Niroshan Rajadurai - The Second in Our Series of Marketing Expert Interviews
Niroshan Rajadurai, Executive Vice President of EMEA and ANZ at Vector Software, is the second interviewee in our marketing expert series. From his 3 biggest marketing challenges to his favourite hobby, we wanted to learn everything about our latest marketing expert.
- What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies)?
I enjoy playing cricket, reading business and technology literature and playing the Trumpet.
- What music do you like?
My favourite type of music is Jazz, this is influenced by my interest in brass instruments.
- What other career would you like to have chosen if you weren't in marketing?
It is an interesting question. Marketing is something that became essential as part of my day to day role. My original background was in Electrical & Electronics Engineer and Computer Science. The industry I work in today uses these skill sets. What I discovered early on when I worked as an engineer is that selling and marketing are essential skills both externally to a business and internally to your management. I think irrespective of any career path, marketing is a critical skill, and with the innovation taking place in digital marketing right now, my back ground and modern marketing are merging together. As a child, aeroplanes and robotics/AI always interested me. If I wasn't doing what I was doing today, I would be more involved in the technology in robotics/AI and it's modern day applications.
We then asked for Niroshan 's insights, opinions and expertise into marketing, to help us understand how marketing has developed and changed over the years, especially with reference to Vector Software. We asked him:
- What do you think have been the biggest changes to B2B marketing in the past 3 years?
There has been an evolution in digital marketing and business intelligence services from that digital marketing data. Most CIOs no longer see "digital marketing" as a separate operation within the marketing team, it's now an integral part and channel for pushing messaging. The use of marketing analytics tools also help identify in real time the ROI on campaigns. An upcoming challenge is the growing trend of AdBlocking which continues to challenge how digital marketing techniques will evolve over time.
- What do you think will be the biggest change in the way you approach your campaigns in the next 3 years?
Self enablement for the end customer. We continue to notice the speed at which decisions are made continues to get shorter and shorter in our industry. Our goal is to drive our value through thought leadership, and have our website be a way of disseminating that thought leadership into a focused solution that the customer can quickly and easily identify, evaluate and procure. Part of self enablement could also extend into areas of live chat (seen now on some websites), but could extend to the application of digital intelligence and automation, with further integration into intelligent assistants (e.g. Siri/Cortana/Alexis, etc). Imagine, "Alexis, can you tell me what the current trends in DevOps are for mobile application development."
- What are your 3 biggest marketing challenges?
The first one is staying fresh and innovative. It is important to be on top of the research and new trends in the industry. There is a large volume of data that we consume as an organisation to stay on top of industry trends.
The second one is finding new and meaningful ways to engage with clients and customers.
The third one is to stand out from the crowd. Why are we different to our competitors, and the rest of the buzz around major topics.
- Describe the future of the trade media - will it thrive or do you think there are problems ahead?
To simplify society, there are two different generations in play at the moment, one is more comfortable with printed news and the other, is happy to get content through digital sources with succinct delivery.
The challenge with a periodically trade media, for instance, is that there is a lag between news occurring and it being published… This leads to a staleness in the news, which becomes old news (as it has been covered in others channels) once it reaches the reader. So, the challenge is to find a way to add value to printed news. The information needs to be solution-based, unique and perhaps driving thought leadership.
- What do you think is the most effective and least effective marketing activity you, or your company, undertakes (in terms of ROI)?
The most effective marketing activity is problem-solving based webinars.
The least effective marketing activity is trade show (except for a few countries). It is difficult to get people there, as they have no time to come.
- What is the most over-hyped marketing tactic?
Traditional paid advertising. When it comes to generating leads and filling the ales funnel, traditional outbound marketing tactics -- where marketers push their message out far and wide in the hopes that it'll resonate, it isn't as effective as it used to be.
- What was the best campaign you've run?
Problem-solving based webinars. This resulted in a 20 time increase in the number of people participating and follow on engaging with us.
- What is the worst campaign you've run/tell us about a time when a campaign went wrong?
We found that 'widget' or 'feature' based webinars provided no context to our customers and prospects. They were poorly attended and very often attendees misunderstood what the goal of the technology that was to be presented was supposed to be.
- If there is one thing you could change about the electronics press, what would it be?
To go to the next level, more value needs to be added to the content. The electronics press should create communities to encourage idea and thought exchange. An interesting trend we have noticed is that PodCasts are growing in popularity.
- If there was one thing you could change about how agencies work with you, what would it be?
