Presented by Stephen Holgate from PACE Partners International, who has spent more than 20 years helping businesses to grow, the message was that marketers must identify actions that would help their organisation “win more of the right work from the right clients at the right fee”, an appropriate objective for businesses in any sector.

To help formulate what the perfect client base would look like in two to three years time, Stephen suggested sending a post card back from the future – the aim being to clearly define a vision for the years ahead. This postcard would include the sectors being worked in, the number of new and existing, the type of clients, the type of projects and relationships, fee levels and profitability, even client location.

Stephen introduced the PACE Pipeline which set out five actions required to reach the dream list; prospecting, promoting, projecting, protecting and pruning.  Focusing on the first and last actions, Stephen said the prospecting process had filters, the reasons for approaching a particular client. Among these were:

• existing relationships
•  likely quality of business
•  prestige value
• ability to meet demand
• potential longevity of the relationship.

 Triggers, the reasons that made clients more open to an approach could be:

• change in their strategy
• policy change.
• change in personnel
•  personal contact
•  sector growth

Pruning would allow space for growth and would influence the design of the client base for the future, being carried out where, for example, the volume of work and revenue with a particular client was low, there was no strategic fit or the association with the client created the wrong image or poor staff morale and high churn. Work could be left to ‘wither’ or the client serviced at a distance but ideally an ‘honest’ meeting would be the preferred option.

The advice is relevant for any business sector not just professional services and the list of actions for the marketer is key. These include:

• facilitating discussion on the postcard and the vision
• providing focus on the client list
• championing the cause internally, ensuring there is agreement with managers over the list
• managing the actions required.

A varied range of activity indeed, but the lesson here for marketers and business development managers is that the differing teams with their different priorities and different methodologies need to meet, discuss, share knowledge and ask questions of each other in order to help them all achieve success and build that dream client base.

All things considered, BP probably felt its crisis management strategy was just about holding up in the blast of anger being generated in the US about the disaster.

In truth, BP is never going to win this PR battle but it, nevertheless, has effectively used a range of tools including interviews, press releases and website and video updates to defend its reputation.

And in an interesting development, well known in the crisis management industry, BP is attempting to consolidate its position on the internet. Type “oil disaster” into Google and heading the results is a sponsored link to its response website.

The company is reportedly spending large sums of money each day on Search Engine Optimisation to ensure its disaster strategy is not pushed down the ratings by news sites, protestor sites and social network media, where opinion is overwhelmingly negative.

So far, so good…ish but then came the now infamous comment from the man who has become the face of the energy giant in this disaster .

BP chief executive Tony Hayward told reporters he wanted his “life back”. PR people everywhere put their heads in their hands as it was promptly pointed out that the 11 people who died in the initial explosion would never get theirs back. And the lives of those affected by the disaster would probably never be the same again.

 His words went round the world as a classic example of corporate insensitivity. The US media  intensified its offensive and US President Obama joined the attack, talking about “ass kicking”. An apology came soon after.

Here’s the lesson. All the crisis management, reputation management and perception management can be undone in an instant by an unguarded comment. 

So get your strategy in place. Be ready to respond, be open and honest, don’t play with words, give interviews and manage the internet. But above all, keep reminding the person who is fronting it all that it is not about them.

In our PR world, we all know that the private and public sectors are always squeezing every last drop of value out of their budgets and that is clearly not about to change.  The PR alarm bell is ringing, but here’s the question, whose is ringing the loudest?

Is it the in-house team which constantly has to justify its headcount and spends a lot of time making sure the precious press cuttings go round so that other business units can see what they’re doing?

Or is it the PR consultancy, which is managing its client’s brand as required and achieving agreed targets, but which can be dropped like a hot potato as a relatively easy short term cost-saving measure?

In-house teams have an intimate knowledge of their company and they understand the ethos of the business. They will hopefully have a representative in the boardroom. Middle management knows them, knows they can deal with the media and can turn to them for support in small projects which might not otherwise win any plaudits.

But in-house teams may have become part of the corporate furniture, the comfy chair that everyone puts their feet on rather than the functional mirror which serves to remind the business how others see them and what they have to do when the reflection isn’t so good. 

