Strange and Dawson

Welcome to Rachel Stone

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:38 +0100

A big welcome from the Strange and Dawson team to our latest recruit, Account Manager Rachel Stone.

Welcome to Frankie Wallington

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:34 +0100

Strange and Dawson are very pleased to welcome Frankie Wallington to the team. Frankie joins us as an Account Executive.

Why Un-hip Works

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:43 +0100

Edward Boches, Mullen’s Chief Innovation Officer, posted some useful questions for the advertising industry on his blog recently. Top of the list is what makes your agency different. That’s the holy grail for every business right? How to have that differentiator or laser focus that makes you stand out from the crowd. For Strange & Dawson our positioning is about occupying the ‘Acquisition’ space, mixing great creative with a deep understanding of data to help clients acquire new customers. We found that whilst many agencies were expert at either end of the spectrum - as creative geniuses or data-rich direct marketing experts - there was a gap in the middle. That’s where we stepped in; blending compelling creative with targeting across various channels. Of course it has to be more than just a positioning statement, we have to be able to deliver. And with clients like Google - where analytics are absolutely critical - we’ve got to be proficient at dealing with data to make sure we deliver and hit targets.

But there’s a by-product that’s become another differentiator for us; and one that we hadn’t anticipated. It’s one we discovered by listening to our customers - and what they’ve said is they love the fact that we’re different from the rest. How are we different? We’re not so big that clients get lost in the pile; we’re not in London; they have our attention throughout the relationship not just when they pick up the ‘phone; we’re not trying to be achingly hip or trying to over-impress; we’re just good at getting stuff done (and that’s what our clients said, not us!).

Now is the time for agencies to go back to basics and refocus on the work, reprioritise and see what’s important through the eyes of our clients. An agency’s culture must surely still be about the things clients want to hear: “we’re an agency that delivers results and gets things done”, “we’re a safe pair of hands”, “we’re passionate about what we do”, “we’re nice people”. Okay, those things may not get you industry awards but ‘can do’ is what still wins and retains accounts and perhaps part of what this reinvention should be about.

So at Strange & Dawson, we may not have the cool office space or the uber-funky logo; we may not be hip. But we’re good at what we do. So if you’re looking to set up a new agency or set yourself apart from the competition, why not go for the unhip ground?

The Dandy Warhols sung “I'd rather be cool than be smart”; at Strange & Dawson we think the opposite is true.

“If you’re looking for customers, you need to explore your inquisitive side”

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:10 +0100

Andy Reid explains how being inquisitive can help your businesses find new customers.

Read the full article here

Welcome to Adam Horne

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:04 +0100

We are very pleased to welcome Adam Horne to the S&D team. Adam has joined us as Senior Account Manager.

Welcome to Kat Ross

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:50 +0100

A big welcome to the newest member of the S&D team; Kat Ross. Kat has joined S&D as Media Data Planner.

Welcome to Chris Edge

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:46 +0100

We are very pleased to welcome Chris Edge to the S&D team. Chris has joined us as Business Development Manager.

Welcome to Rob Lamplugh.

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:09 +0100

A big welcome to the newest member of the S&D team; Rob Lamplugh. Rob has joined S&D as Senior Account Manager.

Mobile vs Desktop

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:51 +0100

Back in September 2009, just 0.02% of traffic to a website in the UK was via a mobile device; in January 2011 that figure had jumped to 8.09%. Much of this growth can be attributed to the strong sales of smartphone devices, which have seen a 87.2% year-on-year increase in numbers compared to only 5.5% increase in PC numbers.

This sudden rise in mobile use probably doesn't come as much of a shock as everyone seems to be talking about “mobile”, whether it's devices, apps or websites. Thomas Husson, senior analyst for Forrester, reminds us that “The term mobile will mean a lot more than mobile phones.”

This huge shift means that businesses will have to engage in a mobile and online strategy if they want to keep pace with their customers’ internet behaviour. So the big dilemma facing businesses is how they go about setting up a mobile presence. Some companies in a rush to do something start off by saying “we need a mobile app”, others opt for a mobile website instead which can be optimised for most mobile phones. But the most important thing do before diving into the world of mobile web is to assess your current situation and decide whether there is actually a demand for a mobile based solution. As Lyndon Cerejo explains below:

Do You Really Need A Mobile Website Now?