I have a good relationship with Napier. When I first asked Dave to create content for us, which can be challenging as we are an engineering company, he was patient and provided guidance. This resulted in an evolution for us. So, there is nothing that I don’t like. Agencies need to continue to add value, to challenge us in the way we approach marketing. I am very happy with Napier.
The only thing they could do in the future would be to act more enterprising. They could take control of broader industry challenges and problems and harmonise all of the key players in addressing the challenge, just like a project manager would.
- Can you explain how you define and measure success for your campaigns?
We define success through people’s attendance and engagement with our content. Ultimately we can trace revenue back to campaigns we do, so from a business perspective this is the ultimate ROI. We use tools like Act-On and Sales Force to measure these KPIs.
- How important will social media be for your campaigns in the next 3-5 years?
It's hard to tell. Social media in the traditional sense is over saturated in content. However data contained in Social Media could enable better content delivery to be targeted at individuals. Trends change so quickly, 3-5 years is a very long time away. Decision Engines are growing in popularity and generation one technology in this area is showing promise. Social Media may help drive better decision engines for content delivery to the end prospect/user.
- If there was one wish you could make to improve your company's marketing activities, what would it be?
To continue to be strategic by finding new ways and methods to improve strategic thinking within our customers and prospects.
- If you could get more budget, what activity would you spend it on?
I would spend it on intelligent social media. We would use it to understand what a person needs and find ways to engage with them.
Have you read our first marketing expert interview with David Wright from Microchip? Click here to read the full interview.
Napier's Video Editing Capabilities
We understand that video is the future of content marketing. With an overwhelming 92% of marketers watching videos online, and 59% of senior executives preferring to watch a video than read text, Video content is a must for B2B Businesses.
Our infographic featured below, highlights the potential true value and return on investment from developing this video content. At Napier, we offer full video editing capabilities, to help our clients use successful video content as a useful and realistic campaign medium; or as a way to engage and interact with their audience.
Please take a few minutes to check out our latest Video projects from the Napier YouTube channel. From there you can see great video examples from our designated project playlist.
Check Out Napier’s Latest Video Projects
If we can help you with your video content, Get in Touch and speak to a member of our video team.
David Wright - The First in Our Series of Marketing Expert Interviews
David Wright, European Marketing Communications Manager for Microchip, is the first interviewee in our series of marketing experts. We asked him a variety of questions, first looking to get to know the man behind the marketing expert. We asked him:
- What do you like to do in your spare time (hobbies)?
I like DIY, watching football, going to concerts.
- What football team do you like? What music do you listen to?
Queens Park Rangers is my favourite Football Club. I would say I have a broad taste in music, as it goes from listening to bands such as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones to Philharmonic.
- What other career would you have chosen if you weren’t in marketing?
I like the car industry. When I started my career, I worked at Chrysler and then, I got to do a lot of different jobs including commercial training, accounting, customer relations etc… These jobs led me to marketing.
We then asked him to share his insights, opinions and expertise of marketing, to help us understand how marketing has developed and changed over the years. We asked him:
- What do you think has been the biggest change to B2B marketing in the past three years?
Social media has moved rapidly and is more and more significant. Information is now circulating quicker than three years ago.
- What do you think will be the biggest change in the way you approach your campaign in the next three years?
To have a complete rounded campaign not only based on social media. There are routes to market other than online mechanism. Also, it is important to be flexible in our approach and adapt to the target audience. As they are many differences between North America and Europe, a campaign will be modified to suit the audience.
- What are your three biggest marketing challenges?
The first one is working across multiple countries with differing cultures. Every country is different and within them people are now using iPads, smartphones and we need to tailor the message differently, depending on the culture and the device. We must look at ways to market and adapt the message to the right media. Also, translation costs are not cheap.
The second challenge is time. Some processes require approval, and it can take a lot of time to obtain it (when people are travelling for instance).
The third one is cost. We have a budget and we need to stick to it, even though we would like to reach the maximum audience.
- Describe the future of the trade media – will it thrive or do you think there are problems ahead?
There is a totally different approach to trade media in Europe compared to North America.
The biggest problem ahead is the fact that the Data Protection Act (DPA) will be replaced by the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018. This implies that we will need to ask customers twice if they agree to provide us with data. This will be difficult to do so during exhibitions, where we collect business cards. This will take a lot of time to inform customers about what will happen to the data and how long we will store it.
- What do you think is the most effective and least effective marketing activity you, or your company, undertakes (in terms of ROI)?
It depends on what people classify as ROI. For some people, exhibitions are great but others say they are useless. The problem with events is that we cannot measure what we get from them, for instance in terms of visibility for the brand or the value they brought. Also, we can only interpret if the exhibition was good or not. It could be of interest only to a minority.