On the other hand, consultancies are focussed. They do the job required and clients know how much it will cost them. They can build relationships with executives which are no less meaningful and successful than those in-house.

Consultancies bring a fresh perspective and wider experience to the role which an in-house team can’t always do, especially in the fast-developing world of social media PR.

What’s more, consultancies don’t have that sense of security that comes with being in-house; they have to work hard to produce results and justify their role and cost to the client.

Of course, cutting PR budgets at a time of economic hardship, is actually the last thing that businesses should be doing. PR can raise their profile among equally cost-conscious customers and create an environment where deals are done.

In any recession, as well as the casualties, there are also companies which are able to take advantage of the opportunities. For example, there’s less competition for media space thereby creating an opportunity to increase profile.

So the message is; if you’re a business, whether you use an in-house team or an external consultancy, make sure you keep that investment in PR and make sure it is working hard for its money.

 TheFashionPixie App is available to download free from iTunes and mirrors the live sales information that is published on the website. So it’s one smart App…if you pardon the pun.

But it’s not just the App that does the business. The successful launch highlights what we knew, and that is the huge PR value that is gained from using the right distribution method which hits the targets that matter. We’ve cut our cloth to fit, so much so that the App will probably pay for itself in the end.

So far, TheFashionPixie.com has collared 260 backlinks on the net in less than 24 hours. Using an online distribution service for a cost of £110, the media release has gone to more than 850 sites run by bloggers, tweeters and online publications who receive not only the  words, but images both still and moving including a YouTube clip, which was produced in-house using flipshare.

The site is very busy to say the least and we expect to see SEO benefits aplenty such as Google indexing and inbound links from other sites…Versace results for Primark prices.

I wish there was some decent guidance about developing ‘apps’ for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android platforms, but there seems to be a conspiracy by ‘techies’ to keep the process as mysterious as possible!

We have been working on several in the past few weeks (that aren’t launched yet, so we can’t mention them), but they are the current hot trend.  Figures from last summer reported 50,000 iPhone apps  and by November 2009 this had increased to 100,000!  As a regional PR agency, one of the most useful recent launches for us has been

TheBusinessDesk.com Appwhich arrived in the Apple store just a few weeks ago, but is already proving indispensable.

We thought it might be useful to share some of our recent learning about how to go about developing an iPhone app, and many of these tips also have value for developing BlackBerry apps too.

1. Plan well ahead – Shortlist a few specialist app developers (we have worked with several and know of a few more, if you want recommendations, drop me an email) and get prices to a tight spec, just as with a web developer.  The scope of what you need will greatly affect the price, but £2k is a decent starting point and the sky is the limit if you need all the bells and whistles!  Expect to spend two weeks planning, four weeks developing and two weeks testing, unless you can focus everyone to compress the work needed into less time.
2. Get draft designs – you must really brief the designers well, and be sure you like the draft designs before the build process begins – changing the look of an app can be costly…
3. Manage timings – developing web site and apps usually over run, as you are dealing with managing business people (whoever the client is) and techies, so there are always a few snags and delays
4. Test, test and test again – When you think you have your app designed, test it over and over before submitting it to the Apple store.  You can test apps on your own devices before you launch them with Apple, using a convoluted process of downloading zip folders and pushing files into iTunes on your own PC.  It is well worth doing as you always find more snags the more time and test users you have (10 – 20 is a good test audience) and it saves time and effort if you have all the snags ironed out before you first submit.
5. Register with Apple as an app developer  – I recommend registering as a developer ($99 cost) and setting up your own developer account.  This gives a number of benefits, the main being that your details on the iStore are flexible, and you control the access to stats etc too.  Your app developer will most likely be able to do this for you, steer clear of using their own developer account unless there is good reason.
6. Be prepared to launch PR – When you finally upload the app, there will be a delay of between 24 hours and five days before it is live on the iStore.  You have no control over this, and you must be ready to put any PR plans into action as soon as you see the app is live.  Countless online sites trawl for new apps, and you can’t control who will write about your app first.  It is amazing how many sites download and review even UK only apps, especially in the States, so make sure you make the most of the PR opportunities.
7. Utilise social media and app PR sites – there are a number of good ways to distribute media releases about the launch of apps that cost a little but deliver a lot in terms of online coverage and back links.  PR Web www.prweb.com/ (£110 upwards) is worth a look, as is the cheaper ($30 USD) Mac PR www.macpr.co.uk/

