360innovate Blog

Laura February 4th, 2010

We are delighted to announce that 360innovate has been officially recognised by the Recommended Agency Register for 2010.

The Recommended Agency Register is an independent organisation that undertakes extensive research to identify the most reliable and respected agencies across a broad spectrum of marketing services.

Having the ability to display the RAR logo on our website is a real achievement. It is the mark of hard work, dedication and passion and we are delighted that our efforts have been recognised by such a renowned organisation.

View the 360innovate profile here.

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Laura February 3rd, 2010

According to  statistics published by eMarketer one in five companies have a social media policy in place restricting what employees can and cannot do on external networking sites; with the majority of respondents citing loss of productivity and reputation management being a primary reason for such enforcements.

As previous posts have shown we are all for employees at every level contributing to the company social media efforts and we are certainly not fans of any sort of workplace ban on social media. Social media offers many long term benefits and there is a place for it to be implemented in every marketing plan; if you can get a broad range of employees involved then even better. However, despite being big supporters of social media activity in the workplace it is difficult not to ignore the potential threats many companies could potentially encounter if employees were left to their own devices.

Loss of productivity is one of the most glaringly obvious threats to any company and despite the benefits of contributing to social networks, commenting on blogs and participating in online discussion there is the potential for employees to stray from the corporate path and start catching up on their personal affairs. The simple solution? Kindly ask employees not too, encourage employees to contribute to the company online activities but keep personal socialising to their lunch break.

Control of the corporate reputation is another cause for concern for many companies. Allowing employees to use social media during work hours opens them up to being liable for employees opinions and mistakes; something that could quite easily happen offline or from the employees personal computer. It is in this scenario that a social media policy really becomes invaluable, it is your best friend to managing and guiding employees and how they use company social media. If you choose to leave them with little or no advice as to how they should use or interact online when acting on behalf of the company then you really are leaving yourself open for disaster.

Putting together your social media guidelines

Before introducing any guidelines ensure that employees know what social media is, how it contributes to the marketing of the company and let them know what company social media activities are currently in place. The guidelines should do as the title suggests – guide! Provide guidance on how employees should interact with stakeholders online and put in place a process for responding to anything negative.

Econsultancy provide 16 social media guidelines as used by real companies some excellent examples from this blog article include;

• Separate opinions from facts
• Aim for quality not quantity
• Always pause and think before posting

Similarly, Mashable provide a ‘must-haves’ list for your social media policy which includes a very valuable point which should be expressed to all employees. This is ‘remember to protect confidential and proprietary information’, although with the use of social media we encourage a certain level of transparency there is such a thing as giving too much information away. Ensure that employees understand what they can and cannot talk about so that there is no possibility of a misunderstanding which could lead to the  disclosure of sensitive information to the detriment of the company or client.

No matter what your social media guideline says make sure you encourage employees to get involved and to have fun with it. Social media is there to share and connection and should be a hindrance. To see actual social media guidelines and policies currently being used by a variety of businesses visit Social Media Governance where there is a database holding over 100 social media policies from BBC to Yahoo!.

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Laura February 2nd, 2010

Well done to the Ardanaiseig Hotel who have just been nominated for Website of the Year at the Scottish Hotel Awards 2010.

Ardanaiseig was built in the Scottish Baronial manner for Colonel Archibald Campbell of Clan Campbell in 1834. It was designed by William Burn and is listed for its architectural importance. It is a truly beautiful hotel and we hope the website does it justice, with such stunning imagery how could it fail to impress?!

Good luck to the hotel, we will have our fingers and toes crossed for you!

The Ardanaiseig Hotel website can be found here: www.ardanaiseig.com

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Laura February 1st, 2010

Following on from our previous post about the recession being “over” it is timely to report that in 2009 UK shoppers spent the most online than any other country in Europe.

Bucking the idea that consumers have stopped spending UK shoppers spent a massive £38 billion online last year, which despite being the last country out of the recession, makes Britain the largest online market in Europe.

There are of course many factors influencing this outcome, namely the fact that here in the UK we have greater access to PC and higher levels of internet activity, but above all we are a nation of  bargain hunters and with many online retailers offering savings of up to 20% compared to the high street it is logical that online is where we would shop. Not surprising is the fact that online sales accounted for 10% of all retail purchases last year.

Experts forecast that countries such as Poland, France and Spain will be the fastest growing online markets in 2010 with Britain slowing down in growth but still remaining the largest market in Europe.

So how can online retailers continue strong in 2010?

