Bourne's Chad Butz Talks Content marketing strategy at prestigious conference

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:12:34 GMT

Chad Butz, Planning Director at the creative digital agency Bourne, is set to tell an audience of digital strategy experts that they must come to terms with the complexities of international content marketing campaigns if they are to stay ahead of the market in 2011.

In a two hour workshop, Chad will show attendees how for most businesses, rolling marketing communications out internationally involves a whole new realm of complexity that has left the majority of large businesses struggling to deliver multilingual content quickly and effectively. Using examples from customers such as Dell Computers and Ricoh Europe, he will walk through the evolution of an international content strategy framework that takes a complete view of the content strategy ecosystem, and following this will then take part in a panel discussion entitled, "Who owns content strategy in the organisation."

"For most businesses creating and publishing one version of their content in one language is a task that's already difficult enough to get right. Moving that up a gear to include multiple languages and several international territories takes the task onto a whole new level of difficulty however, and in our experience the complexities involved in making that leap frequently result in companies getting it wrong," said Chad.

"With the right approach businesses can deliver real benefits by running such campaigns however, and I'll be showing attendees the components - including creative and content as well people and skills, team structure, process and technology - that are crucial to getting content marketing strategies right first time."

A two-day event for Content Strategy Professionals, Content Strategy Applied is a conference for professionals who want to share knowledge, build skills and network with others working in the same field. Hosted by eBay and co-sponsored by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, the event will focus on commercial case studies and practical skills workshops to build on the excellent theory that's already available.

The event will be a lively mix of keynotes, case studies, workshops and round tables, and is to be headlined by content strategy pioneers Kristina Halvorson and Rahel Bailie, who will appear alongside a number of major brands.

For more information visit: http://contentstrategyapplied.eu

About Bourne:
Bourne is a digital agency based in Glasgow, London and New York. Chad is responsible for working with large corporate clients developing enterprise-wide online marketing programmes that are underpinned by Bourne's brand of content strategy which includes customer insight, creative thinking, technology which facilitates fast, effective content publishing, and clever systems and processes that move content from those that hold it to those that publish it. A few of Bourne's current clients include Dell, Ricoh, StepStone Solutions, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, VeriSign and Microsoft.

AEGON UK Signs New Deal With Technology Provider GBST

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:10:14 GMT

New technology will support AEGON UK strategy to deliver market leading propositions in the ‘at retirement’ and ‘workplace savings’ markets.

AEGON UK today announces it has signed a deal with GBST, a leading global provider of technology solutions. The agreement will see the implementation of GBST’s Composer solution, ensuring AEGON has the technology and future capability in place to support some of its existing products and future propositions as it moves to its new strategic focus on the ‘at retirement’ and ‘workplace savings’ markets.

GBST Composer offers a proven IT support solution for efficient investment trading. Composer offers providers a complete end-to-end solution, from online reporting and transactions, to full back office administration and investment dealing.

Commenting on the deal, Andy Marchant, Marketing Director at AEGON UK, said:

“We are delighted to be working with GBST who we selected after a comprehensive selection process. We are impressed with GBST’s Composer solution providing us with a flexible, scalable and cost effective investment trading solution.

“This is a significant step forward as we move to deliver our new UK strategy which aims to take clear leadership positions in the ‘at retirement’ and ‘workplace savings’ markets. It will help us deliver excellent customer service and support our development of flexible savings products that offer a wide and diversified range of investments and tax efficient vehicles.”

Robert DeDominicis, CEO for GBST Wealth Management said:

“The project will deliver improved management processes and efficiency and will support AEGON’s new strategic focus in the UK enabling it to grow its leading position in the ‘at retirement’ and ‘workplace savings’ markets.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome another new client to our expanding UK client list and look forward to working with AEGON UK.”

- Ends –

Further information

Mark Locke

Personal Finance PR Manager

AEGON

0131 5493766 / 07740 897986

Notes to Editors

In the UK AEGON offers pensions, life insurance, asset management and financial advice to around two million customers. AEGON UK has assets under administration of £53.6 billion and employs approximately 4,500 staff.

AEGON is an international provider of life insurance, pensions and investments with approximately 28 thousand employees world wide and 40 million customers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. AEGON's revenue generating investments totaled EUR 388 billion at 31 March 2010.

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

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.

Line expands Strategy and Planning department

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:38:48 GMT

Multi award winning digital agency Line has announced the expansion of its Strategy and Planning department.

The move follows a raft of new client wins for Line's strategy team, which has grown rapidly since its formation last year. Established to help organisations identify and clearly define their online business aims and objectives, the department now plans to increase its head count exponentially over the next 12 months.

"The commercial sector is fast realising that unless you set about planning your online activities with a very clear idea of the business goals you wish to achieve, your chances of success are greatly minimised. 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 real growth in the market for strategic analysis and advice over the coming year," said Mary Harper, Line's Strategy Director.

Line’s Strategy and Planning department expects to begin recruiting for the new posts immediately, with the appointment of a proactive Digital Planner/Business Analyst charged with delivering successful solutions to the agency's clients expected to be announced soon. The new recruits will help identify and clearly define online requirements across a full range of digital channels from intranets to social media and will also be responsible for translating key commercial requirements into highly usable functional designs.

