MyCube confirms success of digital content competition

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:53:50 GMT

Digital content marketplace MyCube has praised the online creative community for the breadth of vision and imagination inspired by its recent competition to create videos promoting the ground breaking new service.

Using the slogan “connect with your passion” as its central theme, the world’s first digital content exchange challenged creatives and filmmakers to produce sixty second videos illustrating the platform’s ability to help users connect, share and consume information about the interests that make them who they are. More than forty professional and amateur filmmakers responded with entries, and MyCube believes the results more have more than justified the company’s investment.

“The competition’s first objective was to generate a range of vibrant promotional videos to accompany the launch of MyCube’s public beta, but in addition to achieving that the depth and quality of the response has only served to underline the demand for a platform where people can discover, share and sell the content they make and love,” said MyCube VP Marketing Todd Kurie.

“You can never underestimate the impact and potential of the global connective community. People responded with a tremendous range of creative ideas, running through every genre from slick advertising style promos to highly inventive comedy animations, and we’re delighted with the results.

Running the competition in conjunction with crowd sourced branding service Zooppa, the MyCube panel of judges eventually selected high-speed montage “Connect with your Passion” by Valerya as the eventual winner. Elangley’s inspired animation Tim Sasaki scooped second place while the cinematographic “What’s Your Passion?” by Hour Films followed closely in third.

Kurie added: “ MyCube unites people with common interests and allows them to share related content. It’s about finding people who share your passion and exchanging photos, videos, articles or conversation about the things that excite you, and while they may have gone about it in very different ways, the top three all illustrated that point with considerable style.”

See the complete shortlist: http://www.mycube.com/#profile/0a6389a9-c66e-44be-ab0c-e43c01bb448f

Pioneering Relationship Marketing Software Provider Larosco appoints Digital PR Agency Revolver

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:53:11 GMT

Larosco, the company behind BongoMagic and provider of innovative relationship marketing technologies for businesses, has appointed Digital PR agency Revolver to provide a comprehensive range of PR, communication and media outreach services to raise awareness of its advanced software system and service offering.

Specialising in technological innovation, Larosco has developed BongoMagic, a unique relationship and referral marketing tool which helps businesses maximise the value of existing networks and contact databases, enabling them to reach out to customers, employees, suppliers or contacts and make them part of a dynamic recommendation and referral system. Identifying key influencers and incentivising them to share news or information with their online contacts, BongoMagic enables firms to drive revenues, cut recruitment, HR and production costs, and measure ROI by harnessing the power and value of the social media channels and embracing the changes in consumer behaviour.

Leading Digital PR experts, Revolver will principally support Larosco in raising awareness of the BongoMagic product. An advanced software system which empowers companies to extend their reach and engagement with their target audience, BongoMagic facilitates significant benefits by improving communication effectiveness and efficiencies, in addition to cost savings across the digital platform.

"With organisations increasingly seeing the value of applying social networking principles throughout their operations from recruitment and HR to sales, we believe our product BongoMagic is in prime position to enable businesses to make the most of existing databases and contact networks, offering a user friendly experience which helps to effectively manage each initiative. Having enjoyed organic growth up to this point, we are absolutely ready to really drive forward into target markets, " explained Laura Sullivan, one of Larosco's founding Directors.

"Enlisting Revolver's support at this crucial stage in our accelerated growth period is invaluable and we're very excited to develop our teams' working relationship and deliver results," added Sullivan.

Having championed many high-profile figures within the technology and digital sectors of business, and as a leading provider of Digital PR, Revolver will offer support in digital communications and content marketing. Experts in digital media, the PR agency's team ensure that all activity is integrated into an appropriate multi-platform digital strategy tailored to meet each campaign's individual goals and engage with the target audience.

"This is a truly inspiring time for the digital technology and marketing sectors. The developments taking place are galvanising industry and it's fantastic that through the innovative work of Larosco and their core product, Bongomagic, every business can access such powerful relationship and referral marketing software which adds potentially massive value to existing contacts and databases, turning them into effective tools which can be applied in a number of ways to improve a business' processes," said Iain S Bruce, Managing Director, Revolver.

Recognised as an industry pioneer and innovator of technological systems on account of the team's cutting edge technical expertise and with over 30 years industry experience, Larosco's product is already deployed across a wide range of industries including recruitment, retail, oil and gas, tourism and hospitality, fashion, finance and legal & accountancy services. BongoMagic consistently delivers according to key objectives for a raft of clients in both the recruitment and retail markets.

Premium Wedding Industry Platform Provider Xedo Software Secures Digital PR support from Revolver

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:29:32 GMT

Leading wedding and formal wear software expert Xedo has enlisted digital PR experts Revolver PR to provide an integrated range of key press and public relations services across the offline and digital spectrum.

Positioned as the industry leader due to its advances in embracing the digital age, changes in consumer behaviour and the retail trade itself, Xedo Bridal represents the future of the bridal wear industry and has begun rolling out a series of recent developments that will see the growing benefits of the system placed directly into the hands of suppliers, designers, retailers and customers.

Providing integrated supply chain and multi-channel services that simplify the management process and ease the relationship between suppliers, retailers and customers, Xedo Software is designed around the way the user works. The software's latest retail application, Xedo Bridal, now makes it easier to use by introducing a new level of flexibility by synchronising with the brand new Xedo Bridal Online (XBO) service, providing retailers with instant access to their records irrespective of where they are by accessing online from any web enabled device: from PCs and laptops, to slates, tablets, iOS devices and Smartphones. With over 600 client installs in the UK alone and set up by the co-founders of ACS Clothing, their influence within the wedding industry is significant.