The first question you need to ask yourself is about demand. How many people do you foresee accessing your website through a mobile device? Cerejo advises to start by ‘looking at your existing website analytics to identify the percentage of mobile visitors’. These analytics will be able to tell you how many people have accessed your site from a mobile device and the type of content they are viewing. Use this information to build up a picture of their needs and behaviours.

Now you need to think about how your mobile site would compliment your existing website. Will it be developed to achieve the same goals of your desktop site? Do you want it to simply create brand awareness or does it need to be products and sales focused. Once you have identified your customer’s content and functionality requirements you can determine how to create a site which would meet your business needs and goals while providing the user with relevant content. Cerejo suggests gaining some competitive insight (and possibly inspiration), by looking at what similar sites are doing with their mobile presence.

After this research and idea generation you will be able to identify whether a mobile site is the right step forward or whether you would just be better off optimising your desktop site. If the latter is more obvious at this stage then there are many ways in which you can make your current site more accessible for mobile users.

Cerejo reiterates this ‘Not all websites need to go mobile now. Companies that need to extend their core services to their users (like those in travel and banking) certainly do, but a manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft or a provider of specialized industrial gases would probably not need a separate mobile website now, though that may change in a few years’

So when it comes to mobile vs desktop it's pretty clear that mobile surfing is growing at a tremendous rate and it is becoming increasingly important way to engage with customers. So what will you choose to do?

A User-Centered Approach To Web Design For Mobile Devices By Lyndon Cerejo

Statistics from Tecmark

FireStarters At Google: Lessons from Design Thinking

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:55 +0100

#FireStarters is a quarterly event hosted by Google, curated by Neil Perkin, that aims to facilitate debate around the more interesting and challenging issues facing planners. June’s event explored the lessons the planning community can learn from design thinking. Tom Hulme, Design Director at IDEO and John Willshire, Chief Innovation Officer at PHD gave presentations followed by an ‘unconference’ format where groups broke-out for discussion.

Tom’s recommendations included the following:

Challenge The Question. Don’t just accept a brief from a client, be curious and ask questions.
Be user-centered in your thinking. Okay, hardly a new one, but Tom talked about the importance of really getting under the skin of your users.
Clash Messages and Experiences together. He cited Foot Locker’s Sneakerpedia as an example of a successful mash-up. Whilst it’s essentially a user-generated site for people to upload information about sneakers, it reinforces the brand’s message and positioning. It’s neither just a brand message nor solely a user-generated experience - it’s both.
Be holistic. Tom argued that every part of the business model is a creative and marketing opportunity; from pricing to distribution, all elements are an opportunity to differentiate.
Launch To Learn. The act of creating products and prototyping makes you think about the details, so it’s important to focus on implementation.
Stay In Beta. Our ideas should stay in beta, constantly iterating. Tom gave the example of a restaurant that relies on user feedback to shape its menu and pricing. When you shorten the feedback loop you become really user centric.

John Willshire from PHD talked about agencies’ - and clients’ - preoccupation with Process. He suggested process does well because agencies like selling ‘a thing’ and clients like buying ‘a thing’. But he argued process tends to average everything out, making bad work good and killing off the edges that make something else good. “A process is something to sell in lieu of real work” he claimed.

These are just some highlights; there is a good summary here by @huey http://bit.ly/mDxVQh

At Strange & Dawson we like to stay agile in both our thinking and approach to solving client’s challenges; we’re open minded about the path we take. We’re already including some of these ideas in how we work: for instance we’re adamant about challenging briefs and asking questions to better understand client objectives and we’re also hot on examining customer genetics to explore user behaviour. Additionally, we’ll continue to explore new ways of doing things.

Whatever your role in the industry - client or agency, creative or technologist - there are some important lessons here, providing food for thought as we rethink how we add value.

