I have a confession to make – I don’t Tweet, I rarely look at my Facebook page and I’ve let my Friends Reunited subscription lapse. The most socially active I get online is to check my Linked In page a couple of times a week. And while I am on the subject I hate using predictive text and I can never remember my mobile phone number. Having spent most of my marketing career in marketing communications that’s a pretty shocking list of admissions.

It’s about getting to know people - not profiles

It’s not that I am a Luddite when it comes to social media or modern telecommunications – it’s just that I prefer meeting people and networking in the flesh. Call me old fashioned but there’s something quite appealing about standing in a pub with a glass of Chardonnay in one hand and a business card in the other chatting to other marketers about life (and sometimes about work). That’s why I try to make it to as many of the GLR Meet with Drinks events as I can. I have met some very interesting people and made some very useful contacts. It’s also a great way for me to find out what members think about The Institute, good or bad.

Networking for real

So if you want to meet other professional marketers in a relaxed setting, where you can network freely or just discuss the latest developments in the industry, go along to the next Meet with Drinks in your area. Why not bring a friend or work colleague along with you.

There’s plenty of choice. The Central London branch holds one a month at the Old Nick in Holborn, the West London branch hold regular get-togethers in Hammersmith and the Croydon and South London branch Meet with Drinks take place in a pub near London Bridge. Dates are posted on www.cim.co.uk/greaterlondon

Michael Dumigan is a successful London marketer and GLR stalwart. He began his career 20 years ago as an Account Executive at Triangle with the ink still wet on his MBA. After several years as Client Services Director with design consultancy Revolution, he set up his own Branding Consultancy, Brand Dialogue, in 1997. He took over as Managing Director of HC&B Healthcare Communications in Europe in 2008. His client history includes Alcon, Allen & Overy, Bristol Myers Squibb, British Telecom, Cable & Wireless, Caviar House, KCI Medical, Laurent Perrier, Microsoft Europe and Shell Shipping. More recently, he’s turned his full attention to the pharmaceutical industry.

A powerful, durable corporate vision goes a long way to building a healthy and cohesive organisation. But creating and delivering that vision is a huge challenge – one that tests a marketer’s ability to engage people who may work for the same organisation, but have different roles and career paths. It’s exactly the type of challenge HC&B Healthcare Communications were ready to take on for their client, Dr Suwelack Skin & Health Care. With offices in Austin, Texas and London, HC&B provides a complete branding and communications service for healthcare clients in the Americas, Europe and Australasia. Their goal was to give Dr Suwelack a corporate vision that would unite employees and inspire the development of a more cohesive organisation.

A brief overview

Dr Suwelack is a manufacturer of cosmetics as well as skin care, wound care and tissue regeneration products. Based in Billerbeck, Germany, they produce highly purified and effective biological matrix systems. Carrying out intensive research - independently and in partnerships - forms a key part of their agenda. Dr Suwelack is a successful brand and its products are marketed to business-to-business customers worldwide.

A better approach

Traditionally, a business could find out what employees thought of their jobs, their bosses and the wider organisation through face-to-face interviews, focus groups, or by asking them to complete a survey. All of these tools are valid and yield results. They are also time consuming and labour intensive – especially when it comes to collating and managing research conclusions. But the web, with its potential for universal access also offers a range of collaborative options. HC&B developed a series of online processes that employees could engage in – without having to attend a meeting or change their schedules too much. This meant people across many functions, divisions and geographical locations could contribute their thoughts to the project. It also meant emerging ideas could be shared quickly and, ultimately, because sharing opinions was easy, there were fewer barriers to participation. At the same time, the team from HC&B could determine regional differences and identify blocks of management that didn’t respond. Online tools allow you to build consensus across an entire organisation.

It’s all about change

Michael Dumigan, Managing Director of HC&B’s European office says, “We’re learning better ways of doing things as much from kids as from traditional development courses and information-sharing events. Copying young people’s approach to online collaboration tools allows us to engage more people in developing, for instance, a company vision and that in turn makes the result far more enduring and defensible. We can now do this far faster and at far lower cost than was traditionally possible. What’s more, by engaging people simultaneously, the “not-invented-here syndrome” does not arise. The black-box process of creation is opened up to all.