Xedo Formal, the joint offering of Xedo Software, provides a complete suite of Tuxedo Rental software that allows owners of single stores, several stores or operators of wholesale tuxedo operations to manage the entire rental process from the click of a mouse. As with the bridal software, Xedo Formal also links to an online platform where the customer can manage their booking, for example by adding contact details, see who has been measured and request changes to their outfit. The system will automatically update and send email reminders for guests measurements, and can update the groom (by email/text, depending on preference) of all updates to his order status. Originally developed for the US market, over half a million wearers have their orders managed through Xedo Formal every year.

Revolver, Scotland's leading Digital PR agency, will principally support Xedo in raising awareness of their bridal and formal wear software both offline and online. An advanced software system which facilitates ease of service and connects all aspects of the wedding process, Xedo Bridal enables bridal store owners to remove the common administration hassles of running a bridal business. With a strategic Digital PR campaign, Revolver will endeavour to raise Xedo's profile throughout the wedding and bridal industries and introduce the benefits to the wider market.

"This is a fantastic chapter in the development of our services and we look forward to working with Revolver in order to increase the visibility of our software services. With a growing number of large and small businesses identifying the benefits and savings to be made using our tools, we're thoroughly looking forward to the next phase of development. We expect to see rapid growth in this sector over the next 12 month as more businesses recognise the benefits of using the system to help provide a more efficient and profitable service," said Richard Freedman, Managing Director, Xedo Software.

With a growing catalogue of clients in the digital and technology sectors, Revolver is positioned well to provide a strategic offline and online communications campaign that will help project Xedo Software to the forefront of the wedding industry.

Leading experts in digital communications and content marketing, Revolver is suitably positioned to strengthen Xedo Software's corporate profile as a trusted provider of integrated bridal and formal wear software technology and management solutions that will ultimately advance the productivity of clients. Harnessing the team's expertise and continued involvement in championing many of the pioneering companies to emerge from the technology and digital industries, Revolver will support Xedo Software by way of a comprehensive online and offline media campaign.

"It's great to be working with a company who could fundamentally revolutionise the way in which the wedding industry operates. Removing the common hassles associated with this industry, Xedo Software offers a fantastic solution and it's great to be involved in promoting this service," said Iain S Bruce, Revolver PR's Managing Director.

Revolver offers free workspace to creative digital start-ups

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:08:49 GMT

Leading digital communications agency Revolver PR will offer an exciting opportunity for start-ups seeking a working space that not only supports but drives creative development.

Revolver has used its flexible workspaces project to champion a number of innovative young companies over the last few years who sought to carve out a space in the digital technology arena. Widely known to be a challenging sector to make your mark, start-ups face a number of obstacles to overcome and the nurturing of new ideas and support around projects is invaluable.

Offering an impetus to push ideas forward and create a presence in 2012, Revolver will offer two free studio spaces for a period of 6 months to two inspiring start-up companies who believe they have a successful and innovative business idea that would benefit from the support and marketing consultation of leading digital media experts.

"In this tough economic climate it's difficult for start-ups to get ahead and there's a real need for established companies to take a chance and help foster innovative creative thinking. That's why we've decided to offer free accommodation and Digital PR consultancy to help two nascent businesses with great ideas get on their feet," said Revolver PR's Managing Director, Iain S Bruce.

"We're putting no conditions on what type of organisation can apply. All you need is ambition, desire and and an exciting concept."

The two successful start-up companies will benefit from a process of continuous monitoring that will encourage ongoing development and create a hot tank of ideas, with the scheme looking to attract entries from start-up companies in the arts/design, social media/digital and technology sectors of business. Aside from the two exciting spaces, there will also be three hot desks available for those start-ups who missed out on securing a spot on the hot tank scheme but who still seek a studio space and would like to benefit from readily available media advice and support.

Revolver Studios, in Glasgow's thriving west end, is aimed at young, high growth companies, artists, writers, designers and creative professionals looking for flexible, affordable business premises. The studios offer independent creators and young, high growth companies a dedicated and flexible environment in which to work, providing simple, basic business services, within Revolver's dynamic Glasgow headquarters and a prestigious business address within the city's creative quarter.

For those interested in applying for these challenging yet rewarding positions, please send an email of interest outlining a brief description of your business and a short summation of why Revolver should chose you to craig@revolver-pr.co.uk.

Advanced Text to Speech Technology Company CereProc Working With Digital PR Company Revolver

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:06:24 GMT

Leading speech synthesis company CereProc has engaged Revolver, Scotland’s award-winning digitally-enabled PR agency, to provide a comprehensive range of PR, communication and media outreach services.

Developers of the world's most innovative speech synthesis system - the advanced voice engine CereVoice - CereProc creates text-to-speech solutions for any type of application with a core product that is available on any platform, from mobile and embedded devices to desktops and servers. Committed to the development of break-through text-to-speech technologies, the company believes that speech synthesis could, and should, be adopted more extensively than seen today.

Revolver, Scotland’s leading digital PR agency will provide digital media support to CereProc and raise awareness of their latest areas of development, which currently focuses heavily on improving techniques for emotional text to speech. This enables technology companies to create scalable voices that are both characterful and easy to integrate and apply, and thus makes voices suitable for any application where speech output would actively improve the system or assist those with impaired vision.

"We're excited to be working with Revolver to increase the visibility of our advanced text to speech technology and highlight the ways in which companies can benefit from the opportunity to develop personalised text to speech systems. Whether brands are seeking to strengthen their identity by creating voices that are indistinguishable from their well known voice over, or businesses wish to engage with customers in their own accent or communicate with younger or older customers in a voice they can actually identify with, we provide solutions according to our customers' needs using a voice creation service that is faster, higher quality, and more cost effective than any of our competitors. Having set out on our ambitious growth strategy, we've enlisted the Revolver team to raise awareness of our company, our services and product offering," explained Paul Welham, CereProc's CEO.

