Archive for August, 2009

Golden databases

Monday, August 31st, 2009

People keep mentioning Obama’s online campaign to get elected and how all the bells and whistles changed history but if you look at it, it really was nothing more than a well structured database that had great data in it. Obama’s campaign sucked volunteered data in and then used it. What many political campaigns fail to do is either get good initial data or they do nothing after storing it, they let it stagnate. Obama was all about actions and asks once he had the data. Asking for 10 dollars, knowing where you are and asking you to come to a local event etc.

In the good times, there was plenty of money being spent by companies on outside resources: Fixed assets, consultancies, marketing, PR, training and all the rest. Now that’s drying up or has dried up. So many companies that were in the service industries can’t get work now. Many freak out about this but from experience I find that companies need to change slightly and they can get work from the same client, just not the same work. Companies are latching on to what their core products/services are and not altering them or changing them completely. They should. While most companies are being put under extreme pressure to not spend at all, they also know that they need to invest in areas where there is not going to be spend on external resources. So if they take marketing or PR in-house, you can be sure that they’ll want training to make sure they can do the best job. What PR or Marketing firms are giving traiing in 2009? If there is no money to be spent on training areas they normally spent on, you can be sure that they’ll want training on being more cost-efficient. If they no longer buy your physical product, you can be sure they will still invest in other areas.

Strips of gold
Photo owned by LaPrimaDonna (Seeking inspiration) (cc)

And my point? Most companies have massive databases of customer details that are sitting there, gathering dust. Why not work on those databases and poll your customers on how they’re getting on in 2009 and what their most pressing needs are? See can you be of help instead of trying to flog something they just don’t need/can’t afford right now. While your exact service might not be needed, the company under pressure in 2009 might need help elsewhere. Trying to sell sun cream when it rains won’t work but if rain is unusual a lot of people will need umbrellas since they wouldn’t have had them up to this point. Find out the needs and then partner if you can’t directly provide that product. It’s outside of the comfortable parameters of many companies which isn’t such a bad thing.

If you’re just starting out and think you have great product you can team up with a company or organisation that has a golden database. When the goings were good and companies spent everywhere, these databases were bursting. Contact the company and confidently pitch your product in the form of a partnership. There is no greater time to get the attention of a potential partner. Everyone listens in 2009. Remember though that Data Protection Laws apply but more importantly not being a spammer applies. Before you ever contact those in the database with an offfer, understand their needs. Done wrong you lose people in the database and anger them, done right you make existing customers happy and better off.

Nostalgia video:

Fluffy Links – Monday August 31st 2009

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Bring the Beerage. Septemberfest is ready to roll in Dublin.

Irish Blood Transfusion Service sponsors an Irish Horror/Gorefest.

New blog: Captain Shirty.

I do not live in a 7ft high Castle.

50 signed up sof ar but more judges are needed for the Web Awards.

Inbox zero? Getting Things Done? How are you managing your time? Is it just a reactionary workflow? Who’s the boss?

So it’s not just about getting those 15 minutes of fame, but monetizing them says YouTube/Google.

Looking forward to the new Facebook Ad manager.

Great post with examples on how to fix your bounce rate.

Via Thrillpier: Radiohead: “These Are My Twisted Words”

Judge Mental

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

Want to be a Web Awards judge? Apply. No need to sing a song.

Ah Kerry

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

The next big sport from the Kingdom:

Fluffy Links – Friday August 28th 2009

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Happy birthday to the boy.

A few more hours and then nominations close for the Realex Payments Web Awards. Nominate.

On that, quite delighted that all but two sponsorship slots are now filled.

Radio Caroline, the famous pirate station of the North Sea, returns to it’s one-time home, the MV Ross Revenge, for a very special weekend of broadcasting.

Name the table, win the table. This is quite meta.

Blas na hEireann Food Awards are back again.

Recruitment company treating people like shit. A reaction. DIGG it if you wish.

Via Darragh: How Playhouse looked the other night. Was at the launch, this is such a genius idea, love the mix of tech and using the city as a canvas:

Via Nialler, a fairly impressive video:

Actions through words – PR and Marketing peeps helping small business

Friday, August 28th, 2009

All aboard. Brand Ireland suggested the below, I’m game:

the coming together (solidarity) of a range of professionals in the areas of Marketing & PR to offer some free expertise to small businesses or a chosen business in an effort ‘revoluntionise’ their brand and create some buzz for their business. This grouping could act as a full service agency for the chosen brand for an agreed period of time in an effort to bring the business or brand to the next level and then hand back the reins. Obviously to be done in ones own spare time

Anyone else want to chip in? Leave a comment over on their blog.

BaNAMA Republic

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

via The Pin:

Video about NAMA and a call to arms

Get in – 09 Realex Web Awards – Few more days to nominate

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Go on, get nominating. Reward the websites in Ireland that you love. Nice to see most sponsorship slots are nowt full. One or two spaces left though if you think a company is interested.

Fluffy Links – Tuesday August 25th 2009

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

If you’re into any kind of dev, then Alexia’s guide to writing a test plan is a must-read.

Well done Kieran, Seán and all at Murphy’s Ice Cream for winning Artisan Producer of the Year.

Best in Season Recipe Competition.

Got a smartphone? Take a phone survey, win some nice stuff.

Some Blind Alleys are running a writing competition.

Bill Clinton at the Netroots event.

There’s a Museum of Brands in London. I’m so there.

The possibilities with the iPhone are not endless but close. Measuring a room using sound from the iPhone with Sonar App.

Lenovo doing nicely discounted laptops for NUI Galway engineering students.

Via Alesh: Total Eclipse of the Heart using whitelabel goods.

Fluffy Links – Monday August 24th 2009

Monday, August 24th, 2009

“I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it.”

The next Dublin Twookclub is on Tuesday.

Hope this is useful: Some Online PR experiences: Running Company meets Bloggers type events.

5 euro .ie domain namesex VAT from Blacknight.

Congrats to those who won a stay in the Montenotte Hotel as part of the next photowalk in Cork.

Waterford based SellMix are giving free ad space to people who read this blog. Quote the code: mulley

New blog: (at least to me) Why Me?

The 99 Percent Conference now have a detailed website with loads of videos inc Seth Godin.

Simple idea. StyleRays. Take pic, upload, tag the clothes in it with links to where you can buy.

Booking a hotel with Hotwire? These forums are very handy.

Lego are being a bit stupid of late.

Nice twist. IDon’tGoToCollege College style wares

Via MetaFilter, James Cameron’s student film Xenogenesis

Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains – A Take Away Show
(looking forward to their show in Dublin soon)