An effective marketing activity we undertake is emailing, following through.
- What is the most over-hyped marketing tactic?
Definitely social media. It is not enough to measure the performance of a campaign. Also, it is important to be cautious and craft the message carefully when posting on social media.
- What was the best campaign you’ve run?
When I worked for Black & Decker, we sold out regularly. At the time, we used printed communication.
- What is the worst campaign you’ve run/tell us about a time when a campaign went wrong?
I don’t think a campaign ever went wrong. Of course, some campaigns resulted in lower return than what was expected but it really depends on the market sector and the target audience. Also, B2B is different from B2C so return wouldn’t really appear in the earliest months, it is more on the long term.
- If there is one thing you could change about the electronics press, what would it be?
Electronics press should send less messages and target correctly. Sending three relevant messages a week is enough. No need to send several messages that will, eventually, be deleted.
- If there was one thing you could change about how agencies work with you, what would it be?
I think that when an agency works with you, it becomes part of the team. Through this partnership, both parties strive to gain the best of each other. An agency brings a valuable expertise and a better view of things changing the market place.
What agencies should not do is saying yes to everything. An agency needs to be aware and should not be afraid to give judgement or views.
- Can you explain how you define and measure success for your campaigns?
Success includes a lot of elements such as cost effectiveness, the number of contacts made, the exposure number. A campaign involves a lot of activities complementing each other, just like a big jigsaw. You start by writing a press release, then you put a video together, a poster etc… Activities relevant to the target audience. Some have a better result than others. Ultimately, what matters is how these activities complete each other throughout the campaign.
- How important will social media be for your campaigns in the next 3-5 years?
The importance of social media will be ever-increasing. It will help provide statistics back to people. Also, it will be used for blanket coverage as well as strategically targeted elements.
- If there was one wish you could make to improve your company’s marketing activities, what would it be?
I would ask for more people. When there is a takeover, the marketing team remains whereas support people are no longer part of the company. This results in loosing expertise and knowledge.
- If you could get more budget, what activity would you spend it on?
I would spread the budget across all activities. It would depend on what we plan to do each month during a year.
We Did it!
On the 18th June, members of the Napier team, including Freya Ward, Janice Ashton, Emily Serna, Clare Nicholson, Sian Hogan, Fiona Challen and Debbie McIntosh, took part in the Race for Life. After a gruelling yet enthusiastic run, we are delighted to announce that we have raised a massive £858 for Cancer Research.
Melanie Bright, senior account manager at our sister branch Peter Bush Communications, also raised a huge amount of £225 during her 10K run.
This means Cancer Research now has a further £1,083 to help fund the necessary research needed to help cure cancer. Well done team!
IoT Design Seminar confirmed for 2017
Electronics Weekly is taking advantage of the momentum gathering around IoT, as they follow on from the huge success of their previous IoT Design events, confirming a new IoT Design Seminar for the 6th December 2017.
The seminar will be situated at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane and is being held on the same day as the prestigious Elektra awards. With previous events finding it hard to gain momentum in the UK, it is good to see that Electronics Weekly are taking advantage of this, and are offering new packages and options to help delegates, sponsors and partners to attend both events on the same day, ensuring they make the most of their time in London.
Electronics Weekly are working hard to ensure they bring value for money, offering packages that allow you to attend both events, as well as including elements which go beyond the day itself by reaching target audiences from a marketing and lead generation perspective across all media platforms before, during and after the events.
This seminar is also taking one step further, offering a new additional sponsored option called ‘Technical Spotlight’ where professionals can present commercial offers to the audience. However, be sure to get in quick, as these slots will be given on a first come first served basis.
With previous successful events hosted by Electronics Weekly, attendees can be assured that this will be a high-quality event which shouldn’t be missed.
But there is no need to worry if you can’t make the seminar, as a supplement will be printed and posted online about IoT Design before the seminar, meaning companies can still have a advertisement and a page of content present in front of the audience.
To find out more about this event, please take a look at the website or call +44 (0)20 8253 8652 for more information.
BEEAS and Elektra Awards Extend their Deadline
The British Engineering Excellence (BEEA) and Elektra awards have extended their deadline for award entries.
BEEA awards have extended their deadline by two weeks, now accepting submissions till Friday 28th July, and the Elektra awards have extended their deadline by a week till Friday 21st July.
These extended deadlines allow professionals and experts alike to give further attention to their entries, ensuring they submit award winning submissions.
