http://www.clearcommunications.co.ukThis is the syndication feed for www.clearcommunications.co.uk Clear has expanded recently with two new faces joining the team. Paul MacKenzie-Cummins joins as an account manager and will be responsible for delivering marketing solutions across a variety of accounts. Joining from an in-house role at CPR, Paul has in depth experience across a broad portfolio of clients and sectors following a three year career as a freelancer after beginning his career at Mirror Group newspapers.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=52Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:00:00 I don’t know whether it’s linked to the decline in trust of politicians or not, but it seems to have gradually become more and more acceptable for news reporters to ask just about anyone for their opinion on the news agenda. There’s no point in asking politicians as they’re all just lying gits, so instead we’ll ask John or Sue. If you haven't noticed this trend already, then watch out for it and you're bound to see or hear an example soon. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=51Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:00:00 We're hiring! Following new account wins Clear Communications is looking for an experienced B2B PR Account Manager to join our team of fun, talented and ambitious individuals. If you are looking for an agency where you will be valued, where you can really make a difference and where your contribution will be rewarded accordingly then please visit our careers page for full details of the position. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=50Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 Every year the dilemma of what to do with Christmas cards rears its head. Online or offline? Cheesy or cool? Does anyone care anyway? What is the point of company Christmas cards? 1. To create warm fuzzy feelings in the minds of your customers, 2. To remind previous/potential customers that you’re there without pushing the hard sell. 3. Because it’s Christmas. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=49Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:00:00 Mapei, specialists in adhesives and related chemicals for the building industry, has selected Clear Communications to handle its public relations. Clear Communications will draw on its extensive experience with industrial and construction based clients to deliver a first class solution to Mapei, a global operator who has supplied adhesive solutions to some of the world’s most prestigious construction projects including many of the Olympic sites such as Beijing, Athens, Atlanta and Sydney. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=48Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:00:00 Christmas – the lowest common denominator?   “In this world there is nothing that is certain except death and taxes” said Benjamin Franklin. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=46Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:00 Clear Communications has been shortlisted for the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Marketing Excellence Awards. Nominated in the Automotive/Construction/Engineering/Manufacturing category for its 2009 campaign for Bridgestone Tyres, Clear Communications is shortlisted alongside well known brands such as CEMEX, BP Lubricants and Rolls Royce. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=45Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 We’ve just returned from the excellent B2B Marketing conference , B2B Marketing in the 21st Century, which focussed on the topic of digital. The potential of the channel offers so much now in terms of enabling one to one communication with customers who you know are interested in your products and services. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=44Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 I heard a story on the Today programme this morning about Maclaren buggies and a recall of 1 million of their folding buggies – several makes and models - in the USA following a handful of accidents involving children severing their fingers in the hinges. The recall does not apparently affect the UK – although the buggies are the same models. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=43Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 As you may have seen elsewhere on our website, one of Clear’s specialist areas is something called through-marketing. We thought we’d explain a little more here about what through-marketing is and why it might be important to your business. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=42Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 Our lava lamp has been in a sulk recently. It’s not been its usual happy bubbly self. On closer inspection it transpired this is because the bulb had blown. So no light; and also no heat – which is generated as a byproduct of the lightbulb and is what causes the ‘lava’ to do its mellow thing.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=41Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00   The growth of online and web 2.0 has had an interesting side effect in marketing terms; that traditional forms of marketing are now resurgent. Take direct mail for example. So much of this has now moved to email marketing, that clever, creative direct mail has become a rarity. Which has greatly increased its impact. Creative direct mail has always stood out, but even more so now as a welcome distraction from the choked inbox. Also, as the effectiveness of spam filtering increases, many emails never see the light of day. Most busy decision makers work quite hard at ensuring that unsolicited email doesn’t get through, and if it does, it rarely merits attention.  http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=40Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 Perhaps the most challenging aspect of making promotions work in the automotive aftermarket industry is getting over or around the apathy of consumers. Consumers “drive” most other markets, even if not directly, but not so in the world of automotive replacement parts. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=23Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:00 A few tips below on preparing for talking to the press and open a mutually fruitful relationship, rather than being badged as the weirdo/bore from hell they never want to talk to again. 1. Prepare. Know who you’re talking to  - Are they experienced or new on the job? How much background will they need? - Are they technically minded or top line focussed? Who is the audience of their magazine? - What do they want to know? Have you found out what their key areas of interest are?http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=39Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:00 The Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) has awarded Clear Communications its Consultancy Management Standard – the gold standard of service for the PR industry.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=38Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:00 Picture perfect? The thorny issue of photos cropped up again this week. Photos and pictures are at the heart of much of what we do, whether it’s media relations and supplying photos alongside copy to the magazines, or whether we’re putting together corporate literature.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=37Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:00:00 A lot of press releases would be far more interesting if they actually said what they meant to say in plain English rather than wrapping it up in some kind of corporate gobbledegook.  There seems to be an irresistible trend toward wordiness, as if this somehow lends credibility. The problem is that so many of those words are just plain meaningless.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=36Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:00:00 Fragrances used to be the sole preserve of celebrities although whether you’d want to smell like Donald Trump, Jade Goody or Paris Hilton is a different matter. As one of our five senses, smell certainly one of the less used in marketing. But now it seems that fragrances are breaking out of the celebrity box. Burger King have developed a fragrance of flame grilled meat, which Piers Morgan has promoted. VisitEngland has got in on the act with its By George! fragrance, which allegedly combines notes of damp earth, salty air and beetroot. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=35Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:00:00 Apparently you’ve got to see something 7 times for it to register and magically pervade. That’s quite a big number for marketing campaigns to aim for; particularly with straitened budgets all credit-crunched up.