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Last week McDonalds launched a twitter campaign to generate positive sentiment around the brand. McDonalds launched a campaign on 18 January via twitter using the sponsored hashtag #McDstories, to promote the quality of their ingredients using the hashtag #MeetTheFarmers. The hashtag was quickly hijacked with negative attacks against the brand from some unhappy consumers and animal rights protesters that seized the opportunity to air their negative stories.
McDonalds removed the hashtag in the hour and issued a statement to Paid Content admitting defeat. They said, “Within an hour, we saw that it wasn’t going as planned. It was negative enough that we set about a change of course.”
The change of course they took was removing the paid-for hashtag and waiting for the media hype to disappear, which has been criticised heavily as poor reputation management and a huge PR fail.
Twitter accounts for a quarter of online conversation and is a powerful marketing instrument to amplify your businesses ethos; it is vital businesses engage with consumers by defining a positively led hashtag and monitor any negative outcomes in real time.
With twitter now having a branded page feature, if companies wish to give their customers a microphone and engage socially, they must identify a core crisis plan identifying a key list of potential issues that may occur and provide solutions before launching.
Want to talk about how we can help your business by managing your brand online?
Natalie.owen@ptarmiganbp.co.uk
0113 237 2821
January is always a quiet dreary month so we thought we would pull together some of our recent campaign work that we are very proud of to celebrate our achievements and spread positivity and motivation in the office.
The Client: The National Lottery
The Campaign: Olympic Park Run
The Olympic Park Run Ballot closed on 27 October, however our client, The National Lottery had a number of tickets available to giveaway. Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger set up competitions across six media titles, offering 10 tickets per media title plus a ticket for a journalist to take part in the run and document their training and interview celebrities also involved.
The results
Six regional hits in Northern Echo, Sunderland Echo, Lincolnshire Echo, Middlesbrough Gazette, Sheilds Gazette and Huddersfield Examiner and one very happy client.
The Campaign: £85M draw
Last year the EuroMillions jackpot was boosted to £85M. Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger erected a giant ice sculpture in the shape of 8 5 M. Frozen into the ice were 85 branded EuroMillions tokens.
The sculpture was placed on Briggate, the busiest shopping area in Leeds, as the ice melted, people were invited to chip away at the ice to take a token which could then be redeemed for a free lucky dip ticket into the draw.
The results
A bustling queue full of excited shoppers, word of mouth quickly spread across Leeds with shoppers tweeting and taking photos of the sculpture. We also sent out a Bluetooth message to 4,000 people in Leeds – with almost 50% accepting the connection to receive the message inviting the recipient along to the activity.
The video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1HPDG7awWY was uploaded to The National Lottery’s Facebook page and has had over 180 views and almost 50 likes.
The Yorkshire Evening Post sent a photographer to the event and coverage appeared Saturday 1st October, ahead of the draw.
The Client: Simon on the Streets
Following pro-bono work last year, Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger has volunteered to continue working with Simon on the Streets to raise awareness of the local homeless charity for 2012.
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger began working with the charity in September by promoting and taking part in their sponsored sleep out.
More recently, Simon on the Streets featured on The Secret Millionaire, Channel 4’s award winning documentary. In the programme, Charles Allen, former chief executive of ITV worked undercover for Simon on the Streets doing various soup runs, on-street support and sleeping rough. Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger set up various media interviews with the director of Simon on the Streets in the run up to the airing of the programme and as a result achieved great regional hits on all media platforms.
Client testimonial
Clive Sandle, director of Simon on the Streets comments, “Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger were very supportive of our various campaigns last year. 2011 ended really positively for us and all the work Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger did around the Secret Millionaire, our sponsored sleep-out, and various Christmas campaigns considerably boosted our profile in the region. As a small charity who is in receipt of FOC work I often feel like a poor relative but Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger always make our charity feel like an important client.”
The Client: ITogether
Impact of Cool
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger commissioned a consumer survey to identify employee and employer attitudes towards using Android Phones and iPads in the workplace to access personal accounts, the research highlighted significant security risks resulting from this BYO culture. We pitched the story to SME & enterprise audiences and the coverage secured reached a whopping – 87,205,659 and the story is still being picked up today.
