What was interesting was that within 24 hours of the story emerging, Tesco had firmly planted the blame for the ‘error’ on the IT department. This so called ‘blame storming’ seems to be spreading fast. Only a few weeks ago Sir Fred Goodwin was blamed for the entire collapse of RBS and stripped of his Knighthood. It is less than 2 months since the sinking of the cruise liner Costa Concordia, the blame planted firmly at Captain Francesco Schettino’s door and the media labelling him ‘Captain Coward’. The unfortunate Tony Hayward, former CEO of BP, was famously held responsible for the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

A study by Nathanial Fast at USC shows that blame is highly contagious especially if people had low self worth.l. The study also showed that individuals who watched someone blame another for mistakes went on to do the same.  Pointing fingers at others is not only contagious but gets worse when people or organisations feel insecure about themselves.

Interestingly, both RBS and Tesco have been knocked off their very high perches. RBS, who at one stage was conquering the world through its acquisition of ABN AMRO, now cannot put a foot right; and Tesco, once the conqueror of the retailing industry, has fallen off its leadership perch due to its recent lacklustre performance.

It is easy to blame someone else for one’s own mistakes. But big organisations should be above this. They should set an example and if they get it wrong ‘suck it up’ and take the consequences. We are currently operating in a difficult economic environment where self-worth and confidence are at a low ebb. I believe we need strong leadership which takes responsibility, is accountable, and above all does not always try and find a scapegoat to hide behind. And finally…why oh why is it always the IT department?

In simple terms, you should always look to prioritise on-site conversion before you throw money and resource at driving more traffic to your site.

Whilst Google Analytics is not the user-friendliest application, the real power of the data that it can provide (and what that data can tell you) is all too often overlooked.

Having advised 100’s of small businesses on conversion optimisation and SEO strategy over the past 10 years, I can tell you that most businesses, small and large, fail to use GA correctly.

Whilst the majority of website owners may use GA to find out the number of daily visitors, and their origin, very few invest the time to dig deeper. If you’ve never spent more than a few minutes at a time on GA, set aside a couple of hours to watch some of the many tutorials that you’ll find on YouTube. Google’s own tutorials aren’t necessarily the best, and there are a host of independently posted tutorials that you might just find will help you make your website a lot more profitable.

Generally speaking, conducting research into the behaviour of your prospects and customers is an expensive undertaking. For this reason it has long been beyond the reach of smaller businesses. But learn to use GA correctly and you suddenly have access to information (and marketing power) that you never imagined possible.

All too often, I see companies ready to invest in SEO in order to drive traffic and therefore increase business, when those same companies haven’t spent nearly enough time working out why the majority of existing visitors to their site don’t convert. This is the Internet version of throwing mud against the wall to catch the bit that sticks.

If you’ve read Michael Lewis’s book Moneyball (or seen the recently released movie) you’ll understand the analogy. The central premise of Moneyball is that the collected wisdom of baseball insiders (including players, managers, coaches, and scouts) over the past century is subjective and often flawed. Statistics such as stolen bases, runs batted in, and batting average, typically used to gauge players, are relics of a 19th century view of the game and the statistics that were available at the time. The book tells the story of the Oakland A’s’ coach who took advantage of more empirical gauges of player performance to field a team that could compete successfully against much richer competitors in Major League Baseball. (Beyond the analogy, it’s a pretty good read by the way, and not a bad movie with Brad Pitt in the lead).

Use the full power of GA and you’ll likely find the power to compete effectively against many of your competitors, small and large (as I said, you’ll find that the majority of your competitors aren’t making the most of GA).

So once you’ve watched the tutorials, what’s the best way to use GA to help improve on-site conversion?

Start by sitting in front of your website with a good old fashioned pen and pad. Enter your website assuming the role of a casual visitor or prospect. Navigate your way through your site keeping a step-by-step note of your actions. Now enter your GA and go straight to in-page analytics. This powerful data subset released by Google last year will show you how visitors are in fact navigating through your site. Look to see where that behavior differs from your own experience, and use that as the starting point to begin to understand why the majority of your visitors don’t convert.

