Yes Agency

A CV Masterclass

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Yesterday was the annual Staffordshire University CV competition. This was my third year as a judge, and for the first year, my favourite entry won. A beautifully crafted, superbly written and cleverly executed entry by graphic designer Mike Emerson was the well deserved winner. Other entries of note can be seen in the photo below. It's a tough climate out there, so graduates need to work hard to stand out from the crowd. This lot will certainly be able to do just that!

Looking to make a difference?

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:53:00 +0000

Account Manager needed for this rapidly growing Midlands agency. Due to significant growth this year we are looking for someone to help manage existing clients and assist with our new business activity.

A proven track record in agency account management is essential. You need to be a highly motivated and confident individual who enjoys building relationships with people at all levels. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential with excellent attention to detail. You must be comfortable working in a team environment, able to work full-time and have an interest in education, employment and training.

Required:
• The desire to work hard and exceed client expectations
• Confidence to present creative work to clients
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A ‘can do’ positive attitude
• Excellent time management and project delivery skills
• Superb attention to detail
• Commitment to driving jobs through
• Flexibility to get the job done, not always in office hours
• Bright, dynamic personality

Contact David Patrick with a note explaining your interest in the job and attaching your C.V.

Helping to keep mums and dads on the road

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Parents and families in Sheffield are benefitting from discounted MOTs and servicing thanks to the latest Yes initiative.

Our team developed a family-friendly promotion designed to raise awareness of Halfords Autocentre and drive new business from mums and dads who are looking for great service and value for money from a local garage.

In targeting parents, we worked with local pre-school childcare providers to encourage them to distribute promotional leaflets directly to parents. And as we believe in practising what we preach, we’ve been on the ground ourselves sporting our Halfords Autocentre polo shirts and joining the distribution teams handing out leaflets to families at shopping centres local to each of the Autocentres.

The good news is that this community based approach is already driving new customers into Halfords Autocentres and keeping Sheffield’s families on the road. And with circa 260 Halfords Autocentres nationwide, we’re sure that our parent promotion will be coming to a location close to you soon…which probably means that we’ll be there too!

Employers watch out!

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Last night was my second year running as a judge for the Staffordshire University CV competition. Our senses were assaulted by some superb efforts (and some not so superb), that were designed to knock the socks off potential employers. The CVs ranged from 3D models through to etched metalwork, and the judges were pretty much agreed on the shortlisted few. My favourite didn't win despite my best efforts, but did win a runners-up prize. I think there's some fantastic talent about to be unleashed on the creative scene, however, if any students are reading this, my top tip would be to spell-check your CV. No matter how beautifully it's presented, nothing is more likely to put a potential employer off than a good, old-fashioned typo...

Yes helps to give kids a sporting chance

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:56:00 +0000

In my first mentoring role with national charity sported, I have been matched with a fantastic organisation called Engage Communities. I'm going to be working with the community interest company to kick-start its Round House project which uses community-based Taekwondo and Boxing sessions to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop skills and qualifications. Getting involved in positive activities will help them to learn about discipline, perseverance, hard work and respect for others, meaning that they are less likely to get involved in anti-social behaviour. The organisation has been shortlisted for some funding from Lloyds Banking Community Fund, so if you can, please take a few seconds to vote for them, and give kids a sporting chance at a better future...

Giving communities a sporting chance

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:06:00 +0000

I had a fantastic morning yesterday where I was trained for a new voluntary role as a Business Mentor for a great organisation called sported. They're a national charity which provides support to voluntary and community sport organisations that work with young people in disadvantaged areas. My role will be helping a community organisation to develop their marketing or business skills in order to given them a better chance at sustaining their future and continuing to help young people in their areas. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in.

Improving your LinkedIn profile to generate leads

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:48:00 +0000

Here's an interesting and detailed perspective from Kay Howell on the Smart Inisights website on managing and improving your LinkedIn presence to create a wider circle of contacts. Her approach can be distilled down into:

give your profile constant attention and always seek to develop your profile
think of your activity as driving potential leads through a LinkedIn marketing funnel, giving them reasons to want to find out more and connect with you
set clear goals for what you want out of LinkedIn in terms of connections and relationships
identify and contribute to groups on a regular basis to position yourself as an expert
benchmark your performance by assessing what type of content to share, which connections to focus on most and which groups are most likely to generate click throughs to your site or blog

The full article can be read here.

