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Never before has a simple bath bomb caused so many ripples. Brouhaha about the Lush ‘police spies’ campaign has raised significant issues of how far business organisations should use ethics and social justice campaigning as part of their reputational strategy. The ostensible aim of the campaign is to persuade shoppers to write to the Home […]
As business social media becomes standard practice, many businesses are now faced with the prospect of maintaining their online presence with regular content and interaction. For some, this is easier said than done. Organic social media posts provide a means of delivering a message to your followers (and beyond), unhindered by all but the wordcount […]
When it comes to promoting your business through social media, it can sometimes be easy to get trapped into thinking that developing your own channels is the only way to get anything done. However, there is another way to reach a wider audience. Social influencers are individuals or collectives who hold large online followings. Traditionally, […]
Many businesses are uncomfortable dealing with social media, where customers can write very public, often permanent, online criticism and reviews. Should you respond to the reviews and, if you do, how do you protect your reputation and not lend authority to unjust complaints? Responding to criticism is a delicate art, so here’s our step-by-step guide […]
The recent leadership and communications crisis at Oxfam initially saw the charity accused of covering up sexual misconduct in its Haitian operations, complaints which expanded to take in other Oxfam bases and more aid organisations. Sexual harassment, bullying and exploiting women is not, it seems, the preserve of business leaders and film moguls. Whether or […]
Social media has changed the communications landscape forever, offering businesses a means to distribute their own messages and content and interact directly with customers. With all the implicit power that comes with this, it can be tempting to believe that social media can be the solutions to all your communications woes. After all, social media […]
Places can have values. Marketing teams, charged with bringing shoppers and tourists into Britain’s regions, counties and cities, have long made claims for their particular locations – Glasgow Smiles Better, Incredinburgh. But values are different. They cannot be imposed by a snappy creative, they have to develop organically from within. Values are about recognising what […]
Since the beginnings of commercial television, businesses have been using advertisements to capitalise on the Christmas holiday to promote themselves and their products. However, in the past ten years, the festive advertising landscape has transformed. Rather than just providing a vehicle to sell products or explicitly promote brand values or attributes, the fashion is for […]
What is Houzz? Launched in 2009, Houzz is a burgeoning online community centred around architecture, interior design, decorating, landscape and home improvement. Unlike other home improvement websites such ‘House and Garden’ or ‘Grand Designs’, Houzz borrows elements from Pinterest, Facebook and traditional blogs to make a distinctive, house-focused social media website. Houzz has many features and […]