LRX Concept get the go ahead

Last week I was delighted to learn that Land Rover announced the production of their LRX Concpet car. It's one that I have secretly lusted after for over a year now.

Land Rover have nearly always been in our family, it's not a fashion but a practical requirement, although less so recently. I live in Edinburgh and although my original reason for getting one was to accommodate the film production business (carting people and kit to damn difficult locations - hell, the Usher and I slept in the back of it at one T in the Park).

Now however it's just because I love the damn thing; it's neither practical nor entirely economically sound particularly being used by one person transporting 2 others infrequently around a metropolis... But the LRX - it's considerably smaller has parts made from recycled materials, has 2 engines and provides an excellent reason to buy myself an ipod, (giggling with glee).

So Land Rover, you say 2011 for the release - get a move on... I want one!

You can visit the site here

764% increase in website visits

I know I've talked a wee bit about our involvement (Red Dress) as an agency in social media - now we have documented proof that we increased website traffic for one of our clients by a staggering 764% in a 3 month period.

What do we do, what do we use, how's it done...?

There are multiple tools available to any business and they can include a blog, creating groups on Facebook, filtering leads from Twitter, you name it - we provide a strategy and this is preceeded by feasibility and research to ensure that the conversations are going to create the right emotion to drive a reaction (or traffic) and ultimately sales if that's your driver.

Now commissioned by the Scottish Government / Edinburgh Council to provide seminars on how to use social media for communities and businesses I feel we are making some real progress in the possibilities it holds.

There are still reasons why businesses are reticent to get involved in using social media, it was written in Social Media today but essentially they are:
1. Employees will waste time with it - some companies have banned access, erm most of your employees have smart phones (you can twitter by text and access Facebook...)
2. Haters will damage the brand - build a community and those that love you will defend you to the hilt, if not see me!
3. They'll lose control of the brand - guess what your business is already being talked about, control is an illusion...
4. Social media requires a real budget - many of the tools are free, knowing how to use them requires experience and perspective.
5. They're scared they'll get sued - really, no really show me...!!
6. They're scared that someone will give away corporate secrets... create a social media policy for your staff and if you don't trust your staff erm, I'd look at your hiring procedures

Oh yes and by the way Zappos is a good example, from zero turnover just sold their business to Amazon for just over $1billion, their turnover and policies were almost entirely down to the use of social media. Having spent time with them in Las Vegas I can provide a unique insight into how this was achieved.

Anyway, lecture over - proof positive... it works!

Facebook, a lesson in advertising from the CEO

Facebook, a lesson in advertising from their CEO Sheryl

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2208069

Music production, creative career?

Ok so I've produced one or two tunes in a past life, had tracks played by Tiesto and recommended by other players such as Lupe Fiasco. I might add it was niche, not mass market and done to see if I could... and for the love of it not as a business opportunity or venture.

All that is publicily available now: http://virb.com/gilchrist

Poor but entertaining to a few...

Refer this, refer that... make a referral

I attended an entrepreneur black tie dinner last night with a few hundred other people at Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh; it was in aid of the Princes Trust. The event was the brainchild of Winning Entrepreneurs Belinda Roberts and had speakers from the BBC's online Dragons Den: Julie Mayer, Shaf Rasul and Radio 1's Dominic Byrne. There is no doubt that it was a top night, beautifully organised, with great sponsors (Courvoisier), auction prizes (signed Michael Jackson platinum album...) - everyone well turned out in their best bib and tucker - bottom line though I see these events as a business investment. That might sound a bit harsh and don't get me wrong, I'm on the dance floor shaking my thang, buying the odd bottle of vino and having good casual chat with whomever I'm sat next to. It is also an opportunity to learn what makes people tick, find out about they love and get really passionate about.

In my world, making a campaign or marketing exercise work there are two things that make it a success - an emotional tie from the consumer, i.e. getting seriously passionate and loving the product or social object and the other is word of mouth... people referring from one to another - hearing that someone or something is really good from the lips (or blog etc) is so much stronger than it being forced on you from the company or person itself.

If you are ever attending one of these posh do's - take a long a client or an associate, don't talk about yourself, talk about them (preferably when they are out of ear-shot...) it works a treat.

Don't take my word for it, just try it and see - genius results will be forth coming.

PS. Belinda, thanks for a top night.

London Fashion Week - Christopher Kane

The time is nearly upon us, London Fashion Week runs from 18th - 22nd September. The bit that always interests me is the Fashion Forward element, was established three years ago to provide funding for talented emerging British designers; it's supported by the London Development Agency. It was introduced to give further support for the most promising designers as they emerged from NEWGEN. The award consists of a financial prize, to be used towards producing a catwalk show at London Fashion Week. (They also benefit from business support to help develop their businesses).
Three designers have been chosen, my eye is on Christopher Kane, it's all about the print the cut and personality. My tip for one to watch.

Why social objects are the future of marketing

Hugh has put it more eloquently than I ever could: Gapingvoid

USP - Unique selling point

What is your unique selling point?
Do you know how to find it?
Are you and your competitor selling almost the same product range and you're toiling to think how you can stand out?
Or maybe you think you have no competitors - "you are like, so not in my league girlfriend!"