For further information click here for the BEEA Awards and click here to enter the Elektra Awards.
Google to Stop Scanning Gmail for Targeted Ads
Google have announced a surprising change to their services, choosing to end a practise which they have embraced since 2005, as they revealed that from later this year, they will no longer search Gmail accounts for targeted advertisements.
This decision was outlined in a blog post by Google cloud computing chief Diane Greene, who joined the company in 2015 and has played a huge part in the rapid growth of Google’s cloud business.
Gmail host more than 1.2 billion users worldwide, and Google’s decision to end this practise will bring this popular email service in line with its enterprise offering G Suite. Google’s G Suite business bundle have been gaining more enterprise user in the past year, with more than 3 million companies now paying for the G Suite service.
Previously, Google has been under fire for their practise of analysing incoming and outgoing emails of Gmail users, and has been heavily criticized by their competitors on privacy concerns. With Google’s cloud business growing rapidly, the company is beginning to move into a different direction, and this move seems like a wise decision. Google have acted to ensure they have effective legislation before the newest GDPR regulation takes place, allowing them to focus productively on selling their services.
Social Media and French Journalists Study
A study conducted with 290 French journalists on social media in 2016, between March 1st and April 15th has been released, revealing that a high percentage of French journalists rely heavily on social media. A huge 91% of respondents use social media and over half, 56% said they could not do without social media.
The study revealed that many believe social media is a new indicator for journalists, with 57% using it to measure content effectiveness, whilst 32% of journalists use social media daily to monitor discussions linked to publications.
The two main social media sites used are Facebook to publish and promote articles, and Twitter to research information. It is clear that social media has transformed journalism in France, with 65% considering social media as deeply changing journalism; making it no surprise that the young generation aged between 18 and 27 years old are the main age bracket using social media for more than 4 hours per day.
This obvious dependency on social media, can be a shock to some, especially journalists within the B2B tech industry. In general, B2B tech professionals will only talk to around 35% of journalists through social media, as many others prefer the almost traditional routes of phone calls or emails.
Although it is good to see French journalists are embracing the digital age, the approach we take with general journalists in the B2B Tech sector suggests other journalists won’t be joining them anytime soon.
To take a look at the report in full, click here.
Sadly, Doug Delvin Has Passed Away
Here are Napier, we are sad to report that Doug Delvin, Drives & Controls advertising sales director has passed away at the age of 64.
Doug was always a pleasure to work with, and highly thought of by his friends and colleagues, with a passion for the industry which will be hard to beat. He will be deeply missed.
What Does HubSpot’s Annual State of Inbound Report 2017 tell Marketers?
As an agency who work closely with HubSpot, we waited patiently for their annual State of Inbound Report for 2017. Each year HubSpot tracks shifts in buying behaviour, marketing challenges and sales strategies, to learn how Inbound Marketing has developed over the past year, and what predictions there is for the future.
70% of marketers surveyed revealed their top marketing priority to be converting leads into customers. This is an unsurprising result, with only a slight decline of 4% compared to last year’s report, suggesting this is still the biggest challenge marketers face when it comes to Inbound marketing.
Last year, we were interested to see that marketer’s biggest priorities for their inbound marketing projects were SEO and blogging. The latest report reinforces this, with 61% of respondents prioritising SEO and 53% prioritising blog creation.
The report highlights the ongoing transformations in inbound marketing, revealing paid advertising to be the highest over rated marketing tactic, and reinforces the co-dependent relationship between marketing and sales, with 44% providing a positive reaction in regards to whether sales and marketing is aligned.
The 2017 report shows that closing more deals has risen in priority for marketers since last year, and 44% of respondents believe improving the efficiency of the sales and marketing funnel is a main priority. Globally a massive 71% primarily conduct inbound marketing, presenting how importance inbound marketing has become for marketers across the globe.
Here at Napier, we were pleased to discover that HubSpot’s findings were closely affiliated with Napier’s focus on increasing the speed of the sales tunnel, to help leads turn into customers faster, and our belief in the importance of increasing SEO.
To download and read the report in full, please click here.
Smart Systems Integration 2018 Call for Papers is Now Open
The Smart Systems Integration 2018 has launched its call for papers, meaning experts from science and industry can now submit their manuscripts and apply for one of the coveted speakers’ slots.
The conference will take place in Dresden, Germany from the 11-12 April 2018, and will be accompanied by an exhibition, creating a key platform for the Smart Systems Integration industry to meet and discuss current issues.
