Illegal Immigration - Campaign attracts criticism.

Was reading an article on Marketing Week and this was very interesting given the latest news about the issue of illegal immigration in Malta.

The British Home Office came under attack from the ad watchdog in an outdoor campaign that it  recently launched ordering illegal immigrants to “go home or face arrest”. The watch dog received about 60 complaints about the campaign and those complaining have reported the campaign as being “offensive” and “irresponsible”. These comments were especially targetted towards the use of the word "Go Home"  which is one of the words used normally by anti immigration groups and racist  groups to attack immigrants. This could also incite or exacerbate racial hatred and tensions in multicultural communities.” The vans were driven in the areas of Hounslow and Brent.

The campaign features a vans driving around London carrying posters featuring handcuffs next to text ’In the UK illegally. Go home or face arrest” (image of van above). It features the number of arrests made in the area the van drives around.

How would other nations react if such a campaign was launched in their country?

Billboard Goes Live!

I came across this video about a billboard in Milan and I couldn't not write about it!

Basically how do you think would be the best was to promote a new insect repellent spray through a billboard? You might have a number of ideas but Publicis, together with Orphea (the brand of the spray) came up with a great idea!

They just turned the billboard into an insect trap and over a number of days the image of the spray was developing as it trapped more insects. It actually managed to catch more than 200,000 mosquitoes.

Although almost certainly motorists will not have the time to notice difference in the billboard or think what's happening, it got people talking and like in other similar cases, great ideas go viral! The press coverage that the billboard has attracted more than compensate for it's costs....it is obvious that the billboard has extended its reach far beyond those passers-by able to view it in person.

The only unlucky guys, apart from the insects themselves (obviously) were the workers who had the job of replacing the billboard poster...surely not the most pleasant of jobs.

Have a look at the video and let us know what you think:-

Retail Giant H&M Sees a Big Market in India, Seeks Nod for 'Own' Co

Swedish fast-fashion retail giant Hennes and Mauritz, or H&M, has sought permission from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board of India to invest approx Euro 100 Million in the country to start a fully-owned company that will open 50 H&M stores. Faced with stagnating or slowing sales in key European and US markets, the world's second-largets apparel retailer by sales, has been eyeing emerging economies, including India, for a while.

If the proposal is approved, India will be the 50th market for H&M that had sales of $18 billion in 2012 from its over 2,800 stores globally.

The retail giant plans to fulfil all conditions of the country's single-brand retail policy that includes sourcing locally 30% of the total value of the goods purchased. It also assured it will not retail goods using the e-commerce platform. During his visit in February, while meeting commerce and industry minister of India, H&M chief executive labelled India as a "very interesting" market.

It's a huge market.  We are not there yet. More than a billion people live in India and in Sweden we are only 9 million but we have 150 stores (in Sweden), the H&M CEO said.

H&M will engage in import, export, marketing, distribution, warehousing, manufacture, production  and retail trade of products carrying the H&M brand. If its application is approved, it will sell 10 categories of products  in India such as clothes, footwear, cosmetics, handbags and fashion accessories, bome furnishing, home decoration, toys, kitchen utensils and cutlery among others.

In India, H&M's biggest rival and world leader in sales, Zara achieved break-even within the first year of this launch and has annual sales of INR 260 crore from nine stores. Several other brands such as Levi's haven't been so lucky and are still reeling under losses despite their decade old presence. 

Experts feel that H&M's global model is very similar to Zara-that of quickly duplicating and replicating fast fashion-a key reason why even the Swedish brand should click  with the Indian consumers.

H&M's caters to the mid-premium apparel segment which is one of the fastest growing categories even with a  high base. H&M's global supply chain model is amenable to the Indian context from shorter cycle replenishment and local sourcing. H&M follows in the footsteps of its Scandinavian peer, IKEA, which is currently waiting for the final approval to open 25 stores with an investment of INR 10,500 crore.

After six years of restricting foreign ownership in single-brand retail companies to 51%, India removed this sectoral cap in January and allowed global brands such as IKEA and Zara, which sell a variety of products under a single label to set up fully-owned companies in India. The original policy change came with a requirement of 30% local sourcing, but the government diluted that condition after overseas firms said it was not feasible.

