http://127.0.0.1/~jt/CIB_EE/index.php en kieranb@cibcommunications.co.uk Copyright 2010 2010-07-22T08:18:13+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/get_a_better_understanding_of_social_networking/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/get_a_better_understanding_of_social_networking/#When:08:18:13Z Social not-working? In graphics: Ups and downs of social networking sites Facebook has announced that it now has 500m active users, just six years after it was launched. The site has become the poster child of social networking on the web. While some others have seen growth, MySpace, Flickr and Bebo appear to have declined in the past year, according to these figures from Nielsen. Interesting international variations are seen, both in the amount of time Facebook users spend on the site each month and in the competing networks’ popularity in different countries. To view the online graphic representation just click the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10719042Social networking statistics from the BBC 2010-07-22T08:18:13+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/directors_cut/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/directors_cut/#When:14:43:33Z GE Lighting used this year’s Light + Building exhibition in Frankfurt as a launch pad for its Facebook page, aiming to leverage interest from the huge noise that’s created around the show. The PR team was tasked with not only arranging interviews and a press conference for international journalists but we also took our own cameraman along and directed a busy filming schedule of key personnel demonstrating the latest innovations on show. The footage was used on Facebook (http://bit.ly/GELightFB) as a really engaging way of communicating the product’s key selling points and also used internally at GE Lighting’s own sales conference. We’ve chosen an out take here of Robert Gray having a bit of fun with the Tetra Contour! May the force be with you from cib on Vimeo. 2010-07-15T14:43:33+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/why_pr_and_research_go_hand_in_hand/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/why_pr_and_research_go_hand_in_hand/#When:16:11:42Z For account executives in the PR team here at CIB, strong research skills and information gathering is paramount. Such research can present itself in many forms, whether it be finding out about a potential client’s products for a pitch, looking into the latest Building Regulations to enhance our feature writing capabilities or exploring the latest technological advances that can boost our clients’ coverage levels.  Indeed, in the last week alone, I’ve undertaken two projects where research was key.  With an upcoming pitch, I took myself off to a local merchant in Staines, to familiarise myself with the store and the type of products it stocks. During my visit I undertook a one-to-one interview with a member of staff, in order to ascertain the types of coverage they currently receive in the local press, in addition to the types of tradesmen that frequent the store.  Such research provided me with a greater understanding of the business and they way in which merchants operate. The week ended on an entirely different note, but still with research in mind, as I undertook a Web 2.0 audit for each of my clients.  Essentially, Web 2.0 is just a fancy way of measuring any online presence clients have through mediums that include Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, blogs and forums.  The research enabled me to determine how CIB can help all of our clients embrace the social media revolution from their own networking pages to plumbers’, handymen and building forums.  Keeping on top of all the opportunities will enable CIB to plot out new tactics and strategies that should hopefully see an increase in clients’ online presence in the upcoming year.  So whether it’s getting out and about speaking to those in the industry face-to-face or trawling the Internet - research can keep account executives very busy! 2010-07-09T16:11:42+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/from_recession_to_revolution/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/from_recession_to_revolution/#When:07:22:58Z The day that the recession was called you could hear the financials within a company tell their poor downtrodden marketers ‘I want accountability, accountability, accountability.’ What we saw then was an interesting factor that started slowly then really took pace. This was the time for e-communications to step up. What was a relatively new technology a few years ago was effectively accelerated by the recession, as cost-effective accountability was seen to be provided. Immediately we saw advertising spend drop amongst our clients. Most retained a fairly consistent PR spend as this was seen as more tangible. New literature and printed direct mail were almost shelved, as it was seen as an expense too far. Hence the reliance on e-communications, a system that delivers to the desktop, is inexpensive and massively results orientated. Using fairly basic set-ups we can now give those oppressed marketers something to fight back with, with real time analysis about who’s looking at what from your communication, if it has pushed them to your website and if they have forwarded information to a colleague. Marketing heaven. In fact, this embracing of new direct communications has eased and accelerated the use of social media within the business community. What would have been the use of Linked In in buoyant times? We’re all aware that it is the first port of call for anyone on the hunt for a job. As we come back into better times, we’re all networked up, helped by our friends that were out in the wilderness, so now we get alerts about what’s happening out there. We’ve joined groups on the site with like-minded people. Without realising it, we’ve bought respectability to social networking within the business community. So when you’re asked by the board ‘What’s our social media policy’ – you may already have some converts within your own company without them knowing it. It isn’t therefore a massive leap of faith to consider Facebook and Twitter as extensions of this move to social networking. Is this a revolution? Certainly. If and when we return to good times, when we have an interactive out-reaching, inclusive social media policy per company, what will be the need to return to old ways of communicating with our audience? For some of us and our clients, we are part way there already. The tools are there to be used right now and (tell your FD’s), it can cost next to nothing compared to pre-recessionary activities. It’s how we develop them to a construction focussed audience is the most exciting part of the challenge. 