June 3, 2013

The “8th P = Pride” says Phil Preston, Regional Director

by CIM GLR

in Regional Director

Even though it’s not compulsory for a practicing marketer to be a signed-up member of The Chartered Institute of Marketing over 38,000 worldwide are. So why is that?

Is it to get their hands on the wide range of benefits accorded to members – or is it because they want to belong to one of the largest communities of professional marketers on the planet (in fact in the entire universe, as far as we know Jim) and membership of a professional body helps them further their careers? I’d like to think it’s the latter – it has certainly been the thing that has motivated me.

Not only am I a long-serving member of CIM but also a member of the Levitt Group, the market interest group for senior marketers, who are some of the CIM’s most dedicated advocates. So when I saw this post on LinkedIn from Mike Holland, MD of Metrix and a fellow member of the Levitt Group, I almost fell off my chair:

Just what is the CIM for?
It’s not a new question (in fact, it is probably just a little bit older than CIM) and I certainly don’t have any new answers. But developments at CIPR (where I am also a member) have prompted me to write about it on my blog at http://bit.ly/10ypfvF

However, my panic was short-lived. Here’s an extract from Mike’s blog:

“At Metrix we like to think CIPR or Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) membership marks people out as ‘serious professionals’. They have not just reached a high standard of training and qualification but are committed to keeping their knowledge up-to-date and are pledged to uphold a professional code of standards.”

Phew – and I echo the sentiment exactly. The other day someone told me that marketing guru Malcolm McDonald once said to him, “there are two types of marketer, practitioners and professionals.”

So I’m going to propose an 8th P of marketing … no, not Professionalism, although that’s at the heart of the matter, but Pride.

I think professional members of CIM should wear the CIM brand with pride. As Mike and Malcolm so aptly put it, membership of CIM, particularly when it’s paired with Chartered Marketer status, demonstrates that the wearer has the credentials – knowledge, skill, experience and commitment to lifetime learning – to practice the art and science of marketing with absolute confidence.

I’m starting to well up – I’m now off to compose a CIM anthem.

June 3, 2013

Marketing excellence for small business: WordPress websites

by CIM GLR

in Digital, Small Business

What could WordPress do for your business? The guide to creating websites with free WordPress software.

Friday 28 June 2013 from 12:30 to 14:30
Market Reach, Mail Media Centre, Stukeley Street, London WC1V 7AB
Member £10.00; Studying member: £10.00; Non-member: £20.00

Book today
So why build your website in WordPress? There are many reasons, including – it’s free software, it’s widely used so there are plenty of people to ask for help and there are plug-ins for just about everything you might want your website to do – all of which means you can create a website yourself that works hard for your business.

In this lunchtime session you’ll explore the benefits of WordPress and follow a step by step approach to creating a website, with examples to inspire you as to what can be achieved.

Speakers, Mark Ganellin and Dee Twomey, are online marketing enthusiasts and Directors of the marketing communications agency, Marketing Zone, where they create websites every day. Mark is a digital marketer with a no-nonsense approach to web strategy and design. Dee develops website content to ensure customers are engaged and take action.

Registration is from 12:30; the event starts at 13:00 and finishes at 14:30.
This is a CPD category 10 event. CPD 1 hour

June 3, 2013

Branson has a mentor. Could you be one?

by CIM GLR

in Mentoring

Could you be mentorIf you look at today’s successful business people, what many of them have in common, along with expertise and passion, is the support of a mentor. Could you support a less experienced member by becoming their mentor?

Tell me more

Rey Carr put together some top names and tips, published on the Mentor Hall of Fame:

Sir Richard is still dressing up to win positive coverage, this time as an air hostess, May 2013, AIRASIA/Handout

Sir Richard is still dressing up to win positive coverage, this time as an air hostess, May 2013, AIRASIA/Handout

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways was told by Freddie Laker, who shook up the airline industry with ‘no frills’ Laker Airways:

‘If you are going to take on Pan Am, T.W.A. and British Airways, you’ve got to use yourself and get out there and realize that if you dress up in a captain’s outfit when you launch the airline, you’ll get on the front page. If you turn up in ordinary business clothes, you’ll be lucky to get a mention. Remember, the photographers have a job to do; they’ll turn up to one of your events and give you one chance. If you don’t give them a photograph that will get them on the front page, they won’t turn up to your next event.’”

Anne Mulcahy who rose to become CEO of Xerox was told by her mentor, “When everything gets really complicated and you feel overwhelmed, you’ve got to do three things: first get the cow out of the ditch; second, find out how the cow got into the ditch; and third, make sure you do whatever it takes so the cow doesn’t go in the ditch again.”