So, don’t be put off developing an app just because you haven’t done it before; you just need common sense and the support of a good designer.  Personally, I think that as long as the app has a purpose and is useful to the user (sounds obvious, but there will be people who develop pointless apps) they are a great way to get huge PR value, and they also to bring a fresh and added value aspect to your web offering. 

The massive rush towards iPhones that started last year when the Vodafone 02 and Orange networks got the handsets is compelling.  I personally think they have been a massive boon to our business at Appeal and we all love them, and I believe they will be the standard business handset in 18 months’ time.

If you think you could grow sales or offer clients an improved experience through an iPhone or BlackBerry app, go for it.  Especially if you are able to get in before the competition…

Over the last few months, everyone who’s anyone seems to have been developing an app and we’ve seen ever-more innovative offerings.  From Wagamama becoming the first restaurant brand to launch a take-out order service via the platform to Tesco’s app which turns the phone into a scannable electronic clubcard; through to the Labour Party app designed to help canvassers in the run-up to the general election (complete with the party’s Virtual Phone Bank); to Ikea’s catalogue app which has been downloaded 300,000 times since December!

So, here are my top ten FREE apps:

1.       The Business Desk

Yes, TheBusinessDesk.com is continuing to lead the way by this week becoming the first regional news publisher to launch an app!  Now it’s even easier to keep up with breaking news in Yorkshire, the North West and the Midlands direct from your iPhone

2.       RunKeeper

With the Leeds 10K in July fast approaching, this could be a useful training device, giving the benefits of an expensive GPS watch, but FREE!  I used it for the first time this morning and it’s a great way of setting yourself training targets

3.       Shazam

This must be one of the all-time best ideas – next time you’re in a shop and they’re playing a track you love, but can’t quite remember the name, just hit Shazam and it will listen for you and put you out of your misery

4.       TweetDeck/LinkedIn

The easy way of keeping track of your social media networks while on the move

5.       toptable

Wherever you are, if you’re looking for a restaurant, just tap toptable

6.       Orange Wednesdays (or  Flixster)

Easy access to everything you need to know before you head for the silver screen

7.       vouchercloud

An app dedicated to discounts

8.       Appsilicious Inc

Aesthetics are important to iPhone users – choose great wallpapers for every occasion, anything from cool Apple logos to Shrek or even Easter bunnies!

9.       Squeeze it/LEGO photo

You’ve got to have a couple of apps purely for fun – these allow you to manipulate photos and even to turn your pictures into Lego

10.   BBC – coming soon!

Okay, so this hasn’t been launched yet, but the good old Beeb has announced that it is currently developing news, sports and iPlayer apps.  Just when I thought my iPhone couldn’t get any better…

PS  If you can stretch to a paid for app, Sccope could be a wise investment.  For £1.19, you can download an app which scans product barcodes and compares prices to make sure you save money as you shop.

If you’ve come across any great apps that you can’t live without, please share them!

Women of all ages are using technology in their daily lives – from teenage girls addicted to online gaming, Facebook and Spotify; to mothers organising their children’s play dates by text, getting their retail therapy via Amazon and Skyping family and friends.  In fact, 45 per cent of all retailer consumer electronic purchases were made by women in 2007 – not to mention the female influence on most household purchases.  This shift in perception has resulted in a change in the way that technology is marketed to the fairer sex, but, unfortunately, the emphasis often seems to be on appearance rather than functionality. 

There’s no doubt that we’ve seen a plethora of hot pink gadgets ‘made for women’, from digital cameras to laptops, but the designers (probably male) seem to be missing the point.  To think that producing something in a ‘girly’ colour will make it appealing to women is patronising and plays to stereotypes – in fact these fluffy products are likely to alienate the market they’re attempting to attract.  Apart from anything else, don’t men realise that most girls reject pink around the age of five when they also cut the hair off their Barbies and we wouldn’t be seen dead with a garish gizmo?

