Online Nottingham - advertising, design, marketing, SEO, jobs

Tablet Evolution presented by Motorola

2010-12-22T03:52:00.000-08:00

Blackberry Torch review

2010-12-14T06:17:00.001-08:00

Not quite the end of year, but...

2010-12-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Just watched Google's "Zeitgeist 2010: How the world searched".
I know we'll all get this on the Box at Christmas, but there's only a few weeks left till we see out 2010. It does seem that so very much happened this year, some good, some tragic. It reminds us of events including:
The Euro debt crisis, US unemployment, the Thailand political situation, the first face transplant, the Space Station, the oil spill in the Gulf, Justin Bieber, the Chilean Miners, the Chinese and Haiti earthquakes, and the passing of some well known names, including Dennis Hopper, Leslie Neilson, Alexander McQueen, and Lynn Redgrave.

Creative Nottingham

2010-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Good initial meeting with the full team of Creative Nottingham last night, lots of ideas, lots of eneregy, and a good mix of all-round skill sets.
Really looking forward to helping to develop this creative resource for the city.

Total unemployment falls, but long term increases

2010-03-17T11:04:00.000-07:00

The number of people unemployed in the UK has fallen again, leaving the jobless rate at 7.8%, figures show.
However - long-term unemployment, (covering those out of work for more than a year), rose by 61,000 to 687,000.
Rachel Reeves, parliamentary candidate for West Leeds and a co-author of a report published on Wednesday by the Institute for Public Policy Research, said last year:
"If we are to get Britain back to work, there will have to be large increases in the jobs available in hi-tech manufacturing and private service sectors such as the creative industries."

Creative Nottingham

2010-03-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Take a look at a new online venture I’m working with - CreativeNottingham.

Connecting Nottingham's creative, digital, and cultural business communities with events, training, exhibitions and business success stories.

Stae of the Internet - some BIG facts and figures!

2010-03-09T07:05:00.001-08:00

Mrs (Iris) Robinson spoof (FULL VERSION) - by Keith Law

2010-01-18T10:21:00.001-08:00

A great example of a viral!!

Google Goggles

2009-12-10T00:36:00.001-08:00

Mission Impossible stuff!

But no faces allowed:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/6770788/Le-Web-Google-Goggles-to-blur-faces.html

Nottingham eBusiness Conference

2009-12-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

What an excellent day yesterday at the ebusinessclub online marketing conference held at Nottingham Conference Centre.

Officially there were 525 places available, but noticing that additional seating had been squeezed in, and that there was I understand a long, long, waiting list, I suspect the actual figure may have been closer to 600.

Speaking in the morning was Ian Lockwood, with 'what's new in search?', and in the afternoon, Susan Hallam 'Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses'.

The last time I wrote so many notes must've been in my 'pre-PC' days, writing up college assignments, as all I seem to write these days are shopping lists for the supermarket!
It doesn't end there, or certainly shouldn't:

Watch, Learn, Apply, Measure!

At the beginning of the day, I started out with a simple list with headings such as -
'to do',
'research',
'discuss with (Phil) the web developer',
Throwing in symbols, circles, etc.

But there ended up so much content - and a few symbols went astray, that it's taken a fair bit of review and type up, to actually get to my working list.
The main points I learned for the first time were:
Changes in breadcrumbs, (Google),
Adding video and images to your Local Business Listing (seo),
Loadspeeds more considered (seo),
The growing importance of social media, and 'real-time search' (seo),
Caffeine: indexing deeper than previously,
'grabbing the space' - the organic results, on that sought for Page One (more paid for results possible / likely),
Domain Authority - still very much a plus,
Anchor text - 'slightly more important'
Livestreaming - the benefits, applications,
Utilising social media for your / your market (etc) 'mention',
Adding blog snippets to LinkedIn (etc),
Keeping it S.M.A.R.T.

The drench Clever Hamsters jazz band - official ad

2009-12-01T09:38:00.001-08:00

Ronnie Scotts, May 2001 I think?

The UK's best 'handheld' for 40yrs!!

