20. May 2013
With Kate Middleton about to join the most elite female club in the world, we felt it only right to look into the world of mums at our next Working Breakfast on Wednesday 5th June.
When a woman has her first child, she needs to find an extra 8 hours every day just to continue with activities she used to do before motherhood. It’s no surprise then, that Mums are turning to technology and the online world to support them in their everyday lives.
Our expert speaker is Steve Taylor, Head of Digital Strategy from global media agency PHD, who will draw on recent research and share some key insights into the online mum – what she's doing, what she loves and how to reach her.
It all happens on Wednesday 5th June at One Alfred Place, WC1E 7EB. Please join us for coffee and networking from 8am. Steve will be speaking at 08:30, followed by Q&A and a chance to mingle, ending around 09:45.
To register your place click here. And please do pass this onto friends and collagues who might also like to come along.
We hope to see you there!
16. May 2013
Last night was the first game of the season against Aimia. Trainers on,
bottle opener packed and new uniforms at the ready, the softball team trekked
it to Primrose Hill. Were there nerves? Some. Injuries? None. Beers?
Definitely. But CMW started exactly as they left off last season. Winners.
29. April 2013
Anyone lucky enough to go to University remembers the hazy days of late-night library visits, a dash home to get your washing home, and a cocktail of beans on toast and weeknight partying. But as we all grow a little older, develop a sagging midriff, complain about taxes, we ultimately lose touch with what being young was actually like.
And so, it fell to Jack Bovey from youth marketing experts The Beans Group to shatter some of the myths that have become ingrained in society’s perception of students at CMW’s latest Working Breakfast.
BT’s student mini-series of ads may have drawn a mixed reception but it has successfully tapped into how the modern student lives and the value that they provide brands with a long-term view. Beans Group research, which Jack presented to a packed out room, demonstrated the value of a much-maligned group that is all-too-often overlooked when marketers build their comms plans.
Aside from the shock that a whopping 61% of students regularly get their five-a-day, they typically also have £7,000 disposable income sourced from a combination of loans, parent contributions and part-time work. That’s more than a check-out assistant, part-time Mum, and a secretary.
“Not only this but 52% of young people, and students in particular, say that if they really want something, they will buy it, regardless of how much it costs,” said Jack. “This is a demographic that has grown up in comfort, and is not used to going without.”
Social media also has a vital role to play in any marketing plan and students represent the most connected users out there. According to Beans Group figures, an average student has 479 Facebook friends compared to the 130 of a normal user. Ultimately, they represent a tech savvy audience that can become the driver of earned media – and ultimately brand advocates.
For example, when picking their favourite brand, Boots came out as an overwhelming favourite with 1,000 surveyed with no negative mentions to the high-street chemist. This put it way out in front of ‘trendier’ counterparts such as Amazon demonstrating how much students value solidity, reliability, and a good customer experience.
“The brands that did badly in our survey of liked and loved brands were often those who had messed a young person around,” said Jack. “They are very much mainstreamers, and nowhere near as brand promiscuous as people think.”
“Banks understand this. They spend a large part of their marketing resources on attracting students, as they know that if they can capture these young people now - they can keep them for life.”
The truth is that young people of today will become part of the households of the future, they are now choosing the mainstream brands they will continue to use for the rest of their lives. Our challenge is to make sure that the passage of time doesn’t mean we lose sight of this.
Come back later this week for a Working Breakfast first - a focus group of Students tell us how they view marketing and brands…
8. April 2013
We’re in the throws of planning out next Working Breakfast which will take place at One Alfred Place on Thursday 25th April. If you would like to come along please email us; workingbreakfast@cmwlondon.com
Working Breakfast Theme: Youth of today
With reports of rising unemployment amongst 18-24 year olds and the misconception that they have little disposable income and are brand promiscuous, it’s no surprise that this age group tends to be overlooked by many leading brands as potential customers.
Yet, students alone (who account for one half of the UK youth population) contribute a staggering £20 billion annually to the UK economy.
So this time round we’ll be joined by youth experts, The Beans Group, who will draw on recent research into 18-24 year olds to reveal their shopping habits and some of the brands they love and hate.
We’ll also dispel any myths you might have about 18-24s
and share some ideas on how brands can reach this audience without upsetting
the mothership.
And should you have any unanswered questions, don’t worry as there’ll be a small group of young people to ask first-hand!
Event details
Thursday 25th April at One Alfred Place, WC1E 7EB
08:00-08:30: Breakfast and networking
08:30-09:15: The Beans Group
09:15-09:45: A chance to mingle
If you or your colleagues fancy coming along, you are more than welcome. Simply RSVP to workingbreakfast@cmwlondon.com so we can add your name to the guestlist for the club’s reception.
We hope to see you there!
15. March 2013
It starts with
an opportunity. James Eder, founder of www.StudentBeans.com,
asked for a volunteer. Everyone looked down at their toes, shifted in their
seats. No sudden movements that could be potentially construed as a ‘I’ll do
it.’
Then Salty, fearless
data planner that he is, bravely stuck his hand up... And was rewarded with a bumper
bowl of jelly beans. It starts with an opportunity.
This was the
first of many insights The Beans Group presented to us. Approach everything
with an open mind, question preconceptions, spot the opportunity.
This is what
they do with the youth market. And this is what they think more brands should do.
What are the
common preconceptions of the youth market? No disposable income, deal centric,
quantity over quality, substance over style.