More than one dozen single brand retailers are said to be sizing up the Indian market for entry, many of them in various stages of researching, partner scouting or filing for government approvals. Some of these are direct rivals of H&M including the largest casual wear retailer in the United States, Gap Inc, French apparel retailer Celio and Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo.

Source: The Economic Times | New Delhi | FRIDAY | 19 APRIL 2013

Long, Turbulent Flight Ahead for AirAsia in India

AirAsia could face a host of bureaucratic obstables to its flying plans in India as a miffed civil aviation ministry may cite the airline's losses on South-east Asian routes and lack of airport in India to delay or even deny key permissions.

Some of the country's leading airlines have also indicated their opposition to AirAisa's aircraft purchase programme, saying they could lobby with the ministry  to scuttle the purchases if they are large in number.

AirAsia, the hugely successful low-fare airlines promoted by Malaysian billionaire tony Fernandes, needs a raft of clearances from the governemnet,including a flying licence or  what is called in industry parlance an 'air operating permit'. It also needs basic infrastructure at airports, including parking bays, landing slots etc. and a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the ministry.

Last month, the airline formed a JV with the Tata Group and relatives of steel baron LN Mittal to launch a new budget airline in India's already crowded aviation market. The JV, where AirAsia will hold 49% received clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board despite opposition from the Indian aviation ministry.

Aviation ministry officials, already upset over the way AirAsia entered the country through a joint venture with the Tatas, may ask tough questions and cite external facctors such as the parent's performance in other coutnr, people close to the situation said.

The airline first needs an NOC from the civil aviation ministry before it can apply for an air oprating permit, a ministry official could arise as one of the key conditions necessary for the grant of an NOC is the health of the industry and its key players.

Source: The Economic Times | Friday 08th  March 2013

What's in a brand?

What do Apple, IBM and Google have in common? They are all super brands, with a hefty $100,000 million price tag attached to the value of their brand alone (WPP, 2012).

What's in a brand? 

Within this blog, we've always tackled news relating to different brands, however it would be good to start off by understanding what actually makes a brand, and why branding is so important.

A brand can relate to any distinguishing name or symbol, such as a logo, sign, design that can identify one company, or it's products or services, from competitors. A brand also involves the image or association that comes to mind when consumers think about a particular company, product or service. Factors such as product quality, customer service and pricing will also have an impact on the brand - in fact, according to Amir Kassaei, a brand is 'the sum of all the experiences you have with a company'.

For example, when you think of McDonalds's you think about fast service, consistent food taste and quality; Kleenex is associated with a cleaning tissue that is soft yet strong.

Why is branding so important to overall business strategy?

1. Recognition

One of the key benefits of branding is that customers find it much easier to remember about a particular company. The brand in this case acts as a convenient reminder of reputation and good will. When a brand is easily recognisable, customers won't refer to 'that whatsitsname shop' or 'that consultant I met at the conference last week'.

To build recognition, a company needs to focus on unique identifiers and work hard to associate these with the company name in the minds of the public. Some examples include offering unrivalled customer service or using an unusual or eye catching colour combination (such as DHL).

2. Loyalty

Once people start building a positive experience with a recognisable brand, they are more likely to continue purchasing that product or service in future. The aim should be to build such a close bond with customers that they do not only repurchase, but they also up-sell and cross-sell to buy related items of the same brand, recommend the brand to their friends and stay away from competitors' offers. 

A strong brand identity helps to create and embed such loyalty - an example that comes to mind relates to the supposedly millions of people who have the 'Harley-Davidson' brand tattooed on their body. In some cases, customer loyalty to a brand can be so strong, that even the slightest change can have a significant impact on the way the brand is perceived. For example, when Coca-Cola decided to launch New Coke in 1985, the outrage and negative reaction that ensued by the public were so strong that Coca Cola had to retrace it's decision and go back to the 'old Coke'.

3. Price Premium

Nowadays, when competition can be extremely harsh, there can only be a few companies within a particular market that are known as the cheapest. All other market players, will need to identify ways of differentiating themselves from the rest of the market. 