The Effect Of The Web On The Purchasing Decision

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:51 +0100

A new survey from Lightspeed Research has highlighted the reliance on the web when making purchase decisions

Over 75% of respondents have visited a price comparison site in the past six months
Over 80% of consumers doubt consumer reviews on company websites are trustworthy
More than 9 in 10 consumers search the internet before buying an item
61% have searched reviews before making a purchase
60% have used the internet to research and compare different models or brands
Fewer than 7% never bother researching
In the case of personal technology (MP3 players, cameras and mobile phones), cars and home entertainment - 99% research items on the internet prior to purchase
Books, DVDs and clothes are more likely to be researched online than computer software and games

There are gender differences with men more likely to search personal technology, computer hardware and software, games, cars, CDs and home entertainment. Women the online search priorities are clothing and books.

Of all services, insurance is the most researched category (68%), this exceeds those searching for holiday accomodation (65%)
Women are more likely to research holidays (70% versus 61%)
Men are more likely to research utilities (59% versus 55%), mobile phone prioviders (54% versus 46%) and banks/financial services (49% versus 42%)

Interestingly, despite word of mouth proving highly important during the decision making process and despite the popularity of social networks, these platforms clearly aren’t the destinations consumers turn to when they are looking for shopping guidance. Only 14% saying it’s important friends in these digital communities give products they are interested in good reviews.

These online communities are primarily about friendship and conversation, so product and service reviews really aren’t part of everyday communications here.

In fact, when consumers are on the lookout for product reviews, shopping sites and search engines are the leading ports of call, attracting 72% and 70% of respondents, respectively.

Close to two thirds (64%) of respondents place their trust in the opinions of other consumers, followed by Which? (60%) and professional reviewers (58%).

And while people might well head to brand websites when they are conducting their research, that doesn’t mean they are easily swayed by the consumer reviews they might find there - just 17% believe the posts they read on a company website as trustworthy.

And when it comes to negative reviews, it doesn’t take that much to swing consumers, with 67% of respondents saying they would change their mind about buying a product or service after reading up to three thumbs-down posts.

Age makes a difference too, with older demographics more likely to take onboard those online opinions.

One third (33%) of 55 to 64 year olds say they would change their mind after just two negative reviews, compared to only 10% of 18 to 24 year-olds.

Slightly under half (49%) of respondents said they had written a review of a product or service and posted it online, with women more likely than men to have done so (52% versus 47%)

Just 46% of 18 to 24 year olds have posted reviews, compared to 56% of 35 to 44 year olds.

Of those who have posted a review online, the overwhelming majority (88%) say it was positive.

Among those that have not posted, most (51%) say they would never do so, while close to a third (31%) say they would be more likely to post a review after a negative experience

Only 18% said would post comment after a positive experience

Among those who have never posted a review online, more than three quarters (77%) say they would be more likely to write one if they were offered an incentive, such as a discount voucher, with 18 to 24 year-olds the group most likely (92%) to be spurred into action by such inducements

The research suggests that brands wanting to get more people involved in commenting on their products and services can do so by offering rewards

Source: Lightspeed Europe

Management Today Expert - Get More Customers

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:44 +0100

Andy Reid has been sharing his expert knowledge with Management Today magazine on how to get more customers.

Click on the link below to read the full article.

Management Today Expert - Get more customers

4 Things You Should Know About Lead Generation

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:26 +0100

I’ve lost count of the number of conversations I’ve had over the years explaining what Lead Generation is. The Wikipedia entry nails it: “the creation or generation of prospective consumer interest or inquiry into products or services of a business”. Whatever your definition, now more than ever, businesses are looking to cost effectively generate new leads.

For me the main issue is not just the volume of leads, it’s about quality and flexibility. So here are my four considerations when it comes to lead generation:

Quality: be sure to target higher value customers with relevant messages not only to attract them more effectively in the first place but also to take them further down the sales funnel. This will then cut down on time from prospect to purchase.
Flexibility: the ability to rapidly change direction is a must. You need to be able to slow or stop poor leads quickly to eliminate waste. Similarly you need to ensure you’re not turning off new prospects with poor customer service or lack of stock.
ROI: make limited budgets work harder with digital tools like Google AdWords. With AdWords you can target people looking for products/services like yours by street, town, city or country. Because you only pay for visitors to your website you can make limited budgets work harder but also track conversion and manage volume levels.
Lead purchase: warm/hot leads are increasingly available to buy. These tend to more widely used in B2B marketing and utilise activity such as whitepapers, downloads, surveys and telemarketing to collect data such as “when will you next be reviewing your service/ product?” This data is then sold as warm or hot depending on the answers given.

