fully equipped kitchen, comfy bed and lots of blankets which it turned out we really needed as the evening got colder and colder as night set in. Eventually after putting on our beer, wine and whisky layers along with 4 jumpers and 3 pairs of socks we went to sleep. As we woke up the sound of rain drops had stopped and as we unzipped the tent and stepped out we found a spot of sunshine had appeared. This miraculously stayed for the whole week allowing us to get great views of Snowdon, go on long walks, have picnics and even sit on a beach at the beautiful Porthdinllaen on the north coast. (This picture was taken on my iPhone and edited using the Adobe Photoshop iPhone app while sat on the beach)

It ended up being a great holiday and one that I would recommend to anyone especially if you like driving. Some of the roads up there are fantastic with mountain views, slate stone walls, fast flowing rivers and waterfalls. Including the journey there and back we drove over 700 miles which provided the opportunity to listen to a lot of music. This is where the Wild Beasts come in. You may have been thinking we had found the Welsh dragon or a ferocious sheep, but what I was referring to in the title are the 4 piece band from Kendal in the Lake District. Their 2nd album 'Two Dancers' was my favourite album to drive to. It set the mood perfectly. The long drives gave me time to think about the best and worst driving albums I have on the iPod and I though I would share them for anyone with a long drive or driving holiday coming up.

My top 5 albums for a driving holiday

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
The XX - xx
Lightspeed Champion - Life is Sweet!...
Fat Freddys Drop - Based on a True Story
Joshua James - Build Me This

Albums that don't work for a driving holiday

St. Vincent - Actor (A great album but too eratic for driving)
Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth (I really enjoyed this when I first heard it but there are some really grating tracks that are off key and tempo...not suited to driving)
Diane Cluck - Oh Vanille (Another good album but too all over the place for driving)

I am always looking for new music so would be keen to hear any other recommendations. Oh and go to Wales! It's up there with Scotland, the Lake District and the South Island of New Zealand for hiking and driving holidays.

Boring boring Barcelona!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:24:00 +0000

The most entertaining match of the season

If only that had been true last night in the Arsenal v Barcelona Champions League game maybe we would have come away with a strong advantage and a fully fit squad. As it was they gave Arsenal a footballing lesson for three quarters of the game. Their speed, creativity and vision must surely make them the best team in the world.

Had it not been for Almunia the tie could have all been over after 10 minutes but as it stands the second leg is set up perfectly. Barcelona will be missing their two first choice centre back and Arsenal will be missing Fabregas, Arshavin and Gallas, all who may yet not play for Arsenal again this season. That will leave the game open and chances are likely to be created at both ends all match which is great for football fans but it's going to be stressful for us Gooners!

Marvellous Music of the week

I have come across some great music this week. Some brand new and some that I can't believe I didn't already know. My music tastes vary greatly and always have done but I am going through a Folk and Indie phase at the moment. My site of choice for news, videos and new music for this is Pitchfork.com and I really suggest you have a look. They have a Twitter account too if you use it.

My tips from this latest binge are:

Broken Bells - James Mercer (from the Shins) & Danger Mouse's collaboration
The XX - I have been meaning to get their album for months and finally got round to it
Dead Man's Bones - Ryan Gosling's weird and wonderful ghostly musical-esq band
Slow Club - Sheffield based duo
Temper Trap - They've been around for ages but I had to mention them because I got tickets to see them at Somerset house in the summer so have been listening to them a lot this week

There have been many more highlights including St.Vincent, Beach House and Scott Matthews but I will have to talk about them more another time.

Thanks for reading,
Craig

Change of direction

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:08:00 +0000

I have been using this blog to simply repost what I write on http://fwddigital.com. However I have decided that now that blog has grown to have a decent amount of followers, and regularly gets reposted on Twitter, FriendFeed and Linkedin, that I can afford to be more individual on here.

So....what to expect? I'm going to be posting more regularly and about a wider range of topics, including the latest Arsenal results (grr Birmingham!), film reviews and music I find through my random searches.

I'm sure some digital aspects will creep in but this is going to be more about me and less about work. I need to be able to shut off at the end of the day and let my other interests come through.

So for my digital marketing thoughts and finding check out http://fwddigital.com but for everything else, keep an eye out here.

P.S Sorry for the horrid picture...I typed in keep an eye out in Google image search and this came up...I couldn't resist!