Chris Brogan wrote an interesting piece in his blog today, ultimately the defining moment (as he points out) is the business being set up to be helpful - you're thinking huh!?

In this world of social media we are all reliant on our online personalities, those people that wow us with their service or go out of their way to be helpful will be raved about - now here is something no one can replicate.

The best service gets recommended over price competitiveness, product offering and anything else you care to mention. Ultimately the consumer has found you, it is now in your power to maximise that opportunity by making it as easy as possible for them to love you for the service you have just provided.

Of course there are other ways to compete - I just believe Helpful is a really powerful way.

picture credits

Social Marketing Guru. No a Social Tailor!

Maybe you've heard me wax lyrical about my experiences using and working with social tools... (should that read applications, probably not), anyway I just wanted to mention that anyone who claims to be a Social Marketing Guru should be eyed with deep suspicion. There are just far too many social applications and networks for any one person to keep up to speed on them all.

I am being pimped out more and more by Red Dress to provide seminars in social marketing and it's place in businesses and communities and I have to say it's a real delight to learn of the success stories that are just now coming through from various attendees. And from all quarters and utilising completely different tools to obtain that all important result.

Maybe it's just me but there is a real air of positivity at work and on the phones - the news this morning about the upturn in job opportunities and the rise in FTSE 100 is really encouraging - although sorry to learn about the Diageo situation through in the west, bit of a bugger that one.

Getting back to those social case studies - you'll of heard me speak about our friends the @showerguys Paul and Les and what a turnaround they experienced from largely being determined to have fun at work and tell anyone who would listen via Youtube, flickr, twitter and their blog. Then there's the amazing transformation at Edinburgh Park:

The situation of traffic congestion coming in and out of Edinburgh Park (next to Gyle Shopping Centre) was becoming really problematic to the point when the developers asked for further planning permission it was refused... their only get out clause was to come up with a green traffic plan. In we stepped and suggested a UK first (this was the tail end of 2006) by creating a closed social network for a business park and all the 7000 employees that worked their.

The network is traffic centred but fulfills lots of other criteria at the same time; it has web traffic cams, bus tracking, car-sharing, city car club, cycle groups and park map all with the intention of helping commuters better manage their travel activity. There are now 4,000 registered participants. The social part of the site is limited to only those that work on the park (it recognises their email) and they benefit from discount vouchers and other benefits limited to the park community. It's a phenomenal success story - our struggle in the beginning was persuading the businesses on the park that it was a good idea.

The park site benefits from feeds: news (local and national), weather (all important!), a twitter feed (any mention of the #EdPark and it appears on their home page) and a great directory of all the amenities both on the park and locally so the site needs minimal management; if I said it almost runs itself I'm sure Gordon would string me up but you get the idea.

So my new title at work: Social Tailor - cutting the cloth of any and all social tools to make a solution that fits the requirement (and budget).

There are more case studies but I'll save them for another day - to see the site go here: Edinburgh Park Community

Labour Party Response

Always one for a balance view (ahem) I thought it only fair to post the Labour response to opposition ratings climbing.

I have to say I'm impressed by this, and no I'm not a Labour Party supporter - the 'Raving Loonies' get my vote.

Conservatives, rejoice or spit?

I came across the following video looking for things related to Pitt Street (It's where the Red Dress studio lives); I'm unsure of the connection but thought it an interesting reflection on pride within the Conservative Party.

I'm a firm believer in positive thinking; I believe that negative thinking and bitter response to an arguement can make you look like an ass and under-achiever. However it's true to say that taking the piss out of the oposition is easy and a lot of fun.

Following in Obama's footsteps using Change as the lead word for the continuing campaigning of this party is an interesting route to take; it's a natural and instinctive response to the question in a downturn or poor performance: "What would you like to happen at the next election?" - "Please make a change!".

Does this make you rejoice or spit feathers?

Success online

There are a number of ways to portray your company online; I have discovered over the years that if you are using a website to promote your company there are 3 key elements that have to be front and centre.
1. What you love doing
2. What you are really good at
3. Where your biggest profit margin is
People buy from people, they like to know you have a personality, you have a story to tell (that you've made mistakes and moved on... like yesterdays blog post, ouch).
If you are an enormous faceless organisation it doesn't help unless you are the buyer and you feel secure (or insecure) that your purchase from a big player will save your ass if it goes tits up.

Your identity needs to tell a story, in no more than 3 words - online people blink and move on if they don't get it. Ebay is a great example of this, they have a couple of buttons, one says buy, another says sell - ok it's well known now, but you know instantly what they do and how they do it.

We at Red Dress are having a phenomenal time right now, we have more work than we can cope with and had to outsource recently - which clearly I hate doing because profit margins are hit... now normally I would put this down to how we market ourselves, but we've not long just merged and we jointly have under estimated the impact that has had on our combined clients.

I unlike some do not claim to be a guru or expert in online marketing and social media - it's a moving feast and anybody that does make that claim is asking for trouble in my opinion. I do however follow and have been involved in social media since 2005, hell I created a UK first in social media in 2006 - joined Twitter in 2007 and created a twitter tool for businesses, you may of heard of it: Tweetabits.