Results you can count on

According to Michael, “participation rates were close to 100% as no one wanted to be left out of the process of designing their own future. Great original ideas and important finessing suggestions came from the most surprising corners of the organisation. If your plan for developing a company vision doesn’t include the people in accounts or the guy on security, you may be missing something really valuable. After all, your brand is everyone in the organisation, not just those that make it to the top.”

Final steps

Now, Dr Suwelack is in the process of putting the finishing touches on a new corporate vision. With HC&B’s commitment to engagement, participation and consensus, it’s sure to make a difference at every level of the organisation.

As members know, The Chartered Institute of Marketing has something for everyone. And that includes people who don’t think of themselves as marketers. A recent conversation with Kevin Tewis demonstrates what a difference getting a recognised marketing qualification can make – wherever you are in your career.

A little background

“I’ve been in the music industry for 13 years. I worked with major pop acts like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake and been fortunate enough to produce 15 number 1s. Over a year ago, I decided it was time to move ahead and take on a senior management role. Around the same time, I was introduced to The Chartered Institute of Marketing through a friend, Christy Traore, who also happens to be Director of Programmes for The Institute at BPP Professional Education in London. She suggested that a qualification in marketing would really help me to progress professionally. Around the same time, Sony’s HR team made it perfectly clear that a qualification from The Chartered Institute of Marketing was a prerequisite for anyone wanting to move into marketing. And the same was true for the other big record companies. I took the decision to study for my qualification pretty seriously. In fact, I completed four modules and the Diploma in 12 weeks. The workload almost killed me, but getting through it was also incredibly important.”

The importance of good qualifications

“What I learned on the course has paid dividends. It enabled me to position my business and understand both customers and stakeholders. With my new skills, I could analyse what was going on and determine the best ways to get more customer satisfaction. What I do is very niche – it’s all about selling a product to a limited number of potential buyers. And, I’m now able to justify my budget to the marketing department. Marketers don’t usually make records – but when they do there’s definitely an advantage. I’ve recently been asked to help sort out a job description for the role of Entertainment Marketing Director at a big record company. That’s something that I couldn’t have done without everything I learned during my studies.”

The progress continues

“Alongside my industry career, I’m now working as a 1:1 tutor for The Institute’s Diploma Course at BPP. In fact, I’m developing ideas for a new course on marketing and music production. There’s simply no course available that gives you all the practical guidance that people need to do the job well. And the music industry is huge. There’s film scores, popular music and classical. Not to mention gaming – the numbers are pretty amazing. A good course would help give people a solid grounding in the skills and thinking they need - whether they decide to pursue music production professionally or not.”

Final thoughts

“The Chartered Institute of Marketing offers something for every industry. And you can apply what you’ve learned so quickly. My goal it to be a Managing Director by the time I hit 40. My marketing qualifications are definitely helping me stay on track.”

Mobile advertising offers a low-cost, highly targeted way of reaching consumers. Unfortunately, it’s not all good news. Mobile marketing amplifies the most fundamental marketing challenges – gaining permission, building brand affinity, understanding mode and mood. Get these wrong and the impact on any brand can be disastrous.

Colin Linton is a member of the Greater London Board and is the Senior Examiner in Delivering Customer Value Through Marketing, a subject in The Institute’s Professional Diploma in Marketing.

Colin’s ‘Top Tips’ for students in this subject are:

1. Study the whole syllabus in depth. This is perhaps an obvious suggestion but often students skip through on some parts of the syllabus. At this level of qualification students should feel confident across the entire breadth of the syllabus.
2. Understand the case. Students should have undertaken thorough analysis of the case ahead of the exam, using a range of analytical tools and techniques.
3. Identify the key issues and challenges facing the organisation(s) featured in the case. These should be understood in the context of the organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. They should also be understood in the context of changes that are occurring in the organisation’s operating environments.
4. Read and understand the question. Again, perhaps an obvious ‘tip’ but well worth remembering. Questions comprise two key elements. The first is an instruction to do something. Students should look out for the verb which is used in the question. ‘Evaluate’ is different to ‘describe’, ie more detail is required for the former. The second element will be a direction to a specific area of the syllabus.
5. Identify the relevant aspects of the case in relation to the question.
6. Identify the appropriate marketing tools, models and concepts and apply them specifically in the context of the case.
7. Provide sufficient detail in answers. At this level of qualification students are required to justify and support the points that they are making. So, students should make the point and then add further commentary to reinforce what they are saying. The use of relevant examples can help in this respect.
8. Keep to the point. Students should refer back to the question to ensure that they do not stray off the point. Time is valuable during the examination and marks will not be awarded for irrelevant content.
9. Time management is critical both during the examination and during study. In the examination, time should be allocated to questions pro rata in line with the marks available. Students must ensure that sufficient time is available so that all questions can be answered fully. During study, students should allow ample time for analysis of the case material and for revision ahead of the examination.
10. Presentation of answers is important. Students should prepare a plan and organise their thoughts. Separate points should be in different paragraphs. Where the question specifically states that answers should be presented as a report, students must ensure that they do so.