Weekly Digital Press Links

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:28:00 +0000

This summary of last weeks press around Digital marketing shows how it is having an enhanced effect on B2B brands and corporate marketing. It was originally posted on http://fwddigital.com

Week Commencing – 18th January 2010

General Digital Marketing News

Online spend leads ad sector recovery, says IPA Bellwether (nma.co.uk)

The quarterly survey of more than 300 leading companies found 20% spending more on digital in the three months to the end of December 2009. But overall spend fell for the ninth consecutive quarter. (18/01/2010)

Mobile apps to generate $30bn by 2013 (nma.co.uk)

Consumers are expected to spend $29.5bn (£18bn) on more than 21m downloads of mobile apps globally by the end of 2013, according to research by analysts Gartner. (19/01/2010)

YouTube to begin broadcasting sport live (nma.co.uk)

YouTube is to start broadcasting live sport matches for the first time after agreeing a deal to show Indian Premier League cricket. (19/01/2010)

Labour creates first iPhone app to rally support (BrandRepublic.com)

The Labour Party is set to launch its first ever iPhone app to help canvassers rally support in the run-up to the general election. (21/01/2010)

Twitter readies advertising platform as COO says no IP0 in 2010 (BrandRepublic.com)

Dick Costolo, chief operating officer at Twitter, said the service is ready to begin testing a new advertising platform shortly as he ruled out a stock market launch this year. (21/01/2010)

Financial Services Digital Marketing News

Financial services lagging behind in social media (MortgageStrategy.co.uk)

The financial services sector has yet to grasp the benefits of social media, according to the findings of a recent conference, Social Media in Financial Services. (18/01/2010)

Paradigm to launch jargon-free website for Bee (FTadviser.com)

Paradigm Partners, IFA support services business launched in 2007 by Paul Hogarth, is to launch www.jargonfreepensions.co.uk later this week to coincide with Steve Bee’s arrival as managing pensions partner. (18/01/2010)

Customers more likely to shop around for motor cover (PostOnline.co.uk)

International actuarial and business consultancy EMB has found that there has been a marked increase in the number of people who will seek an alternative quote if their motor renewal premium increases by a smaller amount. (20/01/2010)

LinkedFA offers adviser social networking (FTadviser.com)

A social networking site enabling IFAs to connect with investors, clients and peers is set to launch by the end of the month. (21/01/2010)

The growing influence of blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:36:00 +0000

The Wikipedia definintion of a blog: (a contraction of the term “web log“) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.

I am sure you have noticed that not only are blogs achieving higher search rankings and traffic, but they are receiving greater press coverage.

The latest stats around blogging show this is just because Google have brought in ‘real-time’ search. There are more bloggers, more blogs and more people reading them.

- 77% of active Internet users read blogs
- 900,000 blog posts on average are posted every 24 hours
- 59% of bloggers have been blogging for more than 2 years
- Blogs are being written in 81 languages

These stats are all well and good but they do not demonstrate the growing influence they are having on nearly every aspect of society. For this you just need to look at the headlines:

- Education chief ridiculed by rivals over error strewn web blog
- Court Refuses to Release Tatarstan Blogger
- How the 2010 election will be won by blogs and tweets

Blogging has historically been an underground form of communication with individuals talking about their opinions on world events, products and brands. Now politicians, athletes, celebrities and journalists all publish blogs to boost their profile, reach a wider audience, talk for informally directly to the public, while gaging public opinion.

As blogging has become more mainstream, the corporate blog has been established.
- Study: Company Blogs Lead Social Media Options

The Wikipedia definintion of a corporate weblog: is a blog that is published and used by an organization to reach its organizational goals. The advantage of blogs is that posts and comments are easy to reach and follow due to centralized hosting and generally structured conversation threads.

Corporate blogs are being used by brands within all industries for both internal and external communication. The corporate blog has many benefits. It can generate leads, enhance brand awareness and build the relationship with the consumer through improved understanding of the brand’s personality. This works on both a B2B and B2C level and can be a great place for brands to enter into the world of social media.

Where to start with social media

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:51:00 +0000

Happy new year! Here’s to a prosperous 2010. Now is the perfect time to start planning for the coming 12 months but we understand that the world of social media and SEO can be a daunting place.

Our recommendation to move past this hurdle is that you choose a specific area of your business to focus on and use the sites that will best suit that activity. It is only by setting strategic goals that you are able to calculate the ROI and success on any online activity. One case study that we feel best demonstrates this is IBM who have set up a page of their site, Twitter account and Facebook group that purely focus on their B2B events.
IBM’s event page on their website is very easy to navigate and hosts a calendar of global events, as well as podcasts and webinars that can be played through the site or downloaded. It has been well optimised to appear high up in search results on its own merit but also links through to their Twitter account, RSS feeds and other sections of their website.

