For over 20 years I have been working with companies on marketing communications campaigns. Starting with advertising this has, over the years, extended into PR, design and, increasingly, online communications. In 2011 I was introduced to a work practice called Business Model Generation and by combining this with my own experience and approach, have now [...]
Writing Archive
Where next for the music business?
Newspapers and magazines have been full of their ‘Best of’ lists for 2011 and in traditional style I compiled my own, something I share with a few like-minded music-bores. Music is my one regular luxury purchase and has been for many years. In 2011 I bought over 50 albums, on vinyl, CD and as downloads. [...]
The four ‘P’s of QR code marketing
The four ‘P’s of traditional marketing are well-known. Investigating the potential of QR codes I believe there is a similar ’4P’ logic to define the potential opportunity and benefit of incorporating these strange, black and white squares into marketing communications. The new four ‘P’s are: Provenance, Price, Purchase and Pleasure. Provenance: Consumers want to know [...]
Bringing a bit of imagination to QR codes
QR codes are a door. Nothing more, nothing less. If you don’t have a good web site, there’s no point inviting anyone to visit it. But if it is good, or you’ve produced audio or video content, or you’re organising an event, or you want someone to phone you, a QR code is a perfect [...]
Communication is now the prime asset for business.
In the beginning was the product. And if the product was good, a business gained competitive advantage. But over time product differentiation lessened and most products today deliver most of what they claim most of the time. So along came service and businesses tried to show they cared by getting ‘close to customers’. This often [...]
What will the next five years bring for marketing in Scotland?
McDUFF Stands Scotland where it did? ROSS Alas, poor country! Almost afraid to know itself. Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 3, 1605 The SNP’s historic election victory positions them for five years of majority government, the first time this has been achieved in the Scottish Parliament since Devolution. The ultimate objective for the government is a [...]
What marketers can learn from SNP election victory.
Whether you are a Scot or not, whether you live and work in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK, you cannot fail to have noticed that the SNP won the recent election and now forms a majority government at Holyrood for the next five years. Nothing particularly remarkable, perhaps: ‘party wins election’. It would be [...]
QR codes connect offline to online
Mysterious little black squares are appearing everywhere. From their origins in Japanese car plants to now appearing in advertising, in press articles and magazines, QR codes (Quick Response 2d bar codes) are a brilliant way for smartphone owners to take an interest in a subject further than is possible in the original medium. So you’re [...]