'Marketing is dead' so says CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:54:00 +0000

Here's a fascinating insight from Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi on the future of marketing.

Speaking at The IoD's Annual Convention yesterday he said: "Strategy is dead. Who really knows that is going to happen anymore in this super volatile, uncertain, ambiguous and complex world? The more time and money you spend devising strategies the more time you are giving you rivals to start eating your lunch.We live in a vibrant world where our kids are connecting to each other and to brands across the world with no money involved. To us this is a world that’s gone crazy."

He went on to say: "The big idea is dead. There are no more big ideas. Creative leaders should go for getting lots and lots of small ideas out there. Stop beating yourself up searching for the one big idea. Get lots of ideas out there and then let the people you interact with feed those ideas and they will make it big."

These thoughts resonate us. Our role as marketers is rapidly changing as the rules of engaging with customers are changing. With the popularity of social networking sites, customer feedback sites corporate marketing and spin no longer holds sway. The goal posts have moved to another pitch altogether.

The answer lies in harnessing the power of communities to create an army of brand advocates. That's why our focus is on using a range of bespoke tools to engage with consumers, ranging from Community Consult which uses people’s elected communities to drive stronger relationships with them through to online engagement tools including social media management strategies.

Former DMA chair receives industry accolade

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Last week I attended a reception hosted by the Direct Marketing Association to thank staff and council members for the work they all do. It was good to meet so many agency and client folk who give up their time to organise events and promote best practice in our industry.

I sit on the DMA North Council which meets every other month in Manchester. Unlike many of the other councils which are focused on a single channel, DMA North has representatives from clients, agencies, data bureaux, telemarketing agencies as well as digital marketing experts. Also present among the 100+ DMA members at the reception were those involved in the email marketing council, the agencies council, the mobile marketing council among many others.

The evening finished with a special presentation to David Metcalfe, the previous Chair of the DMA. The DMA Board elected David to the Roll of Honour in recognition of his outstanding leadership particularly in guiding the DMA through a two year transition phase to ensure it meets the needs of its members. Given the calibre of those involved and the tremendous output of the DMA David has certainly contributed towards creating a vibrant organisation with tremendous support and goodwill from its members.

All ages of man represented at Yes Agency

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:43:00 +0000

We were recently lucky enough to win a competition through Rednile Projects and Staffordshire University's Creative Collaboration Event. The prize was a piece of art which we will be exhibiting in our offices here at Yes Agency. The artwork is by up-and-coming photographer, Glen Stoker, whose work 'The Ages of Man' is a culminative photographic print taken from a body of work entitled “Commune” which explored and documented the people and activities of two Stoke-on-Trent allotments. This work was chosen for Yes Agency due to a mutual fascination with communities. Glen's work explores the allotment as a microcosm of human social life, underpinned by the feeling of solidarity gained from being in the company and common area of interest of others. Our work on community marketing explores how these 'elected communities' can be maximised to drive powerful connections with consumers and their peer groups. Find out more about Glen's work, or come to take a look at his work next time you're passing our offices!

No. 1 challenge for social media marketing remains how to demonstrate a positive ROI

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:47:00 +0000

A new survey by the CIM which canvassed the views of 1,500 marketers shows that the monetization of social media remains their number one challenge.

The survey which has been widely commented on, including by Marketing Week and Management Today, reports that while the majority of brands are now using social media (with Twitter the most used channel, followed by Facebook), over a third describe their social media activity as 'not at all effective'.

Of course social media is not a channel to be used on its own. It serves to underpin and support other marketing channels. However marketers do need to be able to understand and report on the key metrics and demonstrate the impact social media can undoubtedly have in building profitable relationships with both existing and new customers.

What does the future hold for our industry?

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Last week, more than 100 senior marketers attended the DMA’s first Future of DM conference to gain an insight into what's on the horizon for direct marketers.

Speakers from top suppliers, agencies, and brands, including Lithium, LBi, Virgin Atlantic and BT, shared their views on how the direct marketing landscape will change over the coming years.