A strong brand will help to achieve this - and will do so in such a way as to encourage customers to pay for the intangible benefits that they get by associating themselves with that specific brand. This might be because it makes them feel cool, clever, younger or more fashionable. Think of some people's willingness to fork out significantly more for a well branded pair of sunglasses (such as Gucci), versus an alternative unbranded pair. 

But how do you go about building a successful brand? We'll tackle this topic in our next article.

A Brandless Shopping Experience

"As we become increasingly bombarded with information and stimulation, the world is becoming a noisier place." (Selfridges & Co)From a shopping point of view, I'm sure that many can identify with this. We are constantly being targeted by  different advertising offers, discounts and bargains. The shopping experience on its own can sometimes be a noisy, stressful nightmare.When Selfridges first opened 104 years ago, Harry Gordon Selfridge launched the Silence Room where busy shoppers could easily "retire from the whirl of bargains and the build up of energy". Selfridges have now brought this back as part of their No Noise initiative.

The new Silence Room has an insulated inner-sanctum, that is shielded from the noise and human traffic of the store. The initiative also includes The Quiet Shop, where interestingly, some of the world's most recognisable brands have taken the symbolic step of removing their logos - including Levi's, Marmite, Heinz and Clinique.

And if this is not enough, Selfridges have partnered with Headspace, the modern meditation experts so that through guided meditation they can deliver peace and quiet while shopping.

What do you think of this initiative? Even though it's an attempt to de-brand, there will undoubtedly be many consumers who will clamour to get hold of these special editions of favourite brand names before they are possibly discontinued!

Italian Brands Begin Partner Hunt In India

A clutch of Italian fashion brands is gearing up to enter India, in the latest thrust by high-end merchandise makers wanting to tap new money in a country where luxury retail is showing signs of a pick-up.

Fashion houses Moschino and Alberta Ferretti, Pollini, Gattinoni, Byblos and Scorpion Bay have signed up their entry strategy and partner search operations. Joining these brands are Brunello Cucinelli and Sergio Rossi who are also in talks for a partnership in the country.

India's luxury market is expected to touch $14.73 billion by 2015, according to industry estimates, from an estimated $8.21 billion this year. Analysts attribute it to the expanding class of high net-worth individuals in the country.

India is aleady playing host to sevelral foreign fashion brands, including Italy's Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Tod's and Boggi Milano, which sell their products through local partnerships.

Not all partnerships, however, have fared well, making potential entrants doublethink their India plan. Iconic Italian brand Prada is yet to enter the country, for instance.

India recently allowed 100% FDI in single-brand retail and 51% in multi-brand retail, but with a rider that 30% of sourcing should be done locally.

Despite the easing, luxury brands still prefer partnerships, as operations are easier through such arrangements.

Source: The Economic Times | Business of Brands | February 2013 | New Delhi | India

Breaking News: Blockbuster calls in administrators

No even the time to publish the post related to HMV yesterday and today there is yet another announcement. Yet again the latest high street casualty is related to the same trend in customer movie consumption and the shift towards online consumption.

This time the big name is Blockbuster UK.  The chain has been in trouble these last few years with more people switching to only movie consumption and the credit crunch, however the chain still had 528 stores and employs 4,190 staff.

 Blockbuster UK’s announcement comes just after the announcement of HMV which also fell into administration and Jessops which closed doors just last week.

As usual administrators will try to get the most of out the business and try to secure the jobs were possible and pay off as much of the creditor balances as possible.

Breaking News: HMV closing down

HMV is the latest casualty in this crisis and the biggest since Woolworths closed its doors. The demise of HMV although it has been probably helped by the current crises can be linked to a number of other reasons.

Basically the chain has been very slow to react to changes in customer wants. Less people were demanding physical copies of cds and dvd. In todays digital era, people are choosing to download music and movies so the brick and mortar formula was out dated.

Another issue that affected HMV might have been the lack of direction. It is very difficult and time consuming to change the product focus of a successful store and HMV has just run out of time. There could have been a number of other opportunities which HMV could have worked on, including partnering with famous artists and produce clothing wear, become sole retailer of a number of upcoming gadgets etc. However this could now be history. 