“Be nice, do your best – and most important, keep it in perspective,” was the advice to Meg Whitman former CEO and President of eBay from her father who was also her mentor. Meg is credited with turning eBay from a niche auction house into the mega online shopping site it has become.

Making introductions – more mentors needed

On 9 May we ran a ‘Meet a Mentor’ evening in the City. Around 25 members came along to meet some of the 6 mentors in a speedmatching session. Not only that, our Chief Executive, Anne Godfrey surprised us by spontaneously agreeing to mentor two London members who so admire her leadership approach they requested her support as their mentor. Potential mentors came along too to find out more about this voluntary role. It was wonderful to be able to introduce mentees to mentors, knowing what a difference this can make to the mentee’s career and how satisfying the role is for the mentor. Yet good as it was, the event was oversubscribed because we simply need more mentors in Greater London.

So do you have what it takes to be a mentor?

We have a waiting list of members who would be delighted to learn from your experience and have your support. It needn’t be onerous. But it will be rewarding! You and your mentee agree how often you are in touch, whether you meet up, chat on the phone or swap emails.

Members who have held Chartered Marketer status for at least two years and have at least eight years of working in a senior marketing position can apply.

Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive

“Mentoring can form a vital part of a marketer’s personal and professional development so we are delighted to see such a positive response to the launch of our national mentoring programme.

We often hear our members ask how they can give back to the profession so this gives an opportunity for senior practitioners to do just that.

Personally, I’m now looking forward to working with my mentees, even if I had no idea I was going to be a mentor a couple of weeks ago!.”

Anne Godfrey, Chief Executive

If you are interested in participating in the scheme, please complete the mentor application form and send it to mentoring@cim.co.uk. If you’d like to find out a bit more, please call the team on 01628 427273.

June 3, 2013

Studying? September dates and extra help

by CIM GLR

in Studying

If you’re gearing up for assessments in September 2013, make sure you know all your exam and assessment dates.

Introductory Certificate in Marketing.
Professional Certificate in Marketing.
Professional Diploma in Marketing.
Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing.
See the schedule

CAM Diploma in Marketing Communications.
CAM Diploma in Digital Marketing.
Check the dates

Take a look at the handy PowerPoint Assignment Briefings from the Senior Examiners so you know what’s expected of you.

As a member in the London region you can also use the free revision planning helpline from Student Support Group. Call Caroline on 01784 463057 for guidance or email caroline@studentsupportgroup.co.uk

Whether you’re CIM first timer and looking for some extra support or have recently failed/deferred any of the CIM or CAM qualifications, SSG can provide you with personal study support to get “unstuck, back on track and up to standard!”

June 3, 2013

Meet with drinks on 20 June 2013

by CIM GLR

in Meet with Drinks

Meet with DrinksThursday 20 June 2013, from 18:30 to 20:30
The Old Nick, Sandland Street, Holborn WC1R 4PZ
Members £5, Studying members £3, Guests £7.50

Chat with like-minded markers at Meet with drinks on 20 June. The event takes place at The Old Nick near to Holborn tube station, and just a short stroll from Covent Garden. You’re welcome to bring a guest.

Book in advance to give us an idea of numbers. Or you can turn up on the night.

If you can’t make it in June, then the next Meet with Drinks will be held on 11 July 2013.

The event was created by London member and volunteer Bernie Emery.

Bernie Emery, Meet with Drinks creator

Bernie Emery, Meet with Drinks creator

“Very simply it’s an informal event designed so that like minded-marketers and others to come together to share ideas and network in a friendly environment. We started it in 2007 because so many events are focused on training and CPD which is great but can restrict opportunities to network. By hosting an event that is purely focused on networking, people can stay for as little or as long as they want. London members can meet other marketers and learn from them or share their knowledge, as well as swap study tips and job search information.”

June 3, 2013

Member benefit – Practical insight through webinars

by CIM GLR

in Member benefit

To keep you up to date with the latest marketing thinking, we run a series of Practical Insights webinars. You can find out about these as they are happening because we’ll send out an email with all the details in advance.

You can view past webinars too. Because they are recorded you can watch them whenever it suits you. You can find the recordings on Marketing Expert within the Practical Insights section (log in to your ‘MyCIM’ account on the main CIM website and click Resources and then Marketing Expert).