As a leading provider of Digital PR, Revolver will offer support in digital communications and content marketing, whilst sharing their experience having worked with many pioneers within the technology and digital sectors of business. The agency's team are experts in digital media and ensure that all activity is accompanied by an appropriate multi-platform digital strategy tailored to meet each campaign's individual goals and target audience.

"It's great to be witnessing first-hand the developments in text to speech technology and the benefits it can offer to leading businesses to reconnect with their customers by adopting much more personalised methods of communication," said Revolver's Managing Director, Iain S Bruce.

CereProc's award winning breakthrough voice creation systems enable practically anyone to create a synthesised voice in a matter of hours; inviting companies to engage with CereProc and easily turning the voice of their brand into the voice of their application, website, or multimedia interface. By partnering with a range of companies and academic institutions, CereProc develops exciting new markets for text-to-speech and works with language partners to create new versions of CereVoice in any language.

Line Digital to Create Business Value with Augmented Reality

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:12:24 GMT

Award winning agency Line Digital has adopted Inition's Magic Symbol technology to create a raft of new Augmented Reality services for its business clients.

Following a period of rapid development Augmented Reality (AR) has become an increasingly familiar feature on the commercial landscape as companies seek to provide users with a new level of interactivity by transposing digital information over a view of real world. Pointing to examples that have seen the technology flood into the mainstream market via brochures, advertisements and smart phone apps, Line Digital's executive team believes that the ability to deploy such applications will play a central role in the agency's continued growth.

“Augmented Reality is something we're keen to make work for our clients. As a technology it is maturing rapidly and as all the available evidence shows, there's real public appetite for applications that they can interact with in a richer, more engaging way," said Line Digital Managing Director Ross Laurie.

"Most crucial, however, is the value that AR can deliver to businesses. From creating truly immersive retail applications to driving footfall at trade and recruitment fairs, the range of potential uses companies can derive from this technology is virtually limitless."

Line Digital believes that the sense of fun and wonder inherent in Augmented Reality applications can help deliver business value in a range of exciting and unusual ways. From using installations at Trade Shows and Graduate events to generate traffic through to creating interactive office plans and venue guides, the technology is no longer the sole preserve of marketing departments and should be regarded as a tool suitable for deployment across the organisation.

The Magic Symbol partnership brings the market-leading AR technology together with Line Digital's proven business understanding. With access to the full range of Inition products, the leading Scottish agency is now equipped to create and deploy augmented applications via the web, in mobile apps or through physical shop floor installations.

"We're delighted to be working with Magic Symbol in such an exciting technology. Bringing digital communications closer to the real world is going to be one of the market's most compelling themes for the next few years, and the entire team is looking forward to meeting that challenge head on," said Laurie.

ENDS

About Line

Insightful, knowledgeable and creative. That’s Line. A digital agency that works alongside our clients to deliver success for us both. Using sophisticated internet-based marketing techniques, Line offers accountability and results, delivering innovative easy-to-manage technology and award-winning design. The results are here for all to see.

For further information, please contact:
Ross Laurie, Managing Director, Line Digital: 0131 524 3260
Iain S Bruce, Revolver PR: 0845 130 8992

Bourne unveils GiveBack website with help from Oprah Winfrey

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:47:35 GMT

Creative digital agency Bourne has unveiled the website of ground-breaking US charitable organisation GiveBack.

Set to be launched by Oprah Winfrey's Big Give campaign on the star's TV show today, GiveBack is a new charitable giving platform that empowers its members to earn, gather and give money to the causes they care most about. Allowing 100% of user donations to go directly to their chosen charity, GiveBack is designed to encourage the average man and woman on the street to put something back into the world they live in.

"We are thrilled to work with such an inspiring client, challenging the traditional forms of charitable giving by introducing digital advantages and placing control into the hands of the average American on the street. With Oprah poised to profile the organisation on one of the last of her iconic shows to a television audience of millions, this is a very exciting phase of the GiveBack project, and we feel truly privileged to be involved so closely with an initiative that is making a real difference in people's lives," said Francesca Kelly, VP of Client Services at Bourne.

Founded by Stephen Paletta, the charitable giving platform seeks to empower individual members to become impactful philanthropists. By centralising the giving process the system enables individuals to at no cost - and in one minute - to register and start their own charitable foundation. GiveBack then enables them to raise money through various means, including via credit card, shopping at various locations and directly from a paycheck via a workplace charitable savings programme, and donating it to their chosen charities. Offering the ability to give one dollar or thousands, Giveback is unique and redefines charitable giving.

Appointed to create a digital launch strategy that would have longevity and raise the profile of the charitable platform throughout the year, Bourne is charged with spearheading Giveback's campaign to attract 700,000 members in 2011. The strategy expects to see an initial raft of 300,00 members arriving as a result of the Oprah Show appearance, with an additional 400,000 members being attracted to the redesigned website via traditional and digital direct marketing, corporate partners, workplace giving sign ups and other celebrity endorsements.

"This is a tremendous win for Bourne's New York office and a great example of the kind of end-to-end international campaign we're increasingly working on. Our multi-discipline team's ability to work across borders and across the full range of digital technologies was a crucial factor in landing this account, and I'm delighted that the investment we've made in assembling such a talented and versatile team is paying off," said Dan Kersh, Bourne's Managing Director.

