Building a Brand Online: A Guide to Success - May 20th, 2013
A solid and consistent online brand is paramount in today’s 24/7 digital world. This Blue Paper discusses why clear online branding is key and offers 9 measures for consideration to assist with online brand building.
Corporate Volunteering – Developing your Workforce & Strengthening the Team - May 9th, 2013
A corporate volunteering programme can make a positive impact on your business. Read on for real life examples of programmes in action as well as tips on how to set one up & then measure its impact.
Managing Time: How to Increase Personal Productivity - April 23rd, 2013
Time is precious. Time is finite. These days nearly every employer runs a lean operation thus making personal productivity more important than ever before. Read on for tips on how you can improve your time management skills at the office & beyond (& we promise it’ll be time well spent!)
Social Media for Business – Getting ahead with Facebook and LinkedIn - March 12th, 2013
Does your business have a presence on social media websites? If you’re not sure whether it’s for you read on for an overview of why all businesses should consider implementing a social media strategy; the paper focusses on two of the most established sites Facebook and LinkedIn.
How to Write a Social Media Policy to Protect Your Business, Your Brand and Your Employees - February 28th, 2013
Social Media & the law is certainly a hot topic at the moment. In this Blue Paper we stress the importance to employers to take the lead and produce clear guidelines of what is and is not acceptable for their staff to ’say’ on forums and social media websites both from a work and a personal [...]
Personality Assessments under the spotlight - January 21st, 2013
Read on for an overview of personality tests; with a continuous stream of new tests available we look at some of the most popular, their merits and the role they can play in the workplace.
Creating a Career Map - January 2nd, 2013
Read on for an overview of career mapping (aka talent planning), case studies that demonstrate the topic as well as a handy 4-step plan to get you started.
The Changing Face of PR Today - November 12th, 2012
Communication is all about relevancy – delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time. Read on to see how public relations is evolving & for tips to ensure your PR strategy is up to date and relevant for the future.
Becoming a Compelling Storyteller - October 15th, 2012
Stories are a key part of business, PR and marketing. Read on to uncover what makes a really great story, how to tell it (& develop more of them) as well as 10 tips to consider to ensure your stories connect with the audience.
The Beginners Guide to Marketing Planning - September 24th, 2012
The Beginners Guide to Marketing Planning offers a framework for producing your first marketing plan. It’s believed the more time you spend planning the more success you’ll have so read on for an introductory step by step guide to writing that all important initial plan.
Building a Referral Network - September 11th, 2012
Businesses know how powerful word-of-mouth marketing is and research continues to indicate that employee and customer referrals make good business sense. In this Blue Paper we discuss this research as well as how to implement a successful programme and the outcomes that you and your business can expect from setting up a referral network.
Positive Pitching: Today’s Elevator Speeches - August 13th, 2012
This Blue Paper considers how elevator speeches and sales pitches can use the power of conversation and storytelling to entice a prospective customer into a two-way conversation that will end positively for both parties.
Foreign Trade: A guide for small businesses - July 17th, 2012
The decision to expand internationally needs very careful consideration. This Blue Paper offers an introduction on when, where, how and what should be considered before embarking on such a strategy.
Experiencing Marketing - June 22nd, 2012
If you’re looking for a way to allow customers to experience your brand and all that it stands for – Experiential Marketing could be the answer. Read on for an overview of this fascinating topic, how to develop a strategy, case studies and more …
Direct Mail for Beginners - June 1st, 2012
Read on for a helpful guide to getting started in Direct Mail. This Blue Paper outlines objective and budget setting; preparing a mailing list then how to design, produce & post your first direct mail piece.
Making a Success from Failure - May 14th, 2012
In this Blue Paper we investigate how businesses define and communicate failure as well as exploring 7 principles that can help organisations learn from failure in order to succeed and create opportunities in the future.
Social Media Measurement: Show Me The Results! - April 18th, 2012
The popularity of using ‘social media’ as part of a communications / marketing mix continues to rise, however the process of measuring its impact and direct results remains secondary. Read on if you’re sceptical and you’ll soon become convinced there are true benefits to measuring your organisation’s social media activity …
When marketing goes viral - March 12th, 2012
Successful viral marketing campaigns boost brand awareness, engage target audiences, lead to media coverage or sales, and create brand champions among followers. Read on for case studies and research on what makes something go viral, how to develop an integrated viral marketing strategy and how to keep up momentum once the campaign is live.
Tackling the top 10 issues facing businesses today - February 22nd, 2012
Read on to learn why taking a moment to step back and consider some of the broader issues that could be key to driving growth during these unprecedented and challenging economic times could be time very well spent. We set out to summarise key issues, and offer potential first step solutions, to help organisations of [...]
Creating a Brand Book - February 8th, 2012
Read on for a comprehensive look at the reasons why organisations should ensure their brand guidelines are clearly set out and communicated to their stakeholders. This paper guides you through creating your own Brand Book and concludes with an extensive ‘Brand Guidelines Checklist’ covering everything from stationery, literature and packaging to uniforms, signage and promotional [...]