Here are three of the latest topics:

Address to impress memorable online communications tools

There are a multitude of free and low-cost online communication tools available at your fingertips that will help you manage relationships and communicate your messages to key stakeholders. BBC technology reporter, Kate Russell, uncovers the best of the web by providing the ultimate collection of these tools and providing practical tips for how to get the most from them.
Listen and view this webinar

A practical guide to pay per click advertising

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising allows you to have instant visibility on Google, but making the best use of your budget and achieving you campaign objectives needs careful management. This practical webinar guides you through the fundamentals and teaches you tips and techniques from highly successful campaigns. You’ll leave with a range of tools and techniques you can immediately apply.
Listen and view this webinar

Your brand needs you! The power of employer branding

It is often suggested that an organisation is only as good as its people. Learn how employees influence the perception of the brand they represent and how they can deliver competitive advantage by becoming brand ambassadors.
Listen and view this webinar

Plus there are many more useful recorded webinars to choose from.

  • SEO: climb to the top of Google rankings
  • Marketing innovation for your business
  • B2B content marketing planning
  • E-mail marketing
  • Latest trends in Social Media
  • Why do I need a brand? An introduction to branding
  • Online data privacy – and what it means for marketers

“I really enjoy these – very easy to understand and insightful. They clearly attract people who understand the topic as the discussions are relevant too. Really good.”
Melissa Nurcombe, Head of Marketing, Digital Life Sciences

June 3, 2013

Higher education – ‘International student recruitment’ on 20 June

by CIM GLR

in Events

Marketing in a higher education context is growing in importance as the nature of the higher education market place continues to change both nationally and globally. That’s why there is a market interest group for this sector which is free to join for members. In fact, members can join up to three market interest groups free of charge with the exception of the Levitt Group.

The group’s aims

  • To help build the network of professional marketers by recruiting and retaining members and studying members
  • To disseminate best practice and marketing content in the sector
  • To become the voice of the marketing profession in the sector
  • To enhance the professional standing and profile of those working in the marketing field in or around higher education

Join the group

Join in the conversation
On Twitter @CIMHEMIG

LinkedIn at Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Higher Education Market Interest Group.

The next Higher Education event…

International student recruitment – Market context and challenge

20 June 2013 from 10:00
Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ
Member: £95.00; Studying member: £85.00; Non-member: £105.00

Book now

Based on original research commissioned by CIM’s HE MIG, Tim Rogers and Dr Neil Kemp will provide delegates with key data, analysis and recommendations to support strategic decision-making for their institutions in the critical area of international recruitment. Crucially they will recommend how the UK university sector and individual institutions might be better positioned to more effectively compete for international fee-paying students.

This is a CPD category 10 event. CPD 3 hours.
Nearest tube stations: Euston and Euston Square

June 3, 2013

Behavioural challenge workshop, 21 June

by CIM GLR

in Events

Friday 21 June 2013 from 12:00 to 14:00
Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS
Member: £18.00; Studying member: £12.00; Non-member: £24.00

This is a CPD category 10 event. 1 hour CPD
Book now

Run by our market interest group for those in social marketing, this interactive workshop puts into practice the theory covered at the last event ‘What makes a successful behaviour change intervention’. The workshop will be facilitated by two experienced social marketing practitioners, enabling you to work on a current behavioural problem and discuss ways of resolving it using social marketing principles.

We are inviting attendees to suggest topics for the challenge – please e-mail patrick.ladbury@thensmc.com with your suggestions.

The current trending topics are:

‘Increasing immunisation uptake in Wales’
‘Getting more people to vote’.

As a member, you can join up to three market interest groups free of charge (with the exception of the Levitt group).

Join the Social Marketing Group

June 3, 2013

2013 CIM/Bloomberg Digital Summit, 28 June

by CIM GLR

in Events

An injection of the latest thinking, ideas and learnings on harnessing digital and social media to drive performance

28 June 2013, 08:30 to 16:00
Bloomberg, City Gate House, 39-45 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1PQ
Member: £120.00; Studying member: £120.00; Non-member: £180.00

Book now

This is a major industry event exploring the dramatic shifts in digital capability. It will be a day filled with real-life case studies, in-depth analysis and expert insights from digital leaders including LinkedIn, Google, Direct Line Group, EE, Deloitte, Starcom MediaVest and more.

Coinciding with the launch of CIM’s latest Social Media Benchmark report, the Digital Summit explores the top questions facing marketers in both B2B and B2C industries. Expert speakers will provide insight on the latest ‘need-to-know’ developments in digital:

  • How to create a truly digital organisation.
  • How to balance innovation and meaningful measurement.
  • What the next 12 months will bring for digital and social media.