ENDS

About Bourne:

Geared to provide creativity that converts, Bourne is a leading digital agency with a difference. Their digital strategy experts operate globally from offices in Glasgow, London and New York, devising high-level creative and strategic campaigns that put their clients' brands in front of the audiences that matter.
Experts in PPC, SEO, CMS deployment, Lead Generation, enterprise technical solutions and cross-channel projects in multiple languages, content tones and styles using their own multilingual e-communication application (BASIS), Bourne's solutions deliver outstanding ROI for a range of leading brands including Ricoh, Dell, Symantec, Canon, McAfee, Royal Caribbean, Invitrogen and Adidas.
http://www.wearebourne.com

About GiveBack:

A movement that is empowering, celebrating and bringing together the everyday philanthropist. People are wondering who is going to take on the burden of making the world a better place; the government? the super rich? The answer is the same as it has always been in the United States, it's the man on the street and the family from the neighbourhood who is going to make the world a better place. Giveback is there to help facilitate, grow and unite the people who really make a difference, the everyday person who knows what the real problems are and knows the best way to fix them. GiveBack is also a celebration of goodness, a place that honours and holds up high the ordinary person doing ordinary things that make an extraordinary difference to other people's lives.

Tasteee Catering Services Ltd appoints Revolver PR to manage its PR and Communications strategy

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:42:52 GMT

Revolver PR, Scotland’s leading digitally-enabled PR agency, has been selected by Tasteee Catering Services Ltd to manage its press and communications strategy.

Having enjoyed rapid growth since its launch in 2008, Ayrshire-based Tasteee Catering Services Ltd requires a digital PR strategy to support and develop further expansion. Following a competitive pitching process, Managing Director Craig Denholm has appointed Revolver PR to manage his company’s press and communications interests across multiple platforms.

“Since our very first meeting, the team at Revolver have demonstrated an acute understanding of my business objectives, going the extra mile to devise an innovative PR strategy which both fits the industry within which my company operates and promises to deliver results in line with my business goals. Given the team’s enthusiastic attitude and professionalism, I am absolutely confident that the decision to appoint Revolver PR to handle my company’s PR campaign is the correct one,” explained Denholm.

Tasteee Catering Services Ltd provides a diverse range of both long and short term catering solutions for contract and private clients with operations being rolled out across Scotland. Tasteee Catering Services Ltd is built upon a strong foundation of quality food and professional service, setting the standard for on site catering, social event catering and buffet provision.

Founded by former European Entrepreneur of the Year Steve Leach and award-winning journalist Iain S Bruce, Revolver PR has a growing client list that includes bigmouthmedia, technology transfer institute iSLI, Coventry Airport and Sir Peter Rigby's SCC - Europe's largest independent technology solutions provider.

“We are thrilled to become Tasteee Ltd’s PR agency. From the outset, both the Tasteee Ltd and Revolver teams have gelled, enabling a great working relationship which will ultimately facilitate our delivering a successful PR campaign. We have a mutual respect for each other’s companies and values, understanding the similarities whereby the utmost importance is placed upon providing a quality service and delivering results. Tasteee Ltd is set to go far in 2011, and we are proud to be supporting and developing this expansion,” stated Bruce.

ENDS

About Tasteee Catering Services Ltd

Setting the standard in both contract and private catering solutions since 2008, Tasteee Catering Services Ltd operates long and short term contracts throughout Scotland. With a qualified team holding over 40 years experience in the catering industry and a goal of providing ‘Excellence, Everytime for Everyone’, Tasteee provides wholesome meal solutions for its clients using high quality ingredients delivered by way of an exceptional service.

NEoN gears up for its eagerly awaited digital curator salon event

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:13:00 GMT

International digital arts festival NEoN is gearing up for its digital curator salon event taking place on Thursday 14th October 2010. The location - Ross Maclean’s Ballroom, Dundee - will be revealed to ticket holders when they register to attend. The sociable event will be hosted by Sarah Cook and Clive Gilman, both experts and highly respected within their respective fields of curation and digital art.

Discussing the event, Sarah Cook, said, “Curators are still facing a lot of the same challenges today – what is this new art? Who is making it, where do I find it, how do I install, collect or preserve it? Their self-definition is helped by the fact that the landscape of art exhibition has changed and become more multifaceted.... Artists, as usual, are using whatever medium necessary to realise their work and curators should be responding to that, no matter what their backgrounds may be.”

The NEoN salon is designed to create a relaxing atmosphere which will facilitate in depth and inspiring conversation among participants while they enjoy great food and fine wine in sumptuous surroundings. The discussions will be led by curator, writer and lecturer, Sarah Cook, along with artist and Director of Dundee Contemporary Arts, Clive Gilman, both of whom hold such positions of influence among their contemporaries that they will certainly inspire intellectual discussion of the issues surrounding the NEoN festival, and the wider cultural and art worlds, focusing upon the creation of digital art together with modern day curation.

Sarah Cook is a curator and writer based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and co-author with Beryl Graham of the book Rethinking Curating: Art After New Media (MIT Press). She is currently a research fellow at the University of Sunderland where she co-founded and co-edits CRUMB, the online resource for curators of new media art and teaches on the MA Curating course. In 2011 she will co-chair Rewire, the Fourth International Conference on the histories of media, science and technology in art with FACT in Liverpool. website

Clive Gillman works as an artist and is also Director of Dundee Contemporary Arts, Scotland’s largest arts and media centre. He has a background in working with media-based arts, both as an artist and also through working on the development of the cultural infrastructure in the UK. He has shown works internationally and most recently has developed a number of internet-based public art projects including ‘Metroscopes’, a permanent public work in the centre of Liverpool.

Secret venue: Ross Maclean’s Ballroom (revealed to ticket holders upon registration)
Date: 14th October 2010
Time: 6pm – 10pm

Notes to editors:

North East of North (NEoN) is an international digital arts festival featuring moving image, performance, music and technology driven arts. The over arching curatorial theme for 2010 is Character: evaluating the abstracted or physical agent in a work of art; investigation of the fictional or psychological systems; observation of the unit of information, symbol, sound or written language. Through this focused dimension NEoN intends to explore the notion of collaboration between visual art, information communication, media production and gaming that will expand digital development and knowledge. (www.northeastofnorth.com)

NEoN was created by Interactive Tayside (www.interactivetayside.com).
Interactive Tayside is a partnership between public, private and academic sectors to develop and promote Tayside's digital media industry.