2009-11-30T09:18:00.001-08:00

The Sun marks its 40th anniversary with a viral ad, created by Glue London. It'sa spoof of the Apple iPhone ads, positioning the paper as the 'riginal hand-held device'!

Are YOU planning to gett more social?

2009-11-27T04:20:00.000-08:00

Research by Econsultancy and Bigmouthmedia says that UK business will up their social media marketing spend in 2010, highlighting that 86 per cent of firms plan to increase spending in that area, and13 per cent spending the same sum as this year.
With lack of resources blamed, many firms are prevented from fully utilising social media – 54% of the total respondents said that resource was their biggest barrier to better engagement with the social media channels: nearly 90% stated that social media takes up much more time than previously.

With B2B, a recent poll by BtoB Magazine highlighted that social media is becoming the increasingly important tool for communications; with 60% of companies questioned saying they plan to increase their spend in this area next year.

Socialnomics!

2009-11-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

Social Media ROI examples along with other effective Social Media Strategies

Internet mobile apps - predictions for the next 2 years

2009-11-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

... in the next 2 years (allegedly).

The survey was commissioned by Gartner. Been around 30-odd years, so no newbies looking for publicity. Once bought by Saatchi, before an MBO.

I've been reading, observing, banging on about the red highlights; which ones are a threat / opportunity to your biz?

In short:

Money Transfer: sending money via SMS messages
Location-Based Services: includes any application that taps into your phone's GPS capabilities
Mobile Search: consumers won't necessarily be sticking with the search services they know and use on the Web (think Google, Bing, Yahoo) and instead experiment with using a few different search providers that have "unique technologies".
Mobile Browsing: mobile browsing capabilities currently exist only on 60%+ of handsets today. By 2013, that number will climb to 80%.
Mobile Health Monitoring:mobile healthcare monitoring products, services, and solutions to various care delivery organizations.
Mobile Payments: mobile payments are more common in developing markets at the moment, but that is quickly changing.
Near Field Communications (NFC): More popular in some European and Asian markets, In late 2010, Gartner says that NFC-enabled phones will begin to ship in volume, with Asia leading deployments, followed by Europe and North America.
Mobile Advertising:Total spending on mobile advertising in 2008 was $530.2 million and it will grow to $7.5 billion in 2012.
Mobile Instant Messaging:It will appeal to developing markets where mobile phones are often the only connectivity device a user owns.
Mobile Music:beginning to see new innovative models in this area that will include both device (think "Comes with Music") and service bundles.

Get more:
Read Write Web

Poken! Want to integrate with those you meet and greet?

2009-11-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Poken!
I 'hear' it said in the style of Stanley Ipkiss' alter-ego in The Mask 'SMOKING'!!

(It's a social networking tool/electronic business card about to launch States-side, so coming to a watering hole near you soon!).

Poken Explained from Poken on Vimeo.

What's Next In Marketing And Advertising (2009)

2009-11-02T09:36:00.001-08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

What's Next In Marketing And Advertising (2009)

View more documents from Paul Isakson.

Internet+regulator+approves+multi-lingual+web+addresses

2009-10-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Internet+regulator+approves+multi-lingual+web+addresses

Jane Bown

2009-10-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Very worth a look.

Office / Exhibition / showcase yourself in Nottingham?

2009-09-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

At first I thought 'originated in Japan' (as many space saving innovations do), but nay, nay (Mr Wilkes), :

KiosKiosk is a Hemingway Design initiative about offering free commercial space to new/ recently established creative companies (although businesses that have been established for a while is ok!)

KiosKiosk is a 2 metre square free standing unit that offers free space to exhibit and promote your work / business.

KiosKiosk has been in London for the last couple of months and Nottingham has secured KiosKiosk to be based in our city from the 30^th September – end of December 2009.

If you are interested in being part of KiosKiosk then ideally, we are looking for anyone creating and exploiting intellectual property products such as music, books, film and games; or providing business-to-business creative services including advertising, public relations and direct marketing. This can also include occupants focussed on designing, making and selling objects or works of art such as jewellery, haute couture, books of poetry and other creative writing, and fine art. Businesses which contribute to an overlap with definitions of art and culture, and even aspects of tourism and sport are ok too.