• Hit the consumer with your marketing message at every angle with an integrated marketing campaign that utilises online and offline techniques.
• Offer value for money; whether it is loyalty schemes, free gifts or money off discounts. Searches for discount vouchers went up 47% in 2009 because people are looking online to save a little money or get more for their money.
• Reinforce that you are a reliable and safe retailer.
• Offer the full customer experience with an excellent easy to use website, quality products and top notch after sales service.

(Sources New York Times, BBC and Herald Scotland)

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Laura January 26th, 2010

We started the year off saying we were going to beat the recession and no sooner had the words left our lips (or fingertips I suppose) than it was declared that the UK was officially out of the recession.

Yep, after months and months of griping about the ‘economic downturn’, big name retailers folding, being skint, not being able to get a mortgage, alcohol prices going up (or was that just me?!) and high unemployment rates the nation woke up this morning to suddenly be told that we no longer in the recession. The nation has finally seen slight growth, a measly 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2009.

And I guess many people will now be asking what do we do now? Go on as well did before, we certainly aren’t out of the dark but there is a small glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel which we must work towards. Continue giving your customers and clients added value for their money, give them good reason to spend their money with your company and, above all, begin working on promoting and building your brand. Because when the nation is completely clear of this recession and the economy is growing at a little more than a 0.1% you want to make sure your company is overshadowing the competition.

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Laura January 19th, 2010

Facebook groups range from the heart warming to the down right absurd.There are groups to bring back retired chocolate bars, prevent bus services being cancelled, share stories of being a student, to commiserate the engagement of Russell Brand and on a more serious note to show support for charities; no matter your hobbies, passion, religion or opinions I imagine that there would be a Facebook group out there for you.

Although the number of groups on Facebook is reaching silly proportions and in many instances people join them only to never contribute anything ever there are the rare occasions when a Facebook group amounts to something more than just a giggle; actually doing a good deed or gaining momentum to the point where it brings around action.

One of the first Facebook groups that quickly became a national campaign was one set up to ‘bring back the Wispa’ chocolate bar. After several thousand fans joining the Facebook group and several other online petitions cropping up the people at Cadbury finally took notice. Cadbury spokesman Tony Bilsborough said: “We have noticed the web interest for some time and the consumer passion has undeniably swayed our opinion to relaunch Wispa” (BBC), demonstrating that Facebook groups have significant power not only for the consumer but also the corporations, think how much money Cadbury saved by not having to invest in research and development?

Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No. 1 is probably one of the most publicised Facebook groups so far. The group called for fans to buy RATM’s 1992 single “Killing in the Name Of” in a bid to challenge the X Factors dominance of the Christmas number one. As a result  of this online campaign “Killing In The Name Of” secured the Christmas number one spot beating X Factor winner Joe McElderry and to date the number of Facebook users supporting the campaign has reached over 1.5 million. Amazing as it may seem that this small group page went on to be a highly debated topic, featured in the 10 o’clock news and powerful enough to keep XFactor off the most coveted No. 1 spot of the year, it is no real surprise. The very nature of Facebook is centred upon sharing and the entire set up of the website is dedicated to everyone knowing what everyone else is doing, therefore the potential for snowballing viral campaigns are very high.

Someone else looking to utilise the wild fire effect of Facebook is the administrator of the  “Camera Found at Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party 2009/2010″ group, a group set up with the sole intention of finding the owner of a lost camera using the pictures on memory card to identify the true owner. This is not a one off either, there are several similar altruistic groups across Facebook helping people locate their lost items. A brilliant and very kind use for a Facebook group, I guess the majority of lost and found items end up on EBay, and one which relies very heavily upon the ‘word of mouth’ sharing aspect of Facebook- after all you don’t exactly search for “lost camera” on Facebook do you? What is so nice about this is the element of community, people joining a group to help someone find their camera and amongst the 80,000 revellers that attended the Edinburgh Hogmanay party they were able to.

Whether it’s reuniting a camera with its owner, sharing your views with the world or campaigning for a company to act in a certain way Facebook groups have incredible potential. There is, of course, power in numbers and where else to find numbers than on one of the most popular social networks in the world Facebook.

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Laura January 13th, 2010

Starting off 2010 with a bang 360innovate have had a change of scenery.

As much as we loved our wee Hillington office I think we all missed the city more, so after great debate 360innovate have upped sticks and moved to the city centre.

We can now be found here:

Third Floor

21 West Nile Street

Glasgow

G1 2PS

And we can be phoned here:

0141 241 6190.

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Laura January 8th, 2010

Back in 2008 we published a blog post on making your company recession proof with SEO and for 2010 we are going to keep the momentum going. Last year saw the demise of some big brands including Woolworths, FlyGlobeSpan, Zavvi and Borders; the B2B and SME’s were no different with many closures and struggles endured throughout the year of 2009.

