How well do you know your city and the people that live in it? Ever wondered how city life changes when the sun sets? Well this year Big Cat have teamed up with one of the UK’s leading social enterprises, The Big Issue to offer you a unique look at Birmingham at the dead of night through The Night Walk, a rather different type of fundraising event.

The Night Walk is exactly what it says on the tin, a walk in the dead of night. Having been successfully run in London for the past 3 years, The Big Issue felt it was about time they took it out of the Big Smoke to give more people the opportunity to show their support for such a fantastic cause.

Taking place in April, The Night Walk is a 25KM sponsored walk where urban ramblers will be able to experience the city in a new light whilst in the safety of an organised group. The route will let walkers take in the astounding architecture of some of the city’s most distinctive buildings. There may even be a surprise or two along the way with a sneak peek into the buildings.

This is the first time The Night Walk has taken place outside of London and Big Cat is proud to be able to provide event management support to such a fantastic cause.

All money raised on the expedition will go straight towards supporting The Big Issue foundation and the work that it does to help the homeless.

Keep your eyes peeled on The Big Issue website to see how you can get involved in The Night Walk

Unless you’ve been sitting in a very dark room for the past 12 months you’ll have undoubtedly seen the arguments for and against the High Speed Rail link between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

Well today Phase 1 of the controversial project has been given the green light by the government. Whilst many people are shouting from the roof tops about how fantastic this is, what exactly does it mean for Joe Bloggs and the region? Does it just mean that that weekend away to London can start 30 mins earlier? Far from it, infact the benefits to the West Midlands are rather significant.

• Will boost the West Midland’ economy by £2.5 billion
• Up to 10,000 new construction jobs
• Up to 2,000 operational and maintenance jobs
• £35.3 billion in economic benefit to the West Midlands region
• Up to 60 – 70,000 local jobs by 2040 as a result of relocation of jobs from other areas in the UK
• Reduced carbon of up to a million tonnes a year by 2055

*Source http://www.go-hs2.com/News/NewsListings.aspx

As with any argument though there are said to be some downsides to the development.

• The new HS2 trains will use x3 more power than traditional trains
• Will increase carbon emissions
• Benefits will mainly go to London; more people travelling to London than to other regions
• Will prove detrimental to small towns and villages along rail route

*Source http://stophs2.org/facts

What are your thoughts though? Will HS2 help uplift the economy or will it destroy our countryside?

Video views are the currency of YouTube and in some cases I mean this quite literally. For those of you who are only just realising the potential of this platform, here are my five tips to gain more views:

1- Give your video Title/Description/Tags a lot of thought

YouTube gives you a lot of power to control how your video is found. As YouTube can’t index your video based on the video content itself, you need to tell it where it belongs (and tell the truth too!)

2- Give yourself a head-start.

YouTube uses ‘view-count’ as a method of ranking – meaning popular content gains further popularity. A good way to start strong is to push your videos out across all of your social platforms and allow your current networks to help you hit the ground running. Get your most loyal customers to watch your videos too and certainly make sure you email it around the office.

3- Encourage inbound & outbound links to your videos/channel

YouTube finds links such as ‘video responses’ or ‘shares’ to be a very useful indication that the content is good. Start posting your videos on ‘friends’ channels and encourage them to do the same on yours.

4- Work on stimulating ‘likes’, ‘shares’, ‘subscribes’, ‘ratings’ & ‘comments’

Treat this element in a similar way to a facebook campaign. It is a good idea to ask questions & interact and, since good video ratings and engagement effect your YouTube rankings you might want to use ‘annotations’ throughout your video to encourage the viewer to rate etc.

5- Seek External links to your videos

External links work in the same way that they do for your website SEO strategy. Ensure your video is on your website as well as any social/blog pages you might have. Another strong method is to approach forums & discussion pages with your content as this will provide you with a large number of very relevant links. Remember to join in the discussion though; you might get your post removed if they are just plugging yourself.

Views can also be purchased, or you can purchase/ design a bot to formulate views for you, however this is not guaranteed to work and you could be penalised for taking these approaches. Another method that is very tempting to some is to open hundreds of windows yourself to boost views, but this method can also leave you in YouTube’s naughty books. In this case YouTube will (at the very least) pause your view-count if it recognises your IP address.

It’s divided opinion among web and print designers since it’s beta launch a few months ago. With some in the web community heavily critical of Adobe’s Muse software, which aims to make web design more accessible to print designers and non-programmers. The main criticisms being that Muse creates extremely untidy code that isn’t SEO friendly, has limited layout possibilities and the output doesn’t translate well over different devices.

Being from primarily a print background myself, I found the software easy to get the hang of as it’s very similar to InDesign. Within an hour it was possible to create a simple site, and although not reinventing the wheel in terms of web possibilities, the outcome worked surprisingly well. There were however issues embedding a blog, although apparently this is being looked into by Adobe.

I don’t think the release of Muse spells the beginning of the end for Dreamweaver and the careers of programmers, Muse just makes it far easier for designers not familiar with code to create engaging, usable websites. Although the criticism it’s faced is probably a little harsh, it’s definitely worth a try, especially as it’s free until they release it next year!

Companies are looking for more meaningful and creative ways to push their brands out to target audiences. The simple text based press release no longer cuts it especially as newspapers up and down the country are now going digital. With fewer newspapers around, securing coverage in the local paper is becoming more and more difficult as community stories take precedent over the launch of a new product.

PR agencies are now looking to go direct to the consumer, and so PR 2.0 was born. Although it may sound like some bizarre acronym, PR 2.0 is just the combination of traditional PR methods with social media and digital tools. The aim is still the same, to communicate with influencers and the consumer audience, it’s just the means that have changed.

The idea of PR 2.0 has been around for some years now, but following the recent boom in digital and social media technology, the PR industry has had to learn to evolve in order to stay ahead of the game, and inturn ensure clients are one step ahead of their competitors. More and more companies are using platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to interact with their markets, jumping traditional print formats completely. When articles are issued to papers now, all company names are hyperlinked and sometimes the releases contain video content. All of these tools enhance the user’s experience.

We’ve been utilising PR 2.0 at Big Cat Group for a number of years now. All of our press releases are supported by digital technology; it just depends on the nature of the client and their needs. We understand the importance of creativity. Just because something is text based doesn’t mean it can’t be engaging and be supported by additional content such as videos.

PR 2.0 isn’t a subject that is stationary. Every day a new website or social media platform is released and we make it our job to ensure our clients utilise them to their advantage. We do our research and we understand what works. Just because your competitor is on Myspace and Bebo doesn’t mean you have to be too. To stand out of the crowd you need to be different and that’s what we do best.

Last week saw the launch of Birmingham’s digital week, which celebrates the city’s achievements in digital innovation and brings people from various sectors together to discuss the impact and value of technologies for professional, creative and cultural industries.

On Tuesday 15^th November my colleagues from Big Cat and I had the chance to participate in a featured event called ‘Business Collaboration Through Digital Innovation’, which was a part of the digital week.

Before the conference started, we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves and network whilst enjoying a bite or two of the refreshments offered. After a warm welcome from Chris Brown, our PR manager and chair of events at Birmingham Future, it was time for the first speaker to take the stage.

Keith Evans, Managing Director at Cida Co delivered an inspiring presentation on why and how the businesses should adapt to the current changes taking place. He stated that the Power of 3 (People, Ideas and Innovation) is more important than it ever was and that companies should not only encourage creativity but integrate it within corporate management and processes. However, Keith emphasised that despite the need to quickly adapt to the changing business environment a company must retain its values.

Whilst Keith Evans talked about digital innovation from a strategic point of view, Andy Lovatt from the White Room brought in a more tactical approach and introduced Enterprise 2.0 (or, as known in the West, a Social Business concept). He argued that companies should embed social platforms within the company rather than use them only for external marketing purposes. To strengthen his point, Andy provided case studies on how companies benefited from utilising social platforms internally. In response to common fears about network security, Andy said that ‘one must find a balance between risk and trust’. Trust in colleagues must be embedded within a company in order to secure continuous business growth.

After the two presentations, a panel comprised of Keith Evans, Andy Lovatt, Chris Brown and Rupert Bent from Pinsent Masons enthusiastically replied to questions (there were quite a few) from the audience with a great attention and detail.

In conclusion, the event offered plenty of information and ideas for both digitally-savvy companies and those only starting to embrace digital technologies.

Over the past 110 days or so Google+ has officially been open to the public and last week it’s doors wide open to business use.

Uptake to Google+ is estimated at 1 million members per week but so far there are not any solid stats on how many businesses are using it but from a first glance may companies have signed up for a site.

Some of the very early adopters to Google+ business have been; Burberry, Angry Birds, Cadbury and BBC News amongst others.

There are limitations with having a business account at the moment; such as not being able to offer money off vouchers or competitions, which might be a stumbling block for Google+ as Facebook do allow businesses to offer far more to potential page viewers. Whether or not this was a mistake made by Google in the rush to open Google+ for business due to high demand, we’ll never know but I could speculate that it’s something that they are thinking about doing.