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=34Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:00:00   We were at a meeting yesterday and the clients started squabbling amongst themselves about the target demographic of their customers. This is a good old fashioned tenet of marketing. Know your customer and they will come. But all of a sudden this seems, well, terribly old fashioned. With the vast proliferation of communication channels, categorising people as ‘silver surfers’, ‘yummy mummies’ or whatever the latest buzz phrase is, seems vastly over-simplistic. And anyway, why would a brand want to pigeonhole itself in such a way when there’s no need?http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=33Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:00:00 TV advertising is apparently in decline. It’s always had to compete against compelling attractions such as going to the loo, putting the kettle on, letting the cat out or getting a beer. But why should this bother a B2B agency particularly? http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=32Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:00:00 We’ve heard a lot about consumer spending patterns in the recession and how it’s affected the high street. One interesting effect has been that people are less brand loyal as highlighted by a recent report from Experian. Customers are shopping around, trying out different products and brands. Interestingly, it’s not necessarily a price led decision. Customers are looking for overall value on everything they buy. Quality remains an important consideration, but the total value proposition needs to include factors such as good customer service.   http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=31Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:00:00 A new Harvard study posits the theory that Twitter is more hype than substance. This is despite the considerable news coverage the micro-blogging service has received over the past few months, more than 10 million users and a growth rate faster than that of any other network. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=30Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00:00 The PR division of Clear Communications is particularly happy today after being listed as number 8 in the new South West Top Ten of PR agencies. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=29Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:00 The business of pitching for new business in these straightened times seems to involve jumping through ever more convoluted hoops as clients become more nervous about parting with their cash. This is naturally understandable, but increasingly we feel that it goes beyond the reasonable. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=28Fri, 29 May 2009 12:00:00 Often marketing agencies can be like cobblers' children - so busy promoting our clients that we forget to promote ourselves. So we've designed a new ad to promote our B2B PR services which features our lovely lava lamp, straight out of our boardroom. After all, we don't want to hide our light under a bushel.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=27Thu, 28 May 2009 12:00:00 You can’t turn anywhere in marketing without hearing more and more about how social media is transforming the marketing mix. I don’t doubt that it’s going to be an important part of the way that businesses conduct their B2B marketing. But the buzz around social media must not create a rush to embrace it as a medium at the expense of strategy. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=26Fri, 22 May 2009 12:00:00 "I want a B2B PR campaign,” says the prospective client. Fine, that’s great. So we go in with the creds to have an initial meeting on objectives and audiences. Great and glorious phrases are bandied around such as ‘thought leadership’ and ‘low-hanging fruit’. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=25Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:00 I’ve been very interested to see that Rupert Murdoch is talking about charging for access to the News Corp's newspaper websites. Ten years ago, there was lots of experimentation with various charging models for content, and gradually many of them were abandoned as the perception became enshrined that content on the internet should be free. There are a few successful exceptions to this. Some companies such as the FT.com and the Wall Street Journal are managing to charge. And other business to business sites combine some free news content, but with subscriber-only premium content. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=24Mon, 11 May 2009 12:00:00 I know, I know… everyone’s got social media overload these days. There’s a lot being said and it looks like a particularly thickly forested jungle out there. I went to Internet World this week to learn more about Web 2.0 and social media and the new developments happening. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=22Fri, 01 May 2009 12:00:00 The question of how to provide a meaningful evaluation of PR campaigns is one that I’ve never seen successfully resolved. There are many tools and measures touted around which claim to offer a definitive answer to this sticky problem. But is reducing column inches to a sheet of statistics any more helpful than just feeling the weight of the cuttings? It certainly gives the veneer of science to the results – although for my money this can be just as baffling. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=21Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:00:00 The news was out yesterday that the government is proposing to offer incentives of up to £5,000 to consumers purchasing an electric car as part of a £250m transport strategy aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. To judge from the media reaction, as far as the general public is concerned, they might as well be asked to ride around on a cow, such is the image problem of electric vehicles. There is a major automotive marketing task here to be undertaken.  http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=20Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:00:00 We’re frequently approached by companies looking to carry out B2B direct mail campaigns, and looking for that magic formula to generate maximum ROI. Often it’s perceived that the answer is a sensational piece of creative that can’t fail to attract attention.http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=19Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:00 In the industrial marketing sphere, getting clients on board with creative ideas can be difficult. Often traditional companies don’t like to break out of their comfort zone and try something new. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=18Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:00:00 UCATT, the construction union, has warned of the dangers of cutting safety in a recession; both from the provision of inadequate, cheaper PPE and from workers feeling under pressure to perform unsafe tasks in the face of potential redundancy. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=17Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:00:00 With all the noise in the media about the credit crunch, clients are starting to feel the effects. A lot of agencies will be in the position where clients are cutting budgets and bringing results under a lot more scrutiny. Marketing directors need to be able to demonstrate what was achieved to the board and justify every penny spent. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=16Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:00:00 Clear has extended its automotive business in 2009 with a new account win, MANN+HUMMEL (UK) Ltd, and new campaigns for existing client Bridgestone Tyres. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=12Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:00:00 Ben Crump was victorious in The Gloucestershire University / Clear Communications’ competition this year winning the Clear trophy, a cash prize of £100 and two week's work experience at Clear Communications. The runner up was Emily Mason who won a cash prize of £50. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=11Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:00:00 With all the noise in the media about the credit crunch, clients are starting to feel the effects. A lot of agencies will be in the position where clients are cutting budgets and bringing results under a lot more scrutiny. Marketing directors need to be able to demonstrate what was achieved to the board and justify every penny spent. http://www.clearcommunications.co.uk/NewsPage.aspx?newsid=15Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:00