So ‘lead gen’ can be a great supplement to sales teams but remember there is no one-size-fits-all, you’ll need to tailor your activity depending on your customer profile, budget and objectives.

Welcome to Shelley Dawson

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00 +0100

A big welcome to the newest member of the S&D team; Shelly Dawson. Shelly has joined S&D as Account Director.

9 Top tips to get new sales leads

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:43 +0100

MD Andy Reid talks to Matthew Stibbe from Articulate Marketing about his top tips on how to generate new sales leads.

To view the article click on the link below;

http://tiny.cc/shqr0

Welcome to Claire Attew

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:33 +0100

We would like to welcome our latest member of the S&D team Claire Attew. Claire joins us as an Account Executive.

S&D Launch New Website

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:23 +0100

Strange & Dawson launches their new website reflecting its position as ‘the acquisition agency’ as well as showcasing the new brand.

The website www.strangeanddawson.com showcases their ‘Great Wheel of Acquisition’, the methodology applied to the lead generation and nurture of their B2B and B2C clients. It effectively communicates who they are, their full range of capabilities and what they do for a number of clients both in the UK and globally.

The new site has been given a complete design and layout revamp, and features informative new content, along with enhanced navigation and usability.

It offers clients and the industry easily accessible information on everything from the people behind S&D, to career opportunities and latest news

The site was designed by in-house creative and online teams.

Mobile Tagging

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00 +0100

When looking for an unique opportunity to engage with prospects and nurture existing customers, few would attempt to link the real world with the virtual using a two-dimensional image. But then, we’ve never been ones to follow the herd. Here’s how you can leverage this simple technology to unlock the true potential of mobile tagging.

I first came across mobile tags at Popkomm in 2005. They were being showcased as a way for artists to connect with their fans through instant track downloads and live updates of gigs and releases. I thought they were pretty cool back then but never saw them taking-off or being applied to anything truly innovative. Fast forward 4 years and once again; working with a group of Bristol creatives on a research and development scheme, I came across the mobile tag. But this time its application really intrigued me and opened my mind to the broad usage and potential of such straightforward technology.

C6.org and Steal From Work had teamed up to sell their graffiti artwork from Bristol street locations by displaying the mobile tag as an image next to each piece of work. The follower could capture the image and be taken straight to a mobile portal, where they could purchase a print of that work. This is a brilliant example of how, by bridging the online-offline divide with a click of a mobile button, you can turn a real-life event into a purchase opportunity.

The mobile tag is a two-dimensional image encoded with information, which can be applied to almost any surface. Once scanned and decoded using a mobile device, they can trigger a variety of functions including displaying text or images, hyperlinking, linking to video and providing contact information. These functions can be used to create incentives and drivers that lead consumers along a purchase path, drive brand or product awareness, provide a deeper level of information to aid a purchase, or can be used as a scan-to-pay system.

I came across a brilliant report by PSFK called the ‘Future of Mobile Tagging’ which goes into detail about the current creative uses of the tag, with examples of brands and agencies using and benefiting from them.

Here are a few examples of the tag in use. To read the full PSFK report click on the link at the end of the article.

Awareness
Capture people’s attention and draw them into an experience. Marketers can use them to raise awareness, build brand perception and engage an audience that’s on the go.

Use the tag for rapid entry into contests and competitions. No need for lengthy sign up processes and registration. Capture information like location and contact details in one click
Create a playful experience which fuses physical with digital. Initiate social gaming and group location-based challenges. Or use the tag to turn your phone into a games controller.
Deliver rich video and location-specific content to promote travel destinations on flyers, postcards or travel material. Tag your city to give relevant visitor information, maps or historical content to destinations.