Personally I now have a businesses circle with a few big brands in there and lots of news sites, but am already beginning to wonder what the true level of engagement with these brands will be. If vouchers can’t be offered are Cadbury going to start a hangout with chocolate lovers so that they can help them to create a new chocolate bar or stick to a static page?

One thing’s for certain, the landscape is changing and Google+ is the network to watch.

More and more companies are diving into the world of Augmented Reality (AR) in order to provide memorable customer experiences and to bring a sense of fun to their brand. Last week Nivea launched a new AR campaign which enables its target market to see Rihanna perform in front of their computer screens.  All customers  have to do is buy the tin of the crème and hold the cap against their webcam.  However, the campaign is not solely aimed at existing buyers,  since the AR content can also  be accessed for free via the company’s website.

This isn’t the first time that companies have used AR to make their brands ‘live’.  Nivea’s campaign has revealed the potential of AR technology to the FMCG market and it is sure to be widely adopted as a marketing tool. This is definitely a bright moment for companies and customers alike,  however with AR technology  becoming more widely accessible  it makes it more difficult for luxury brands  to differentiate  themselves through advertising. In  a recent article on mashable.com it was suggested that digital innovation can make deluxe brands exclusive again, however here at Big Cat we feel that exclusivity is not something technology alone can achieve.  Companies must accept that in the end, all that matters is how  technological innovation is used to deliver lasting and meaningful campaigns.

In the meantime, we should just sit back and enjoy the free experiences we are offered.

Cask Marque, a pub accreditation scheme, are using smartphones to “gamify” pub going. The Cask Finder app (on Android and iOS) allows drinkers to locate pubs, check in to them, and accrue points that mean – of course – prizes. This is just one example of a growing trend to use mobile phones within hospitality marketing.

Pubs and mobile phones are  a good marketing fit because they are at the centre of consumers’ social life. Your phone is always with you and it extends a night out to the spaces between pubs and meet ups.

Just think about how you might use your phone yourself on a night out:

• You post a Facebook status: “TFI it’s Friday!”
• You play music from your phone while it charges in the dock by your bed
• You go to your VoucherCloud app to download a money off code for pizzas
• Your friend sends you a text: “change of plan, meet me at the Red Lion at 8pm”
• You check how to get there on Google Maps
• Your taxi sends you an automated text: “Silver Ford Mondeo now arriving”
• You Instagram your new shoes, updating Twitter and Facebook automatically
• You check in at the Red Lion and see that there are three other people you know in the pub
• Another of your friends, in the Queen’s Arms sees your check in and heads over to buy you a drink
• She’s got a promotional voucher for a free round of Guinness that was just emailed to her

People do people things, and phones help them do those things better – but there’s a clear opportunity here for brands, venues, and services who make themselves available in these spaces.

A week has passed and after numerous foot massages, hot baths and the odd pint or two, the Big Cat bosses, Nick Morgan and Anthony Tattum have finally recovered after competing in last week’s BUPA Half Marathon in Birmingham.

After months of grueling training in rain storms and heat waves and even signing up to a military fitness camp, the pair completed the course smashing their previous records.

The race wasn’t just about male ego though and seeing who could run the fastest. The pair pledged to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity, something which is close to both of their hearts.

Altogether they raised a total of £490.

A huge congratulations to Nick and Anthony for all their hard work. It must have paid off as we’ve seen them wearing suits which clearly haven’t been out of the wardrobe in sometime.

If you haven’t sponsored either of them yet, there’s still time. Just click the link below and enter your chosen amount

http://www.justgiving.com/anthonytattum

http://www.justgiving.com/nickbigcatmorgan

October is always a busy time for the Big Cat’s. Not only is it Nick Morgan’s Birthday but it’s the companies birthday as well and this year we’re celebrating 11 years of continued growth and success.

The whole country across all sectors has felt the pinch of the credit crunch. Many businesses have fallen at the wayside but others have come out fighting. After 11 years, Big Cat Group has seen one of its most successful years in 2011. Whereas many companies have had to unfortunately make staffing cuts, Big Cat has continued to grow, hiring new members of staff in its events, marketing and digital departments.

With more staff comes the possibility of a greater capacity for clients. All departments within Big Cat have seen a broad range of new clients come on board from a variety of sectors including hospitality, professional services, charity, government bodies and entertainment to name but a few. The clients themselves have again ranged vastly from the launch of Bournville College’s £66million campus, a Jamaican music festival, a Birmingham based auctioneer and a digital festival.

To coin the famous telecommunications tag line, the futures bright, the futures orange and here’s to another 11 truly fantastic years.

Happy Birthday Big Cat!!!!

With business booming at Big Cat we felt it was about time we expanded our Marketing and Communications team so we can continue to deliver award winning campaigns which wow the nation. So, logically this months Q & A is with the latest addition of the Big Cat family, Hannah Wood. A self-confessed creative perhaps a tad OCD, we asked Hannah what she loves about our glorious city and the campaigns she’s working on at the moment.

What is your role at Big Cat Group?

Marketing and Communications Exec; basically I do a bit of marketing, a bit of PR and a bit of project management depending on the client and their needs.

How did you get into marketing and PR?

I sort of fell into it; I studied Visual Communication at Uni and in an attempt to get my foot in the door of a design agency, I put myself forward as a digital marketing and PR intern at Fluid, got it and loved it! After a crash course in comm’s and having worked on some high profile accounts, I gained experience in events marketing and planning, working on both BASS and Flatpack festivals. I’ve always loved brands, communication and events and my strengths are strategy development and organisation so when I applied for an internship at Big Cat everything just sort of clicked into place.

What are you working on at the moment?

There’s too much to list but so far today I have worked on booking the national campaign for the international restaurant group San Carlo, the brand development and marketing strategy for a highly acclaimed auction house, a national PR campaign for a range of Lulu Guinness compact mirrors, research for two new business pitches, the internal marketing strategy and brand propositions for Big Cat and I’ve just been brought on board for Hello Culture; Birmingham’s biggest festival.

What is your favourite marketing campaign at the moment?

I actually really like what Skittles are doing at the moment. After having a couple of not-so-successful campaigns leading up to 2009, they now seem to have developed a solid, integrated brand strategy. By keeping the same themes and tone of voice throughout all their marketing and PR activity, regardless of campaign or media, the key messages and their tagline “taste the rainbow” are reinforced. The overall brand campaign is flexible and individual product launches fit seamlessly together underneath the skittles brand.

With audience engagement being at the top of their agenda, their slightly weird approach to content has enabled them to really think outside the box when it comes to interactivity and utilise a wide range of platforms including TV, facebook, twitter, YouTube and POS. The continued high quality activity ensures they maintain brand loyalty, leaving their audience wondering what weird and wonderful ideas they will come up with next.

What is your favourite thing about Birmingham?

I’m very much a country girl at heart but for some reason I never tire of Birmingham. There’s something to suit everyone and always something going on. It’s the little hidden gems that I love; we have some amazing architecture, festivals, events, typography, music and history. It’s often reported that Birmingham has a bad reputation but I like it, and I’ve always had a tendency to favour the underdog.

Planning a social media campaign that works can be a tricky task. 90% of all campaigns are said to fall flat within the first month, the key reason being audience figures not meeting critical mass, therefore the campaign never really going viral. September saw Big Cat team up with energy and communications company Glide and the University of Birmingham to show students on their MSc Marketing and Communications course how hard it actually is to run a successful campaign.

60 students were given the brief to develop a social media campaign which interacts with either tenants or landlords. The aim of the campaign was to raise brand awareness and in turn drive direct sales to Glide. The budget was £10,000 and it was to be used over a three month period.

The students were split into groups of 9 or 10 and then dismissed into various rooms throughout the University. The day was a fantastic experience for Big Cat who have been working with Glide for some time now. It was fascinating seeing outsiders who don’t know a company work to develop a campaign. As you can imagine there were a few arguments a long the way with stronger students trying to take hold of the groups, however some great ideas were generated.

Click image to see full photo gallery

After the 2 hour period, the students were then asked to come back to the main lecture theatre to present their campaign to a live audience. The judges, built up of University staff, Glide and Big Cat ranked each group on a number of categories; originality, sticking to budget, ROI and a wild card too.

In the end though there could only be one winner and that was Group 3 who utilised existing Smartphone geo-location technology to offer their chosen target audience of students competition prizes, giveaways and digital badges. One thing that this group did really well was plan for the future. Although they were making use of the tools around them, they also stated that once the campaign worked in the region of Birmingham, they’d roll it out nationally and develop their own app.

Well done Group 3!!! We hope you enjoy your winnings.

If you fancy checking out what the students put in the presentations click here.

So, what’s your favourite colour? Perhaps you’re a traditional primary colour type of person, who likes a passionate red or maybe a cool blue? Perhaps you’re a little more sophisticated and like a nice teal? Ever thought about owning your favourite colour? Well now you can thanks Dulex.