This is a CPD category 10 event. 6 hours CPD

Nearest tube stations: Moorgate and Liverpool Street

June 3, 2013

Join the debate – Advertising is good for the soul

by CIM GLR

in Events

The Debating Group

Monday 8 July from 18:00
Committee Room 10, House of Commons, Westminster, London
Tickets £15.00

Download the application form

We are a member of the Debating Group, which is a parliamentary forum for media and marketing debate. The Group has been holding debates in the House of Commons since 1975. It brings marketers, politicians, journalists and the public together to discuss the contentious political issues which surround marketing.

The Group’s next debate, sponsored by the Professional Publishers Association and Chaired by Lord Black, Executive Director of the Telegraph Media Group, will see the hot topic of the morality of advertising debated.

Putting the case for the motion is Charlie Meredith, Managing Director of IPC Advertising, together with Philip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Cannes Lions.

While arguing against the motion is Revd Dr Giles Fraser, Priest-In-Charge at St Mary’s Newington, along with Zoe Williams, Columnist, Journalist and Author.

To take your place at this stimulating event please complete and send the application form with a cheque for your ticket(s). Book now.

Nearest tube station: Westminster

June 3, 2013

Paralympics talent search for Brazil 2016

by CIM GLR

in Charity partners

The British Paralympic Association, our charity partner and the organisation behind ParalympicsGB, has launched a new campaign to find talent to fast track for the 2016 Rio Games.

Paralympic Potential: Bring on Brazil
This campaign is a search for male and female athletes, across all Paralympic classifications, with the drive and determination to win at the Paralympics. These are UK athletes with an impairment, aged 16-35 years old, with a sporting background and the determination to win at the top level.

Successful applicants will be invited to a Talent Assessment day where they will be given an advisory classification and analysis of their potential in Paralympic sport. So if you know someone who you think has what it takes to compete for Great Britain as part of the ParalympicsGB team, now is the time to encourage them to register.

The charity is registered with JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving so it’s simple to set up fundraising pages and take on a challenge to raise money for the ParalympicsGB team. And there’s a whole host of support to help you run a fundraising event, from posters and balloons to a complete fundraising handbook to give the team the best prospects in Rio.

June 2, 2013

Free digital insights event at Altitude 360

by CIM GLR

in Events

Don’t miss a morning of presentations with The Marketer and Capgemini’s Futures Forum on 19 June at Altitude 360, Millbank. Discover how digital puts customers at the heart of your business and what it means for marketing when you attend The Marketer and Capgemini’s Futures Forum. You will learn how to draw insights from data; optimise the digital customer experience; manage multiple channels and leverage social media.

The fantastic speaker line up includes our Head of Insights, Thomas Brown, as well as, Greg Nugent who is Brand, Marketing and Culture Director at LOCOG and Jeremy Caplin the CEO of Aprais.

Register now

May 1, 2013

Phil Preston, Regional Director reveals that ‘Jack n Jill’ are now on Facebook.

by CIM GLR

in Regional Director

A few months ago my wife said to me “we need a new chair for the Jack n Jill Pre-school”. My first thought was “why are you asking me, just go out and buy one”.

Of course, what she meant was that the pre-school where she has worked for the past 25 years needed someone to head up the management committee and was I interested in ‘volunteering’. How could I refuse?

So since November 2012 whatever spare time I have been able to find has been devoted to helping the pre-school develop from a well-run social enterprise into a well-run ‘small business’.

The pre-school has been around for 39 years and it has a fantastic reputation locally. The last Ofsted inspection in 2011 backs this up, “The children are very happy and settle well at this stimulating and welcoming pre-school.”

As a marketer I just couldn’t resist developing this into a ‘Mission Statement’, and here it is:

“The aim of our pre-school is to create a vibrant and fun environment for all children of pre-school age, from two upwards, so that by learning through play they can develop into happy, confident little people”.

The managers and staff at the pre-school already deliver a fantastic ‘customer experience’ for both the children and their parents. However, reputation alone does not guarantee a steady intake of two and three year olds each term so we decided a bit of promotional activity wouldn’t do any harm.

As is the case with most small businesses there’s very little money for ‘marketing’ but it’s amazing what you can achieve with a little bit of creativity … and Facebook.
The first task was to create an identity so I asked those very nice people at Marketing Zone (the same people who do all the CIM London comms.) if they would design a logo which we could use in print (such as letterhead, compliment slips, a newsletter and leaflets) and online.

And this is it … cute, eh? The parents and children loved it and, just as importantly, so did the staff.

Next came some signs. The pre-school recently signed a 10-year lease for the main hall at the Stone Lodge community centre in Ipswich so for the first time ever we have been allowed to fit some signage to the outside of the building. Anyone passing by is now greeted by the mother of all signs at the entrance to the car park, another sign directing them around the corner to the door and a ‘Hello, come in and enjoy the fun’ window transfer on the door itself.