A variety of topics will be addressed, including all aspects of smart systems, from the international research on new materials and technologies, innovative smart systems and their manufacturing technologies and issues of integration, to applications in the industry.
The conference will also present application- oriented topics such as, smart mobility, smart health, smart energy, smart production and smart society, with a special focus on software aspects in connection with smart systems.
Awards will be presented to the Best Paper and the Best Poster submissions, and will be rewarded with 500 Euros each, as well as being invited to be a speaker for the event in 2019.
To find out more information about this conference and submission requirements, please click here.
New Power Editor at Elektronik
Co
ngratulations to Matthias Heise who has taken over the position of Power Editor at Elektronik for WEKA- Fachmedien.
Matthias is a graduate from the University of Regensburg, and is fluent in German and in English.
We wish him the best of luck in his new role.
Electronics Weekly Present Real World Insights for A Virtual Universe
A few times a year at Napier we host a lunch for our client’s, and on the 25th April, we invited Electronics Weekly along to show us their presentation on Real World Insights for a Virtual Universe.
The presentation was a great success and was very educational, giving us an insight into how, where and what we should spend our budget on, to ensure we succeed in targeting our consumers in the digital world.
Electronics Weekly revealed they have been tracking and analysing online performance in detail for nearly 2 years to establish any consistent patterns consumers take, and to provide guidance in how to succeed online.
The presentation disclosed a mixture of findings, but a key discovery is the growth of performance on mobile phones which is perceived as exceptional, as both mobile consumption and delivery has increased, resulting in companies seeing more website visitors through the mobile. Mobile actions have also increased, with many consumer’s researching or buying products through their mobile.
Following on from this, Electronics Weekly revealed that CTR are improving and during the so called ‘quiet months’ there is no change or apparent decline in CTR, meaning there is no real seasonality of CTR, as this is advertising lead, not marketing lead.
This apparent increasing popularity of the ‘Digital Universe’ now means competition is fiercer than ever, and companies must ensure they stay dynamic and evolved, by using creative ideas on integrated platforms, to help stay in touch with their consumers.
Before Electronics Weekly left, they gave us a few more pieces of advice when it comes to approaching the ‘Digital Universe’:
- Set expectations at an achievable and Realistic level
- Creative is more important than ever
- Resist Temptation- Don’t overload the user and cram all products into one email
- Use each platform for its main merits and use appropriate/creative messages
- Be Bold – Test and Innovate
Electrical Review Magazine Hard at Work
The Electrical Review team has been hard at work the last few months, hosting their second Smart Lighting Summit in March and getting ready to publish their annual Specification Guide alongside their July/August issue.
Electrical Review’s Specification Guide is a valuable source of information for the electrical engineering industry, featuring exclusive editorial content and a directory of the top companies in the sector, from UPS manufacturers to lighting and automation-related specialists.
The magazine has also recently released the videos from their 2017 Smart Lighting Summit, which include all presentations from the day, as well as the panel discussion, featuring some of the day’s presenters and is available on their website www.electricalreview.co.uk.
If you are interested in learning more about Electrical Review’s Specification Guide or taking part in the 2018 Smart Lighting Summit, please contact Elinore Mackay at [email protected].
PCIM and SMT Hybrid Declare Exhibitions a Success
As we head towards the end of May, both PCIM Europe and SMT Hybrid Packaging have come to an end for 2017, both declaring their exhibitions huge successes.
PCIM Europe 2017 closed with a record result of 10,836 visitors across 3 days. The show featured 465 exhibitors and co-exhibitors, as well as 81 represented companies who showcased new trends, developments and innovations from various fields of power electronics. The exhibition saw a growth from prior years, previously receiving 10,053 visitors in 2016, and only 771 conference attendees, compared to 816 conference attendees this year.
SMT Hybrid Packaging 2017 also achieved considerable success this year, attracting around 15,000 visitors, and featuring 420 exhibitors with 32 represented companies. Their conference featured 259 attendees, which was praised for allowing visitors to refresh their knowledge and have conversations with experts.
With these important exhibitions continuing to grow with each year, I look forward to seeing what PCIM Europe and SMT Hybrid Packaging will bring in 2018.
Both PCIM Europe 2018 and SMT Hybrid Packaging 2018 will be held from the 5th-7th June at the Exhibition Center Nuremberg, Germany.
New Consultant Editor at Electronic Product Design and Test
Mark Gradwell has recently joined the IML publisher group, as he replaces Alistar Winning as the new consultant editor of Electronic Product Design and Test magazine (EPDT).