Working alongside humanitarian charity, UNICEF, Dulex are offering people the chance to purchase a colour and donate money to charity. The average Smartphone can display 16.7 million colours, so if all of these colours were purchased for just £1, think of the difference this would make to the lives of those less fortunate.

Big Cat took up the challenge and purchased their highly symbolic shade of orange. When this blog was written, over £58,000 had already been donated since the launch of the campaign one week a go. What an amazing achievement this is for Dulex, not only for the lives they are helping to save, but also the running of a successful social media campaign.

There are so many companies launching campaigns at the moment which haven’t been thought through fully. The ‘Own a colour’ campaign is a perfect example how social media can not only raise brand awareness but also help the less fortunate.

Dulex is a household name in the UK. How many other paint suppliers can you think of off the top of your head? So surely this wasn’t just about raising brand awareness, there had to be a deeper meaning. By utilising their USP of the paint colour palette, Dulex have created a fantastic campaign which was spread like wildfire across Facebook and Twitter, every Digital Director’s dream. People can donate as little as a pound with every single penny helping.

Well done Dulex for this fantastic campaign.

This festival season has seen the lines between music festival and traditional food festivals blur beyond recognition.  Over recent years attendees at a music festival could expect to be served greasy burgers, greasy burgers or greasy burgers.

Some of this year’s crop of festivals (not even the food specific ones) have seen the quality of their catering offering improve considerably.  At Lovebox and Wilderness this year Jamie Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts ensured that guests were very well fed.  And Wagamama and Pizza Express have also both introduced their range to festival goers.

And let’s not forget that this year has seen the launch of Jamie Oliver’s own Big Festival which brought together a host of top restaurants such as Locanda Locatelli, Wahaca and GBK alongside musical heavyweights The Charlatans, Soul II Soul and Athlete.

Jamie’s not the only celeb chef getting in on the festival act.  This year’s Harvest Festival saw Alex James (himself a food-music cross over, being the bassist from Blur and now a Cotswolds based cheese producer) hosting the Oxfordshire site with top chefs Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Richard Corrigan appearing with The Kooks and KT Tunstall.

These festivals treat chefs as headline acts and market themselves accordingly.  In recent years the rise of the TV chef has been phenomenal (how many shows and books do Jamie and Hugh have between them?) and festival organisers recognise their broad appeal.  Add in some Radio 2 friendly bands, some improv theatre groups and boutique babysitting and hey presto – you’ve potentially got yourself a Guardian reader’s dream event!

All of these festivals recorded good attendances and the signs point towards this family friendly, music and food hybrid festival gaining in popularity.

This week sees the launch of the gaming industry’s first live TV advert.

The real time adverts for Xbox’s ‘Gears of War 3’ will publicise the number of people playing the game online at the time of broadcast.

The interesting thing about this campaign is that it relies on the product already being used by the customer. The creators, of this highly anticipated game, have chosen to rely on brand loyalty and user generated hype rather than using television advertising during the run up to the release date; instead using real time engagement and aiming for immediate responses online to maintain excitement once the product is on sale.

Created by McCann Erickson, with media planning by UM London and digital campaign support from AKQA, the television campaign launches on 23^rd September. Although the technology is already being utilised by some online gambling companies to advertise their popularity, the large scale nature of the Gears of War 3 campaign, which includes targeted social and online media, will set the standard in using live data in television advertising as more truly integrated campaigns are developed.

This year is a big deal for The Big Issue. 2011 marks the 20^th Anniversary of the first Big Issue hitting the streets and to coincide with the launch, the team behind the publication are working on a number of fantastic events being held up and down the country.

Birmingham will be playing a key role in the celebrations as it hosts ‘Hard Times’, an award winning photography exhibition by Paul Wenham-Clarke. Launching on the 8^th September at St Martin’s in the Bullring, the project features Big Issue vendors photographed in their homes. The images are incredibly hard hitting and make you realise the conditions that some people live in, such as shop doorways, park benches, squats and hostels. The aim of the project is to raise awareness of the challenges that the homeless face and to demonstrate that it can happen to anyone, at anytime you’re not just born into it.

In conjunction with the anniversary, Birmingham will also see a number of well-known personalities take to the streets with Big Issue vendors to see how well they get on selling the publication. The vendors will show them the ropes and then leave them to their own devices, allowing them to experience a day in the life of a vendor, how they are treated and how much money they actually make.

Make sure you keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks as you walk through Birmingham City Centre as you never know who might be asking you to purchase a copy of The Big Issue.

Six months ago we posted a blog about the lack of good street art around Birmingham City Centre, with the majority only being specially commissioned pieces. I visited Nottingham recently and saw a huge mural spanning the entire ground floor of an abandoned building. Not only was this in a busy part of the city centre, on closer inspection it had been commissioned by Nottingham Council. I was a little disappointed that Birmingham City Council doesn’t seem to have a similar attitude to art projects. I’ve seen an incredible amount of “blank canvas” around Birmingham so it seems daft that a city with so much regeneration – and therefore so much construction hoarding and unused buildings – has so little public art.

Last week I was pleasantly surprised on my bus journey home as we passed the current regeneration of New Street Station. Art! And good art at that! It turns out Network Rail, Regenerated and UnLtd have teamed up to commission local artists and young people to create work to adorn the walls of a potentially grey and dull corner of the city. It’s called Hill Street Art Project and consists of six 24′ x 8′ panels, based on ideas of regeneration, reflection and movement. In addition to artists Zoot, Remi/Rough, Sola, Juice 126 and Julian Kimmings, young people from King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy were chosen to work on the project, which will be up for two years.

It’s good to see businesses – and especially the work of Regenerated – investing in local artists and young people to get involved in commissions, giving them great opportunities for the future. Not only that, it makes the city look a much more vibrant place!

Images courtesy of the Hill Street Art Project.

The UK’s entertainment industry has seen a new partnership formed this week which is set to enhance the West Midlands offering of world class events.

Birmingham based marketing experience agency, Big Cat Group has this month been awarded a six month contract to assist the NEC in sourcing and delivering blockbuster events best suited for its exhibition halls, ensuring the city remains at the top for entertainment destinations.

Having brought events such as the controversial Bodies Revealed and TV smash hit CSI: The Experience to the UK, Big Cat Group will utilise its extensive range of contacts in Europe and the US to build upon the City’s entertainment calendar.

Nick Morgan, CEO of Big Cat Group said: “This is a great opportunity to further improve Birmingham’s significance as an international entertainment destination. In recent years we have seen millions of tourists flood to the city to witness shows such as X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Batman Live, Cirque de Soleil and many more.

“Our role in this new venture will be to source global content and bring it to Birmingham. With the advancements in digital technology, theatre production and visual arts the possibilities for the city are endless.”

Chris Hartley, Business Development Director at the NEC said: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with Big Cat. We know the entertainment events market place is an area of real opportunity for us and now with Big Cat’s experience and knowledge in this sector, we can actively target it.

Scary concept for any PR however there’s been a lot of talk over the past 2 years about the death of the press release and how the digital landscape is re-shaping how traditional publications source their news.

Would social media and digital content really put the nail in the coffin of the good old press release though? Personally, I don’t think so. Agreed, press releases have had to become more advanced in delivering key messages by utilising hyperlinks and alt-tagged images; however from the conversations I’ve had with journalists they still prefer receiving and initial press release (as long as it’s relevant of course – but that’s a whole other blog).

This week I read in the CorpComms publication about how Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan utilise a rather extensive ‘Newsroom’ on their site which incorporates images, video, text, sound and social media sharing. If they have a story to tell, no matter what the format, it goes up on the Newsroom. The idea of this is to tell the story behind the brand rather than a monotonous release. If an article is considered ‘boring’ though, surely that’s down to the author and the topic?

Does the digital Newsroom remove the need for the old fashioned sell-in? Again, I don’t think so. Back in my freelance days, if a company wanted their good-news story telling I’d prefer that they send it me rather than me having to trawl through a site. Many of my journalist friends don’t have the time anymore to do indepth research unless it’s a ground-breaking story which is a real shame as this is where the real gems come out, but with how the industry is at the moment, time is incredibly precious.

Nissan’s editor-in-chief, Dan Sloan commented: “Nissan is not putting an end to traditional ways of promotion and advertising; it’s more a recognition that innovative messaging and delivery is the main objective, and on occasion cheaper than traditional methods.”

The Newsroom method does seem to work for international brands such as Nissan though, especially when a head office may be in the UK however the audience is in Japan for example.

The future of the press release still seems to be uncertain at the moment; however one thing is for sure, audiences are demanding more from their news via a variety of mediums and it’s our job to ensure they get what they want.

The notion of an interesting and inspiring office space is a totally alien thought for most office workers today who would generally associate their work space with words such as mundane, boring, dreary, and dull. Could spaces that are thought of by workers with negative descriptions cause a lack of motivation and dissatisfaction at work?