The next step is to begin to study visitor flow. GA allows you to explore visitor flow in absolute detail. Start by drilling deeper into the larger sets of drop-offs. As you highlight each one of these sets, switch back to the page in question, making sure to open the page within the in-page section of GA. If you haven’t yet watched some of the GA tutorials, or if you’re not yet comfortable with GA, then all this probably sounds a bit daunting. It’s not! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be empowered in a way that you never dreamed, and you’ll know that you’re on track to improving your conversion rates.

Then you’re ready to start thinking about SEO ……

Written by Steve Marks, MD EMEA, National Positions. Established in 2003, National Positions is one of the leading Internet Marketing Services companies operating in the US, UK and South Africa.

In recent weeks there have been two substantial EuroMillions wins in the UK.  Interestingly, both decided to announce their winning publicly, leading them into the ensuing media storm.

And so, we see the same story cropping up in the media – is it wise for winners to come out publicly, or should they keep the information to themselves?

In this debate some have argued that no matter how understanding family and friends are, they will expect a share of the money which can place stress on relationships. However, it would be very hard to keep it a secret from close family and friends, especially if the amount won is as large as £45 million. Distant relatives and old friends are much more likely to ‘crawl out of the woodwork’ to try claim their share.

However, there are benefits which come from publicising a big win.  By revealing themselves to the public, lottery winners can receive help in achieving their goals if aiming to reach out to charities.  The attention given to charities which receive assistance from lottery winners gives the charity positive PR and can help to raise awareness of its causes.

Media exposure doesn’t have to be negative. If winners follow these top tips they can control the aftermath:

• Be prepared for the media attention. As soon as you have appeared at the press conference you are in the spotlight so you will need to think more about what you say and do. Don’t air your dirty laundry. Keep the focus on YOUR win and you alone. Personal issues will be exploited by the media so don’t disclose anything about your nearest and dearest.
• Everyone will ask you what you are going to spend your money on so be modest. You may well want to buy a Lamborghini but being flash will put you in a negative light.
• Employ someone to help with the media attention. You are only an amateur and the pros will know how to manage the media. The media are going to approach people for your story, for a price, and the pros will know how to add a positive spin to anything that might come to light.

By Belinda Hallworth – Graduate Trainee at Flagship Consulting

Now Flagship is neither a super sized nor a slim-line consultancy, but I would pride us on being able to offer the services of a larger business and the market knowledge and focus of a niche consultancy. I really think the article got it wrong when it just looked at size – what it missed was considering the key issue for success and survival today, which is quality – of service, results and relationship. Our clients partner with us because we make sure we understand their issues and market needs; we deliver well-thought through and creative campaigns that deliver the right results; and because we are committed, we care and we like to enjoy a good working relationship with them.  One of our clients recently captured that relationship by saying that “we were always on” and I take great pride in that description.

Not that we can’t do niche or global; as a corporate and brand consultancy we work across most areas, but we have strengths in certain sectors. And as for geographic reach, that is one reason why we entered into a partnership with New-York based Peppercom in order to extend our global connections and to build our capabilities in digital, creative and marketing services. Knowing that Peppercom describes itself as the very “mid-sized agency” that the Evening Standard was condemning, I asked co-founder Steve Cody for his views on the article. This is what he had to say:

- First, this is an old story. I wish I had a dollar for every article I’ve read in the past 20 years suggesting the PR world would consist of either the big, global brands or boutiques. It hasn’t happened, and it won’t.

- Second, the article seems focused on consumer PR firms who are perceived as little more than commodities by clients. There are definitely firms that haven’t changed with the times and continue to offer little more than basic media relations. I believe these firms will disappear entirely.

- Third, I challenge the writer’s notion that PR is seen as secondary to advertising. That’s no longer the case here. The best PR firms have demonstrated an understanding of how to engage in conversations with a client’s target audiences in transparent, genuine ways. Advertising’s old top down, inside-out “talking at the consumer” mindset is withering on the vine.