The Art of Negotiation - January 18th, 2012
In the corporate world negotiation is essential; thus being a skilled negotiator is an extremely important skill to have; negotiation is an art form that can be learned so read on for tips and guidance on successfully closing your next business deal …
Workplace Personalities - December 13th, 2011
A personality; for sure everyone has one! Read on to see how conducting personality tests can help when recruiting new staff as well as when considering staff for promotion, project or team activities. There are also hints for individuals faced with tests and an overview of common personality types.
A Blogger’s Guide to Blogging - November 21st, 2011
If you’ve been blogging for a while, it’s time to take stock – then move your blog to the next level, read on for thought provoking tips and ideas on how to further engage your audience with your organisation’s blogs …
Trade Show Know How - November 7th, 2011
The time, energy and effort needed to organise and run a successful trade show shouldn’t be underestimated. Read on for advice, tips and hints on making your investment work for you …
Twitter for Business - October 10th, 2011
Read on to learn how organisations can benefit from having a presence on Twitter; this Blue Paper gives practical advice on developing a strategy and setting goals as well as ways to measure the effectiveness of your tweets.
CSR, Good for Business - September 12th, 2011
CSR is all about doing the right thing. Ethical and transparent practice should be weaved into the core of any organisation. Read on for tips for successful CSR, no matter what size or type of company or organisation you are part of.
Mentoring for Success - August 15th, 2011
Win-win-win; mentoring brings value to the mentor, mentee and the host organisation. Read on to understand how a mentoring programme can benefit all involved …
Why Learning Isn’t Just for Kids – How Businesses Benefit from Continuing Education Programmes - July 11th, 2011
Keeping key personnel up-to-date, cross-trained and flexible for the demands of tomorrow has never been more important; read on to find out how setting up a Corporate University could not only educate your staff in how your organisation wants to operate – but also how it is seen favourably by prospective employees and additionally how [...]
Professional Reading for Personal Development - June 15th, 2011
No pun intended – but read on to find out how reading groups can benefit both the individual participants as well as an organisation as a whole. Once books are selected and meetings get underway the conversation will flow and ideas will follow.
Your Reputation – Your Brand - May 16th, 2011
Branding is a term that is commonly used but can have a slightly mysterious side to it – as it very often means different things to different people. Your personal brand is the perception others have of you and in this digital age, self-promotion (or personal branding) has never been under more scrutiny. Read on for tips on how to [...]
Managing Across the Generations – Millenials - April 15th, 2011
A new kind of work-force is emerging – those born between 1980 and 1995 are now entering the world of work. In order to capitalise on what these keen young minds have to offer; your communications (from initial recruitment and everyday management to longer term mentoring techniques) may need to be reviewed and updated.
Corporate Culture – creating a remarkable customer experience - March 11th, 2011
Corporate culture is more than a boardroom buzzword, whilst it can be difficult to define it certainly encompasses lots of different elements and it’s often quickly evident to your customers whether or not you operate a customer focussed organisation. Read on for explanations of corporate culture and how it fits in today’s 24/7 world as well as some great examples [...]
Managing Time - February 11th, 2011
From Post-it Notes on the fridge to iPhone apps; being organised in today’s 24/7 society has never been more essential. This Blue Paper shows how effective time management can reduce stress and increase productivity both at home and in the office.
Google Analytics – you’ve got an account – now what? - January 6th, 2011
These days, web analytics go much further than telling you how many visitors have viewed your homepage! But with so much info available, choosing meaningful goals to monitor can be daunting, so this Blue Paper has been written to get you started! The paper details metrics that can be monitored, advises how to create a dashboard [...]
Crowdsourcing; seeking ideas directly from your target audience - December 13th, 2010
This Blue Paper unveils the concept of Crowdsourcing, or shared thinking towards a common goal. Read how you can crowdsource to open up discussions, solve problems and spark debate!
Harness the power of online video - November 15th, 2010
Lights, camera, action! This Blue Paper looks at ways to successfully incorporate online video into your marketing plans as well as giving advice and tips on how to develop an online strategy, set goals and get started.
Fundraising Basics – Part 2 - October 13th, 2010
In our last Blue Paper Fundraising Basics, Part 1, we discussed donor research and prospecting. Now that your organisation has identified and courted likely prospects, it’s time to make the the request.
Fundraising Basics – Part 1 - September 30th, 2010
The art of fundraising and developing a donor base has been compared to a romantic relationship! In order to appeal to donors and build lasting relationships, you need to first seek those with similar interests and then let the wooing begin!
Getting started with Word of Mouth Marketing - September 2nd, 2010
Word of mouth marketing has been around forever, long before the advent of advertising. The objective is to get people talking about your business and, of course, saying positive things.
The Power of Images - July 27th, 2010
There’s no denying the power of the written or spoken word in marketing and communications but sometimes it’s the image that truly defines a message. Whether it’s a photograph online or an illustration in print, a carefully chosen image can reinforce messages or simply serve to convey feelings or emotions that words sometimes cannot.
What is your body language saying about you? - June 14th, 2010
In today’s competitive—and increasingly global—business culture, the value of effective and active communications seems obvious. Frequently, however, so much thought is put into the verbal message that another key factor of successful communication can be overlooked: body language.