Physical space matters and wherever you go it is far more positive in my opinion to surround yourself in a creative environment that provides colour, art, space and inspiration. This not only applies to the office but applies to all spaces that one would use such as home, recreation and leisure and sets the scene for the attitude that you will apply to the day ahead.

With the revolution of communication some can drop a permanent work space and opt to isolate themselves in the middle of nowhere or move around different spaces for new daily inspiration. In the events industry, a specialist area of Big Cat we understand that it is important to find an inspiring venue to create an event to remember, alternatively when using a blank canvas it can be transformed into an inspiring space with the correct combination of lighting, furniture and colour.

Many conferences of today are repeatedly booked into hotels with poor light, bad carpets and dull décor that result in the need for well over 10 coffees an hour to keep delegates awake. Surely if a space makes it hard to stay awake during the day it is having a negative effect on the brain and is completely uninspiring. What you need out of a space is comfort, satisfaction, motivation, clarity and happiness. Can an inspiring space encourage these and influence our connection with the world?

Please find below some of the office spaces that I think would inspire anyone!



This month Big Cat are celebrating becoming certified in ISO9001.

ISO allows a company to follow set processes and procedures, minimizing the risk of error and we feel it’s been beneficial for our company in many ways. We’re giving our clients the consistent approach across the board and we’re making sure they receive quality service.

ISO helps us achieve:

- a customer focused organisation
- leadership
- the involvement of people
- ensuring a process approach
- a systematic approach to management
- a factual approach to decision making
- mutually beneficial supplier relations
- continuous improvement

Why it is beneficial:

- Higher customer satisfaction  through delivery of products that consistently meet customer requirements
- Improved stakeholder relationships – including staff, customers and suppliers
- Legal compliance – by understanding how statutory and regulatory requirements impact on the organisation and its your customers
- Improved risk management through greater consistency and traceability of products and services
- Proven business credentials through independent verification against recognized standards

Well done to the Big Cat team on gaining such a highly regarded accreditation.

Whilst doing some research for a prospective new client last week we came across this nice little marketing stunt by DHL.

The high impact visuals utilise the space on and around an escalator in one of Hong Kong’s busiest subway stations and despite being rolled out nearly 5 years ago, the viral nature of mobile videos has ensured the longevity of the advert as well as presenting it to an international audience.

The reason why this advert works so well is because it can be interpreted on many levels and, thanks to YouTube, be viewed by a mass audience. For example, we can all appreciate the playful message of the mini DHL vans rushing past the lines of queuing traffic as they travel alongside you on the handrail.

On a cultural level, Hong Kong was the perfect location for this campaign. It is widely reported that DHL couriers often use the subway system for their deliveries to ensure the quickest possible delivery time. Hong Kong’s subway system has the reputation of being the most efficient and affordable in the world, reflecting DHL’s express delivery service aims; speed, efficiency and affordability.

Positioning is key and with ambient media still growing in popularity the use of advertising on an escalator effectively makes your audience a sitting duck for communication. Advertising around escalators is nothing new but this stunt really communicates and interacts with the audience in a way that a static poster wouldn’t.

The red and yellow DHL branding is instantly recognisable and is used in and around the advert. For example, the vans are branded with the colours and logo, the images of the call centre and the yellow wall with the red stripe which runs the whole length of the escalator reinforces the brand message and focuses the audience’s attention.

Let us know if you have you seen any inspirational marketing stunts recently.

Over the past few years Big Cat Group has developed and managed a range of world class events including Bodies Revealed, CSI: The Experience, Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures and most recently The World of Princess. To give you an insight into how these events are secured and delivered we thought we’d put Senior Events & Exhibitions Manager, Rob Dudley through his paces and find out what it takes to play host to these events.

What is your role at Big Cat Group?

I’m the senior events and exhibitions manager at Big Cat which means I’m involved in a very diverse range of projects.  As such the specifics and responsibilities of my job vary, depending on what the particular project is.  For example in the last 6 months I’ve spent nights at various drum and bass events overseeing health and safety; I’ve organised the bar operation at a jazz festival; I’ve acted as deputy manager at the world renowned exhibition Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures, I’ve met with suppliers and manufacturers in Barcelona, I’ve unloaded and built the exhibition Princess – The World if Princesses in Dublin and I’ve also forged relationships with manufacturers in China to supply exhibition merchandise.  No two days are the same!

How did you get into events?

I’ve been involved with bars, restaurants and nightclubs for the last 15 years.  Events is a natural progression for me.  The bar and club industries share a lot similarities with the events industry.  Running a bar or club is like putting on an event every day.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now we’re working on a project which falls under the LOCOG Open Weekend.  The event is called Jamaica LIVE! and is a one day family friendly festival.  It features live musical performances (including Dawn Penn!), stand up comedy and spoken word, dance, arts and crafts, Jamaican food stalls and drumming workshops.  Further down the line we’re organising the launch of Bourneville College’s impressive new building, an event which is going to feature some pretty cool AV tech.

What is your favourite external event?

That I’ve been involved with?  Hmm… The Mostly Jazz Festival this year was good fun.  But Star Trek: The Exploration really stands out.  This was an exhibition of Star Trek sets, props, costumes and models from all of the TV shows and Films.  Big Cat was tasked with shipping the content from LA to Spain and then constructing the show in Valencia’s stunning Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences).  It was one of the hardest projects (17 days straight, minimum 12 hour days) but really enjoyable.  The venue is amazing and the city of Valencia is beautiful.  Weather was slightly better than Birmingham too.

What is your favourite thing about Birmingham?

Cafe Soya!

This past week, the Big Cat Office has looked like a jumble sale with every nook and cranny filled with either a bean bag, BBQ equipment, bunting or some form of party paraphernalia.

No, we haven’t been preparing for the annual Big Cat Summer BBQ but instead counting down the days to Jamaica Live, a 1-day festival extravaganza taking place at the heart of Birmingham in Victoria Square.

Organised by Punch Records, with Big Cat providing event and PR support, Jamaica Live was a celebration of Caribbean heritage and culture as part of the London Olympics 2012 Open Weekend. You may be wondering what exactly this had to do with the Olympics…well it’s a little known fact that the Jamaican Olympic team will be training in Birmingham over the coming year, so like any celebratory occasion we thought we’d throw a big party to celebrate.

On Saturday 23rd July, Birmingham’s Victoria Square was a hive of activity with the authentic sights, sounds and smells of Jamaican culture, with a range of activities taking place including traditional Caribbean cooking, drumming workshops, arts & crafts, storytelling, spoken word and dominoes. The Square also saw a large stage erected where the audience was treated to performances from Monique, the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra and Levi Roots who rustled up a storm on stage with his cooking demonstration.

Across the course of the day, over 32,000 people were said to have passed through Victoria Square, the majority of who stayed for the entire event. The Big Cat team had a fantastic day working the event and at the end of it all were proud to have been able to make the festival a reality. With so many budgets being cut at the moment, and funding incredibly scarce for projects such as this, it was fantastic to see so many people coming together, putting their differences aside and enjoying themselves. Some even learnt about a whole new culture, a rarety these days.

Biddle & Webb has been an auctioneer in Birmingham and the West Midlands for over 50 years. This year  it decided to re-evaluate its brand including a new logo and print collateral.

Big Cat have taken a great pleasure in getting involved in this project and have worked hard alongside other partners to deliver strong results for Biddle & Webb.

Our initial job was to create a headline brand/logo that could be separated between the 2 main segments of the company; auctioneers & valuers and general sale.

Each brand has been given unique colours to help them stand out from each other.

Whilst the design team were busy re-branding Biddle & Webb, Big Cat’s Marketing and Communications department concentrated on developing the strategy of the company, improving customer experience and raising the level of service it provides when compared to its competitors.

Keep your eyes peeled to find out more about our work with Biddle and Webb in future blogs.

Old brand

Auctioneers and Values brand

General Sale brand

6. Partners – events massively benefit from partners who can influence their networks. Event marketing messages that are syndicated via their website, blog, social network or database gain much more gravitas than unsolicited ones from a new event. Partners can provide third-party or word-of-mouth endorsements for your event that are much more powerful than an Ad or status update. Research your industry: who are the main influencers, who has the biggest network, what associations are your prospects likely to be a part of, do any of your speakers or entertainment have social networks or databases?

7. Channels – which are the most cost effective and efficient marketing channels to employ when promoting an event? This really is the million dollar question. I would suggest a blend of direct, sales promotion tactics such as email, telesales, social network updates, ads; reputational, brand and awareness building tactics such as PR, blogs, syndication through partner channels, and response based-social web marketing; passive marketing through websites and search engines; and “sticky marketing” tactics which employ a more problem-solving, relationship building activities that allow consumption on consumer’s terms such as tip sheets, blogs, presentations, guides, and white papers. The key thing to channel selection is constant evaluation and adaptation of tactics.