Yes, aesthetics are important and women appreciate good design.  Just look at the success of Apple.  There’s no doubt that part of the popularity of the iPhone, particularly amongst female fans, is its sleek dark good looks combined with tactile functionality – it is a design classic.  Similarly, there’s something so pleasing about the look and feel of an iPod Nano in your hand that you wouldn’t want any other brand of MP3 player.

So what about Mr Jobs’ latest offering?  My immediate reaction on seeing the slim, shiny iPad was, I want one!  Sleek and stylish, it would be just the glamorous gadget to carry with pride, probably swathed in an equally expensive designer cover.  However, having read some of the less than favourable reviews of the ‘magical’ super-tablet, I’ve decided to wait for some of the technological glitches to be ironed out before I invest in this highly covetable object.

Women want more than sheer good looks – stylish products that are also effective are the key.  Again, harping back to Apple, the useability of the products I’ve tried is outstanding.  They truly are intuitive – women aren’t gadget geeks who are prepared to spend time reading complex instructions about every function, we just want to get on and do it.  The reason for buying a gizmo is to solve a specific problem and we want products that do this well, not gimmicks.

So please, all you high-tech designers, ditch the pink plastic – I don’t care whether it’s pastel pink or fuchsia, just give us stylish products that we’re proud to display, but also that do the job. 

PS Check out Popgadget - it’s a website dedicated to ‘personal tech and innovative lifestyle for women’.  Having written this blog, I was delighted to see a story on the site reporting that the 126th career chosen by Mattel for the iconic Barbie is computer engineer, with, of course, the requisite baby pink laptop…

Apple

The main focus of this ‘revolutionary’ bit of kit seems to be to thrust Apple into the forefront of the ebook market and the giant has signed up deals with a number of large publishers to aid its conquest. Alongside thousands and thousands of the usual Apple apps, users will be able to download their favourite titles from iBook, opening up and gorging on classics and new bestsellers alike, all at the swish of a finger.

It’s hoped that, whilst luring avid bookworms from the safety of the paperback, this will open up the world of literature to a mass of new, otherwise disinterested readers who, presumably previously engaged with IT gizmos and glued to gaming devices, are seduced by the technology of it all.

I may eat my words, but at the moment, I’m not convinced.

Call me old fashioned but I quite like harvesting books to fill my shelves and I’m not sure I’m ready to transfer that attachment to a virtual bookcase. Books are a comforting entity, something to pick up and immerse yourself in, wear the pages of, share with friends and refer back to in years to come. I can’t see myself curling up with a good ‘book’ emanating from a glaring iPad. An electronic screen just doesn’t hold quite the same magic.

And I can’t see it converting non-readers either. With so many other applications to play on, I doubt that, just because it’s being channelled through a high powered gadget, they’re going to find themselves enticed in to a newly discovered world of literature.

Apple says it’s like having the internet in your hands (which I thought we had with the iPhone and laptop?) but with no multi-tasking programme capability, no Flash provision, no camera and no USB port, surely it’s going to be frustratingly limited in what it can achieve?

I could be getting old and perhaps I need to give the thing a shot. Stephen Fry did say “you only really get it when you get your hands on it”, a mantra I’m relying on for my impending love affair with the iPhone. I may one day find myself writing about my conversion, but for now, I’ll stick to thumbing my way through my much loved paperbacks.

Granted, they do have the freedom to approach an issue however they see fit and it’s impossible for anyone, PR consultant or otherwise, to have editorial control over a story, no matter how good their relationship is with the person writing it. So for those unfamiliar with the territory, dealing with the press can be a daunting prospect and indeed, it is a critical area which should always be handled with caution. Always avoid saying anything to a journalist which you don’t want to see in print, unless they have agreed that it is ‘off the record’.

In general, media folk are not there to find the most damaging angle in a story. Treat them with respect; be as honest and transparent as possible in your dealings with them and they are likely to return the favour. Remember, the media is funded by advertising from businesses like yours and its customers are readers like you, so it isn’t actually in their interests to haphazardly alienate the business community.