NEoN is sponsored by: Angus & Dundee City Council, Event Scotland, National Lottery Awards for All, The Japan Foundation, Creative City Challenge, Scottish Enterprise & the North Sea Scre

Bourne launches Basis to cut costs of international e-mail campaigns

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:21:48 GMT

Leading digital agency Bourne has unveiled Basis, a new breed of marketing tool designed to slash costs and change the way that international digital campaigns are delivered.

Developed while working on Dell's channel marketing programmes in EMEA, APAC, North America and Latin America, Basis has been designed to radically reduce the time, costs and complexities involved in producing and approving multi-language digital communications. Removing the need to create messages from scratch for each project, the service is capable of cutting the resources required to manage such campaigns by more than 50%.

"Basis is a service born of necessity. In our experience international campaigns being run by corporate central marketing departments can take nearly a month to release, from the time of brief, due to the complexity of producing and approving e-mails across multiple departments and countries, landing pages and micro sites in over 20 languages every time they decided to mount a campaign," said Dan Kersh, Bourne's Managing Director.

"From our perspective, the need for a system that enabled greater speed while safeguarding control and accountability is self evident."

Bourne began the development process with an audit of all types of digital communications and devised a consolidated set of core templates aimed at increasing usability, effectiveness and brand consistency across communications. The agency also simultaneously developed an production and workflow management system, which added control and accountability to the production process and several elements of automation to the publication of e-mails and landing pages.

After being rolled out within Dell the resulting tool - Basis - delivered immediate efficiencies, reducing average E-mail and landing page production time from 29 days to a maximum of 7 days. Also removing many sources of potential human error from the process, a uniform creative style has seen conversion rates increase steadily since the tool's implementation.

Bourne reports an overall reduction in the cost of e-mail & landing page production by over 50%, noting that Dell has taken this opportunity to allocate budget to other business lines that were previously not receiving any marketing communications.

Bigmouthmedia and Econsultancy unveil Social Media and Online PR Report 2010

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:19:18 GMT

Bigmouthmedia and Econsultancy's Social Media and Online PR Report 2010 has revealed that although investment is set to rise next year, Britain's businesses are failing to make the cultural and budgetary commitments required to maximise the channel's potential.

The research reveals that 73% of companies currently spend more resources on social media than they did last year, with the vast majority expressing confidence that budgets will increase again in 2011. However with 76% of the companies surveyed admitting they didn’t have an ROI figure for most of the money invested in the channel and more than two thirds acknowledging a need to improve their social media techniques, it seems clear that UK business' use of the medium is far from perfect.

"While the sector has matured over the course of the last 12 months, there is still massive room for improvement. Broadly speaking companies and their agencies remain self-critical about their social media tactics, with most acknowledging that they need to improve their approaches to the channel across the board," said David Hardy, Group marketing director at bigmouthmedia.

Now in its second year, the Social Media and Online PR Report shows that despite 83% of companies expecting social media spending to increase over the next year, the actual amount being spent remains very modest in real terms. With more than 28% not spending anything on social media marketing and a further 33% claiming to invest less than £5,000 a year, 29% of companies report not having in-house staff dedicated to this discipline.

For many of those surveyed, this lack of investment is damaging. Around half of responding companies (49%) say that lack of resources is a major barrier to success, and 30% say lack of budget is a significant issue.

Another issue which has become apparent this year is the difficulty many companies are having integrating activities relating to social media with other parts of their business including sales, PR, CRM, product & services development, human resources and customer services. Despite the proven benefits of running integrated, cross platform campaigns, while the majority of responding companies are now coordinating social media activity with email marketing and search engine optimisation only 7% of companies integrate their social media channel with their television advertising.

"Clearly businesses need to take a long hard look at their existing corporate culture and think about how it can be evolved to incorporate the benefits of social media, but there are encouraging signs that this process is already underway. The report shows that with 41% of executive management now more interested in social media issues than other marketing issues it has captured leadership attention, and this will be a key factor in its continued commercial development," added Hardy.

Econsultancy research director Linus Gregoriadis said: "2010 has been a year in which companies have tried to become more focused in their social media marketing activity. Much of their activity is concentrated on the use of Twitter and Facebook, with the vast majority of companies (83% and 80% of respondents respectively) using these sites as part of their social media strategy.

"Companies are harnessing these sites for a range of business functions including marketing, sales, customer service and product development and newer areas such as location-based marketing and social gaming are now being hyped in the media, although the data shows that very few companies have so far actually become involved."

Both the Econsultancy report and the bigmmouthmedia report are now available online.

About bigmouthmedia
Founded in

Bourne unveils impressive year one results

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:15:04 GMT

Creative digital agency Bourne has unveiled an impressive set of results following the completion of a successful first year in business.

Launched in September 2009 the company has rapidly established three international offices and acquired a blue-chip client list that has helped it smash its financial targets for year one. With turnover set to exceed £2million and gross profit margins running at 55%, the agency is already well on course to outstrip projected performance for its second year of trading.

"It's been a fantastic start for us. We've blown our first year's targets out of the water, won some truly excellent global clients and attracted a raft of very talented new staff to the business. There's no doubt that trading conditions have been challenging, but we've shown that with the right people, the right approach and the right attitude, there are no barriers that a new company cannot overcome," said Dan Kersh, Bourne's Managing Director.

Shortly after launching Bourne quickly set up offices in New York and London. Both are now firmly established, with the Manhattan business now servicing a range of US based clients and contributing to a client roster that includes Ricoh EMEA, Microsoft, Royal Carribean, Stepstone, Dell and the Arcadia group.