Weekly Column
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger secured a weekly column with online technology publication, ITProPortal, further to proactive media relations. The column, set up in October has attributed to over 300 website visits to ITogether and reached over 5 million readers.
The Client: Suttons and Robertsons
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger set up press meetings with key national personal finance journalists in December to introduce the Suttons and Robertsons brand and position our client as an industry expert on the subject of pawnbroking.
The Results
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger set up meetings with Financial Times, Sunday Express, Your Money, The Independent and Mail on Sunday achieving coverage in Sunday Express, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph and built ongoing relationships with key contacts.
natalie.owen@ptarmiganbp.co.uk
Last Thursday night was a big night for Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger as it marked a significant milestone. Two years after becoming part of Bell Pottinger, Ptarmigan returned to award winning ways at the Drum Marketing Awards held in Manchester.
Account team and client collective delight
We were there thanks to our work with client NAAFI (The Navy Army & Air Force Institutes). Our campaign entry, ‘NAAFI – A Year of Celebration’ focused on PR activity for NAAFI’s 90th anniversary celebration year in 2010.
Having been shortlisted sometime ago excitement about attending the event was at fever pitch. The earlier part of that week had already seen us launch a new national energy company and the adrenaline was still pumping following the coverage generated and the feedback from our successful London launch event on the Tuesday. An award win would be the perfect way to round off what had been a long but already very rewarding week.
Having checked into the hotel and changed into our ‘lucky suits’ at lightning speed we arranged to meet our clients in the bar for a pre-award drink – just to calm any nerves of course. We then took to our seats and waited for the fun to begin – the dinner was preceded by singing waiters who were surprisingly good despite having seen them many times over the years and they amused the guests until the food arrived.
The wine flowed as easy as the chat and we reflected with NAAFI about how the campaign had really taken off – sometimes literally, as we remembered sampling activity on Blackpool beach sabotaged by howling winds and driving rain – destroying the NAAFI gazebo in seconds and challenging our wit and improvisation skills to the max. Oh how you can count on British summertime to upstage your experiential plans! It’s a good job our clients at NAAFI are a brave lot and were willing to persist with some of our more ‘creative’ ideas and for that we thank them.
So to the awards ceremony. We were in the very tight Best PR Strategy category which also featured entries from Debenhams, Europcar, Relentless Energy, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets, Radox and RHS Garden Harlow Carr. The moment of truth was upon us….”Winners – Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger for NAAFI: A Year of Celebration!”
None of us can remember the music that was playing as the beaming agency/client team headed for the stage, something that has been bugging me for a whole week now! Maybe one day it will come back to me….
Check out photos from the event http://www.thedrummarketingawards.com/gallery/
Working with NAAFI for the past two years has been a great experience so to win an award for our activity just strengthens the bond we already have with them and drives us to do even better for them. What makes this award win especially welcome is the calibre of the judging panel. This year the panel consisted of senior marketing directors from some of the world’s leading brands including HMV, Honda, Microsoft, Umbro, Easy Jet, Dell and Thomas Cook.
Needless to say we celebrated the award win in the customary fashion…along with dancing through to the wee small hours and rather too many Alan Partridge impersonations. Back of the net!
The Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger NAAFI team is Nathan Lane, Terry Gilligan, Sandrine Powell and Adam Burns.
There’s much excitement at Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger as the sports team are heading to London today for this year’s Sport Industry Awards having been shortlisted in the Best Use of Digital Communications in Sport category.
As the principal sponsor of Premier League club Stoke City, our client Britannia wanted a campaign to reinforce its status whilst increase interaction and excitement with the team’s fanbase. The Proud to be a Potter campaign was built around sourcing fans’ photographs which were then transformed into giant iconic artwork to be showed at the Britannia Stadium. Fans submitted their photos through a dedicated website whilst effective use of social media platforms such as Facebook helped drive supporters to the opportunity.
Players were also used to provide exclusive content and a call to action to fans to get involved. The Awards’ judging panel were full of praise for the innovative campaign’s effect with 2,000 fan photos submitted and over 20,000 visits to the official website. Such was the success of the strategy that the artwork remains in place at the Britannia Stadium despite it being scheduled to be removed two months after installation.