8. Incentives – discounts and offers are a great way of devaluing your brand and ensuring that no one will want to pay full price next time. I personally believe that if used correctly incentives can deliver word-of-mouth, red hot data, and early critical mass. Use only as an “early bird” incentive or in a very direct and time-limited way, never as a last ditch attempt to get numbers via general release through Ads, with no time limit.

9. Time – one of the most important elements of an event is giving you sufficient time to plan and promote your event. I would suggest a minimum of 3-4 months for even the smallest event such as a workshop and up to a year for a more complex event such as a conference or concert. For a large event I would suggest 4-5 months minimum of marketing time and for small event 8-10 weeks.

10. Context – in today’s world of abundance and connectedness customers have too much choice. There aren’t many needs that are not being serviced. With this in mind I would suggest being as niche and targeted as possible and ensure that all of your communications add value in some way. Context is as much about understanding when and how your target audience are buying as much as who they are.

Networking is a vital concept that all businesses need to embrace in order to gain contacts and maintain them. Business revolves around using the resources and knowledge of your environment to succeed. Without taking these concepts into account a business will not reach true potential. Having for the last five weeks been working with Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future, it has made me think about what a business wants to know and wants to achieve when out of the office for the evening. Businessmen and women are busy so for an event to be successful there has to be something which stands out in order to draw our Business community in.

Birmingham Forward is made up of over 200 companies that hold corporate membership; these are the key businesses in Birmingham; those that make Birmingham tick. Birmingham Future is for the younger generation in Birmingham, those who are finding their feet in Birmingham business circles. Birmingham Future provides a step for people to take in order to meet, network and socialise with people in equivalent positions across the Birmingham business community.

Since I began working at Big Cat five weeks ago, I have seen a number of events take place. Birmingham Forward events have varied from presentations by knowledgeable business men in Birmingham to tours around new buildings such as The Cube. Birmingham Future events have consisted of a wide variety of functions, from dinners with speakers to talks by big names in the political circle.

The recent Birmingham Future event consisting of a visit from The Right Honourable Philip Hammond MP attracted well over a hundred people to the event that took place in One Snowhill at the beginning of June.  This is a good example of how Birmingham Future events are attracting significant interest, not only throughout Birmingham but among people from outside the immediate Birmingham community.  The attendees not only came to listen to what had to be said about the HS2 plan, but also had the opportunity to question the Secretary of State for Transport. With press from Birmingham, Midlands Today, ITV Midlands and radio stations from not only the West Midlands but also sister counties attending, it was an event that appealed to all. It gave the people of Birmingham and others in the region a chance to hear about the changes that may happen, a chance to think about what opportunities such plans could bring to Birmingham, and a chance to develop business and prospects around the West Midlands. Attendees were able to network over lunch, so the event not only provided knowledge but gave an opportunity to leave with a handful of business cards.

Big Cat is constantly researching, trying to find out what people want to see and hear about. Researching the issues facing Birmingham and the Business sector, we strive to get speakers and produce events that will aid and give the chance to the local business community to promote themselves. With a lot of big names coming up in the last quarter of the year, such as John Hemming MP and Malcolm Harbour MP, Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future events are bound to continue to provide knowledge and opportunities to aid the Business Community.

Top 5 innovative event technologies to make your event really reach the stars.

We are forever hearing how fast technology is evolving and that the latest must-have gadget is being shelved just weeks into its release with its predecessor already in production. It’s hard to imagine how certain technology-based products can progress to an even greater level. The iPhone 4 is a classic example of such technology. With rumours of the iPhone 5 (and even iPhone 6) being rife, will Apple ever say enough is enough? I highly doubt it.

If we relate this to events, technology is an area that can really make-or-break the success of an event, with some events being solely technology-based. With this in my events-fuelled mind, here is  5 of the most creative and mind-boggling interactive event tech below to feast your eyes on.

 1)      Building Projection. Although not technically ‘new’, the projection possibilities today have been brought to a level never seen before in the Events Industry. Ideal for brand launches and with projections now being in HD, it is crystal clear that if you have the budget & space, building projection is a strong option to really drive home brand awareness and recognition.

       http://goo.gl/f1m5Z

 2)      PufferSphere. – Great visual focal point. This is breath-taking technology that forms a contemporary feel with traditional and subtle information portrayed. The beauty about this technology is that it can be manipulated to suit any event. With inwards projection, this stand-alone piece is highly versatile with minimal spacing needed.

 http://vimeo.com/1914697

 3)      iBar. This bar really takes event networking to a new level! Being easily assembled and loaded with a variety of different images/videos/interactive pieces, the bar top becomes an

interactive display that ‘links’ whatever objects are placed on it. As the video shows, the technology can be manipulated to form an Xbox Kinetic style wall feature – just going to prove that the events industry really does lead the way in interactive technology! With the main focus of this tech being the bar itself, this is perfect for networking based events as the bar is the one area that every guest will frequent, therefore maximising exposure!

 http://goo.gl/B81gP

 4)    Interactive ‘Aurora’ Table. As seen on the X Factor 2010, this funky table takes having a coffee to a new level.  With files, videos & images being able to uploaded, the interactivity of this technology has no boundary. Perfect for corporate events or exhibitions, this table can project certain processes or products through their life-cycle from start to finish. The Aurora is ideal for small to medium sized events, however not as the main focus due to its size and individual nature. Although expensive, this table would complement a main tech attraction perfectly.

 http://goo.gl/669Ta

 5)    Fog Screen Projection. Although not relatively new, I still think this technology is a great way of taking the traditional idea of projection and bringing into the modern era. Perfect for making a dramatic at any social event, this screen creates an air of mysticism and intrigue. Just make sure there are no drafts or wind traps nearby as you may end up creating a hazy cloud instead of a sharp projection!

http://goo.gl/SCN7F

 I think it’s clear to see that event technology is definitely progressing at an superb rate, with many influences being pulled from consumer products. In today’s competitive market, if you really want to make the right impression at your event, creative & innovative technology is definitely a route to pursue in order to create that sought-after ‘WOW’ factor! 

OK, so you’ve taken the plunge to commit to social media. You understand that the more you engage your customers the more likely you are to keep them. And you know that the way to do that is to engage with them without resorting to interruption tactics and sales messages.

Once you have a strategy, it’s time to choose a network. It’s got to be Facebook, right? Not so fast. You might be about to make an almighty mistake. Just because Facebook is the biggest (some say notorious) social network of them all, that’s not to say your customers are interested in connecting with you there.

In fact, despite the meteoric rise in the number of business pages on Facebook, most of them are failing because either a) their owners are not producing compelling content b) their owners are not committed to engaging with their customers c) the platform wasn’t the right one in the first place. Ask yourself the following questions before you start.

Where is your audience?

It’s not enough to say: “everyone has a Facebook account”. This may well be true. But are people interested in liking your page? Probably not. They might like you out of kindness if you ask them. But what’s the point in that? If they’re not engaging with you. You need to take some time to listen. Where are your audience having conversations about your product/service/industry? Where do they hang out? Use Google Alerts/Social mention or the Twitter hashtag to find out. Then spend some time listening before you jump right in.

Is the functionality right?

Now you’ve identified where the conversations are happening, figure out whether the platform supports the content you want to share. If you’re a photography business, you’ll want to share a lot of pictures. So do your homework: where are your customers and think about how they’ll want to engage with your content.

Can you commit?

There’s an expectation with some networks that you regularly produce content. Twitter, for example, offers the opportunity to be almost limitless in the content – this requires somebody managing the conversations with some regularity, ideally a working day. If you can’t commit to social media, don’t do it.

How will you measure your activity/goals?

This is important. Especially when you’re justifying the investment to your seniors. You will have set out your goals way before you’ve chosen your platform, so make sure the platform supports your goal reporting. If your goal is to drive more traffic to the website, make sure you’ve setup your analytics to measure that. If you’re looking to engage customers consider how the customer rates the quality of the post (IE YouTube ratings, Facebook likes, Twitter retweets or LinkedIn comments).

Are you prepared for the haters?

Finally don’t forget that you will get problem customers taking pot shots at you on social networks. That’s fine. Really it is. If a customer has an issue with late delivery of a product or the level of service you’ve provided have a plan to deal with them. And make sure you deal with it publically where appropriate – this will do great things for your reputation in the long run.

Think inside the box

Often the question we get from our customers is “what do I say?” Don’t forget the solution may not be all about Twitter and Facebook – they might be just the broadcast platform for your content. The real conversations might well be happening on your blog. This is where you can share interesting and useful information about your business that feeds both the search engines but confirms you’re an expert in your field.

Pic by WebTreats

Last week I attended a conference titled Social Media in a Corporate Context  (SMCC), organised by Communicate Magazine, as a Live-event Blogger. It’s difficult to find a really useful conference that is informative, interactive and filled with interesting case studies, but this event fitted the bill.