In addition to increasing its launch staff 50% to take the company strength up to a headcount of 40 Bourne has also invested in Cargo, a niche e-commerce business targeting the fashion and retail sectors and set to undergo full commercial launch before the end of the year. The agency has also poured resources into creating Basis, a bespoke multilingual content marketing tool aimed at reducing the time and costs associated with mounting international email campaigns.

"We've been following a packed agenda since the moment we opened our doors and it has paid off with a very satisfactory set of results. This is just the beginning however and I expect year two to contain more of the same, with even more rapid growth taking place as we look to capitalise on bespoke technologies like Basis and continue to take the Bourne message out to an international business audience," said Kersh.

Philip Hunt joins Line as Non Executive Director

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:39:09 GMT

Multi award-winning Digital agency Line has appointed former Wheel CEO Philip Hunt as Non Executive Director.

A serial entrepreneur with a formidable new media pedigree, Hunt brings a wealth of experience building fast growth businesses to the Line boardroom. Since building Wheel into the UK’s number one digital communications agency and negotiating its 2005 sale to Lbi he has remained at the forefront of the industry, sitting on the boards of a number of high-profile companies in the sector.

"This is an exciting point in the company's history. After a successful start to 2010 that has seen our turnover and head count increase rapidly we have ambitious plans for Line's expansion over the next couple of years and had set out to look for someone with the right blend of expertise and experience to strengthen our executive team," said Line Managing Director Ross Laurie.

"Phil fitted the bill perfectly. Not only does he have hard won experience driving companies through organisational change but he also demonstrates a clarity of vision that's hard to find in the digital media business. I look forward to his contribution to the company's continued development."

Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, Hunt qualified as a chartered accountant and enjoyed a successful career in corporate finance before moving into the media and technology sectors over a decade ago. He currently sits on the boards of a number of businesses including Preloaded, Foviance, Skyron, and specialist marketing services provider R.O.EYE.

Hunt added: "I'm delighted to be joining the board of Line, a company I've been familiar with for several years now. It's a dynamic business with an exciting future, and I'm extremely enthusiastic about taking a role in the firm's continued rapid development."

Sarah du Heaume joins Bourne board

Mon, 24 May 2010 14:50:38 GMT

Serial entrepreneur Sarah du Heaume has joined the board of Bourne as a non-executive director.

Du Heaume, founder of Just Media and director of a number of successful companies, joins the creative digital agency with a wealth of experience driving growth in international businesses. A proven entrepreneur with over two decades experience building media companies on both sides of the Atlantic, she will be responsible for providing strategic advice on Bourne's expansion plans.

"I was attracted to Bourne because there's no pretention about it and none of the bullshit you associate with London agencies. Just exciting, professional, and businesslike campaigns that deliver the kind results that clients love," said du Heaume.

"Taken together with its reputation for technical excellence, the agency's international scope and approach makes this a really exciting company with huge potential."

A veteran of the media industry whose career has included stints at SMI and Acme Media, du Heaume has clocked up 20 years experience working with big brand technology companies including Dell, HP, NCR. Adobe, Autonomy. McAfee and MessageLabs. She also has extensive experience in the financial sector working for clients including Citicorp, Genworth and the London Stock Exchange.

Bourne Managing Director Dan Kersh added: "Sarah brings a huge wealth of expertise to the table that we believe will be greatly beneficial. Her experience growing and selling businesses in the US will be very helpful as we look to expand our operations there and I'm delighted to have added such a high quality asset to the organisation."

About Bourne
Geared to provide creativity that converts, Bourne is a leading digital agency with a difference. Their digital strategy experts operate globally from offices in Glasgow, London and New York, devising high-level creative and strategic campaigns that put their clients' brands in front of the audiences that matter.
Experts in PPC, SEO, CMS deployment, Lead Generation, enterprise technical solutions and cross-channel projects in multiple languages, content tones and styles using their own multilingual e-communication application (BASIS), Bourne's solutions deliver outstanding ROI for a range of leading brands including Ricoh, Dell, Symantec, Canon, McAfee, Royal Caribbean, Invitrogen and Adidas.
http://www.wearebourne.com

Line boosts headcount by 50% following raft of client wins.

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:33:43 GMT

Multi award-winning digital agency Line has announced a 50% increase in its headcount following a series of new client wins.

The expansion follows a raft of consecutive new client wins for Line's strategy and design teams. Already the digital partner of choice for the Wyndham Hotel Group International, AEGON and the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the agency's burgeoning reputation has seen it land several key new accounts including Close Brothers, Sir Peter Rigby's SDG and The Fringe.

"This period of rapid growth has been an exciting time for Line. Economic recovery may be slow, but demand for proven digital expertise is soaring as companies struggle to refine their approach to this hugely important sales and marketing channel, and we expect to see further growth in the market for calculated analysis and advice over the coming year," said Ross Laurie, Line's Managing Director.

With rapid growth, recruiting for new posts was immediate and resulted with the appointment of a proactive Design Director Mark McIntosh and accomplished Designer Vicky Sinclair - both of whom joined from Nation 1 - alongside former Prescedent Account Manager James King and Account Executive Alice Will, who previously worked with the NHS. The new recruits will be charged with maintaining the increased success, bringing their expertise to a full range of digital channels from intranets to social media and will also be responsible for translating key commercial requirements into highly usable and functional online strategies .

"At Line we feel strongly that the best online solutions are built on a close understanding of a client’s business and customers. It's not enough just to build pretty websites anymore. The philosophy behind our departments is that every aspect of a business' digital activity must be based on a blend of solid digital expertise and good commercial sense, and the customer-driven demand that has led us to this expansion only serves to underline the effectiveness of that approach," added Laurie.