I’m sure the nerves will vanish with the first glass of bubbly! Fingers crossed.
The People yesterday revealed the remarkable bond between animals and their owners in a survey they commissioned themselves with 10,000 pet owners. Amongst the poll’s findings was that:
- 65% of those questioned thought their animals were more reliable than their husband or wife!
- 53% of Brits would consider breaking up with a new partner if their pet didn’t like them
- 48% would include a pet in a pre-nuptial agreement before getting married
- More than half would include a pet in a will
- Almost a quarter would take compassionate leave when their furry friend dies
- More than a third get their pet names mixed up with those of our children and partners
- 66% would take in a stray if they found one at the bottom of their garden
- 42% feed their pet takeaway food
So today (Sunday) is Census day. According to the instructions, the idea was to complete the form today or shortly afterwards (and not before).
I know that many people have completed their forms and sent them off already. This proves one of two simple things – that they either cannot read or follow simple, basic instructions. If you filled your form in before Sunday 27 March then I’m afraid you did it WRONG!!!
The idea is that it gives a snapshot of the population at a given point in time. I have a really good, practical example of this.
My niece came to stay with us for 5 weeks today. She has just got a job working for an airline and is doing her training at Leeds Bradford Airport and coming from Manchester, this will make life much easier for her if she stays with us. Therefore, as she moved into my house today she goes on my form as a ‘visitor’. Someone living at the address detailed on the form on 27 March 2011 along with the other usual residents. If I’d filled the form in yesterday – she wouldn’t have be on it. If her parents completed the form before today – she will be on theirs and therefore this will be inaccurate – even though she’s their daughter. I don’t know if her parents have completed the form yet and it’s none of my business. Let’s hope that they’ve done it correctly….like me. Otherwise my niece will be represented on two census forms.
The scope for error on something like this is potentially massive. The other thing about filling in the form is the length of it …and the wording of some of the questions. Having three kids of my own, I had to complete sections on behalf of them declaring that they are neither married nor in civil partnerships (all of them are under 13). In addition to the marital status of me and my kids, the form also asks about jobs, health, how I get to work, qualifications…….
The first census took place more than 200 years ago. Back in 1801, it was just a simple head count. Now the form runs to 32 pages. In the 2001 Census, around 390,000 people in England and Wales listed their religion as Jedi Knight.
For some, it’s a case of too much information. Some campaign groups believe it is the work of the “stalker state” – describing it as “an official obsession with documenting our private lives for no good reason and to no good effect”. Campaigners are also calling for tighter restrictions on how the information is used, with reports the statistical data could be shared across 27 EU countries.
I’ve also heard the 2011 census might be the last one. It would certainly seem that alternative means of gathering the census data are being looked in to for future generations. To be honest I don’t think it’s too much to ask for every household to complete a form – it is only every 10 years afterall. Just try and make sure you fill it out correctly and on time.
And to the 400,000 Jedi’s out there, may the form be with you….
As the first new High Street bank in more than 100 years, Metro offers an innovative approach and commitment to customer service, the bank already has four ‘stores’ in the south-east with 10,000 customers with plans to open five more in 2011.
Certainly there’s a perception issue with many of the established banks when it comes to customer satisfaction and little differentiation…..until now. For example, Metro branches are open seven days a week with a 24-hour customer call centre.
Metro Bank also offers free coin-counting machines in every branch plus water bowls and biscuits for customers who come in with their dogs, I can see one of my pet owning colleagues signing up as soon as they venture north!
It has plans to have 16 branches by 2013. Watch this space.
So Twitter has turned five today. Many happy returns to the baby brother of Facebook (which was founded two years before Twitter in 2004).
More than 200 million people use Twitter, firing off more than 140 million text messages of 140 characters or less daily. The length limit was set to fit the maximum allowed in text messages sent using mobile phones.
Twitter has had a huge impact on our world and changed it fundamentally. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey (@jack) sent his co-workers a tweet on March 21 2006 and five years on billions of 140-character tweets have been sent.