Attending the event was a great opportunity for me to listen to and engage with current issues and case studies surrounding social media within business, along with gaining the experience of live blogging and tweeting at an event as it unfolded. During the day individual blogs received up to 70 views, which was impressive as drive towards the site was driven by tweets generated at the conference using #smcc.

One of the first presentations was by David Noble from the TKGB titled: Things to make and do (on a mobile platform). Noble, firstly spoke on mobile applications; their growth, development and uptake on smart phones and the iPad along with how the industry is developing as a whole. Interactivity and communication was his key goal within his presentation and so he initiated group discussions through brainstorming sessions in order to create content for an app, which would be produced during the day.

Producing an app in a day (or ½ a day as it needs to be approved for sale before 2pm by iTunes), is something that I had not considered to be really possible as I imagined that there were a great many processes and stages involved, but it was produced and was available from the end of the conference for free download in the iTunes store (app name smcc).

This type of app building using the thoughts, opinions and discussion outcomes from a group at a conference such as this one, made for an exciting and usable output and something which I believe could be replicated for and at other events.

The app itself enabled the producers in this case to have a permanent record of ideas communicated and shared throughout the day (on social media), along with just being a super cool product to share with others who did not attend the conference.

Now that I know that’s its possible to build an app in a day I keep wondering; If I could build my own app, what would it be……. and if Big Cat was an app what would it look like?

The British brand of premium desserts Gü, founded in 2003, is running a brand relaunch campaign with a colossal budget of £2M -which is one of the company’s biggest marketing investment so far. With this significant amount, Joseph Liu, Senior Brand Manager at Gü Puds hopes to reach consumers who haven’t tried the brand yet and retain the loyal ones. They are repositioning the product, offering new packaging making it more visible to consumers and supporting the relaunch with a huge advertising campaign.

The brand refresh is also the occasion of launching a new range of products: Singles. They are chocolate or fruit flavoured mousses packaged in individual pots which include a convenient plastic spoon, allowing it to be savoured anytime and anywhere. The objective is to popularise the indulgent dessert and make the consumer realise that a special occasion is not necessary to enjoy it. However, it keeps its premium positioning since the flavours proposed are inventive and the price quite high £1.19 for a pot.

Gü consider interactivity with the consumer as a key factor of success. For the alimentary sector, the in-store sampling is a traditional weapon to invite the customer to taste the product and then to convince him to purchase it (it is always more than welcome to have a free sample of chocolate when you are in your supermarket, isn’t it?). But Gü wanted to go beyond in the interactive experience and make a big impression to people. In collaboration with JCDecaux, YouTube and Virgin Experience Days, DDB UK (in charge of Gü UK campaign) had the idea to install a drum on a 48 sheet poster in Tottenham Court Road, London. They invited passers-by to take delight in playing this big drum and organised a competition between the volunteers, filming the performances and uploading the videos on YouTube. The performer with the highest number of views has was awarded by a £200 Virgin Experience voucher.

The new bright slogan “Give in to Gü” encourages people to indulge themselves with little pleasures of life. On the new TV advert, that will run from May to July, we can observe scenarios of little temptations like inflated bubble wrap that is just waiting to be popped, a long line of dominoes that would just need a little nudge to start racing down, or an annoying label sticking out your friend’s cardigan. The message of Gü is quite simple: yield to these small everyday-life urges. As far I am concerned, I guess I will probably give in to the chocolate & raspberry pot after putting the final dot to this blog post. Yummy!

Give In To Gü advert

The news seems to be saturated at the moment with arguments about the censorship of ‘adult content’ in music videos. Every time you turn the TV on there seems to be a new focus group jumping on the band wagon targeting artists such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears for their sexually explicit music videos and lyrics. Their argument is that children should not be subjected to adult content at such a young age, and that these videos should be broadcast after 9pm.

Personally I’m not sure what all the fuss is all about. I’m not denying that there are certain videos that should be aired after the watershed, however surely it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor what their children are viewing, be it online or TV?

Living in a digital age should come with some precautions, and many applications do have systems in place to prevent underage children being subjected to adult content. Internet browsers have parental controls, you can lock TV channels off and gaming consoles even have timers on to limit time spent on them.

Many of these platforms run a substantial amount of advertising which is funded by these artists and as a result, I can’t see them stopping the broadcast of these videos anytime soon. Perhaps more of the videos may appear after the watershed but even still, children will find a way to watch them.

With the music industry already struggling, can it afford to take another hit?

Whose responsibility is it to monitor content? The artist, the Broadcaster, or the parent?

Recently arriving in New York for it’s third year was the 99% Conference. Run by Scott Belsky, founder of Behance, the conference focuses not on the generation of ideas, but their execution. Whether it’s personal projects hidden away in your sketchbook or the stack of notes following a brainstorm, one of the hardest parts of any project is the process of realising an idea’s potential that you knew it had in the beginning. How many times have you looked back over half-baked ideas and wondered why they fizzled out or never even got started?

Every year at the conference, industry leaders and young entrepreneurs share their knowledge and experience of their own working processes. Past highlights have included marketing guru Seth Godin, Pentagram Partner, Michael Beirut, and Creative Director at Google Creative Labs, Ji Lee. Speakers are varied, coming from all backgrounds of expertise and there are loads of talks available to watch here. I recommend anyone watch them, they’re informative and inspiring, and not just for those in the creative industries!

1. Brand identity – maybe a bit clichéd but a strong, clear brand is an important element of any event. The brand can either help build trust or else convey a confusing message. The brand can be supported by an event or programme title, which gives a more in depth description of the event.
   
2. Content – the theme, content, speaker, subject or entertainment of your event must be sufficiently attractive to your target audience. If you’re expecting customers to spend time and probably money to attend your event then you need to understand their needs and meet these in spades. Research (and attend) similar or competitor events to give you an idea of the level of content that is needed to drive the numbers you need. If your event is new you may have to try doubly hard, and expect to lose money on your first one.
3. Narrative – write compelling narrative that tells a story about the event. This could be about the background to the organisers, the history behind how the event came to be, how it will benefit the attendees. This will need to be combined with killer sales copy to quickly highlight the content and benefits, date, price, location, etc.
   
4. Business model – free or paid for? If an event is to attract new customers to your brand consider holding a free event – this will ensure maximum attendance. If however the event is of sufficient value to your prospects then introduce a charge but research what your competitors or similar events are charging.
5. Website – you will want a website which enables you to book delegates or customers online. Eventbrite. is an excellent site which is free to use if you don’t charge. It allows you to syndicate widgets, create lists, badges, and email customers. If you charge for your events and they are regular then you may want to consider developing your own eCommerce site as charges are 5% plus and you are restricted to Paypal or Google Checkout, which charge another 4-5%. I would suggest a website like Eventbrite to start and then evaluate the amount you are likely to spend on fees over the next year then decide whether a specific website is more cost efficient.

Here’s the takeaway: Ensure you have enough time to plan, especially promote your event. Write copy that sings. Link with as many relevant partners as you can. Test then evaluate every piece of marketing and get the ball rolling though early bird offers. Have a very clear message and identity and ask yourself this: would I pay for and attend this event before you start spending time and money.

Monday 16^th May saw the PR team head down to the Docklands in London to manage a press day for the Monster Energy Extreme Freestylers tour, and what a day it was.

Not used to the manual labour that the Events team endure on a daily basis, Big Cat PR rolled up their sleeves, erected 30ft tepees, helped set up ramps and managed national, regional and broadcast media for this unique and rather extreme press day.

The aim of the day was to raise awareness of Extreme Freestylers, a motocross stunt event which is hitting the UK this July at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. For the press day, we flew over World Champion, Nate Adams and UK Champion Chris Birch (as well as their bikes) to show the press how extreme this sport really is. Journalists took to the track on mini bikes following a masterclass from the experts and then bore witness to a jaw-dropping display from the riders on an articulated lorry which transformed into a ramp.

The day was a great success and fun was had by all. The coverage has already begun with a number of articles in the Independent, Daily Mirror and News of the World already being printed.

We’re all really excited about the UK tour date in July and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the crowd.

The 19^th May 2011 is a date that will be remembered by a vast majority of the Birmingham business community for one reason only – BYPY 2011. This highly prestigious awards ceremony recognised the talent that really is on show throughout Birmingham covering such categories as Communications, Financial and Legal, with the overall winner being chosen from each of the six sector winners.  BYPY also pays recognition to prevalent individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the city’s business community with the Inspiring Leader award.

 This year, the Big Cat events team had a rare night off from the stresses and strains of event management and, as great supporters of Birmingham Forward, were keen to book a table ahead of this impressive night.  After hours of grooming and preening (and that was just the men!) Big Cat were ready to hit the ICC in style. With dinner suits and dresses galore, it was clear from the atmosphere around the venue that the 770 guests were definitely in for a night to remember.  After a champagne reception, we were shown to our table ready for the show to start. Obviously, the Big Cat events team could not help but discuss event ‘stuff’ but it is safe to say that all comments made were positive as a first-class night was produced from start to finish. A stand-out point for me was the audio and visual used throughout the show. With the ICC having state-of-the-art technology in-house, this was used to its maximum potential through raw and edgy ‘Apprentice-style’ nomination videos, with audio to match creating a contemporary feel to such a historic event. The ICC is impressive just as a blank canvas, but once dressed and ‘teched up’ it stands head and shoulders above the majority of venues within the area, firmly pinpointing Birmingham as a genuine and versatile city to host an array of diverse and unique events.