More information about jobs at Line is available at: http://www.line.uk.com/jobs

About Line
Line is a digital agency. They help clients profit through digital channels. Insightful, knowledgeable and creative; that’s Line. A digital agency that works alongside clients to deliver success for both, they use sophisticated internet-based marketing techniques to offer accountability and results, delivering innovative easy-to-manage technology and award-winning design. The results are there for all to see. http://www.line.uk.com

Digital Impact Awards to recognise excellence in digital corporate communications

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:53:17 GMT

LONDON, 1 April 2010 – The inaugural Digital Impact Awards have been launched this week. The first UK awards programme to celebrate the best in digital stakeholder communications is welcoming submissions of digital work developed, launched or carried out between January 2009 and March 2010.
Judged by a jury* of digital experts (see below), communications practitioners and academics, the Digital Impact Awards are launched by Communicate magazine, the UK’s leading magazine for corporate communications and stakeholder relations which was also responsible for the Transform awards for rebranding.
The Digital Impact Awards recognise best practice in all areas of corporate communications including media relations, social media, investor relations, and internal communications with categories that focus on strategy, execution, content and evaluation.
Entries are welcomed from in-house communications professionals, digital agencies, business strategists, design firms, advertising agencies, non-profit organisations, and government agencies, and will be accepted until 14 June. Winners will be announced in September at a gala dinner in London.
While several award programmes recognise digital strategy and creativity as part of an organisation’s marketing activity, or for specific areas of communications, the Digital Impact Awards are the first to recognise digital work across all areas of corporate communications.
Publisher of Communicate Andrew Thomas said: “Companies increasingly need to talk to all their audiences with a single voice, and digital and social media tools allow companies to achieve that quickly and effectively. But with creativity and best practice moving at such a fast pace, it is difficult for organisations to know where excellence lies. We felt digital communication was not properly benchmarked or recognised. Our awards will create an industry-wide benchmark, as well as giving teams the recognition they deserve.”
Drew Benvie, MD of digital agency 33-Digital, commented: “Lessons in digital communications are gold dust right now. We're working in an information-sharing economy and yet the success of great campaigns is often hidden away. With adoption of new technologies and media consumption habits evolving faster than brands can catch up, recognising innovation and sharing experiences is critical.”
Communicate consistently covers digital work – from the recent social media campaign by Greenpeace in its lobbying of Nestle, to ArcelorMittal’s harnessing TV, radio and viral marketing to deliver its internal message and Kraft’s use of video to convince sceptical investors. The Digital Impact Awards provide the opportunity for organisations to tell their digital stories, to network and to share best practice.

* Judges include
Chiara Bressani, head of group communications, Gruppo Campari
Dominic Burch, head of corporate communications, Asda
Michael Corless, global head of interactive, Cadbury
Andy Muncer, global head of marketing communications, ING
James Parton, head of O2 Litmus, O2
Sarah Probert, marketing director, Research in Motion
Rishi Saha, head of new media, Conservative Party
Paul Taylor, head of strategy and planning, C.O.I.
Jon Hickman, lecturer, New Media & Social Media, Birmingham City University
Paul Armstrong, director of social media, Kindred
Drew Benvie, managing director, 33 Digital
Charlie Cannell, CEO, Cantos
Neville Hobson, head of social media Europe, WCG
Lucy Nixon, editor, Corporate Eye
Adam Parker, CEO, Realwire
Anil Pillai, managing director, LBi
Richard Sambrook, global vice chairman and content officer, Edelman
Stephen Waddington, managing director, Speed

www.digitalimpactawards.com
Andrew Thomas is available for commen

Edinburgh International Book Festival appoints Line as digital partner.

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:46:30 GMT

The Edinburgh International Book Festival has selected award-winning agency Line as its digital partner.

The two year contract will see Line completely rework the existing Book Festival site with the brief of creating an online presence that will serve as an international literary hub in addition to providing visitors with news and information on Festival events. Already underway, the first phase of development will see the portal undergo a total redesign and technical rebuild to provide a more robust presence with a richer array of content and improved ticketing and event management functions.

"The Book Festival has become extremely successful and that in itself is a challenge. As tickets for many Book Festival events typically sell out within hours of going on sale and capacity is strictly limited, we're keen to turn our site into a year-round destination that allows people to participate in and enjoy festival events wherever they are in the world," said Marketing & PR Manager Amanda Barry.

"We selected Line as our digital partner for the project because we felt the agency's blend of experience, technical expertise and creativity made them the natural choice."

Scheduled to begin in 2011, the project's second phase will see continued development of the site as a literary hub and year-round destination. Community participation elements will be introduced and user generated content encouraged to create an online focus for literature lovers.

The news marks a remarkable hat-trick of festival wins for Line. The agency already holds the International Film Festival account and has just signed a deal to handle the Fringe Festival's digital strategy which will see it run a series of focus groups and workshops designed to identify the personas, user journeys and requirements for what the event's organisers should do to fulfil the needs of its unique user base.
"We're delighted to be involved in this project. By extending their web activities beyond its current format to develop a vibrant, interactive portal that involves, informs and inspires their target audience, the Book Festival has adopted a far-sighted approach to its site that will deliver multiple benefits to both the organisers and users alike. It's a clever approach, and one we're excited to play our part in," said Line Managing Director Ross Laurie.

Wyndham appoints Line Digital as EMEA digital partner

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:43:35 GMT

Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed award-winning Line as its key digital agency in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

One of the world's largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Hotel Group selected Line to provide technical, creative and strategic support on three continents following a multi-agency pitch. Responsible for managing the world-renowned corporation's digital direct response projects, Line is also providing site updates across a portfolio of famous brands that includes Wyndham, Ramada and Days Inn.