Information Gathering
Guide potential customers towards purchase by providing more information about products and services. The quick access to additional information can create personal experiences that can be tailored for each shopper.

Provide consumers with further information about your product with engaging and relevant content such as reviews, comparisons or customisable options by placing the tag on product packaging.
Allow content sampling before purchase; add tags for consumers to preview literature, sample music, or preview live performances.
Create a behind-the-scenes experience using the tag as a gateway to provide further information and content about a situation. See a building or project in development; view the inside of a house from a For Sale board, or show restaurant customers how their food is prepared and cooked.
Deliver live information through scan-triggered updates, such as weather, public transport, package tracking, exchange rates, sports scores and so on.

Action purchase
Mobile tags provide a strong opportunity to convert a potential sale. Coupled with the profile information often held on phones, these mobile tags can encourage swift purchase.

Shoppers can pay for an item by a simple scan of the tag, improving transaction times and creating a single point-of-sale opportunity. Provide an exclusive customer experience by allowing them to skip lines and accelerate their store visit. Purchase tickets for an event or movie from the tag displayed at the end of a TVC.
Use tags as an unlockable reward system or for brand loyalty programs. Provide coupons through scannable tags in designated locations, or on shop fronts to drive consumers to or into a store.

Post Purchase
Even after the sale the mobile tag can drive customer satisfaction by providing extra service and support. This could be as simple as providing a how to guide, or additional content to loyal customers. You are also able to quickly share, review or voice your opinion on a product or experience by using a feedback loop tag.

To find out more information read the PSFK guide to mobile tagging

The big P has arrived

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00 +0100

As of Monday 28th February 2011, branded products will be able to appear in UK TV programmes (they are already appearing in imported programmes). The ‘P’ will be placed for 3 seconds at the start and end of the programme, and for 3 seconds after each ad break.

Nestlé was the first company to feature a brand into a paid product placement deal. Dolce Gusto coffee appeared alongside Holly and Philip during ‘This Morning’ (the broadcaster was nervous about testing pp in flagship programme ‘Emmerdale’ , fearing a public backlash). It is rumoured EA, the games developer, and Thomas Cook 18-30 will closely follow Nestlé’s example.

The deals can be struck with the the TV channel or the production company. Ofcom rules

There must be 'editorial justification' for a product to be placed in a programme. That means the product must have a natural fit wth the storyline. The content of programmes shouldn't seem to be created or distorted, just to feature the placed products.
Programmes also can't promote placed products or give them too much prominence. So there shouldn't be any claims made about how good a placed product is, or so many references to a product that it feels like it is being promoted.

It is believed within the broadcast world the difference to the viewing experience is likely to be negligible and the programmes will arguably become more authentic. Editorial independence is absolutely central to this and will no doubt be jealously guarded.

Americans have a mature product placement market and are quite used to seeing Simon Cowell sipping Coke as he passes judgement on American Idol.

Product placement in films and international programmes (such as US drama series) has been allowed on UK television for many years. But it's also been on our TV screens in various forms within acquired programming and as legitimate prop provision.

You may have noticed Sue Sylvester wearing nothing but Adidas in Glee, or perhaps picked up on the fact that Cisco IP Phones were part of a pivotal scene between NCIS operatives.

I remember watching Castaway and being all too aware of the Fedex connection. A good example of what Ofcom refers to as ‘too much prominence’.
The opportunities are endless and product placement should be viewed as an extension to sponsorship. And like sponsorship, the brand will follow the content (+1 , VOD). Unlike sponsorship, the opportunity is even greater as brand will follow the content via imports, video etc.....

......unless an alternative approach is taken and virtual placement is adopted, as pioneered by companies such as MirriAd, which partners with broadcasters and brand owners to place products digitally into existing media content. This enables one item of content to be associated with different brands across territories and at different times. It also allows placement to happen after production.

Building brands successfully is more than just raising awareness. It is about engagement, association and empathy with the consumer. A real opportunity has opened up where a brand can appear in a 30 minute programme avidly followed by the core audience and, unlike the 30 second commercial, not a production pound in sight!