You’ll notice that two of the signs each display the Facebook logo and one of them the strapline ‘Like us on our Facebook page’. So can you guess what we did next?

The pre-school now has its own Facebook page. Why Facebook and not a website? Why re-invent the wheel. Facebook is where the vast majority of the mums, otherwise known as customers and potential customers, spend most of their time. You only have to observe them dropping off their little ones first thing in the morning to realise that they are never more than a thumbs-length away from their smartphones.

Since the page was launched in February it has acquired 95 likes. Considering there are just over 100 children registered at the pre-school this probably represents 80% to 85% of all existing customers so as a communications channel – daily updates on what the children are doing and news about the pre-school – it’s pretty effective. But it’s a lot more than that.

Within a week of the page going live there were seven unsolicited and glowing recommendations. There are now 11 including this posted only last week:

“Highly recommended pre-school !! My older children loved it and now my youngest is there and it’s still brilliant !!! X”

Our daily posts have achieved a reach of anything from 100 to 700 ‘unique people’, and our instructions on “How to make playdough” went viral!

But the biggest result of all is that as a direct result of launching our page we have had four new enrolments for next term. As each child can be worth several hundred pounds per term that’s a pretty good ROMI (the site has cost us nothing but the time invested in it).

So whichever Facebook metric you look at ‘Jack n Jill’ is on the ascendancy. But we all know how the original story ends … so we are not resting on our laurels. Next we will be posting lots of pictures of smiling children proudly holding aloft their latest painting or Lego® sculpture – with full parental consent of course. We think they’ll like it!

May 1, 2013

Rethink: practical innovation 13 June

by CIM GLR

in Events

Thursday 13 June 2013, 18:00 – 21:00
BPP Law School in Holborn, WC1R 4NY
Member £18.00; Studying member: £12.00; Non-member: £24.00

Book todayCompanies must innovate to survive and grow. Yet organisations have totally different ideas about what innovation means. The essence of innovation is ‘newness’ or ‘difference’. This fresh thinking extends beyond new product development to every aspect of an individual’s and business’s life. By understanding this, it is possible to create vital points of difference that set your organisation apart.

Re-energise your ability to innovate

Nigel BarlowThrough this interactive session Nigel Barlow, international speaker to corporations from Apple to Unilever and author of ‘Rethink – How To Think Differently’, will explore what hinders our a

bility to truly innovate and what can be done to develop a mind-set open to new possibilities. Curiosity and questioning are the keys to successful innovation, and yet company life can diminish this capability. Through this workshop you will leave with practical insight on how to shift your orientation to ‘why not’ and ‘what if’, instead of ‘yes, but’.

See innovation demonstrated in practice
To complement Nigel’s ‘creative provocation’, we will share some of the most ingenious examples of effective direct mail on the planet. This is proof that rethinking the paper, card, glue and stamps that make up a mail piece can lead to something that is much more than the sum of its parts. This is practical innovation that delivers great results.

“Nigel Barlow’s energy and enthusiasm are quite simply astonishing. He manages to capture the attention of an audience and sustain their interest whilst at the same time getting to the heart of the business issue. I can’t recommend him highly enough!”
Stuart McCullough, Director, Lexus GB

Join in
On twitter @CIM_glr using #CIMRethink

This is a CPD category 10 event. CPD 1 ½ hours

Nearest tube station: Holborn

After the workshop – book the training

When this presentation has inspired you, don’t forget that there are many opportunities to develop additional knowledge and expertise through our training courses. Here is a taster of just some of the courses you can choose from or search for what you need:

An Introduction to Innovation
Building individual and organisational capabilities for innovation

Taking Insights to the Strategic Level
Take insights to the next level by building capabilities that drive strategy and innovation

New Product, Service and Business Model Innovation
Successfully managing innovation from business strategy to launch and review

Innovation Masterclass
Crafting the best-fit innovation strategy – bespoke, ready to wear or off the shelf

May 1, 2013

Ecommerce growth and country tool

The number of internet users around the world has reached a huge 2.4 billion, according to online retail association IMRG, with global consumer ecommerce sales worth almost €825 billion. UK facts Average spend per user £1,484 B2C e-commerce growth 14% B2C e-commerce turnover £78 billion Total internet users (% pop) 82% Total internet users 52.73m [...]

Read more…
May 1, 2013

Studying? Top tips to help you pass

If you’re working and studying it can be difficult to juggle your time effectively. And when studying seems hard, how do you stay motivated? In the Greater London region, we try to do all we can to help studying members succeed and reach their goal of gaining respected CIM qualifications. So with help from the [...]

Read more…

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