This is a great opportunity for you to be part of this exciting initiative.

Wayne Hemingway himself is coming to Nottingham on the 30^th September to launch KiosKiosk in our city so please keep the date in your diary.

The location of KiosKiosk will be within the city centre.

The opening times will be 9.30am – 6.00pm.

Wayne Hemingway himself is coming to Nottingham on the 30th September to launch KiosKiosk in our city so please keep the date in your diary.

The location of KiosKiosk will be within the city centre.
The opening times will be 9.30am – 6.00pm.

More

Transport for London Map

2009-09-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

Transport for London's latest London Underground map aims to be 'cleaner'; a stripped down version of the previous one.

However, one Mr Johnson aint happy!
Spot the difference with the one above (clue, opening shot for Eastenders), lol!!

Brain Train (or strain!) anyone?

2009-09-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/braintestbritain

Beware of the Doghouse

2009-09-10T03:52:00.001-07:00

Ever been here...?

Seth Godin argues the Internet has ended mass marketing

2009-07-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

2009-07-23T07:14:00.001-07:00

The future of the Internet

2009-06-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Following a Lifetime Achievement Award, Tim Berners Lee's observations on the future of the Internet.

Roses Design Awards 2009 - coming our way!

2009-03-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

We heard a rumour, and now confirmation: the longest running, and most prestigious, design event outside of London is coming to Nottingham this year, after Nottingham City Council earned the right to host the Roses Design Awards.

After being held for over a decade ‘oop North’ (lad), in Manchester, it celebrates design excellence across all sections of the industry, attracting over 500 professionals each year, from architects to graphic designers.

Describe as the cultural capital of the East Midlands, Nottingham currently hosts around half of all the creative industries and jobs in the regions main centres.

Lorraine Baggs, Nottingham's investment manager, comments on the move: ''The move of the Roses Design Awards to Nottingham is extremely good news for the city and further demonstrates that when it comes to design and creativity Nottingham is firmly on the international map.
''Nottingham is a champion of quality design and creativity in urban planning and building communities, and the launch of its bid to become World Design Capital in 2012 is a key example of its commitment to this. Becoming the new home of the Roses Design Awards will position Nottingham well as a contender for World Design Capital status.
The Roses Design Awards aim to highlight to clients how buoyant the market is outside London, therefore attracting investment and positive interest in the regions and hosting city. They would give Nottingham City Council the opportunity to put the city on the map, championing creative excellence and encouraging social and economic development by sponsoring the prestigious awards in 2009.

Chief Executive of Nottingham City Council, Jane Todd, comments: ''Nottingham is extremely well equipped to play host to The Roses Design Awards as it has some of the best creative organisations and business opportunities in the country. It is bursting at the seams with a plethora of skilled and talented creative thinkers; from photographers, film makers, and performance artists, to writer, musicians, and graphic designers. Creative thought runs through the heart of the city, enriching history in the process.
''The move of the awards to Nottingham will, hopefully, act as a stimulus encouraging local companies to enter and compete on a national scale as well as being a step in the right direction in developing Nottingham's current and future design industry.''

Nottingham's aim is to become the regional capital for Urban Design and its new Design Guide, which will be launched at MIPIM later on this year, promotes high standards of sustainable urban design and architecture in Nottingham city centre.
Source: NEP.

The SEO Rapper!

2009-03-02T03:10:00.001-08:00

This IS funny!

2009-02-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

How's your tan?

2009-02-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

2 Googles = 1 cuppa!

2009-01-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

2 Googles = 1 cuppa!

Apparently, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2 - boiling a kettle generates about 15g. More complex websites – with rich animations and video - can be responsible for 300 mg CO2 per second!

Our kettle is never cold…

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5489134.ece

Fantastic viral...

2008-11-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Credit crunch vs. the numbers, numbers, numbers.