One trend predicted for the future of DM is the rise of cloud-based community platforms. According to BT’s Warren Buckley, the growing trend of online peer-to-peer communications, discussions and networking means that customer services and marketing departments must marry-up.

Source: DMA

Connecting not just networking is the way to broaden our networks

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:31:00 +0000

Having recently re-read Malcolm Gladwell's book: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference it struck me that the idea that many of us are 'Connectors' really resonates with what alot of us actually do in both our professional and personal lives.

Gladwell describes Connectors as the people who "link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together." Marketeers act as a bridge between clients and their customers, bringing them together. We often don't have the immediate answers to a specific brief or challenge we've been set but we do know who to talk to. This, of course, is often the customers themselves but it can also be experts in that particular market who we know of or know someone who can put us in touch with those experts.

A recent article in Entrepreneur magazine makes the point that connecting people is the ultimate objective of the networking we all do. And that by putting people in contact with each other may not have immediate benefits but helps to both broaden our experience and our circles of influence.

Crucial Community Marketing Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:56:00 +0000

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend training for a new voluntary post to get people talking about the big 'C'. Three experts in bowel, breast and lung cancer shared with us the surprising news that if diagnosed early, 8 out of 10 people survive bowel cancer and 9 out of 10 people survive breast cancer. Critical to an early diagnosis is ensuring that people recognise the symptoms and act swiftly by going to their GP. My role as a volunteer will involve meeting with community groups to share information on the symptoms. Perhaps our most important community marketing campaign yet...If you know of a Staffordshire based group aged 40+ who would be willing to listen to a ten minute chat, do get in touch. If you're further afield, please check out the website and familiarise yourself with the symptoms.

We don't need no education...

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Visiting the BETT Education show brought it home to me how powerful a teaching tool technology can be. This amazing show covering two floors at Kensington Olympia was buzzing last week with thousands of teachers and other education professionals.

From huge interactive whiteboards to large flatscreen touch sensitive monitors through to tablets and laptops, exhibitors were all extolling the benefits of their hardware and software. But what shone through most was their enthusiasm for using technology to bring subjects to life for students and school children. There was even a musician on one stand creating the sounds of a rock band using just three iPads. Hey, teachers! Leave those kids alone (to experiment with new technology)...

What's needed for marketing success in 2012 - an approach by Dave Chaffey

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 10:32:00 +0000

Dave Chaffey has posted on his site - Smart Insights - a series of 'Quick Guides' for success in marketing which I'd wholly recommend.

Dave is a a bestselling author, consultant and speaker who enjoys sharing tips, tools and techniques on all things digital. He was my tutor when I studied for the IDM's Diploma in Digital Marketing and happens to be based down the road from us in Derby. He's also spoken at our DMA North's annual conference on digital trends. His series of quick guides cover the following which he presents as 10 key factors for marketing success in 2012:

1. Digital marketing is Marketing
2. You need a strategy
3. Measurement and optimization are your foundation
4. Joined-up, customer-centred marketing is essential
5. Keep communications human
6. Be agile
7. Inbound marketing trumps outbound marketing
8. Engagement is the real challenge
9. Think global, act local
10. Markets are conversations

Helping to change the image of construction

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:48:00 +0000

Here's a short video we helped produce to promote construction as a real choice for young people considering their career choices.

Yes Agency wins place on new Department of Education framework

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:20:00 +0000

We're pleased to announce that the agency has won a coveted place on a new framework to supply design and branding services to the Department of Education.

This creative and media services contract is in fact open to all government departments and the wider public sector. It's being managed by Creative Choice - a Community Interest Company - who will procure a range of marketing services including strategic communications, design and direct marketing from this agency along with several other communication agencies regionally and nationally.

We've developed strong expertise particularly in education and training and are delighted to be part of this new government initiative. As this framework is open to wider government departments as well as non-departmental public bodies we're excited about the new opportunities this appointment will bring.

In memory of a dear friend and colleague - Kevin McCabe

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:58:00 +0000

This Christmas we're raising funds for St Giles Hospice in memory of our friend and colleague – Kevin McCabe – who died this summer after a long battle with cancer. Kevin was a rare creative talent who worked with us for over 10 years and who inspired us with his humour and optimism. St Giles Hospice, who provide specialist nursing care for those with cancer, cared for Kevin.As they rely almost entirely on public donations for their funding, we wanted to support them this Christmas.