The media should in fact be considered an important ally – well-placed articles and comment pieces in target publications can do wonders for a business’ profile, raising awareness of, and lending credibility to, its offering. Those who handle their journalist relationships well can certainly expect to reap the benefits.

Here are our top ten tips on how to cultivate winning relationships with your target titles.

1. Build a personal rapport with key journalists – invite them to lunch, introduce them to interesting people, give them good stories, become a useful source of information for important issues so that they know to come to you first. And remember it’s a two way road so be available and helpful when they need you, not just when you need them. Investing your time and personality will do wonders for your column inches.

2. Work out what kind of stories publications want to fill their pages with – give them stories they will actually want to publish, or offer a new approach to an issue which will be interesting to their readers. With deadlines to meet and pages to fill, journalists are busy creatures and will appreciate the effort.

3. Be aware of deadlines – journalists can ask for information with a very short lead time and it’s often necessary to act immediately if the PR opportunity is to be maximised. Don’t leave them waiting, they’ll close the story without you. If you’ve promised them some information, then make sure they get it, and within their timescale. If for some reason you can’t deliver, let them know there’s a problem as early as possible.

4. Make their lives easier – don’t send huge attachments which clog their inbox, do copy a press release into the body of an email and put the title in the subject line. Try to accommodate the style of the publication you’re targeting.

5. Don’t be put off – if a press release doesn’t make the news pages, don’t be tempted to simply not bother with your next story. There is no guarantee that a press release will be featured but this is not necessarily a bad reflection on your submission. There are lots of external pressures which can explain why something is left off the page.

6. Choose your timing – if you issue a press release quoting someone within the business, then make sure that person is available on the day it is sent to the newspapers – there’s nothing more annoying than not being able to contact quoted personnel if journalists need more information.

7. Know your subject – if you receive a follow-up call from the journalist, be confident about the topic you’re talking about and make sure your answers are clear and consistent. Decide beforehand exactly how much information you are able to give away.

8. Prepare for interviews – if a journalist wants to interview you for the radio or TV, give yourself plenty of time to get ready. Although you will find it’s very rare for journalists to disclose a list of questions in advance, ask for a briefing to get as good an idea as you can of the topics they want to discuss. Ideally, prepare a list of likely questions and consider your answers. Answer questions directly and accurately and try to speak in a natural, conversational tone.

9. Avoid ‘no comment’ – if you can. If you don’t know an answer, then say so. It sounds less suspicious and is also better than giving inaccurate information. If you have to refuse to answer a question, explain why wherever possible.

10. Be honest, open and helpful – once a journalist trusts you as a source and knows the information you provide will be useful, timely and accurate, you will become an invaluable resource to them and this in turn will do wonders for your profile.

When it comes to media handling, the more you put in, the more you will get back; any time and effort you use should be considered a worthwhile investment. It is, however, important to get it right – after all, you are representing your business and need to make sure you do so in a way that reflects how your firm wants to be perceived. You could always seek professional media advice to fine-tune your skills if you need it – as with any other marketing, when in doubt, ask the experts.

We experienced the spike in online demand first-hand via one of our clients fashion bargain site, www.thefashionpixie.com/ which only launched mid December, but enjoyed more than 3,500 visits over the Christmas period alone. 

The figures from Experian Hitwise reveal that rather than spending the season of goodwill enjoying quality time relaxing with family and friends, for many of us the post-Christmas period was an opportunity to indulge in an online retail frenzy.  Apparently, the second busiest internet shopping day last year was 27^th December, and sales over 24^th and 25^th December increased by 36 per cent last year, compared with 39 per cent the previous year.

This is a dramatic illustration of how our shopping habits have changed.  While the economy and retail in particular has been in the doldrums, customer satisfaction with online shopping has continued to increase.  Research from ForeSee Results  shows that the UK’s top 40 online retailers enjoyed a six per cent increase in customer satisfaction over the Christmas period compared with last year.

Mind you, faced with the option of battling through a blizzard to face the crowds or sitting in the comfort of your own home with a mince pie and the best bargains nationwide just a click away, I know which I would choose…