2008-10-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

Credit Crunch vs, the numbers

Having just taken the physical, if not mental stress out of shopping for the business recently (the mental remained as most of the sites I used were not that easy to get around, and one had a particularly annoying way of ‘predicting’ my address – incorrectly, several times), credit crunch defying statistics for on-line growth amaze. We continue to spend with a raging thirst on-line; Internet advertising spend up an un-paralleled 38% in 2007, and marketing spend in the UK a staggering £1.7 billion during first half of 2008! (the total advertising market would have actually fallen 4.6% without factoring in on-line spend. Source: IAB).Why is the Web not suffering the obvious effects of downturn of TV, press, outdoor and radio?

Paid search continues grew by 28% year-on-year (worth £981 million in the first half of this year, market share now 58.3% of total online advertising), and a 36.6% increase in the spend with 'embedded' formats - banners, rich media, and video.
Sector-wise, Technology was highest (17.3% of market share), Finance (11.9%), Entertainment & Media (10.7%) and last – but hey, not least - our very own, Recruitment at 9.9%.

Whilst confessing to enjoying a curry over ‘Corrie Catch Up’, ‘looking at on-line services such as BBC iPlayer, and Channel 4's 4oD, 27% of 15-24 year olds say that they use the Internet for 'watching TV programmes' (17% up), 45% used it for 'watching video clips/web casts', (+18%).

Much used ‘Social Media’ (Death of the Pub imminent?), continues to have a massive impact overall on the market, especially as an ‘audience driver’, although Ad spend is still comparatively low, yet set to grow steadily as these platforms become part of every day life (like it or not), with the demographic changing - women aged between 25-34 spending more time online than men, together with more over-50s logging on (I know of a couple of Octogenarians who dabble online, bingo included!).

Don't forget to put those clocks back!

2008-10-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

Having forgot last year - and yes, that resulted in being late for something - just a nudge to remind you that you get an hour more sleep this year!
Why do we do it though? Well, I am reliably informed that the origins of adjusting the time forward and backward was first proposed in 1907 by an English builder no less, one William Willett.
Effectively 'adding daylight' to the afternoon for the benefit of retailers, sports events, and other activities is said by some to cause problems for farmers, entertainment and other occupations tied to the sun, although reduces traffic fatality statistics.

Social network Sir?

2008-10-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Social browsing toolbar
Do you socially network, (as in the on-line sort and not down the pub)? We’ve just stumbled across this little add on (Me.dium (http://www.me.dium.com) Described as ‘Real Time Social Search’, essentially, it lets you browse online ‘what is hot right now’ and to influence what should be featured in said hot zone. You can also chat, share music files and videos, and see what your friends are looking at at the same time (once installed, a small toolbar appears in your browser window, the top panel of the sidebar is a map that lets you view what sites your friends are visiting, you can view your friend’s profiles and also send them a message similar to Facebook).
You can specify your visibility settings, ie: how much people can see without being approved by yourself. I read that the application is secure and that the program suspends sharing when you leave the site.
It all rings a bit ‘cool, happening and right now’; a quote from the site: ‘we tend to surface news, reviews, pictures and videos that are hot, right now, according to crowds of people just like you’.

So you want to get into advertsiing?

2008-10-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

Consuming the weekend papers the other night, and I came across an interesting article in the Guardian about a ’aptitude testing’ for those wanting to get into creative jobs. A few Goggles later revealed that this has also been publicised several months ago, (so apologies if this is old hat to you, but I do confess it passed me until now).
The test itself is described as designed to identify 'diagonal thinkers' - those who are both logical and creative – its aim is to shed the industry's middle class image. Diagonal thinking itself is ‘the ability to switch effortlessly between linear, logical thought processes to lateral, creative ones’. Tim Lindsay - president of TBWA – is mentioned, having been completed the assessment himself.

According to the IPA, only 10% of the population can think diagonally apparently!

With the financial sector in crisis, the government sees the creative industries as key to Britain's future economic success. Currently accounting for more than 7% of GDP, the creative sector is growing at twice the rate of the wider economy and is on course to become the second largest contributor to the UK economy by 2018.

Try it – it does take while, so turn off the phone, and see if you’re suited.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/sep/27/careers.advertising

http://www.diagonalthinking.co.uk/