Going forward in 2010 we at 360innovate are looking forward to working with new and existing clients helping them to create economies, increase sales and beat the recession using the opportunities available on the Internet.

In the past year we have helped a variety of businesses streamline their sales process and increase customer satisfaction helping them to save and make money. In one instance we developed an event booking and management system for a large organisation who had previously managed the booking of events offline through a form submission process. The new online booking system has saved our client money by allowing them to direct resources previously wasted on event administration to other areas of the organisation and its simple application process has resulted in an increase in the number of attendees at events.

This simple yet efficient addition to an existing website has helped to make life easier for our client and by making things easier for the customer it has paid for itself. Small changes can go a long way and in many cases a lack of time or knowledge will prevent people from seeking out a solution instead settling to carry on with a website which is not working to its full capacity and in these difficult times, when everyone is penny watching, we need to ensure that every aspect of your business is operating at it’s best.

So for 2010 take a look at your website and ask yourself whether you are getting the most you possibly can from it. Do you feel you should be; getting better sales, spending less time managing it, updating it on a more regular basis or integrating it more into the overall marketing mix? As well as this consider asking a friend, colleague or customer what their thoughts of the website are. Don’t be scared of any negative feedback; modifying or enhancing your website doesn’t have to be expensive. From enhancing the usability of your website, integrating mobile technology, refreshing the graphics to a one off email campaign… these are all small things which can pack a big punch and can be tailored to suit every budget helping you to make 2010 the year we beat the recession.

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Laura December 23rd, 2009

A very merry Christmas to everyone from 360innovate.

Our offices will be closed from 24th December whilst we go off and indulge in lots of food and mulled wine, however, we will be back on the 5th January batteries recharged and raring to go. If you need to get in touch with us we recommend popping us through a wee email and we will try our best to respond!

So until 2010 have a very jolly Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Laura December 22nd, 2009

What better way to round up 2009 online by telling you what most people have been doing online the most…

Most Downloaded Song

I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas (Shiny Shiny)
*although several other sources including ITunes claim Boom Boom Pow by Black Eye Peas was the most downloaded song…

Most Downloaded Album

Only by the Night by Kings of Leon (Shiny Shiny)

Most Downloaded Movie on ITunes

Twilight (Mashable)

Most Viewed YouTube Video

Susan Boyle on X Factor (NY Daily News)

Most Downloaded US TV Show

Heroes (Guardian)

Most ‘Pirated’ Movie Download

Star Trek  (DMW Media)

Most ‘Pirated’ eBook

Kama Sutra (FreakBits)

Most talked about topic on Twitter

The Iran Election (Twitter)

Most talked about in Facebook status updates

Facebook Applications (Facebook)

Continue Reading »

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Laura December 18th, 2009

360innovate are pleased to announce the launch of the Ardanaiseig Hotel website.

Ardanaiseig was built in the Scottish Baronial manner for Colonel Archibald Campbell of Clan Campbell in 1834. It was designed by William Burn and is listed for its architectural importance.

The Ardanaiseig Hotel approached 360innovate looking for a website redesign. Following a series of client meetings, which included a scenic and incredibly beautiful drive to Argyll where the hotel is based, we really got a feel for the exceptional service and luxurious surroundings and were excited to communicate it through the website.

We created a website for the Ardanaiseig Hotel using full screen visuals that let the sheer beauty of the hotel interiors and exterior landscape do the talking. Text and menu links were kept minimal keeping focus on the breathtaking photography.

An online booking facility makes it possible for customers to make reservations at the hotel with ease and the gift voucher page allows the hotel to showcase the various promotions and events held at the hotel- ideal gifts for friends and family.

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Laura December 15th, 2009

One of the best things about Christmas shopping has to be the window displays, nothing warms the heart like a nicely decorated window covered in chintz, glitter and expensive gifts to buy for our loved ones. Having unfortunatley never had the chance to visit New York at Christmas, or ever for that matter, I have never seen the wonderful Christmas display windows which I hear you actually have to queue up for!

This years windows featured a certain Mr and Mrs Obama

Selfridges took on Little Red Riding hood for one their Christmas window.

The high street really does seem to go to town, the main purpose obviously being to get us to spend more money. The online stores are no different, in fact you could imagine it is much harder to get a customer in the store and to purchase when the competition on a national or even global size!

So this Christmas season have the online shops being following the high street and decorating their digital windows to entice shoppers?

You decide, here are some of the best festive websites for 2009:

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Laura December 11th, 2009

Christmas has arrived in the 360innovate office! These lovely Christmas cupcakes were supplied by Frosted and they have got us in the Christmas partying mood! With the Christmas night out tonight, being held in the Italian Kitchen, we are all in a thoroughly festive spirit and already contemplating what we are going to have to eat!