If you’re taking exams in December or an assignment deadline is looming, you’re probably a little (or maybe a lot) short on time. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. The important thing is not to panic. To help you stay calm and carry on, we’ve created two lists of tips – one for Studying Member taking exams and one for those who’ve opted for assignments. The advice is condensed, snappy and full of quick links. Many of these resources are free, some have fees attached. Don't forget you’ll need to log in to The Chartered Institute of Marketing website to gain access to the resources. If you have any problems, call Membership Services on 01628 427120.

And don’t forget, we have one free diagnostic quiz to give away to the first 50 studying members who call the Student Support Group on 01784 463057. Ask for Caroline who will issue you with the online authorisation number for your free quiz.

Exam revision hints and tips

Four ways to achieve exam success.

1. Identify gaps in your knowledge

• Online diagnostic quizzes are a quick and convenient way to find out where your knowledge gaps are. There’s a diagnostic quiz for every subject and you pay only £10 plus VAT. Do one for those subjects you’re least confident with and you’ll see how much you actually know and where to focus your revision in the next few weeks.

2. Fill knowledge gaps

• Find a Chartered Institute of Marketing revision provider to help share the workload - Revision Providers.
• Use mind maps to visually plot your subject syllabus. They make it easier to see how ideas fit together and help you recall information quickly.
• Make your own revision cards or create a poster of key points for every topic.
• Use your subject syllabus to double check you’ve covered and have notes on everything.
• Treat your frazzled brain to a Syllabus Crammer Workshop in London with Student Support Group - London Revision Workshops. Soak up the syllabus highlights in one day.

3. Apply your knowledge

• Remember when answering a question to quote the theory, explain it, apply it and evaluate it. Practise this process on a few topics.
• Exam terminology – understanding Chartered Institute of Marketing vocabulary, plus free news and articles.
• Use past papers and specimen answers to check your dissection of the question CIM Model Answers.
• Mock exam marking – make mistakes at home, not in the exam room! Submit a mock paper and get feedback.
• Reassure yourself with an exam prep workshop to practice with other students and an expert tutor. Find dates and prices - Exam prep workshops.

4. Get the best grade you can

• Use The Institute’s examiner reports – discover what the examiner wants this term - www.cim.co.uk – examiner reports.
• Look at common exam formats – see specimen answers as examples - CIM Past Exam Papers.
• Be aware of common exam mistakes to avoid.
• Poor time management would be the most frustrating way to go wrong! Rehearse your timings for reading, planning, answering and checking each question.
• Collect contemporary examples for each area of theory www.cim.co.uk

Assignment planning hints and tips

Suitable for studying members at all study levels – especially those with assignment deadlines this December. Here are seven tips to keep you on track. Plus…

• Read what The Institute says about assignments at CIM Learning Zone.
• Get some practical advice and one-to-one assignment support from your study experts Student Support Group (SSG).

1. Plan your time – but keep it basic!

Stick to the plan to avoid falling behind. Do allow for slack! If you can only do one assignment per term – do one and pass. Don’t do four and risk failing them all. Assignment briefs are made available at the beginning of term. Scan one of them before you start studying for the module. Don’t focus too much in the early stages. Take time to actually read around your subject, learn and absorb the content of the module. Use technology to help – internet, SSG website, The Chartered Institute of Marketing website etc. Acronyms are still useful for assignment students as they provide good structures for writing assignments.

2. What the Examiner wants!

Key performance requirements: demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes and subject knowledge (concept). Answer the question, task or brief; apply the theory to the context provided (application). Then, you can make recommendations, justify your choices (evaluation), use appropriate marketing vocabulary; provide evidence of wider reading and remember to be professional (presentation).