All this things have led the 92-year-old music store to become the latest high street casualty. Unfortunately as in other cases, those most hit are it's own employees (4,350 jobs are at risk if the chain closes) and it's smaller share holders who saw their share price drop from 274p in 2005 to less than 2p yesterday.
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This puts more pressure on the economy as these lost jobs are added up to the jobs lost in the recent collapses of camera trader Jessops and electrical retailer Comet that together cost more than 8,000 jobs. 

According to different sources, the appointed administrators will keep the profitable “core” of stores operating. However, bad news might be on it's way for customers who have bought gift cards or have received them this Christmas as it is understood that HMV has emailed all stores telling staff not to accept gift cards.

The 4-fingered chocolate battle

Have you ever thought about KitKat's shape in the form of 4 fingers and how that came about? Nestle, which owns Kitkat, has just won a trademark battle against Cadbury in a European-wide ruling re-instating that the four-fingered and three-dimensional shape of the KitKat is exclusive to Nestle. What this effectively means is that no confectionery manufacturer can produce and sell chocolates in the form of the KitKat's 'four-fingers'.

The original KitKat manufacturer, Rowntree in Yorkshire, launched KitKat in the 1930s after an employee's recommendation that the company should produce "a chocolate bar that a man could take to work in his pack up". The result was the four-finger chocolate bar as we know it today. It was an immediate success and was then rolled out all across the UK.

Much later, in 2006, Nestle registered the shape of the KitKat as a trademark, but rival Cadbury then won an appeal that invalidated the registration. Now Nestle has emerged again as the winner. 

While many seem to have had similar foresight and registered their shapes, imagery, colour etc as unique trademarks, e.g. Ferrero Rocher's golden paper-wrapped chocolates and Hershey's kisses, significant fortunes must have been lost by failing to register trademarks on time, such as the recent case of the chocolate Easter Bunny.

One could argue that because we now live in a time where image is everything and anything can set a company apart from its competitors, such rulings would enable companies to protect their competitive advantage. Do you agree with this ruling? Can it lead to anti-competitiveness?

Some of the best commercials of 2012

We thought it would be good to close off the year showcasing what were in our opinion some of the best commercials we’ve come across during 2012.

1.   John Lewis – The Journey

A heartwarming ad that features a snowman embarking on an arduous quest to buy a present for a special someone, who is only revealed at the very end of the commercial.

2.   P&G - Best Job

This ad promotes P&G’s Olympics sponsorship, and celebrates the role that mums play in raising Olympians. The commercial has been very well received and has won a commercial Emmy Award.

3.   The Guardian - Three Little Pigs

An ingenious and well produced commercial, where the Three Little Pigs tale is rehashed having the pigs burning the wolf alive. The Guardian is there to cover the rest of the story is at unfolds. The ad won multiple Cannes Lion awards.

4.   Chrysler - Halftime in America

Starring Clint Eastwood, this inspirational commercial is about rallying Americans to work together to rebound from a tough ‘first half’. Despite being one of the adverts that stood out most in this year’s Super Bowl, it has drawn political criticism as it was seen to be an endorsement of the Obama administrations’ bailout of Chrysler and General Motors in 2009.

5.   Nike – Find Your Greatness (Jogger)

Although Nike wasn't an Olympic sponsor, it successfully ambushed the Olympic games this year with this brilliant yet simple commercial. The commercial was filmed in a single, unedited take and features an unknown, overweight teenager as he shuffles uncomfortably down a lonely road. Even though obviously struggling, he never gives up.

6.   British Airways - London 2012

In a tongue in cheek ad where a 65-metre wide Boeing 777 is seen motoring around London, we see BA telling it’s potential customers to stay at home and support team GB instead of flying.

7.   VWPolo – Dad

An emotional commercial, which opens with a couple bringing a newborn baby girl home and follows the development of the father’s relationship with his growing daughter. The commercial ends with the father giving his daughter a VW Polo when she leaves home heading off for university.

8.   NSPCC - Sh*t Kids Say

A heart-breaking campaign launched by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), that urges the public to trust their instincts and report anything that seems suspicious.