"Like many global players, Wyndham faced the challenge of trying to enhance its online brand presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We're delighted to be working across these regions to define a new, consistent and engaging experience for the company’s customers across all its key brands, and will be implementing a number of exciting new projects over the course of 2010," said Ross Laurie, Managing Director at Line

Charged with the ongoing creation of direct response assets, over the next two years, Line will develop a series of online tools designed to help improve user experience and increase sales, including integration of hotel availability and information for the Days Inn chain into Google Maps. In addition to handling the migration of the Italian, German and Austrian Ramada sites to the company’s core TeamSite platform, the creative digital agency will also work collaboratively with both Wyndham's technology team and the Group's Hong Kong-based APAC agency.

"The scope and breadth of our online activities continues to grow. We were looking for an experienced creative and strategic agency to provide practical support and advice as the company continues to develop its digital presence. Line's winning reputation and extensive market experience made them the natural choice for the job," said Andrew Dufty, Wyndham Hotel Group Vice President International Marketing.

About Line
Line is a digital agency. They help clients profit through digital channels. Insightful, knowledgeable and creative; that’s Line. A digital agency that works alongside clients to deliver success for both, they use sophisticated internet-based marketing techniques to offer accountability and results, delivering innovative easy-to-manage technology and award-winning design. The results are there for all to see. http://www.line.uk.com

About Wyndham Hotel Group
Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), encompasses more than 7,100 hotels and 597,000 rooms in 67 countries under the hotel brands: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Wingate® by Wyndham, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inns & Suites®, Hawthorn Suites® by Wyndham, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®.

All hotels are independently owned and operated excluding certain Wyndham and international Ramada hotels which are managed by our affiliate or through a joint venture partner. Wyndham Hotel Group is based in Parsippany, N.J. Additional information is available at http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com

Close Invoice Finance selects Line to be digital partner

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:30:55 GMT

Close Invoice Finance has appointed award-winning agency Line as its digital partner.

One of the UK's leading cashflow solutions providers, Close Invoice Finance selected Line to provide technical, creative and strategic support as the company prepares for a major overhaul of its online operations. Chosen following an extensive multi-agency pitch, the agency will be responsible for delivering a multi-phase development strategy designed to radically improve the site's user experience and its integration with the company's back office transactional systems.

"This is a great win for us. As a company Close Invoice Finance feels that their site should be doing more than providing background information and a static point of contact. They want to deliver a digital channel that not only provides a compelling user experience but also plays an integrated role in both the sales process and day-to-day operations," said Ross Laurie, Managing Director at Line.

Close Invoice Finance is part of the Close Brothers Group, one of the City's most enterprising and respected merchant banks and a FTSE top 250 listed company. With over 1000 clients and a client life in excess of the industry average, the firm is the only invoice financing organisation to have gained preferred supplier status with the Chartered Institute of Accountants in England and Wales.

Phase one of the project - due to be completed in May - will involve a complete rebuild and redesign of the company's existing site. Line will then begin work on a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the channel's transactional capabilities.

"As we prepared to approach a critical period in the development of our online activities, we were looking for an experienced and creative partner to both realise our vision and provide long-term strategic guidance. Line delivered a solid pitch with some strong ideas and left us feeling real excitement for the project. It quickly became obvious that Line were the ideal partner to help make our vision for the site a reality," said Luisa Calcinotto, Commercial Finance Head of Marketing, Close Brothers Group plc.

Bourne unveils success of Invitrogen Challenge Lab campaign

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:29:22 GMT

Creative digital agency Bourne has announced the successful completion of its innovative Challenge Lab campaign for the Invitrogen brand.

The strategy, which saw Bourne develop an scalable platform based game designed to encourage customer interaction and increase the time users spent on the site, employed emerging new technologies and applications to drive traffic from social networking sites. Now fully deployed in North America, EMEA and APAC, the Challenge Lab site's success in attracting thousands of new users has convinced Invitrogen to dedicate an in-house team to its continued development.

"Invitrogen approached us last year with the brief to develop a game that would engage the end users of their Gibco product, a solution used in laboratory experiments. Traditional methods of promotion had been met with various levels of success and as they were looking for a fresh and engaging way to meet their objectives, we devised a campaign capable of reaching their target market across the web, social media and mobile," said Adrian James, Client Services Director at Bourne.

"The results have been fantastic, demonstrating that with the right mix of technical expertise and creativity, a properly managed digital campaign can engage potential customers far more effectively than traditional marketing techniques - irrespective of how complex or specialised the market is."

Built using cutting-edge FlashPaper game design techniques, Challenge Lab centres on a geometrically designed platform presenting three separate challenges for the user to tackle. Each game tests a specific skill – logic, memory or knowledge - with participants set the objective of working their way through each game, racking up high scores to compete for Gibco benefits and prizes and also competing against their peers.

The game's three challenges: Lab racer, Culture rush and Brain game all encouraged visitors to create a personalised Avatar, which they can print out and stick to the wall of a lab or office. The platform also contains prize draws and offers allowing end users to send off for T-shirts, 3-D glasses, Ipods and games consoles.

An experiential platform promoted via social media buzz generated through a succesful twitter launch, Facebook fan page and outreach programme designed to reach key bloggers and opinion influencers in the sector, the Challenge Lab campaign has attracted almost 4,000 users to date. Having delivered against all of the key goals set for the project - particularly in significantly increasing the time users spend on Invitrogen.com - further investment will see the game further developed in the months ahead.

"The Invitrogen Challenge Lab has brought a fresh, fun and more intimate dimension to our global marketing strategy. We have connected with our customers in a more relaxed and open setting, collected valuable profile and behavioural data, and used the platform to improve awareness of our products and promotions. It has boosted excitement and engagement within our sales force, making conversations about our brand easier for them to initiate with customers who are interested in the Challenge Lab," said Di Foxx, Senior Market Development Manager, Life Technologies.

Experts in PPC, SEO, CMS deployment, Lead Generation, enterprise technical solutions and cross-channel projects in multiple languages, content tones and styles using their own multilingual e-communication application (BASIS), Bourne's solutio

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