3. Assignment Do’s & Don’ts

DO: answer THE question, the whole question and nothing but the question. Look for key words - understand the terminology; plan your answers; answer using marketing vocabulary, tools, models and techniques. You should also use examples to illustrate the theory in action. manage your time & nerves; avoid the “Wall of Words” and present work professionally – the Examiner is your customer!

DON’T: dump marketing theory, panic or spend hours planning waffle. Know and apply the theory selectively.

4. Support network – Get study buddies

Convince your boss and gain his/her support so you can ask for time off to complete your assignments. Explain to family and friends what you are trying to achieve and why. Use The Chartered Institute of Marketing website and textbooks. Have a tutorial (or SSG) before you get started, one to get unstuck and one to reach The Chartered Institute of Marketing standard. Assignment tutorials are available (fees apply) via caroline@studentsupportgroup.co.uk

5. Assignment top tips

Decide which tasks you’ll do. Select an Organisation to base the assignment on. Most students use theirs, but you don’t have to! Ensure you can source enough information to complete the project. Break down each task, create a “skeleton” with an outline answer for each; Mind map your answer – which theorists /models; Use The Institute’s magic formula to break down each task; Concept, Application, Evaluation & Presentation; Develop a list of rough headings for your report, based on the wording of the tasks.

6. Use your tutor

To check your outline early on and thereafter. To build it up, write a first draft for each question or task. Use a report format – background, rationale / introduction, objectives, methodology, reporting and timings. Ensure that your subtitles reflect the assessment criteria in the question. Proofread your first draft - ask your Tutor (or a friend) to check it for you.

7. Assess your word count

Have you got more or less enough content? This excludes the index (if used), references, bibliography and appendices. Make your revisions where necessary and write your final draft and appendices. Ensure that you have correctly referenced everything – ideally using the Harvard referencing system.

New - virtual learning available

From February 2010, The Institute will be offering a new virtual learning option for the Professional Certificate in Marketing and the Professional Diploma in Marketing. It gives marketers a new opportunity to learn and achieve without having to attend classes.

Success is in the air!

People are talking about change – and a brighter economic picture. But GLR members are living proof that the economy is alive … and kicking. So take a minute and meet a GLR member who has found a new path to success.

Women In Marketing 2010 – Already making plans

It’s not even January yet but Ade Onilude is already making plans for next year’s Women in Marketing (WIM) event. This year will see the launch of something new – the WIM awards. This year’s theme is Digital, and the list of speakers is nothing short of inspirational including:

• the Head of Sales and Marketing, Google UK.
• the Future Laboratory, speaking on women and the web.

Plus other leaders focused on the digital world. Look for more information in the next GLRNews. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out The Chartered Institute of Marketing events listings.

Passed a qualification this year?

If you’ve already satisfied the CPD requirements for the year you passed your qualification (July 2008 to June 2009). Claim the hours you have accumulated by registering for the programme by 30 November 2009. Why miss out when you can make your hard work count for even more?

In memory of Michael Warne

It is with great sadness that we advise you that Michael Warne from The Chartered Institute of Marketing has passed away. Michael was the Regional Director for the Greater London Region prior to Philip Preston’s appointment to the role. He continued to be the Regional Director for the South East Region and the Market Interest Groups up until his untimely death. The Greater London Board and all those actively involved with The Institute in London remember Michael with great affection. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Movember 2009 is here!

Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache or 'mo', highlighting men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer. Anna Borrini from the Prostate Cancer Charity explains how The Institute’s London members can get involved…

“Mo Bros, supported by their Mo Sistas, start on 1st Movember (the month formerly known as November!) clean shaven and have the whole month to grow and groom their moustache. During Movember, each Mo Bro becomes a walking billboard for men’s health and, via their mo, raises essential funds and awareness for Movember’s men’s health partner – The Prostate Cancer Charity. At the end of Movember, Gala Partés are held to thank Mo Bros and Sistas for their support and fundraising efforts.

The Media Trust – partnering with the London region

Our members have attended Media Trust speedmatching dates and volunteered to work with a range of different charities. And there will be even more of these events in the future. Just check the website on a regular basis.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the marketing & communications needs of charities – the Media Trust have produced a report that will tell you everything you need to know. Great for specialists and potential volunteers alike.