9.   Adidas – Take the Stage

A simple yet striking commercial focusing on top British athletes and the challenges of competing at the highest level on a global stage.

10. Audi – Vampire Party

Piggybacking on the latest trends relating to vampires, here we have a large group of young vampires being accidentally burnt by the LED headlights of an Audi S7.

What do you think of these commercials? Are there any others that you would add to the list?

New Anti Smoking Campaign launched today in the UK

Following Australia's world-first laws on cigarette and tobacco plain packaging, other countries could start becoming more aggressive in targeting tobacco company products with new legislation and publicity campaigns.

The UK could be the first to move as the department of health is set to invest £2.7 million in an integrated marketing campaign that will focus mainly on online and outdoor advertising. The ads being created are an attempt to “shock” smokers into quitting, the Dare-created spot explains that smoking 15 cigarettes could cause a mutation that leads to cancerous tumours.

This shock campaign is aimed at the generation of smokers that have not been exposed to hard-hitting campaigns but have grown up in an environment less accepting of smoking as a result of the 2007 smoking ban in public places and last year’s display ban in supermarkets. Although not as aggressive as the Australian approach (where all cigarette companies have been forced to replace their traditional packaging for uniform packaging with a generic drab olive green covering, gruesome pictures of diseased body parts and depictions of children and babies made ill by their parents' smoking), the campaign should be a very bold one both in terms of the message and the visuals used. (view video about Australian action below - WARNING: The Advert contains strong images)

In fact the campaign has been handed an “ex-kids” rating, which means it cannot be shown during children’s programming but could still be seen by children watching television with their parents and hence a number of complaints are expected to be received by the  Advertising Standards Authority from adults claiming the spot is upsetting to children.

The campaign launches today (28 December) and will run until mid-February. View the advert in the video below. (WARNING: The Advert contains strong images)

Brands adopting games as a mean of increasing recall

Specsavers' "angry chef" online game will be accompanied by an MSN homepage takeover on 12 March. It will subsequently be available to play via Specsavers' Facebook page.
The game, created by the brand's in-house advertising department Specsavers Creative, features a man who mistakes a kitchen for a sauna and is chased through a hotel by an angry chef.

Graham Daldry, creative director at Specsavers Creative, said: "Gamification gives our memorable TV commercials life beyond the TV screen while providing an entertaining and highly effective way for consumers to engage with our popular advertising."
The MSN takeover will see the homepage covered in steam as a man in a towel walks across the screen, with the steam then clearing to reveal the "naked hero" with only a "call to action" button covering his modesty.
Viewers can click on the button to play the "sauna" TV ad and launch the "angry chef" game.
During the game players have to jump over obstacles, pick up items and avoid food being thrown at them by the angry chef as they try to reach the safety of the sauna.

Specsavers will seek to encourage competition by allowing Facebook users to share their score with friends.
Follow Matthew Chapman at @mattchapmanUK

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk

More High Street Stores Go Under

2011 has seen a number of high street brands go under and the end of 2011 has not spared surprises...Deloitte, administrators at Barratts Priceless said they had failed to find a buyer for the shoe chain's concessions business.

In a statement, Deloitte said that regretfully they have to make approximately 1,610 full and part-time employees redundant, given that they didn't manage to find an appropriate buyer.

Barratts, which is the second time that has called in the administrators in the past two years, ran almost 400 concessions in large stores, mostly Dorothy Perkins. It is hoped a buyer will still be found for the shoe firm's 191 shops.

The blow came as bosses at retro-gifts chain Past Times said it was going bust.

Barratts was not the only store which went into administration, toy store Hawkin's Bazaar confirmed it had also appointed administrators. The Sun, has also reported that experts are also fearing that lingerie chain La Senza, which has 2,600 staff, will go bust within days.

Such events risk putting more pressure on the economy as almost 4,000 full-time and temp jobs could be lost with all these closures.

The high street has been badly affected this year by Internet shopping and a squeeze on spending, as more and more people become price consious and start looking out for bargains. Big names including TJ Hughes, Jane Norman, Alexon, Habitat and Focus DIY have all collapsed.