- Finally, I believe the opportunities have never been greater for midsized firms. We’re not encumbered by the rules and bureaucracy of the big holding companies. Nor are we limited by the lack of breadth and depth a start-up has to address. Midsized firms that are continually innovating and bringing a suite of solution sets to meet a client’s ever-changing needs will continue to prosper. There’s no doubt in my mind that we continue to be the ideal solution for many, if not most, client organizations. You won’t find a better cost/benefit ration in the PR industry.

The line between proactively putting forward underrepresented groups and tokenism are often not distinct enough and this is where many of the issues lie.

TV and radio can be used as a tool to break down social barriers and taboos. but ‘using’ minority groups to make a point, generate publicity or adhere to what is perceived to be ‘the right thing to do’ is a see-through approach which when handled badly can just generate resentment and counter the effect that it was intended to have.

Over the years, gay couples, inter-racial relationships, illnesses and disabilities have all featured in major on air storylines, and whilst it has not been right every time, I have no doubt that the presence of these stories has played some role in helping to challenge stereotypes and educate the public.

A positive impact can only be made when characters and storylines are true to life and do not just perpetuate the stereotypes they are trying to shift. There have been examples in recent years of TV shows introducing minority characters who then exit swiftly when producers realise they have no idea what to do with them.

The bottom line is that having ethnic or other minority groups feature in mainstream media is definitely a good thing. It allows other people from those groups to see themselves represented which is a positive and powerful force.

The question for me is, why didn’t the controller of Radio 4 do something to get the wheels in motion when he was in power?

Whilst this is a new role, we do know we need someone with a degree or background in marketing, who can organise busy creative types and can produce top-notch work to tight deadlines.

So if this is the perfect job for you, please send a cv, information about why this is the right role for you and your salary expectations to:  sarah.milward@flagshipconsulting.co.uk

This year I was lucky enough to be in New York for the game, which allowed me to test this widely held view. For the first time I can remember, the pre Super Bowl ad buzz actually made it across to the UK this year in a significant way, with a huge PR campaign surrounding David Beckham and his H&M package (pay package!) making the headlines as well as trails for Madonna’s half time show appearance. When I made it to New York, the buzz intensified and Beckham’s package (OK, I’ll stop that now) reared into view on massive billboards. Something tells me that H&M were advised to go for a cross -channel integrated PR and marketing campaign this year. It appears to have worked!

Anyway, back to the action. The first thing that one notices about watching American sport is that it’s much more inclusive than in the UK, with many more women appearing to take an active interest in the game. We’ve come a long way in the UK, but watching a game in the pub can still be a very male activity. Presumably this inclusivity is why the ad men go so wild for the chance to get in front of 100 million Americans in one go.

In truth, the adverts aren’t the main event and neither is the half time show. The star is the game itself and boy was it compelling. To an English eye the slightly contrived ending might grate (it always seems to go down to the wire), but you can’t argue that it wasn’t exciting and the talent on show wasn’t the best in the business.  What did surprise me was the way people actually watched the ads and looked forward to them. That’s anathema in the UK where the ad break is time to put the kettle on or visit the loo. In the States, the brands that take out ads are part of the action and the occasion rather than being resented for butting in.

The Super Bowl is a huge event in the States and is more comparable to a World Cup Final match rather than the FA Cup or Champions League,  in which fans of other teams only take a passing interest. In some ways it’s more like big public holiday, where parties are held, kids stay up late to watch and national treasures  (or borrowed treasures in the case of Sir  Elton John) are wheeled out to take part in ads or half-time shows.  That’s why the ad men are willing to pay such huge sums to reach people at this moment and why the ads often play it safe, using cute dogs, kids and nostalgia to create a bond with the audience rather than relying on laddish humour or the risqué ‘banter’ that often crops up back in the UK during sporting occasions.

In many ways, American sport mirrors American life. It’s high-octane, very commercial and constantly evolving…much like David Beckham’s publicity strategy.