By focusing a Twitter account purely on events they are able to keep their Tweets very focused and on message providing information and insights before, during and after an event. They link to live streams during an event, their Flickr account of photos after an event and keep conversations going around the topic of the event. The success of this activity can be seen by the 2,254 followers (as of 4th Jan, 2010) and the 86 lists that the account has been added to.

IBM can calculate the success of this activity by looking at the traffic it drives to the live feeds and the web page, as well as seeing if attendee numbers rise. IBM have made a success of online communications on many levels, but this structured approach can be repeated by organisations of any size, and if well thought out and implemented correctly, could lead to new business, increased brand awareness and an enhanced reputation within the professional and digital space.

For further information or to discuss how online communications are relevant to your business please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Slow uptake by B2B brands on Social media & SEO. It's time for change!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Today I am tasked with finding which B2B companies are making the most their online potential. Who is actively focusing on SEO, who has launched a social media campaign? I don't expect to find too many.

We have been to see a lot of B2B companies recently and found that the majority of them know that they should be involved in SEO and social media but, because they don't know where to start, many of them keep putting any activity off. Twitter and Facebook are perceived as being a teenage playground where no real business is done, and LinkedIn is just seen as a networking tool with no function in brand building or lead generation.

In our experience this is not true. The fastest growing demographic on Facebook is the over 35s; the average age on LinkedIn is 41 and 49% of users are the business decision maker. Twitter is a great networking and lead generation tool if used correctly as there are so many industry experts, journalists and thought leaders using it everyday.

With all of these sites it is about using them, familiarising yourself with how they work and then trying to fight through the noise to create you own little feed of relevant information where you can join or start a conversation. This video that I saw a few weeks ago is now high up the viral video rankings and clearly demonstrates that social media cannot be ignored any longer.

Bored of the same old Xmas do? Try this...

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Awkward conversation, dirty jokes, cheap wine and getting too drunk in front of the boss. These are often things associated with the work Christmas party. If you can't face another evening of karaoke or a lame pub quiz then it may be time to forward this link to your boss: http://www.dinnerinthesky.com/dits_dinner/index.php

I spotted it on Delicious today when I was adding www.fwdmarketing.co.uk to my bookmarks. It looks like a bizarre and unforgettable experience, and definately one that would leave an impression. Imagine holding your next client meeting suspended over the Thames, or your Xmas do hanging next to St. Paul's! I think it would be fantastic.

Tweeting from the toilet!

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Yesterday saw the Internet's 40th birthday. I am guessing that when the first message was sent across America no one ever considered that 40 years later messages would be sent across the world from a hand held device while sat on the toilet!

This latest research of social media users in the US as reported by eMarketer found just that. I am not sure about the hygene risks involved, or how many phones have been dropped down the loo, but what is more worrying is that people check into their social media while driving! I know it is good to keep in touch but surely there is a time and a place?!

Read the full article here: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007352

I'd like to know the wierd and wonderful places people have Tweeted from?

Digital Profits

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:47:00 +0000

As companies have been announcing their Q3 profits it seems that the Digital market is emerging from the credit crunch. Companies in this sector all over the world have been announcing record profits:

Apple profits have jumped up by 47% on the back of increased iPhone and iMac sales
Google profits have seen a rise of 27% even before they start rivaling Amazon's Kindle in the eBook market
LG Dacom, a South Korean fixed-line carrier has posted a rise of 3.2%
IBM have reported a 14% rise due to a focus on software and services rather than hardware

There are sectors that continue to struggle but with the Digital sector pushing forward this is sure to kick start an up turn in economic fortunes. It does also highlight the strength on online and digital media against the more traditional industries.

Congratulations Rio - Olympics 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:28:00 +0000

I would like to congratulate Rio on their winning bid to host the 2016 Olympics. For Brazil to be the first South American country to ever host the competition says a lot about how far the country has progressed in the last decade. I spent 6 months last year traveling the world and Rio was definitely one of the highlights. It is a city that does not do things by halves and I can only imagine how long the celebrations will last following this result.

This video that is currently top of the viral video chart, is a beautifully crafted piece of work that shows the many different characteristics of the city. It is no wonder Rio was picked, as this video demonstrates the passion and belief that the city and its inhabitants share. It is a place that knows how to party and how to put on a show, and I am already looking forward to the opening ceremony.