2010-07-06T07:22:58+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/forbo_-_from_butterflies_to_shredded_paper/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/forbo_-_from_butterflies_to_shredded_paper/#When:14:31:58Z CIB’s latest advertising campaign for Forbo is designed to inspire. Based on the theme of ‘You’re thinking…  We’re thinking…’ the campaign unfolds to answer questions that clearly position Forbo’s integrated flooring systems as the only choice. The series of ads tease out some of the key benefits, so whether it’s a perfect colour you are looking for, a wild pattern, next day delivery or even sustainability issues, Forbo has all the answers, or in this case ‘Knowhow’. All of the advertisements are half dps format, and some of the magazines have even changed their layout to accomodate the creative. Portfolio 2010-07-05T14:31:58+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/ci/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/ci/#When:11:16:50Z CIB has been working with Crossrail to develop the branding and marketing collateral for both its Tunnelling Academy and ‘Young Crossrail‘ initiatives. The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy is designed to address the shortage of people with the necessary skills to work on the project. This purpose-built facility will provide training on the key skills required to work in and around a tunnel excavation and build environment. It will ensure that all personnel working underground on the project achieve the Crossrail safety card before working on any Crossrail site. CIB was briefed to develop a brand that specifically denotes the Tunnelling Academy as a unique institution and separates it from other construction academies. The branding/logo needed to reflect the scale and magnitude of the tunnelling work that the Academy will provide training for – a truly heroic engineering feat! The identity we developed is based on people working together and graphically represents the tunnelling theme and the actual tunnel bore cutter. The colours are developed to represent the different parts of the curriculum. We have subsequently rolled out this identity into supporting literature for both sponsors and the general public. ‘Young Crossrail’ offers young people who go to school or live along the route, the opportunity to connect with this essential transport scheme and help them understand the numerous benefits that Crossrail will bring to the UK economy and to the people of London and the South East. Our brief was to develop a brand that had real vibrancy and that would appeal to a wide age group of children from four years up helping to make the Crossrail project more accessible to this group of young Londoners. We wanted to give ‘Young Crossrail’ a personality, which would appeal to this audience. The result is ‘Digby’ who is now the star of their new website www.youngcrossrail.co.uk and is the face of competitions, quizzes, safety initiatives and teaching aids. Portfolio 2010-07-02T11:16:50+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/forget_dirty_advertising_-_embrace_clean_advertising/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/forget_dirty_advertising_-_embrace_clean_advertising/#When:14:02:15Z For all those city dwellers amongst you, some of you may have come across a new medium on which to advertise - the dirty pavement. For those that haven’t come across it on your travels, welcome to a cleaner and greener form of advertising. The first time I came across it I thought it was brilliant. Cheap and oh so very effective. I applaud those who came up with the initial idea. All it takes is a stencil and some detergent and the job’s done. At CIB we’re always on the lookout for new mediums and technologies to deliver our clients’ messages. Whether it’s straight advertising, DM, competitions and websites, to augmented reality, guerilla pavement advertising or even snow-tagging, CIB is here to get you more Bang for your Buck. Just get in touch. eNewsletter 2010-06-29T14:02:15+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/caring_for_the_environment/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/caring_for_the_environment/#When:10:21:29Z Since CIB moved offices a few months ago, we’ve got much closer to nature.  Being nearer to the river means we see more wildlife than the odd random pigeon that previously graced the window ledges at Bridge House.  We have a woodpecker who visits regularly (although he did nearly concuss himself by flying into the kitchen window), parakeets, deer wading through the river and supermarket trolleys!  The latter is something that has increased over the past few weeks so David and Sam decided to take matters into their own hands in an attempt to rid the River Mole of its current plight. Armed only with crocs, wellies and a sense of purpose, they braved the River Mole to drag out four trolleys in total that had found their way in there and returned them to the supermarket at the top of the town.  The manager of the shop in question appeared to be decidedly under-whelmed by their rescue operation but the two heroes of the day weren’t phased – for a full service agency, it’s all in a day’s work. eNewsletter 2010-06-29T10:21:29+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/the_commercial_value_of_sustainability_-_a_cimcig_industry_report/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/the_commercial_value_of_sustainability_-_a_cimcig_industry_report/#When:11:37:05Z A report has been published by CIMCIG on ‘The Commercial Value of Sustainability’, which concludes that a more concerted campaign is needed to improve the amount and availability of information to homeowners, in order to build consumer awareness and demand for more comfortable, cheaper homes to own. Only then can manufacturers truly benefit. CIB attended the launch event last night - here’s a copy of the report to download. Industry news 2010-06-23T11:37:05+00:00 http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/a_site_visit_always_nails_it/ http://www.cibcommunications.co.uk/index.php/news/article/a_site_visit_always_nails_it/#When:12:22:36Z We always encourage our PR clients to invite journalists on site - whether it’s to see products being manufactured, a product in practice or to take part in any training offered to the trade. Recently, I took assistant editor Lynn Sencicle of Builders Merchants’ News along to Jewson in Barking - to take part in a session run by ITW for both customers and staff - in the safe use of its gas nailers. Jewson Barking is an impressive site so it was a great branch to take an editor to. We were taken upstairs to the training room, while the ITW sales representative Ben Basset set-up the demonstration tools. In attendance were three of Jewson’s own staff, and also three builders from two nearby building contractors that the branch manager had advertised the course to. Myself and Lynn observed as Ben talked through how the gas nailer works and how it can benefit tradesmen on site. Most of the guys already owned or had worked with Paslode or Spit tools and were keen to ask questions, chat through how the tools work in practice and get some practical tips. Health and safety was an important part of the talk, with an interesting anecdote of a guy in America who had got into a spot of bother when he nailed into himself rather than the substrate - which created a few sniggers and chuckles around the room but served to remind everyone of the importance of training and being safe on site. Lynn and I then followed the group outside to the back of the branch for the practical part of the session. I think it’s fair to say that everyone there was itching to get their hands on the nailers after talking about them. Ben oversaw as the group took turns firing different tools into timber and concrete. Always keen to take part - Lynn rolled up her sleeves and had a go with a Paslode nailer as well. The final report from the day is about to appear in BMN as a stand alone piece talking about the benefits of training - for both merchants and staff, along with some exceptional pictures of the day taken by myself. Mike Couchman beware. 2010-06-22T12:22:36+00:00