Mark joins EPDT with more than a decade experience in the UK and European marketing leadership roles, previously working within the B2B industrial technology marketing communications market at National instruments, and more recently at an PR agency, Technical Associates.
Although Mark isn’t an engineer, he has wide knowledge and experience of the industry, working alongside engineers in technology communication roles for nearly 15 years. With experience ranging from writing and producing technical content for clients, to communicating with the engineering press through digital and social channels, Mark is sure to be a perfect fit at Electronic Product Design and Test magazine.
Mark will be joined by Sam Holland who has recently started his new role as assistant editor at Electronic Product Design and Test magazine.
Electronic Product Design and Test, has become a permanent fixture in the UK electronics market for over three decades, and is the only monthly publication that covers the whole electronic product development cycle across print, digital and online.
With the new editorial team in place, and plans to enhance the EPDT across all platforms, we wish Mark the best of luck in his new role as consultant editor.
Marketing Law Update
The ICO have recently revealed their draft guidance of the new General Data Protection Regulation which will replace the Data Protection Act 1998. This new regulation will be applied from May 2018, with the aim to set a new higher standard for consent, as it draws upon the Data Protection Act standard of consent in a number of areas, as well containing significantly more detail on European guidance and good practice.
This draft version of this guidance, titled Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Protection has allowed a further insight into the stricter rules both advertising and marketing companies will have to face, once this regulation is in place. The ICO has recently seen progress in artificial intelligence and machine learning, proposing that these a key driver of the developments in the field of big data. This has allowed businesses to process, manipulate and extract meaning from large and complex data sets in ways which previously may not have been possible. With technology such as this influencing the future, it is easy to see why the ICO’s new draft guidance presents a higher standard for consent. This new report includes guidelines such as, to embed a privacy impact assessment framework into big data activities to identify and mitigate privacy risks, as well as proposing that if consent is the basis for big data processing, this will need to meet the new standards and be “unambiguous” and a “clear affirmative action”, which would allow the individual to withdraw the consent.
With companies such as Flype already under fire as they face a fine of £70,000, as a result of them breaching the direct marketing provisions of PECR, the importance of these new requirements this draft guideline brings forward is more cruical than ever, as organizations will have to ensure they use techniques that is compliant with the law. As these organizations begin to prep for these new guidelines, it will be interesting to see how marketing and advertising companies alike, will react and adjust to ensure they stay within the confines of this stricter consent.
Why the hell should we do advertising?
Advertising and Cost. Two words that can make any marketer shudder, as they cower in their chair with fear. Yet, is the cost really that high? A clever, and effective campaign executed efficiently, will do nothing but create appreciation, as a campaign stands behind values and meanings close to not only existing customers, but also a further reaching consumer base.
When you take into account everything advertising does for your company, the cost slowly falls to the back of your mind, like a receding nightmare that fades with time. A campaign allows you to not only strive to be different, but to also prove you are. Apple’s Mac vs PC campaign is a prime example of this. Apple approached their campaign in a way that didn’t just show what a Mac did, but actually proved why it was different. Considered as one of the most successful campaigns ever for Apple, with a 42% market share growth in the first year. Apple plainly show that by being honest, and proving why you are different, is a clear path to the consumer’s heart (and money!).
So what have we got lose if we don’t advertise? In a new world where advertising is strewn all over, from magazines, billboards, and TV. It is impossible to consider the future without advertising, as competitors get more serious and threatening every day. Aside from the obvious of your brand becoming all but forgotten by consumers, advertising campaigns ensure not only a continued interest but also loyalty from your consumers. In 2011, Coke introduced their ‘Share a Coke’ campaign in Australia which quickly spread to over 70 countries. Coke took the most personal thing to a consumer, their name and incorporated it into their advertising strategy. An ingenious idea. Coke allowed the opportunity for their consumers to express themselves through their product and share with others, ensuring they personally touched thousands of their consumers. This saw a rise in their sales of 2.5% overall after more than 10 years of steady decline. Coke, one of the most iconic brands on the planet, used advertising to encourage existing consumers to appreciate and buy their product more often. If a successful brand such as Coke, rely upon advertising to ensure the success of their brand. It certainly suggests that whether you have a small or large company, advertising shouldn’t have a question mark above it.
So here’s some advice. Whether it’s a high cost or low cost, make sure you Advertise, Advertise, and Advertise! Put some thought in and make sure its creative, and remember advertising allows you to tell your story in any way, leaving it up to you to make it unique.
Why Companies Should ...
This is one of a series of three blogs written by Napier intern Hannah Kelly asking why companies should undertake different marketing activities. Read the other posts in the series:
Why Should you Bother with Social?
