6th May 2020
COVID-19: time to change your tune
My last post looked at whether you should cut or continue your marketing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I said some should cut back or stop, while it’s wise for most to press on or increase their marketing. But if you are continuing your marketing, one thing's certain: this can't mean carrying on exactly as before. These are extraordinary times. Everything is being seen through a coronavirus lens — and your focus and message need to ...
22nd April 2020
Time to axe your marketing?
When tough times hit, marketing is one of the first activities some companies cut. Is that wise? And is it the right thing to do now — to survive the turbulence of the coronavirus pandemic? Every company’s situation is different, but I think the answers are ...
6th March 2020
Your coronavirus communications – 7 questions to ask yourself
British businesses are quickly waking up to the reality that the coronavirus is no longer just ‘something happening in China’ but about to become a UK crisis, too. Firms are scrambling to put operational measures in place but — judging from conversations I’ve had in recent days — some are struggling with the crisis communications aspects, while they realise it's vital to protect their reputations and maintain confidence during any disruption ...
19th December 2019
Boldness of the UnderDog
I see Brewdog’s latest billboard ad — for its alcohol-free beer — has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for being offensive. It wasn’t helped by being outside a primary school. It reminds me of the Scottish brewer’s previous run-in with ...
7th November 2019
Place marketing: how inspirational is your location brand?
I wrote a little while ago about how there’s been a recent resurgence in location marketing and why UK towns and cities are right to grasp the nettle. I said I’d come back to how relevant bodies can undertake smart marketing to boost their area's economic ...
20th September 2019
Dead in 48 hours — how quickly a crisis can kill your business
We’ve just advised a company in a case that shows how fast you sometimes need to act to address a reputational crisis – and the devastation that can follow if you don’t. I won’t name the company so as not to pile on more misery, but this was a relatively new leisure firm running a UK-wide roadshow of family events. Problems arose when it had to cancel ...
27th August 2019
Place branding: the time to start is now
It’s funny how certain fields of marketing demonstrate sudden surges in interest. One field showing this lately is place marketing. By this I mean the ...
31st July 2019
Is B2B marketing all about millennials?
This was the topic I was talking to a journalist about this week. It’s the idea that shifts are under way in B2B marketing because ‘digital natives’ in their 20s and 30s are being promoted into purchase decision positions. Here’s what I think – and some interesting ...
4th June 2019
83% of companies hit by crises last year – and most struggle with speed
A new study of 400 PR professionals has highlighted how often reputational crises hit organisations - despite what many would like to believe - and how speed of response is an increasingly difficult challenge. On the positive side, the research ....
17th January 2019
How to do human marketing
Taking a human approach to marketing is close to my heart, so this infographic from marketing author Mark Schaefer really appeals. There's a lot of wisdom in here - particularly points 5, 6, 9 and 10.