As I listened to her talking about how retirees are basically being ripped off I was struck by how often meaningless platitudes are used in answer to simple questions. As a PR professional I am well aware of the need to be seen to be transparent in an area like Financial Services which as an industry regularly hits the bottom of the ‘Trust’ league table. However, I am also aware of how often convenient barriers are used to avoid giving an opinion or creating controversy. The threat of the ‘regulator’ is used time and time again as an excuse for the members of the Financial Services Industry to hide behind. ‘Small print’ is another barrier, where complex but highly relevant information such as commission and charges are hidden. They are also a number of standard phrases which basically say nothing and allow the company, individual or organisation to avoid taking responsibility and create plausible excuses to avoid transparency and accountability.

The standard ones are:

1. I am afraid I am unable to comment on that due to client confidentiality

2. We take this matter extremely seriously and are currently conducting a detailed and thorough investigation.

3. There has been a public consultation on this issue and we have taken submissions into consideration

4. Regulatory issues mean that we cannot comment on this matter

5. We welcome the contribution to the debate on how to help consumers, clients, patients (insert your own definition!) get the best from the market.

The PR industry has to take some responsibility for the dismal communications in the Financial Services industry. We need to make sure that our clients use language that is easy to read, free of jargon and can be understood by everyone. We are trained in communication, we know what works and we should use those skills effectively. If we do then maybe, just maybe, we can make a difference that really will have an impact on people’s lives.

And of course, what is the Global Fund if not a bank; yes it may have been created to facilitate more transparent and successful aid to counter the infectious diseases of malaria, TB and Aids that devastate poor and mostly African countries, but at the end of the day, it is a bank full of donor rather than customer funds.

Whilst listening to Tony Blair, the two Bills (Clinton and Gates), Bono and others extolling the virtues of the Global Fund (on a very sharp black and white video) a thought occurred to me. Bankers have had a really bad press recently; the government, the opposition and the vast majority of the public have all shown their disapproval of their reward systems. So why don’t they take a Bill Gates approach to the problem?

I am an enormous fan of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (and so was everyone else at the Global Fund anniversary event!); I reckon they have more power (and money) to create meaningful and sustainable change in public health in the developing world than any government or NGO. The foundation has truly put its money where its mouth is and continues to make enormous progress – even yesterday Bill Gates gathered together the world’s top pharmaceutical companies to get them to agree to co-operate to combat neglected diseases.

As a PR professional it is interesting to see that the public perception of bankers has not improved with time, and there is no doubt they need to do far more to rebuild their reputation and to get the public on side.  Yes, their reward systems need to be looked at and put into context with the rest of the country; yes, there is the whole debate about responsible capitalism; and of course they need to tell the country what a positive difference they make to our economy. But sometimes what is needed is a major gesture!

The Global Fund has just cancelled its Round 11 funding because of the current economic climate and lack of funds, which means that people in Africa in 2013/2014 will NOT get bed nets that protect them from malaria, nor will they receive the drugs they need to combat AIDS or TB. I am sure that many of the top bankers contribute to charitable causes, so why don’t they all get together, club their bonuses and then I bet they could do the power of good for a really worthwhile cause!

The station was packed and as I stood with my nose pressed against someone’s backpack I thought, “how very unpleasant London can be”. The tube finally arrived and we all shuffled forward, avoiding all eye contact while mumbling apologies as we inadvertently bumped and knocked into each other. Finally, three stops later the Tube screeched into Leicester Square and I edged my way through the crowd and up the stairs.

All at once, the most incredible sound wafted through the tunnel…and there in front of us was one of London’s buskers playing Aker Bilk’s ‘Stranger on the Shore’.

The busker had wired up a Henry the vacuum cleaner to a clarinet whilst he played. A small crowd formed and then suddenly a couple started to dance! Before I knew it someone had swept me off the ground and I was waltzing around with a complete stranger to this wonderful music. Other couples joined in and very soon the well in front of the escalators became a mini ballroom. Everyone was laughing, clapping and enjoying the moment. The busker’s clarinet case rapidly filled with coins as tube travelers showed their appreciation. Then the music came to an end and my mystery man released me and we went our separate ways.

As I stepped on the escalator, I noticed that everyone, including me had a big smile on their face. Maybe, just maybe London isn’t so bad after all!