Dorsey's first tweet. A phenomenon is born.
Twitter really has changed the world in which we live and made a radical impression on the social media map [and made it an indispensable marketing tool]. Barack Obama used Twitter during his presidential campaign to maximum effect, changing the face of political campaigning forever. Throughout the campaigning he was rarely without a Blackberry and on winning the presidential race he tweeted a thank you to his supporters:
“We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks”.
Twitter also gave journalism a desperately needed new lease of life. A story can be broken instantly or seconds after it has happened in 140 characters or less facilitating a much bigger story. The tweet is similar in length to a nib or a news brief in traditional printed media. Since twitter, communication channels between journalists and those involved in the world of PR and marketing have been taken to a whole new level.
And what about celebrities? Without Twitter, Charlie Sheen’s stellar moment in a not so glittering career would have been his fantastic 5 minute cameo in probably one of the finest comedies from the 80s, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’. But he now has a whole new generation of fans. Fans who have probably never heard of Platoon, Hot Shots or erm, Men at Work. Twitter allowed Sheen to rack-up an incredible one million followers in just one day and is currently enjoying a career best performance. I always preferred his less famous actor brother, Emilio Estevez myself. The real Emilio isn’t even on Twitter but does however continue to make quality movies usually behind the camera as a director these days [he also starred in and was responsible for garbage comedy, Men at Work].
I wonder what the next five years holds, tweeps? Answers in no more than 140 characters please….
Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger has launched a new product placement business to advise brands on product placement strategies and maximise the reach of campaigns. The new offer will be called ‘Brand story’ and launches in May.
The consultancy will work partners in the television and film industry to source the best fit placements for brands and negotiate paid for exposure.
Commenting on the launch Nathan Lane, director of Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger said: “We have a huge amount of experience of effective product placement from automotive, drinks and technology brands to charities. The final piece of the jigsaw was sourcing partners to ensure we can deliver a world class service to brands. We have had a great deal of interest from our existing clients and believe this sector is set for explosive growth.”
Brand Story will launch in the Leeds office and operate internationally across the Bell Pottinger Group.
For more information contact Nathan Lane.
Tel: 0113 237 2821
Mobile: 07786 091987
E: nathan.lane@ptarmiganbp.co.uk
Twitter: @nathanlane
So this week is British Pie Week. Hurrah!
One Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger client has really tucked into the idea of supporting this annual event. NAAFI (Navy Army Air Force Institutes) has come up with the perfect solution to ensure Armed Forces personnel serving in Germany are sure not to miss out on a slice of the action during British Pie Week.
NAAFI chefs have produced a giant pie to mark the annual celebration of all things pie related. Hungry squaddies in Gutersloh, Germany will be served-up a mammoth meat pie measuring 3ft x 2ft. The monster meal contains 35lbs of corned beef, 18lb of potatoes, 12lb of onions and 12lb of pastry.
The giant pie was baked in the NAAFI JBs restaurant at Gutersloh especially for British Pie Week which begins today [7 March]. The pie, which will feed over 200 hungry pie-loving forces personnel, was decorated with NAAFI and British Pie Week pastry lettering.
A rather meaty pie.....
NAAFI chefs use fresh ingredients in all daily meal servings and freshly prepare all pastry in the kitchens on bases. Germany is a key operating and training base outside of the UK where NAAFI provides, through Pay As You Dine (PAYD), a mature, long-term retail, leisure and catering offer to support the services stationed overseas.
NAAFI chef Paul McNicol, who made the pie, said: “It took a full day to prepare all the fresh ingredients and cook the pie. Pies and pasties are very popular with the armed forces and served with a healthy portion of vegetables ensure that a good and nutritious square meal is enjoyed every day. NAAFI prides itself on providing Armed Forces personnel and their families with that vital taste of home and hopefully our mammoth meat pie will mean that squaddies serving in Germany can help celebrate British Pie Week in style!”
It’s reassuring to know that Forces personnel serving in Germany and around the globe are being well catered for. As we all know, a little reminder of home can be just what is needed to help get you through the day whatever your job, whether it be a bag of your favourite sweet treats or a comforting slice of delicious home cooked pie.