Is the retail world as we know it changing to a more price conscious model?

The Mobile platform war...Android still Leader

Kantar Worldpanel has issued the latest figures of smartphone market share. Surprisingly enough Apple has seen mixed results.

While Apple has increased its share of the UK smartphone market it saw a decrease in its Smartphone market share elsewhere in Europe.

According to the published results, in the UK Apple’s market share grew to 31% in the 12 weeks to 30 November, up from 21% the previous year. This increase was partially attributed to the release of the latest member of the iPhone range...the iPhone 4S. Accordingly, Apple also made gains in the US and Australia.

While Apple grew sales in the UK, the picture was the opposite elsewhere in Europe. In France for example, Apple's market share dropped to 20% from 29% the year earlier, while in both Germany and Italy, its share fell from 27% to 22%.

On the other hand, Android continues to be the smartphone market leader in every territory included in the study, commanding a 47% share of the UK market, up from 35% the previous year, while one in two (53%) smartphones sold in the US run the Google-owned operating system.

BlackBerry, which faced a number of service issues this year, saw its market share slide to 17% in UK compared to 22% the previous year.

The Windows Phone has reported only round 1% market share. This share is expected to increase with the launch of the first Nokia Windows phone (Lumia) although sales of this model have yet to peak.

What do you think about the future of Mobile Phones platforms?

Samsung set to Challenge iPad - New Tablet Unveiled

Samsung has decided to go head to head with Apple. After launching it's own smart phone to rival the iPhone, now Samsung has developed it's own iPad which it promises to be a better option. The new device was unveiled at the IFA consumer electronics unlimited show in Berlin. Rumors have it that the new table will go for sale at as low as half the price of the iPad. Apple sells the iPad starting at £429. Data plans are then sold separately by mobile companies, including O2.

Image: Ipad on the left and the Samsung Tablet on the right

The Galaxy Tab, as Samsung has named it, has a seven-inch screen, making it smaller than the iPad. It runs on Google’s Android operating system, for which there are thousands of apps available, and can be used either with a wifi connection or on 3G, as long as the user has access to some sort of data plan.

Unlike the iPad, Samsung’s device is able to load web pages built using Flash. It also has a camera on the front and back, a feature not included on current models of iPad.

Moreover, users can continuously communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or social network with the optimised user interface.

Reports say that it could go on sale for as little as £200, although the company has not confirmed the pricing or the exact launch date. Samsung is only one of a number of tech companies that is entering the tablet computing market. Amongs other rivals are Binatone who revealed their model earlier this week (which however does not have 3G capability) and BlackBerry and Lenovo, who are set to unveil their option later on this year.

Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone has been a hit with consumers and reviewers. It has been promoted in a wide-ranging ad campaign, including television, outdoor and online.

Is social media still an option for businesses?

Today I'n not writing an article as I'll let the video below do the job...

Do you think that Social Media is an option for Businesses today? Well think about the internet, do you think business have an option whether to have a presence there? The same can be said for social media...the number of users there is not small at all, so it might be worth a try.

Have a look at this video and then let me know what you think...



For those who cannot access Youtube, you can access the video from the following free proxy site:- www.myprxy.com

Is your website customer focused?

Recently I finished working on a couple of website and while analysing the different competitor website before undertaking each and every job, I noticed a stunning fact...some companies still haven't realised that the world does not revolve around them! Some sites are simply egocentric - they are more interested in telling people what they do, who their people are, what achievements they made etc etc, rather then serving their customer needs..i.e. solving customer problems.

The fact is that it is already difficult to attract visitors to your site, and probably when you do manage to attract them the average visitor has an attention span measured in seconds, and he scans the web instead of reading every word. Hence an egocentric website simply turns people off.

A well thought website on the other hand, doesn’t leave a visitor stranded, searching for the customer benefits of the company’s products or services. It is customer driven, provides clear benefit statements and is designed using an outside in perspective. Just think of the reasons your visitors go to your website and your goal should be to help them achieve their goal as effortlessly as possible.