This country has its problems, and Rio is not exempt from that. The favellas (slums) that are dotted around the city are at the heart of the issue with a great proportion of the city's crime rates and drug problems spilling out from there. Rio will have to tackle the favellas before the world descends on the city, but it will be interesting to see if the city chooses a long term solution through education, better housing and by creating jobs, or if they continue to try and hide them away through walling them off.

The city is going to have to change, but as long as they manage to keep the passion and the personality that is so strong now, the 2016 Olympics should be an unforgettable event.

Viral ads are getting harder to create

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:41:00 +0000

This BBC article about how ad agencies have had to change their campaigns over the last few years to encourage viral coverage is really interesting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8280850.stm

From my online marketing point of view it is always hard to think up new ways of encouraging interaction with users, and I am only working on a very small scale. When you are trying to implement a national or even global campaign the push for innovation must be putting these agencies under great pressure.

As we are exposed to an ever increasing range of media our expectations grow, the ability to shock us gets harder and making something stick in our memory is near on impossible.

Cadbury's gorrilla and eyebrows campaigns have managed that, as have Compare the Market's meerkat. Any guesses which brand will manage it next?

Search engine optimisation (SEO). What is it and why should I spend money on it?

noreply@blogger.com (Craig) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:26:00 +0000

SEO is the practice of ensuring that the layout and content of a website work alongside your online marketing activities to earn a high ranking on search engines. The overall aim of SEO is to improve the quantity and quality of traffic to your website, resulting in an increase in brand awareness and/or commercial sales.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a phrase that any company or individual with a website should know all about. Companies of all sizes are spending money on it, often without really knowing where that money is going. An infinite budget will not guarantee you the top listing on Google; only by implementing some key techniques in-house or by employing a trusted SEO agency can you start to move up the rankings.

SEO essentials
It is important to know that there is no quick fix when it comes to SEO. Many aspects must be addressed to optimise online activities, including the following:

· Site structure – well organised sites remove barriers for indexing

· Relevant content – must include focused keywords

· Link building – being listed on reputable websites and directories

· Web 2.0 – includes Linkedin, YouTube, Twitter and blogs which build links and reinforce keywords

How to build Page Rank
Your ultimate goal is to convince the search engines that you have a valuable website full of up to date content, and that the content is relevant to the products or services you offer. This is partly achieved by focusing on a list of keywords that reflect the nature of your business, which should then be written into your site content throughout static pages, blog posts and image labeling. Any off-site online marketing activity such as the use of Web 2.0 websites Twitter and Facebook should be undertaken with these keywords in mind, as all online content relating to your website is counted by search engines when awarding a Page Rank.
Adding your site to web directories is important as search engines include these listings, along with keywords, when awarding a Page Rank. Some web directories, for example the Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org) are also used by search engines as a basis for their database, providing the core data for many of the largest search engines and portals, most notably Google.
Does SEO apply in a B2B environment?
SEO has historically been a consumer-driven movement, with e-commerce and advertising driven businesses battling for first page listings in order to achieve high traffic levels and/or to attract users who will make a purchase instantly. The B2B online environment is different because you do not expect users, as potential clients to purchase a product or service on the spot. Your aim is to provide them with information that will convince them of your company’s reputation, and to build up your brand image. Despite differing priorities SEO remains important and relevant to B2B industries.
A greater understanding of the online environment can open up unique methods of communication in both B2B and B2C environments. Travelers, the US based insurer have created a YouTube sitewhich plays host to their unique television adverts. The aim was that these adverts would spread virally across the YouTube network. One video alone has attracted over 170,000 views which will have greatly aided their SEO efforts.
One example of a successful SEO campaign is ComparetheMarket.com. Their ComparetheMarket.com launched a SEO strategy that has driven their whole advertising campaign. The use of Aleksandr the meerkat has led to a series of television adverts, the creation of ComparetheMeerkat.com where you can actually compare meerkats, Aleksandr establishing his own Facebook fan base of over 500,000 users and even a petition to add the word ‘simples’ to the Oxford English Dictionary. It has given the brand a personality that consumers are able to relate to and interact with across many levels.

Choosing an SEO agency

It is important to enter into SEO for the right reasons. Understanding the basic processes behind SEO is essential in order to gain full advantage from this marketing tool and choose the agency most suited to you. The right agency should offer a bespoke service based on detailed analysis of current online activities, competitors and business environment.
Successful SEO strategies have already helped companies establish market leading websites by placing them at the forefront of emerging online trends. As technology continues to advance at a growing rate SEO can ensure your website has the strength to stand out.