"At Line we feel strongly that the best online solutions are built on an understanding of a client’s business and customers. It's not enough just to build pretty websites anymore. The philosophy behind the Strategy and Planning department's foundation in 2009 was 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 Line Managing Director Ross Laurie.

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

StepStone selects Bourne to handle site redevelopment

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:57:39 GMT

StepStone Solutions has appointed Bourne to lead the redesign and build of its new corporate site.

The global talent management software specialist selected the digital design agency following a multi-agency pitch late last year. Charged with creating a high-performance corporate website that quickly delivers relevant results to the right target audience, Bourne delivered the entire site in eighteen days.

"This is a great win for us. We're an agency that prides itself on a brand of creativity that converts into tangible results on the web, and with a brief that's initial primary focus is upon delivering a visually appealing and content rich site, StepStone have provided us with the kind of challenge we relish," said Adrian James, Client Services Director.

The news breaks as StepStone, a global leader in talent management solutions, moves into 2010 with a strong business outlook after a series of key developments. Recent highlights have included a large number of high-profile new customer wins across all world regions and recognition of its product leadership from analyst firms like Gartner.

Jim Cassidy, CMO, said "StepStone Solutions is a fast-developing talent management business and we wanted a new corporate website that would both look great on a global stage and also tell a story to a specialised market. But we had internal deadlines that made it important to deliver it by a hard date - just three weeks away. Bourne had done some work for us before but we took a leap of faith with this project and they didn't let us down - they worked long hours with StepStone staff in multiple countries and just did a great job - professional, creative and on time!"

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 StepStone Solutions

StepStone helps businesses get increased performance from their people, helps them build and develop global talent pools, and helps people find new jobs that match their talents. Across the world thousands of organisations rely on StepStone every day to improve their business performance and talent development strategies while millions of people rely on StepStone to improve their careers. StepStone delivers world-class technology and services for finding, recruiting, retaining, managing and developing talented people.

For more information see: www.stepstonesolutions.com Read our blog at:

http://www.stepstonesolutions.com/communitypost

Semple Fraser appoints Bourne to lead digital strategy

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:17:55 GMT

Leading law firm Semple Fraser has selected Bourne to handle the redevelopment of its website and online strategy.

The commercial law specialist selected Bourne to work on its creative strategy and site design following a multi-agency selection process. Responsible for all aspects of the online platform's development, the digital agency will bring its strategic, design and commercial expertise to bear upon a complete refresh of Semple Fraser's web activities.

"We're looking to maximise the advantages available to early movers at this stage of the economic cycle. While many companies have seen online development stall during the recent difficulties, Semple Fraser have looked to gain competitive ground by continuing to invest in innovative methods of lead generation. It's a measured, long-term approach that we're confident will reap dividends as the firm stakes its claim on the legal marketing space," said Dan Kersh, Bourne's Managing Director.

Established almost 20 years ago,

Line unveils Digital Podge 2009 event site and design strategy

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:08:53 GMT

Multi award winning digital agency Line has unveiled the latest website for the Digital Podge event.

Widely considered to be one of the social highlights of the online business community's year, Digital Podge 2009 will bring together some of the industry's most influential figures for a London luncheon that has become renowned for its exclusivity, keeping a strictly-controlled guest list down to 150 of the market's top movers and shakers. Appointed lead agency in charge of developing and managing all touch-points for this unique occasion, Line has rolled out a complete project package encompassing everything from the event's website and iPhone application to its on-site signage and marketing collateral.

"While simply being invited to Digital Podge is a huge honour in itself, being tasked with developing and carry out all the campaign touch points for the event is an exercise that holds the agency up to the scrutiny of its peers like no other project. It's probably one of the most demanding briefs in the sector, but our team of designers and developers revelled in the opportunity to use data in a humorous and informative manner that highlights some of the plusses and minuses of a cutting edge industry," said Ross Laurie, Managing Director at Line.

Founded in 2003 by creative business mentor Phil Jones, Digital Podge is a spin-off from the long running Podge Lunches that have been held for the traditional design industry in the past two decades. Attracting visitors from across the world and such design luminaries as Erik Spiekermann, Rodney Fitch, Martin Lambe-Nairn and Domenic Lippa, while reknowned for their quota of entertainment and revelry, the events represent one of the most influential gatherings available to the UK creative community.

Entitled Digital Podge - Measurable fun, the 2009 website and event seeks to highlight the digital industry's unique accountability, integrating a variety of social media services including Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. Event data is displayed throughout, although the lunch's well-known additional alcohol variable may render some statistics innacurate.

“The Digital Podge Lunch is now seven years old and has got better every year, with the waiting list now almost as long as the guest list. The challenge creatively is to keep raising the bar, and with a room full of digital gurus it takes a brave company to take on the creative challenge. Enter the mighty Line - Scotland's finest. Ross and the team have exceeded all expectations, and their innovative 2009 theme is most definitely the best and most ambitious yet. They've done a fantastic job, so and there'll be free beers all round on the day," said organiser Phil Jones.

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