Let's take a fictitious example to illustrate this:

We’re visiting a florist website. Their target market? Flower buyers for special occasions.

The homepage leads off with:

"Since 1975, ABC Florist has delivered flowers to more than 500,000 persons worldwide. What distinguishes us from competition? State-of-the-art technology – including the latest in flower growth and monitoring devices – along with six sigma processes to ensure the highest quality."

How does this sound to you? Where do you, as a customer fit in?

While prospects and customers care a lot about the companies they deal with, they care first and foremost about their own needs. In this instance: “How will ABC Florist help me?”

Here’s another version of the homepage into:

“Whether you are looking for Red, Blue, White or any other color matched flowers, there no need to look further as no other company offers a wider selection, faster delivery or more customer-friendly service than ABC Florist.

Independent surveys show that ABC Florist is the most reliable when it comes to product delivery and we're working to continue improving...

ABC Florists stands for Great selection, Fast delivery, Friendly service...there's no other match.

This time, the homepage speaks to customer and how the company can help them. In this case I still refered to the fact that ABC Florist has the best delivery and the widest variety, but I did so in the terms of the benefits this will bring to the customer...Best selection gives the user more choice and best delivery ensures that the flowers arrive fresh and when the customer needs them.

This is simple marketing...you identify the customer needs and provide a product or service that meets that need...In this case the website in an extension of the company products and hence must make sure that this too meet customer needs.

Tesco launches new initiative

In the race to keep its market share, Tesco is constantly trying to find new ways how to increase sales. The the initiative that the retailer unveiled will allow customers to order groceries online then pick them up without having to leave their cars...they just drive through give their name and order number and will be able to pick up the groceries.

The trial is to launch at the Tesco Extra store in Baldock, Hertfordshire, and will be promoted with leaflets distributed in-store and via online deliveries locally. Tesco hopes that this initiative will boost its online shopping, which to date generates sales of about £2.1bn and profits of £136m. This service, if it picks up, will also decrease the delivery costs and increase the potential profits of this service.

Who is expected to use this service mostly? The supermarket expects the service to be used by busy mothers, as well as young professionals who cannot commit to waiting at home for delivery. The need flexibility but at the same time cannot afford the time to shop instore. Customers will be able to order their shopping via Tesco.com, choose the 'click and collect' option and book a two-hour collection slot.

Unfortunately the service is not provided free of charge, which might affect the success of the project. A flat fee of £2 will be added to the bill. However the £2 could still be worth it for time pressed people.

Will people be willing to pay for online access to newspapers?

Does it pay to offer news services online for a charge? This question has been asked by most of the newspapers that offer free content online but very few of them dared to test whether this would work. Surprisingly News International, publisher of the Times decided to take the challenge and start to charge for what it considers a quality newspaper.

Comparative results were recently issued by ComScore and it shows that in May, the free-to-access website Timesonline.co.uk attracted 2.79 million unique users in the UK, a slight increase on the level of the previous three months. News International launched its separate Thetimes.co.uk and Thesundaytimes.co.uk websites on 25 May. It made registration compulsory and began redirecting users from the old site on 15 June and started charging for access to both sites on 2 July.

From figures released by ComScore, the combined number of unique visitors to the two new sites (pay sites) has fallen to 1.61 million in July, from 2.22 million in June, and 2.79 million in May. This had an effect on the average number of minutes each user spent on the site which was 7.6 in May, 5.8 in June and 4 in July. Also page views have dropped from 29 million in May to 20 million in June and 9 million in July.

To try to attract users to their pay sites, News International has run an introductory offer offering subscribers 30 days' access for £1. Its normal pricing is £1 for a day's access to The Times and The Sunday Times and £2 for a week, while subscribers to each newspaper get free access to the related website.

No indications have yet emerged from the company as to how many people have subscribed or how much revenue subscriptions have generated.

Will such strategy be effective? Will thetimes.co.uk have to reduce the cost of advertising due to the drop in visitor figures; and if so, will the revenue generated from subscriptions offset the difference? Few people tend to be willing to pay for what other competitors offer for free especially for something as intangible as online access to a newspaper...will News International rethink its strategy to move back again to a free version?