I would like to say that our recent success at Red Dress is largely down to my involvement in social media, although partly true, it's down to wearing our heart on our sleeve, when meeting clients we exude passion and commitment.

That's why we have success online.

Recruitment a love hate thing

Ok so they've come in for some real stick over the past few years and now they want us to feel sorry for them because loads are losing jobs due to the current economic climate.

If you are not in recruitment there are all these ways of finding potential candidates and places to post jobs whether it's LinkedIn, Monster, Gumtree and loads more besides...

But you know what, the consultants that are still doing it must be really good at what they do - I know one or two (actually quite a few) and they continue to succeed. Why?

My experience is thus - it's a big investment, I'm involved in a few small businesses so whomever is chosen will make a dramatic impact, the fit has to be right. Those of you that don't know me maybe don't appreciate that my wife Jill is in recruitment (and no she doesn't know I'm writting this...) so I have the inside track. However that aside, I ask a lot of their service: having whittled down 3 or 4 possible candidates I get the consultant (not Jill) to sit with me in the interview, because lets face it I don't cross examine for a living. I make notes and make the choice or revise the brief.

Finding a recruitment partner that finds possibles, and sends a couple down to see you is all very well but I want more for my investment because I know I can. I've made mistakes in the past thinking I know the game I'll do it myself, all but one have not worked out, and I now realise that they don't just have a big list and marry up your brief with a candidate on their books there's a hell of a lot more to it. Get your consultant to come down to your business, get them to understand you, not a bit of paper. Oh, and as a candidate don't piss them off, it's likely you'll need their help again in the future and it's a small world...

Jill truly loves what she does - hell she's done it for 14 years and with the same company she must do. Her field is Advertising and Marketing. There are truly only two organisations in central Scotland that are any good here, one is Denholm, the other is Quantum. Jill and Niky Denholm used to work together and are still chums - although to be fair Niky's bringing up a family and running a retail business and not so involved in recruitment anymore. There are other companies, like Eden Scott and Michael Page - they are scrabbling around working with companies and people that don't know any better, going through consultants like sand through their fingers.

One of my best mates has an agency too James Helliwell and Choice Consultants, he specialises in Media Sales; very niche and very successful covering all of Scotland and the north of England. God knows how because I hate the pink monkey thing on his website.

I think those that succeed will be the ones that make it personal, where there's a true connection whilst keeping on top of the emerging online social marketplace. There is a place for them in my world but then I would say that... I have to!

Marketing basics - do they apply in an online social sphere?

Ok, so whether you are putting up posters for a lost cat, or providing a poster campaign for VisitScotland there is a basic requirement that each message requires to make it work: AIDA
Attention: get the audience attention
Interest: keep them standing there
Demand: they now want it
Action: tell them where to get it

A social environment works largely through recommendation: topics, products, situations, stuff are all social objects that people have in common, they meet online to discus and recommend.

The traditional way of reaching an audience no longer applies (online) - when LinkedIn and Myspace first started the trend was all about seeing who could get more friends, not whether they were a relevant audience for you to converse with - the same could be said of Twitter right now. Social wealth and marketing power is not about quantity but quality. As direct-mail has changed - we no longer get swamped by junk mail, it's just pertinent to us because they now know who we are.

So, marketing online is turning into the purchase of knowledge and the people with the strongest connections in the area you wish to market to. Through friendships with likeminded people you can make recommendations - like old school direct-mail if you decide to forward to all your friends / fans every piece of news or recommendation there are going to be a lot of pissed off people.

Filtering those friends and fans to deliver that message. The right group know you and are expecting a conversation from you, happy to hear from you and discuss / converse on that area because the social element (social object) has commanality. By using tools such as Tweetabits!

There endeth the lesson... You can tell this has been burning in my head for 2 seconds, however I had to get it out!

Picture credit: Hugh Macleod, Gapingvoid

Red Dress

It's happened - Red Dress has been fully switched on.
Here was a merger that was inevitable; twinning with an agency that specialised in creative print and product development and looking to get wise with a digital partner - when I say digital I mean online for all you old school digital printers!

Digital Face has been and now gone.

Red Dress is Digital Face joining / merging / signing up with TruthBrands.

Our order book is flat out - we're actually looking for freelancers or additional backup for some of the services we carryout... we never saw that 6 months ago.

What do we do:
Social media innovators (inventors of Tweetabits and a UK first in social media in 2007)
Brand guardians (developing and evolving)
Creatives, design and development of brands, taking a local company and planning a global attack (if that's the vision)
Marketing (social, traditional and strategic)
Online (designing and developing websites, campaigns using blogs and multiple social tools)

Our markets:
Retail (FMCG)
Leisure (Hotel, Bar and Club)
Property (Developers, Architects, Interior Design and Agents)
Financial (Investments and Insurance)
Services (Recruitment and Medical - dentist, doctor, pharma, veterinary)
Products (foods, cosmetics, skincare and personal care)
News (tv, paper and online)