As social media continues to integrate itself into our everyday lives, the importance of incorporating social into business, B2B or otherwise is clearly becoming apparent. Social media continues to open new doors and opportunities, making businesses struggle with the sudden importance of having a social media presence.
Often businesses can be wary of social media, believing it can be a time drain on their resources, a waste of money or a place negative comments can make a home. Yet, what most businesses do not realise is with the correct understanding of social media, it can be your best friend, rather than your enemy. There is no need to update, monitor and report on all your social channels. Instead the focus needs to be on the channels that your target audience use and engage the most. Taking advantage of this, is your way to an easier journey with your consumer.
In 2015, Spotify capitalised on its target audience’s favourite social media sites, in this instance Twitter and Instagram, where they released their #foundthemfirst campaign. This involved promoting Spotfiy’s recently launched online tool that scanned users’ music history, informing them if they were early listeners of artists who later became mainstream. The hashtag #foundthemfirst instantly became a popular trend, with thousands participating, proving that if social media tools are utilised correctly, campaigns can become a huge success.
Still convinced social media isn’t worth the hassle? Let see if these 5 benefits of social media change your mind:
- Social media allows almost instant feedback from customers, allowing a new insight which can help product growth and customer retention.
- You can target a wider range of consumers, from all over the world.
- Important relationships can be made over social media, which can be converted to leads.
- It is an affordable way to increase brand awareness.
- You can get to know your audience quickly and easily, with social media tools such as Facebook analytics.
It can be easy to miss-spend your advertising budget on social media, wasting money in the process. But with a clear strategy, and understanding of your audience, your business will reap in the benefits. There’s no need to worry about wasting time either, as an agency can help take the immediate strain off. Armed with a clear brief and social media policy, an agency can submit a whole month’s worth of social media posts for approval, saving businesses valuable time. With no excuses left to not join the social media wagon, businesses need to take advantage of these opportunities and explore the benefits a social presence will provide.
Why Companies Should ...
This is one of a series of three blogs written by Napier intern Hannah Kelly asking why companies should undertake different marketing activities. Read the other posts in the series:
Outsourcing Content Generation
It can be surprising how many myths you discover when you look into the workings of a business, especially surrounding content generation. There is an illusion surrounding content, which is that only the company has the expertise write about the company and its products. Basically, people are reluctant to relinquish their control over content written.
It seems some companies are missing a beat, however, as outsourcing content often produces a better quality result and significantly benefits the company. Agencies are a popular choice for companies to outsource their content to, as they provide a fresh, and sometimes much-needed distinct approach to the content, which can inspire new and different ideas.
Negative perceptions often surround the notion of outsourcing content, as many companies believe that no one else will know their brand or products as well as they do. It is also viewed as a costly thing to do, as companies believe there is no need to outsource, when their own employees have the skills and information to write the content themselves.
To me, it seems companies are struggling to understand their priorities, and are failing to take advantage of opportunities which are thrown at their feet. Outsourcing provides a new creative stream of ideas, as well as providing a new perspective on products, that the company would never have been able to deliver. Cost is not a problem either, as I can guarantee is it not as expensive as expected, and really, who can be worried about the price when you are receiving outstanding, and inspired content from your source. Added to this, the opportunity cost of having someone who doesn't often write take time out of their day job to create an article of white paper is usually much higher than the cost of outsourcing to a specialist.
Finally, in-house content is often written for an in-house audience. If you're an engineer developing a product, you spend a lot of your time talking to the sales team, other internal engineers and applications, and much less time talking to customers. This can mean that the content is written from your perspective, rather than that of your customers. Getting an outside view is much more likely to produce content that engages and resonates with the customers who you really want to buy the product.
Why Companies Should ...
This is one of a series of three blogs written by Napier intern Hannah Kelly asking why companies should undertake different marketing activities. Read the other posts in the series:
Be a part of our B2B Tech Publications Outlook Survey
As 2016 heads to a close, here at Napier we like to look at the predictions for the future, especially in relation to B2B Tech publications and what 2017 might have in store.
This is why we have created the B2B Tech Publications Outlook Survey, to learn what B2B publications aim to focus on in 2017. We aim to discover the answer to the continuing question, of whether print is still relevant to publications, or if online media now has the majority of their focus, as well as the main objectives of B2B Tech publications in 2017.
A special aspect of this survey, is that we are offering the chance for the B2B publications taking part to receive the answers. This will provide publishers with the opportunity to discover what other B2B Tech publications are planning for in 2017, and what their main focuses will be.
