silver darlings

Maximising your productivity through mobile working, or...

I've just read a piece by Oliver Chivers at T-Mobile on mobile working.  I'm still working out what annoys me so much about it. 

Alright, I'm plumping for the article's argument that smart mobile working ends 'dead time' outside the office, and increases the chance of achieving work-life balance.  Since when was time travelling aways dead, unproductive time?  Why is it now always seen as unproductive unless you're on the mobile or surfing the Internet? 

Some of the best work I do is on a train or a plane, mainly because I concentrate on the job in hand.  I do it quicker, even though that's not what I'm aiming to do, and I definitely do it better, because I really engage with that one thing.  Mobiles and mobile Internet can be great, but sometimes they are at their best when you press the 'off' button.  I might accept Oliver's argument if he at least acknowledged that mobile isn't always best.

Mobile Monday Istanbul

Here's yesterday's presentation, for those of you who wanted to have a second look - Download brand_love_thefarm.pdf

How digital changes integrated marketing.

Doing really good integrated marketing, based around the consumer and flexing an idea for different channels and touchpoints is tough, because it's about a lot more than just adapting an atl idea and staying on brand.  Clients and agencies need to work together at the start, not work in the old sequential way, from atl to btl to digital.

There's another way to reverse the order and put the digital channel and digital insights both at the start and the heart of integrated marketing, as I explain in this imedia article about integrated marketing.

Spike Lee and Nokia push mobile films

Spike Lee is the face of a new colloborative mobile film project with Nokia, encouraging people to create content on their mobile, send it in and have it judged by the man himself.  Interesting idea.  I feel like I've seen it before, but without the backing of someone as his profile as Spike Lee. 

Somehow I suspect Mr Lee's involvement is costing Nokia big money so I can't wait to see if they are really maximising the brand and sales opportunities - what are they doing to maximise its scope and longevity in multiple channels and what are they going to do with the competitiors' details to get them to spend more money in the future?  I hope they are going to do much more than my slightly cynical mind expects.

Business connections meets social networking and mentoring

Horsesmouth is an interesting digital concept.  It's founder, M T Rainey, can explain it better than me in this interview.

websites take time to build...

Yes, creating the right website takes time, so you've got to feel sorry for a dm marketing guru whose website's on the blink...for two years! 

Drayton Bird is that man, blaming the down-time on  ' a loony, spliff-crazed webmaster', so for that reason alone you should visit his new website - Drayton Bird website.

Some people see his brand of DM as out of step with the times, but there's some good tips on there, essential DM approaches that lots of people working in DM could learn from.  Drayton's book, 'Commonsense Direct & Digital Marketing' is also a good read, but not so strong in terms of digital marketing.  Yes, digital is, as he says, a great DM medium, but there is much more to it than that, and his rigid view means that a lot of great digital opportunities for marketing people are left undiscovered.  Maybe that's why the website took so long to sort!

Seth Godin, internet marketing and 'Meatball Sundae.'

Here's an interesting recent interview with Seth Godin - Seth Godin, marketing and storytelling interview .  If you haven't read 'Meatball Sundae' yet (Amazon.com synopsis and reviews of 'Meatball Sundae') this short interview should get you interested.

Also, it's good to hear a 'guru' talk sense, especially about the much misunderstood areas of storytelling in marketing and SEO.

Writing as a tool for leadership and change

Interested in some considered views and examples of the role of writing in organisations, particularly marketing, leadership and change?  You may be interested in -  AMED articles

Keyword creativity: details of a London workshop

If you're a web designer, advertising executive, traditional marketer or other creative professional, keyword research may be your key to unraveling the greatest marketing mystery of all: consumer behaviour. After all, understanding what consumers want and need is at the very core of selling, and it's what separates the successes from the failures.

This month - for 1 day only - Wordtracker is presenting Keyword Creativity, an insightful workshop on how simple keyword research can be translated into powerful marketing strategies and more profitable results - for both you and your clients.

Keyword Creativity, an Insightful Workshop for Creative Professionals January 31st, 2008 9:30am to 1:30pm at ETC. Venues, 36 Park Street, London W1K 2JE.

What Will You Learn?

As a workshop participant, you'll learn how to use keyword research to:

• Generate fresh ideas for compelling web content
• Gain a competitive edge in the marketplace
• Save time and money by taking the guesswork out of advertising
• Develop effective new product and publication names
• Create dynamic marketing strategies based on actual consumer need
• Deliver a higher calibre of service and quality to your clients
• ... and much more!

But There is Something You Should Know

Because we want to ensure that people get the most out of this workshop, Wordtracker is limiting the number of participants to only 20.

So if you're serious about learning how to turn keyword research into high-impact marketing, your prompt response is strongly encouraged. Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. More details can be found by clicking on the link below:

Yes, I want to learn more about the Keyword Creativity workshop and how to reserve my seat.

Search engine optimisation - some explanation and some myths tackled.

This piece on SEO by Karen Morrill-Mclure is a useful introduction and has some good tips - K M-M piece .

However, Karen keeps on myth on SEO going, that search engines actually search the Internet every time you search.  They don't, they are doing and the work before you do that particular search, storing and ranking website content.  The challenge is to understand how that works and maximising your chances of being top of the tree, through smart keyword and linking strategies.