 As the champagne continued to flow, the infamous Olympic duo of Katharine Merry and Derek Redmond expertly compered the awards leading to the pinnacle of the night – overall BYPY winner. After a great reception for the deserved winner, the after-show disco ensued with even more amounts of champagne consumed.  I think it is safe to say from this point onwards the night became slightly hazy and there were definitely a few sore heads in the Big Cat office the following morning!

DDB Auckland had an original idea to advertise the brand of shorts Superette in New Zealand. Some relief plates had been placed on the benches, seats of the shopping centres and bus stop in the trendiest areas. Once they sit down, only people who wear short shorts or short skirts become the ambassador of the brand, showing their “printed” legs. This new form of marketing remains very anecdotal for now but is in perfect harmony with the message:  “Short shorts on sale in Superette”.

Of course this principle has sparked off many positive and negative reactions. In my opinion I think it is a brilliant idea but it has to be very occasional and for a fairly exclusive brands (who wants a crisp or a washing powder brand tattooed on their legs, even for a little while?).

What I think is interesting as well is the way they can choose indirectly their models. Normally everybody with bare legs can be the “support” of the brand but people who wear short shorts and skirt are at 90 % young, rather slim and fashionable women. And they are modelling for free. Besides, choosing where they place the plates, they can also segment an area since the provisional tattoo lasts less than 30 minutes. In fact, it presents a big advantage more than the fact it is innovative: it is quite cheap.

It is an interesting and funny concept because we don’t get used seeing this kind of advertising and that’s why our attention is drawn to the message. On the long run, I think it would be doomed to failure, even if people -and particularly men- always look at the women’s legs they won’t pay attention to the message… and that is the point, paying attention to the message, right?

2011 is looking incredibly busy for events at The Old Library, with a string of beautiful weddings and swish corporate events ahead of us. We kicked off the spring with a fabulous event for Umberto Giannini’s local west midlands salons. Having previously used the space for their yearly awards ceremony, the event organisers at Umberto were more than happy to use our services once more.

It was an early start for members of The Old Library team, arriving at the venue at 6am to transform the space from a still, blank canvas to a black and white themed VIP heaven. The set consisted of a  swish black matt stage with a modest catwalk sneaking into to the seating area. The guests were to be seated at elegantly decorated tables of 10, each one representing a different salon in The West Midlands. Mid-morning saw the arrival of a string of gorgeous models, ready to get some serious hair done. The Study was a hive of hair extensions, straighteners, hairsprays and teasing combs and we were lucky enough to catch a sneaky peek of the catwalk show before the start of the event.

The guests were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine and directed to their corresponding table. The event was not only due to host various prestigious awards for the outstanding stylists throughout the company, but they had also opened up a mood board competition for all guests to participate in. These were displayed in the bar area where the guests could walk by and judge other’s artistic skills.  Before the awards even began, the guests were treated to a delicious hot buffet, followed by a rather large selection of lovely home- made cakes.

The awards went down very well with all guests and the winners, very well deserved. The event ended with some afternoon tipsy-ness and general satisfaction from all parties.

Earlier this month we were tasked with giving a long standing client a brand new advertising campaign to see them through the next 12 months.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have worked with Big Cat since 2009 and since then have changed their advert designs on a quarterly basis. This time, they wanted a longer running campaign with a view to continuing elements of the style throughout all of their literature in the near future.

So without delay, we invited their guys to get together with our guys for a good old fashioned thought shower. Although RoSPA is a design client, we pulled in our marketing and PR team to help the project get the best result, a truly 360 approach meaning there were all sorts of ideas floating around the room from different viewpoints. It was a great success and Big Cat Design produced three new ad campaign ideas to present to the RoSPA team. They loved all three designs and we were told it was a difficult decision to make. In the end they chose one with the plan to use elements of the other campaign ideas further along the line.

Campaign 1:
Simple and effective, clean imagery, set subjects colours for ease of differentiating, simple consistent and recognisable styling throughout all adverts

Campaign 2:
Testimonial to take centre stage, all about the views of people who have used RoSPA and found it helpful, again using colours to differentiate subjects, simple consistent styling.

Campaign 3:
Based on some posters produced by Tom Eckersley some years ago, we wanted to show how far RoSPA had come, and introduced the strapline ‘The Home of Safety since 1917’.

We look forward to seeing the first adverts in May’s OS&H magazine, SHP, Safety Express and other H&S publications.

Team building is a big business for venues nowadays with sessions coming in all shapes and forms, many of which our events team have covered down at the Old Library. However April saw the tables turned as the Big Cat’s were allowed out of the office and into the big wild world.

The day arrived and we all piled into cars, heading in a convoy to our destination. After an hour’s drive we arrived on a farm in the middle of no-where. It turns out we really were getting messy. Today’s adventure involved the Big Cat’s getting behind the wheel of various 4×4 and off road vehicles. The team building didn’t stop there though. The tasks involved us driving a reverse drive off-roader…whilst blind folded, extreme 4×4 through boggy marshland and tag team off-road buggying.

Despite all the mud and sludge we had a great day out which really helped develop our skills when working in teams, something that’s vital in our line of work.

A BIG thank you to Nick and Anthony who organised and paid for the trip!!

As everybody grabs an ice cold beer to sit out in the sun, Big Cat toasts to winning three exiting new clients: Reed Midem, bloc hotels and Aston Business School.

Reed Midem is one of the world’s largest marketing and event organisers, specialising in Television, Interactive Content, Music and International Property. They are heavily involved in projects such as MIPIM and MIPTV. We are lucky enough to be working along side Reed Midem assisting in strategic development, and the growth and exploration of new viable business sectors.

bloc is a chic, boutique hotel which opened in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in April 2011. We love bloc because it’s a luxury- budget hotel inspired by futuristic Japanese design. Big Cat will be working alongside bloc on its direct marketing and social media campaigns.

Aston Business School are a prestigious and renowned elevated education school, specialising in higher development for post graduates and business professionals.

Big Cat will be working closely with Aston Business School to promote a series of new courses aimed at business professionals within the region.

April has certainly been a busy month for Big Cat Group. Not only have we won marketing contracts for Aston Business School, bloc hotels and Reed-Midem but we’ve also just been appointed to provide PR, marketing, social media and media buying support for Monster Energy’s Extreme Freestylers event which is hitting Cardiff this July.

The event, which features a whole host of death-defying motorbike stunts, music and wholesome family entertainment, will be arriving at Cardiff Millennium Stadium on Saturday 2^nd July.

2011 will be the first time Extreme Freestylers has come to the UK and we’re hoping it won’t be the last. Having been a sell-out event in Australia, where it originated for a number of years now we have high hopes for this year’s event and are all really excited about working with some of the world’s champion stuntmen.

If you’re wondering why we’re all so hyped up about the event, check out the video below

It’s been near impossible to avoid the hype and media exposure around Prince William and Kate Middleton’s big day over the past few weeks and it seems that everybody wanted a piece of the action. Described as “a gift to the marketing and PR world” the wedding has seen all manner of companies jumping on the media band wagon and their products suddenly becoming tenuously related to the happy couple.

Of course, it was to be expected that certain industries would pounce on this huge marketing opportunity. The tourism industry, for example, were able to cash in on not just the spectacle but also the four day weekend. The entertainment and leisure industries utilised new media technology creating apps, websites, networks and online games, allowing the wedding audience to connect with brands on both a news and entertainment level.

But it’s not just the obvious industries that are using the Royal Wedding to try and boost their brand. BMW’s recent April fool campaign took full advantage of the run up to the nuptials as they announced a royal edition of the M3. As well as successes there were bound to be some Royal related campaigns that missed the mark within the media bombardment, I’m sure you’ve seen them, the gimmicks, competitions and events which seem to plug the occasion just for the sake of it. The line seems to blur between topical and relevance and it raised the question; can companies maintain their brand values whilst cashing in on the historical British event?

Here are Big Cat’s Top Five Royal Wedding related Marketing Campaigns that have stayed true to their brand:

5.  3M – Post-it Super Sticky Notes

Maybe slightly predictable, but Ogilvy Group’s tactical ad to advertise 3M’s Super Sticky Post-it notes, reading “Will and Kate, may you stick together forever. Congratulations” coupled with the strapline “holds stronger, longer” gives a simple but effective campaign with a rather sweet sentiment.