If you are a B2B Tech Publication and are interested in these results, then we would love for you to participate in our survey and provide us with insight into your plans for 2017.
It’s time for our European Tech Marketing Outlook Survey
With 2017 just around the corner, it’s time for our annual European Tech Marketing Outlook Survey. Every year, this survey produces exciting results, providing Napier with the most recent information on how B2B companies aim to spend their 2017 European marketing budget.
The survey aims to explore not only just B2B company’s budgets, but also what marketing strategies are most relied upon, as well as how they use current trends, and the popularity of social media channels to their benefit. It is also extremely interesting to see what direction B2B companies are choosing to head in, for 2017.
But, here at Napier, we take it one step further, offering B2B companies with the opportunity to receive the results of the survey. This provides them with a great opportunity to look into how other B2B companies are planning to spend their European Tech Marketing budget, and the importance of certain objectives for 2017.
If you feel this is something you would like to be a part of, then please click here to gain access to our European Tech Marketing Outlook Survey for 2017.
PSDpuzzler Tests the Experts
Often it seems you are no longer rewarded for the knowledge you attain and learn within our industry. It has become, rightly so, an expectation of our experts or clients to be confident in their knowledge of the industry or their products. This was why I was pleasantly surprised to learn Power System Designs, have produced a crossword puzzle called PSDpuzzler, available in print, and more importantly online.
This fun and unusual idea allows access to both experts and clients to put their knowledge to the test. It provides a twist of fun, with the online version providing a timer, hints and the ability to pause and save the puzzle. You can also use the solve button to reveal the answers, which shows you how many of your answers are correct and providing a red outline around the ones that are wrong.
PSDpuzzler introduces an element of competitiveness, pushing people to strive to be the best. It can even create friendly competitions between others, as they attempt to get the most right. With the crossword updating monthly it keeps up to date with the newest updates within our industry, as well as testing your knowledge on key terminology and products. It’s nice to see that even though PSD doesn’t offer a physical award, experts and clients alike can feel good about themselves when they succeed in completing the crossword.
The use of this unique idea is sure to boost Power System Designs reputation, presenting them as a serious leading technology company, but who are also not scared of being different from others. This provides an element of competiveness and entertainment on their website, making them distinctive from others.
This is a clever, and entertaining move from Power System Designs. They have provided an amusing, and clever crossword, unique from other websites, and I hope many will take this chance and put their knowledge to the test.
My life as Napier's latest Intern
When trying to find a summer placement, the first thing you have to ask yourself is what can you learn from it? You want to be inspired, to learn how the real working world operates outside of university. A summer placement, especially at a marketing agency, allows you to begin to apply the skills you have been taught in class, to real life situations. This was one of the many reasons I chose to apply to Napier.
More about me
I am a second year student at Bournemouth University, beginning my third and final year in September. I am currently studying Communication and Media, which promotes itself as a diverse and broad course. My course allows me to learn knowledge about all aspects within the media, including advertising, PR and marketing. This was the main reason I chose to study my course, due to it allowing me to learn all the different skills sets needed within each section of the media. I believe this leaves doors open, allowing me to study in depth the main areas that interest me. My marketing units stood out from my other studies, and sparked my interest into discovering how marketing works in a real life agency. I was interested in how campaign strategies are proposed, and what skills are used in ensuring it is a success. This is why I made the decision to do a marketing placement over summer, so I can explore my interest and passion for marketing further.
Napier is one of the leading integrated B2B technology agencies, so it was obviously a very exciting opportunity. Napier provides exposure to all aspects of the Media and I am excited to learn what skills are needed within marketing and PR to succeed in this industry.
Getting the most out of my placement
Throughout my eight-week placement, I want to learn how Napier operates as a company, by understanding the importance of how a team works together. For example, I would like to learn and recognise the importance of the team briefing each other on their key projects, and look forward to understanding what each individual members of the team contribute to Napier.
Throughout my time here I aim to improve my skills within both PR and marketing by learning how campaigns are handled throughout the company, and the importance of the team maintaining a respectable and close relationship with their clients. I also want to learn how Napier provides the best customer service they can to their clients, and what they do to make sure their clients are satisfied with the work they deliver. I am looking forward to learning how Napier solves problems for their clients, and how they brainstorm their ideas for different campaign strategies.
Throughout my time here at Napier I will put 100% into any task given to me, to ensure I get the best experience in all aspects of the media, and hopefully expand and improve my skills within marketing and PR. I would also like to feel more confident within my abilities, and acquire skills that I can use in the future after I have graduated.