Changing perceptions

After seeing a video from Mcdonald's produced by VCCP (one of my favourite agencies) it got me thinking of what other jobs have a bad name because "it's just another job?" I myself am fortunate to be involved with a lot of exciting projects and roles, but what happens when I am short of pennies? Without some pennies I would not be able drive, eat or even have a social life! So during periods when times are short it's about getting stuck in a working for whoever will pay you! I have worked for a local Real Ale Pub which is part of Titanic brewery's growing empire for the last 5 years and come into contact with various people from various walks of life, So far I have:

• I have built up a repertoire with regular customers, earning their trust meant that I would be able to recommend other brands to them knowing what they liked the taste of through their normal drinks.
• On occasions when the pub was in between Assistant Manager’s I became a shift manager taking control during the time when the managers had time away.
• My attitude towards customers is that every penny is worth something and going the extra mile to just make them smile might just earn you a drink from them…

So what's bad about this? This is just the same as any other job that involves working with other people and the general public.

So well done Mcdonald's for coming out and addressing this issue! Just shows SOME students really do get of their backsides and work!

Follow this link to watch the video...

http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletin/digitalambulletin/article/1043091/mcdonalds-fresh-push-combat-mcjob-perceptions/

Prichard

WHAT ON EARTH!

Well I can't believe what I've just seen! A police tractor, really how is this going to help catch drinkers, druggies, burglars and many other illegal goings on? Do they have a lot speeding tractors in the countryside? Do they have tractor races on fields? Hmmm...

It is actually part of an awareness campaign that has been set up for the Lincolnshire Farm and Country Business Watch scheme. It is a bit of fun but conveys a serious message. The tractor will be a star attraction at farmers' markets, where it will be used to raise awareness of crime prevention techniques...

The new newspaper?

Is the newspaper industry about to get more competitive? Well this is what many people are pondering with Apple's Ipad and other similar devices coming onto the scene more people are switching there habits to digital media. Meaning newspapers like the Guardian and Economist will lose there appeal in paper form, it will cost jobs but maybe save the planet. So is the switch worth it? Yes, the Sun, Daily star and all the papers that spell life out in half a syllable will keep producing as there target audience will probably not have the time nor money to look at an Ipad or similar. Where as business people who commute to work via the tube or train will have time to read and will not have to worry about getting a paper before boarding etc. So cleaner and more efficient use of time is becoming more of a trend. The question is will the big read papers lose there appeal in paper and digital form? With Ipad's allowing internet access (obviously that's how you get your newspaper... ) then why do you need to download a paper? If you know the web well enough which I'm sure Economist reader's (they know everything... Apparently!) will have website's that they constantly view and have certain trends that they follow, so why would a newspaper say any different? AND these readers are clever so saving money will come into it as well... I wait with bated breath...

BBC's World of Invention... the lovable plasticine duo

I came across the new series of Wallace and Gromit's world of invention this week and thought how engaging the whole campaign was. The hands on approach is well thought through and the game is just superb. I have played it many times now just because it's funny and different, which is what makes this lovable duo stand out. They have always been fond favourites of mine and have enjoyed every film that has been produced throughout my childhood. I just hope hope they don't disappear soon... The program kind of reminds me of the gadget show but has a more unique way of engaging using the models to get to different target audiences from the young to even the older generation...

Go on! Have a go it's crackin!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone/wallaceandgromit/

Prichard

Budding Account Planner ready to go live…

Rich Barnett is soon to get into the advertising industry; this planner will be launching himself shortly before Easter 2011 ready to make his mark on the world. Rich has already gained many years of experience through his live briefs and work experience that have not only developed his skills as a planner but his can do attitude and belief that brings out the best brands. Rich described himself as “Honest and Traditional” and has been remarked as an old person in young clothing from many people, but don’t let this put you off Rich as he can communicate to everyone and get into everything that is thrown at him. This hard working Stokie is ready for the world, but is the world ready for him?


Now for the other bits...


Rich is a 24-year-old student currently studying Advertising and Brand Management at Staffordshire University and will be graduating in the summer of 2011.

Rich also likes to make the most of his spare time using his season ticket to Stoke City and by driving Steam Trains at the Foxfield Railway…

Flash Mobs...?

The fantastic new T-Mobile advert filmed in Heathrow Airport "Welcome Back" has got me thinking about flash mobs. The amount of effort that goes into the production of these cannot only be done by a creative agency surely? How the songs mix and congeal must have used Choreography and brought skills from other sectors to the industry. This has made me ask the question are choreographers the new marketeer? There involvement in campaigns is becoming far more influential as everybody tries to make the adverts king of prime time TV with there show stoppers. It has also made me to look into the Fluxus movement which is latin for 'to flow', this is basically what happens in all of the T-Mobile adverts and campaigns. The involvement of composers is becoming and more and more so are marketeers going to be needed in the future??? Hmmm....

BBC finally got the hint...

Have BBC only just realised that their falling mag brands could have been prevented by going digital earlier?

Well in a last ditch exercise to save their brands before pushing them onto a mag publisher the BBC have recruited a mobile devices publisher.

Time will tell to see if they have saved their bacon...

Prichard

Are you tough enough to be a chocoholic!

The chance of being a chocolate developer will grasp the hearts of trillions as a new position with in Green and Blacks becomes available! Wow! A job, that involves eating loads of chocolate reporting back saying it's good or crap and then introducing your ideas to them... I'm in chocolate heaven!