To find out more about fundraising on eBay and to see what we’ve got listed click here. Please bid for anything that takes your fancy and if you’ve got something to donate send it to us and we’ll list it on your behalf.

Communities for Justice

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 12:16:00 +0000

Earlier this year I trained as a Restorative Justice practitioner. Restorative justice is a fantastic concept which allows victims of crime to sit down with the perpetrators to agree on a way of putting right the wrong. Some of my colleagues have already been involved in local projects where young people have worked hard to put something back into their community to make up for crimes such as graffiti or vandalism. It's a great way to show people the consequences of their actions, as well as helping the victims of crime to feel that they have been listened to, and that the perpetrator has gone some way to make amends. Watch this space for more news!

Putting Rising Talent to the Test

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:33:00 +0000

I had an interesting day yesterday doing mock-up interviews with the Staffs Uni Advertising and Brand Management students. There were some real shining stars and some real talent that just needs some fine tuning. What's interesting about the course is that it replicates the real agency environment, giving students an understanding of the fully integrated agency process, often working on live briefs. A competitive advantage for the students and a real benefit for employers...

Investing in our people pays dividends

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Last week the team were interviewed by our Investors in People accreditor in the final part of our reassessment for the Investors standard.

We've been accredited as an Investor in People since 2004 and were pleased that not only do we meet the standard but have now been awarded the higher bronze marque. For this agency the Investors marque is simply a away of confirming that the way we treat staff and communicate internally exceeds best practice standards.It also sends a strong signal to those we recruit that we always look to get the best from people. Congrats to all!

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:36:00 +0000

We all take our responsibilities to the environment seriously. Yet as an industry we make a significant contribution to waste going to landfill and to carbon emissions. Our trade association - the DMA - has now made a voluntary agreement with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to reduce the amount of unwanted advertising material produced and to cut waste through greater recycling.

The key objectives set out in the voluntary agreement are that by y 2014 the direct marketing industry will have to achieve a 25% increase on the industry’s current use of suppression files, launch an ‘all-in-one’ consumer preference service for unaddressed mail, maintain public awareness of the consumer preference services and retain established direct mail recycling rates.

This is significant not only because we now have set targets for reducing waste but also makes it shows that self-regulation can indeed work.

Football manager Ian Holloway wins a PR Week award

noreply@blogger.com (David Patrick) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:15:00 +0000

Ex-labour spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, presented the PR Week awards last night the first of which went to Blackpool FC manager Ian Holloway who received one of the loudest cheers of the night.

Campbell wrote on is blog: "Some of the judges were worried that their peers would not quite understand why football manager Ian Holloway was being so honoured – indeed Mr Holloway himself felt the same – but their concerns were misplaced, even before the video highlights of his best outbursts were shown.

Over dinner the Blackpool manager who brought a breath of fresh air to the Premier League and whose after match interviews became must viewing for football fans and comms students alike, gave me his version of how he developed his own unique brand of interview style. He credited two life changing events, both of which required him to make huge changes in attitude and lifestyle. The first was his wife’s cancer. The second was the discovery that due to a genetic condition, his three daughters were all born profoundly deaf. The first of these taught him the value of life, the second the importance of clarity in communication. Holloway’s appeal is that in a world fed up with pre-packaged everything, he says what he thinks, and thereby passes the number one rule of communication -authenticity."

Take a look at this compilation of interview snippets and see if you agree.

More DMA Insights

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda McDonald) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:29:00 +0000

Today's updates from the DMA conference are all top tips. All of the organisations represented at the event are responsible for successful marketing campaigns via a number of different channels. Here are some of their secrets of success:

1. Aviva - anchor your marketing in a single strategic platform. Theirs is - 'one satisfied customer after another'
2. Synapse - align your social media marketing with your KPIs and constantly measure it
3. Wunderman - assign the right people to the job - 'the people who can make it possible are different to the people who can make it happen'
4. ITV - content needs to live and breathe across all of your different platforms
5. Latitude - photos and prices in your Sitelinks will help drive conversion

More top tips to follow...