4. T-mobile – Royal Wedding

Whether you love or hate the recent stream of T-mobile adverts, they never fail to grab attention. Again working with Saatchi & Saatchi, they took inspiration from the growing popularity of wedding dance routines which have been appearing on YouTube over the last few years. The advert featured lookalikes of the Royal family dancing down the aisle as an extension of the “Life’s For Sharing” campaign.

3. Castle Rock Brewery – Kiss Me Kate Beer

The East Midlands based brewery decided to celebrate the Royal Wedding in the best way it knew how, by brewing a special edition, real ale! Although this marketing campaign started off small, with the brewery only planning on producing a small batch, over the weekend they were stocked in a major national pub chain and well known supermarket, as well as being internationally recognised in the press.

2. John Smith’s – Commemorative Wedding Plate

John Smith’s invited customers to “buy a pint and pick up a free royal wedding plate”. Keeping strongly on brand the No Nonsense commemorative paper plate gives a tongue in cheek nod to the Brit’s love of a souvenir plate as well as a “thumbs up” for that extra day off work.

1. Premiere Inn – Royal Bed-ding

Over the weekend Premiere Inn were on a mission to make you feel like a Prince or Princess. The limited edition duvet covers were printed with images of William and Kate from the neck down so just had to hop into bed and align your head with the printed body and transform yourself into the future King or Queen.  The, verging on the ridiculous, bedding shows that the budget hotel chain has kept it’s sense of humour and was available in their London branches on the Friday night.

Whether you had front row seats over the weekend or you were vomiting into your commemorative sick bag (yes they do exist) one thing is certain; for better or for worse, wedding fever managed to take over the world of marketing on a national and international level.

Birmingham-based full service agency, Big Cat Group has recently been appointed as event and marketing consultancy for two of the city’s top membership organisations, Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future.

Established in 1990, Birmingham Forward is an inclusive, independent, non-aligned corporate membership organisation which provides a platform through lobbying and events for its members to be clearly represented locally, regionally and nationally.

Following the success of Birmingham Forward, it was decided that a sister organisation was required to fulfil the unique needs of younger professionals, assisting them in their careers and developing talent to inspire and sustain business excellence. In 1993 Birmingham Future was established and since then has developed a membership base of over 500 individuals from across 21 sectors.

The award-winning Big Cat Group has been chosen to manage and implement a calendar of networking, lobbying and educational events for both Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future. These events will range from the prestigious Chairman’s Gala Dinner, the highly attended AGM, debates, meet and mixes, seminars and various speed networking events.  A strategic and integrated marketing campaign will support the extensive events calendar.

Anthony Tattum, Managing Director of Big Cat Group said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen to work with such outstanding organisations as Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future.

“Big Cat Group has been a contributor to Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future for a number of years with our CEO, Nick Morgan winning the entrepreneurial category in the nationally renowned Birmingham Young Professional of the Year as well as a number of our team sitting on the Events and Marketing committees.

“By utilising our expertise in marketing and event management, Big Cat Group will be able to provide a first class service, building upon the knowledge and connections that we have developed through our continual involvement in Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future over the years.”

Bowman cited in McCormick ‘Rio and Beyond’ said “as a series of widely publicised environmental catastrophes signalled globalisation of environment concern, society had entered the last stage of process that took humans from hearing, to understanding, to using, to abusing, and now, to worrying about the physical and biological world around them.” 

As consumers have been recognizing the importance of protecting our environment, environmentalism has become a major issue in the marketplace. The sustainable message has been steadily growing in the event industry, to the point where we can now begin to talk of a green element featuring in most events.  

But is the ‘sustainable future’ the next phase of revolution? Your answer is probably yes, as environment awareness instils in the public a positive attitude toward eco-friendly and encourages people to engage a ‘green touch’ in their everyday life. According to Laroche, author of ‘Targeting consumers who are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products‘:

“Increasingly aware of the seriousness of environmental problems, customers are becoming more ecologically conscious and are seeking to purchase eco-friendly products and services, preferring firms that favour environmental practices.”

So as individuals with strong environmentally friendly attitudes, we (the people who think being eco-friendly because they do recycling and choose shower rather than bath), look for opportunities to behave in an environmentally friendly way.

Well then considering that your favourite festival has the ambition to become green but for that they will need your financial contribution, what would you do? Are you really willing to pay more for your ticket? And then add the cost of train or bus ticket? Well of course, as perfect and devoted green-event-goers, we all know that car isn’t an eco-friendly transportation.

Yes you are right, being green is expensive so how green and earth loving are we really? Like we say in France, the love for someone and in that case for something (the earth) doesn’t have a price. So why aren’t we ready to pay more?

But don’t worry, we are not the only one to have the ‘cost issue’ in mind. In fact 36% of respondents of a recent survey for Event Magazine of (July/August issue) suggested money was the biggest barrier.

Even if we can’t always act as green as we would like, the fact that we are thinking of it is already a very good move.

I believe it is time to say ‘Au Revoir’ now.

Big Cat Group had a rather unexpected surprise thrust upon them today. We have been named one of the top 50 event companies to work for in the prestigious Fab 50 awards, organised by trade publication, Event Magazine.

The campaign, which kicked off a few months ago involved Event Magazine searching for the top event companies in Europe, whether they are agencies, exhibitions, suppliers or a venue.  Big Cat faced some stiff competition this year, battling companies that have teams of 300 employees or more. Just goes to prove that quality will always beat quantity.

Everyone at Big Cat is proud to be working for the organisation whatever capacity they’re in. We have a laugh but also get the job done, surpassing client needs whatever the brief. It’s great to see outsiders recognising our admiration and determination to take Big Cat places. So what better way to be recognised than to be named one of the top event companies to work for the country?

Well done guys.

The day started at 4.30am on Sunday 13^th March 2011 in typical Irish/English weather with cold drizzling rain. The large road closure scheme we had organised with the Birmingham City Council started on the morning of the parade so all the event infrastructure needed to be built in little over 4 hours which included, a market with over 22 stalls, a funfair, a fenced off parade route which stretched over 3 miles and over 12 food concessions this was all to be done before the 109 different parade groups arrived for the start at midday.  Luckily the weather broke and the sun beamed through the dark skies for the start of the parade which was opened by Bob Brolly off BBC WM. The VIP bus was supported by many local Irish dignitaries and the Mayor of Birmingham.

The parade was attended by over 85,000 people and my particular favourite parade group was the 40 very loud Harley Davidson motorbikes that roared through the route to finish off a very successful parade. In the afternoon there was an array of children’s entertainment, bands and street entertainment, market stalls and obviously the odd pint of Guinness was enjoyed

The Parade was the largest event set with in a culmination of smaller events held around Birmingham from 11^th -17^th March.

The problem with writing a blog on South by South West, the interactive conference in Austin Texas (SXSW) is that it covers everything: innovation, technology, marketing, design, journalism, gaming, health, philanthropy and more…

But that’s the great thing about it too. The breadth of ideas is astounding, even mind blowing.

2011 was SXSW’s 25^th anniversary but for once wasn’t about the next big thing this year. It was about using what we have, better. Many sessions were about the evolution of the user interface: from mouse and keyboard to touch and gesture technologies such as the iPad and Xbox Kinect.

There was a lot of focus on the convergence of technologies like television, mobile and computers. Mobile, video, apps and tablet PCs were tipped as the most exciting opportunities for innovation and investment.

The much vaunted Apple iPad 2 was launched during this year’s SXSW which is testament to the importance of the conference to the industry. Needless to say queues were around the block for several days until they finally ran out – I have to admit, even I, a self proclaimed PC succumbed to Mr Job’s charms.

The refreshing thing as a non-techie was that there was lots of humour around the conference. Amusing speakers who poked fun at the community, a witty collaborative 30-page pull out from the Guardian and the Austin Chronicle, and obviously, the parties.

The areas which most interested me were the leading edge social media marketing techniques, practitioners and technologies. I am already a big advocate and practitioner but South-by gave the opportunity to listen, learn and discuss. Gary Veynerchuck and Guy Kawasaki were notable in their advocacy of marketing using Social Media, with the big caveat that it is employed correctly.

The opportunities and benefits of good social media practice are many fold. Never before have organisations been able to build relationships with existing and potential customers in such a scalable way. Kawasaki’s angle was about superior customer service in his new book Enchantment. His very engaging talk detailed his 10 point plan to delighting your customers along with a generous smattering of anecdotes from his time working at Apple in the 80s.

Vaynerchuck’s contrasting style concurred with Kawasaki’s affirmation that competitive advantage can be gained by superior service. But his point of difference was about showing gratitude to your customers. His new book “The Thank You Economy” details how he created his $60 million business, The Wine Library.

Gary Veynerchuck pronounced that social media provides opportunities to businesses in the next ten years on the scale that the internet has in the last.

The concept of employing social media is still difficult to comprehend for many businesses because it requires listening to potential customers and building one-to-one relationships with them. It requires transparency, honesty and candour but I believe the differentiation and competitive advantage it will gain for the early adopters far outweighs the risk and investment costs.