Check it out!

http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/bulletin/dailynews/article/1035375/?DCMP=EMC-BreakingnewsfromMarketing

Prichard

Riding the stormy waves to success?..

Isn't getting on in life a bit like surfing or being a boat in rough weather? It is un-predictable and can only be dictated by the determination of yourself. Everyone can get on a boat, but who will bottle it when they see the size of the waves? This is the challenge. Nothing is easy in life and nothing is meant to be easy unless you enjoy your 9-5 mundane job. Highly lucrative work is out their for the grabbing but can be got by those willing to aim high, I have seen through a few businesses the up's on downs of the recession and at the end the day the way to succeed and survive is to be clever, crafty and creative. By this I don't mean under the table deals but by making sure you control your accounts and budgets appropriately and look at the different audiences you can outreach to. Make use of as much free advertising as you can, social interaction will cost some time but the feedback gained would cost thousands from intelligence... This is why now people in businesses like my father's and also Foxfield are seeing benefits from a few cutbacks, taking a step back, looking a what resources they have then take a new approach in order to continue onwards and upwards. Budgets have been strict but now the railway is now in a position to start radio campaigns and giveaways during morning breakfast shows, something that was not even thought about last year due to the high cost of advertising, so a new approach was taken using the product as a giveaway costing a fraction of a commercial advertising campaign. With the father's business we looked into producing our unique product, we sourced a manufacturer in China, started negotiations and hey presto 12 months later we had our own unique product to the model railway market, this once released went down an absolute storm and since then have never looked back, profits from the original investment were re-invested into a second unique project and now we have a great reputation with customers for our products now we can keep on building on this and expand into other markets. E.g. the European market...

So the stormy wave can overcome most problems but you have to be willing to put the time and the research in to succeed!

Prichard

Is it me or is the world going Moo!

I have just realised how much the ad industry is using Cows! Cravendale , Anchor (Made by Cows), Muller and Vodafone (YES Vodafone) are using cows in the latest campaings, then their is the agency called Cow. Gees maybe we should all be farmers if we love cows this much... LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv1FhC_ascw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssACddCJlAA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqoxvvI4I_c

Tag a Granny!!!

Came across this little gem today, O2 are launching their new healthcare service which allows you to "Tag a Granny"... This service has already been a success in Spain with the parent company Telefónica. The service allows users to be linked to doctors and carers if your granny or vulnerable person suffers a fall or even goes missing. This new direction for O2 follows in the footsteps of Vodafone and Orange who have set up divisions in Healthcare and making it part of their key strategies for growth and sustainability...

Rich

The end of Summer and the start of the third year...

After a very intense summer managing the marketing at the Foxfield Railway it's time to turn my attention back to uni. The third year is now here and I can't wait to get to grips with my dissertation... :( It will all be worthwhile in the end, my coach said so... As it turned out sitting mulling over a pint of Titanic's finest Iceberg in the pub I was asked the question what are you going to do when you leave... This is very much a big open debate as I can turn my hand to many positions, the responsibility given and the experience gained at Foxfield over the summer will certainly stand me in good stead for the future. But this was no overnight journey the fact that I'd been involved since 2000 is more interesting as I started there with no skills, just a kid who had left school. The process of overhauling their image began then without me even realising that was what I was doing... I trained myself to use Photoshop and Dreamweaver so I could improve every aspect their brand. This has now landed the railway with corporate image that is very respectful and in keeping with all the values of the railway. It has also helped develop links with companies around the country, especially for printing... Which will help with my printing for the final year (think of the pennies I will save). I have always had interest in Advertising and Marketing and having Foxfield as a pet project over the years has helped me to develop A: Myself, B: My skills and most importantly C: My confidence.

Do you do the staycation?

The one thing that comes to me when people say how bad this country is (at times) why don't you put your rose tinted glasses on? It's true, looking at this country through them makes it perfect, so on that basis I my campaign is sort of based around that. But hey not to much info at the moment, next week I will post the end results. Tell me what you think when I do... More on the image next week aswell... Rich

If only...

I came across this interesting snipet from trendhunter where Packaging has Inspired Protection! This was all necessary to promote confused.com and as it's this the 50th anniversary of bubble wrap, what better way can you find to use it... This cheeky way of saying how unsafe we really are took 8 people a day to undertake the transformation and turn a little cul-de-sak into accident avenue.

The British Holiday...

The British holiday used to be all about catching the train from wherever you lived to which ever seaside resort you wanted to go, you know; the places on those hand painted posters that always used adorn the stations and cities all around the UK. Now in 2010 it's all about the hot hot sun in top holiday resorts around the world. This over the years has made our resorts more expensive, but not only has cost been a big factor but also the weather! Britain's poor weather has forced us to go travelling the world in search of that lying on the beach with a cool pint of lager! (Time for the pub...) BUT!! Over the last few years our climate has been changing and we are now seeing the sun once again in the UK (and SNOW), so with this in mind could the return of British holiday's becoming back? Let's hope so, 2010 = staycation!

Go Loco | VCCP

Go Loco | VCCP

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I have a Blog!

Today, finally, I have a blog! The need to be present on the web is ever increasing, so here I am... Woop! This is not my life, far from it. The daily hectic lifestyle leaves me with just a smidgin amount of time to write random crap on here while taking me away from the things I love. Work! Ha, yeh just kidding.

Rich