All we need now if some festive tunes to really get the party started…. Does anyone have any recommendations for the 360innovate Christmas playlist?

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Laura December 2nd, 2009

User generated content refers to content on a website or similar form of media which has been produced, written or compiled by the users of that media/website. The greatest example of user generated content is Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia that is produced, maintained and regulated by its users; it is the fifth most popular website in the world (Econsultancy) and although it has been subject to several practical jokes it still remains a trusted source of knowledge and information.

The various ways a brand can integrate user generated content within their online presence are;

• Web Forum
• Branded social network
• Open comments on the blog
• Review section
• Video/photo galleries
• Brand wiki

Web Forum

A forum is a place for people to talk and discuss various matters. They are commonly characterised by topic and are created by fans of that particular topic/product/service. Brands can use a forum as a place to talk with and connect customers encouraging them to  discuss the product/service and post questions giving the brand a means of providing additional customer service and technical support.

Examples of brands using forums; BT, Nintendo and Joomla!

Social network

Social networks are the likes of Facebook and Bebo where friends can connect with one another the platforms allowing them to easily talk online, share content and generally interact with other users of the website including brands. A growing trend is the establishment of brand run social networks  where fans of that brand can connect with the company and other fans allowing them to share experiences, keep up to date with the brand, get exclusive promotions and interact with the people behind the brand. Although creating your own social network  gives you greater control and flexibility it is possible to create a similar community on any exisiting social networks; Asos demonstrate both options by having their own community page and a very successful Facebook page with over 170,000 fans.

Examples of company specific social networks; Asos, Reebok andToyota.

Blog

A blog is an online diary or web log, they are increasingly being utilised by businesses to communicate with stakeholders, however, a blog shouldn’t be a one way street it is there to engage users and encourage feedback. Although not entirely user generated a blog is an ideal place to encourage customer feedback, ideas and conversation and in that sense it is a tool for generating user content. For efficient use of commenting facilities minimise the moderation of comments where possible, respond to any comments left and actively invite readers to get involved by posting their thoughts and comments.

Examples of company blogs engaging with readers; Econsultancy, Playstation and Spotify.

Reviews

Many websites, in particular ecommerce sites, are now providing review facilities providing customers with the chance to provide feedback on the product or service that they recieved. User generated reviews and recommendations are one of the most powerful selling tools for any business  so having positive reviews posted beside products can play an influential role in the decision making process of a potential customer. There are many ways for reviews to be displayed in a website, with most content managed systems it is fairly simple to turn on a review facility, there are also companies such as Feefo who follow every sale with an email requesting feedback which is then displayed on the website adding further authenticity to the review.

Examples of review facilities; MyWardrobe, American Apparel, First Direct and Comet

Video/Photo galleries

On your website you can provide a gallery displaying videos or photos submitted by customers. A gallery could be used in conjunction with a competition, as part of a review facility or simply to show off the product/service. The benefit of having user generated photos and videos is that it can be used across several channels, within the website, on the social media profiles and on a dedicated YouTube channel for videos.

Examples of user generated galleries; Firebox, Oxo and Asos (again!)

Brand Wiki

A company wiki can be utilised for internal use as an effective and affordable alternative to an intranet. Users create, amend and edit the content within the wiki so its not something a company would want to let loose to the general public but along with being an excellent hub for employees to post information and communicate with one another. Within Wikipedia many larger (or reknowned) companies will have a page, it is impossible to completely control the information posted on the page, however, you can ensure that the information is factual, up to date and non slanderous. For any issues with the company wiki read this blog post.

The Pros and Cons of it all

Using and promoting user generated content is an excellent way to engage with customers and can in many cases be an excellent source of inspiration for improving or marketing your service or product. Further to this user generated content can form an integral part of an advertising and online marketing campaign; many companies including Doritos, TMobile, Asos and Oxo all use customer made videos and photographs in some form of marketing material as a means of selling their products.

Of course whenever a company invites people to generate content they are running the risk of receiving a bit of negative comments, to curb this many opt to moderate comment and reviews facilities ensuring only the ‘good’ ones get through. Doing so can have a negative effect; you run the possibility of no one commenting or alternatively no one trusting the comments being made. Instead of moderating consider allowing negative comments to be posted and read by one ‘n’ all but ensure that you respond to it. By engaging upset customers you are showing that your company accepts its mistakes and seeks to learn from them. Look to BT on Twitter who actively enage with customers having difficulty with their BT service turning a nasty situation into an incredibly positive one.

For any company seeking to encourage user generated content the best course of action is to have a set of moderation guidelines and procedures in the case of negative comments or publicity ensuring that everyone understands how the publicity and comments are to be dealt with.

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