Yet, they still
account for £20 billion a year industry. And 18 – 24 year olds are the trend
setters, intent on sharing everything they do. Good and bad. Suddenly they
don’t seem so irrelevant. Some brands get this, some don’t. To see which do The
Youth/100 report provides a detailed analysis of how 18-24 years interact with
their favourite brands. Download it here.
But how was this
relevant to CMW? How could we think differently about the brands we service?
Automotive
brands don’t traditionally target 18-24 year olds. New cars can cost upwards of
£20,000. But what if you target learner drivers? Everyone remembers the car
they learnt to drive in. This emotional connection will remain with them
forever, influencing future purchasing decisions.
FMCG brands
focus on families, specifically mum’s. But what about mum’s of the future? Students
today are (theoretically) the ABC1 earners of tomorrow. Get their attention now
and they could be loyal for life.
Anyway, all food
for thought. And now a couple of fun facts to finish:
Answers on our
Twitter feed @cmwlondon
How much does
the average student spend each year of clothes?
At the
University of Salford is the average consumption of units of alcohol higher or
lower than the recommended 21 per week?
What comes
higher in the Youth/100 top 100 brands: Boots, Red Bull, asos?
8. February 2013
On Thursday 7th February, CMW hosted the great and the good from the marketing world, who gathered to learn about Responsive Storytelling at our first ‘Working Breakfast’ of 2013. Armed with a cup of coffee and a suitably loaded pastry, more than 70 attendees gathered to hear what Antony Mayfield, ex-journalist and acclaimed author, had to say about the modern phenomenon that is data.
Given his background in telling stories, Antony was the perfect person to emphasise the power of a good yarn, and the way that he managed to intertwine this with the power of data left the audience captivated and sparked much debate in the Q&A after.
Backed with the analytical insight of Brilliant Noise Zoologist, Beth Granter, he identified three principles that remain crucial to our understanding and application of data – people, systems and culture.
“Data provides a responsive method to story-telling,” Antony said, emphasising the importance of applying a good narrative to the use of numbers. “The most successful stories are constructed in companies that integrate their data and creative personnel.”
He went on to explain that the consumer should lie at the heart of marketing and how data is applied rather than focussing on the company’s overriding corporate objectives. The US election and the way Barack Obama used data for campaign planning was held up as a sign of the power that lies behind joined up data, while Porsche and Getty’s content aggregation demonstrate great storytelling.
Whether big, small, social, or just plain statistical – data has an integral role to play in defining and reaching different tiers of consumers. From here brands can start small, test their communications strategy and tweak it accordingly.
Ultimately, only by harnessing this data can brands really build insights that matter, and create something special for the consumer, something that feels truly personal to them.
Antony’s slides can be viewed here:
http://www.slideshare.net/amayfield/cmwlondon-breakfast-briefing-responsive-storytelling
16. November 2012
It’s Children in Need day! And we’re delighted that our client Peugeot UK is supporting the charity this year. But not only that, they’re showing their commitment by allowing us to give their famous lion the day off – and letting Pudsey Bear do his own impression of the Peugeot logo.
Pudsey’s appearing today in Peugeot’s social media and also in Pudsey-branded full page ads featuring in The Sun, Metro and The Times.
The aim is to drive interest in the charity and raise money through ‘Pudsey's Dream Wheels’ an online game where people can first design their dream car using a simple tool, and then, if they choose, make a small donation and enter their design into a competition to win a Peugeot 208.
Our client Morgan Lecoupeur, UK marketing director, Peugeot, said: “Peugeot are extremely proud to partner with a charity as iconic and important as BBC Children In Need. In this, our first year of partnership, we wanted to drive home the message that everyone at Peugeot is supporting the charity and the excellent work they do for disadvantaged children.”
Our chief executive, Liz Wilson said: “Pudsey’s takeover of the Lion logo shows just how important the partnership is to both Peugeot and BBC Children in Need. We’re delighted that Peugeot have taken the brave step of putting the advertising spotlight on Pudsey and the wonderful cause he represents– it’s a tribute to the human side of this family-run company.” CMW have been working with Peugeot for seven years, managing prospect and customer relationships in the UK.
If you fancy your chances of winning a Peugeot and donating to this hugely important cause you can log on here – pudseysdreamwheels.co.uk
9. November 2012
We have made a key hire at CMW with the appointment of Anna Mackay as New Business Director.
Anna will be responsible for leading the agency’s growth and building on its expertise across a number of creative disciplines across both digital and traditional channels. She will report to our chief executive Liz Wilson.
With more than 12 years in business development roles, Anna has vast experience in planning and executing the strategic development for companies spanning a number of disciplines having been at Havas EHS (formerly EHS 4D), National Schools Partnership and Richmond Events. She joins from digital agency SYZYGY.
Speaking on the appointment, Liz Wilson said: “We are delighted to welcome Anna to the team. Her energy, enthusiasm and commitment mark her out as the ideal person to help us drive the agency’s continued growth. And her understanding of modern business development approaches make her the perfect fit for our agency culture and our proposition of ’helping big brands feel small’.”
Commenting on her new role, Anna said: “This role at CMW presents a genuine opportunity to help businesses connect with their consumers on a personal level across the full scope of marketing disciplines. The entire agency is built to help make brands feel as humanly-relevant as possible, and I am glad to be joining at this exciting time.”
30. May 2012
Nivea For Men has unveiled a social media aspect to to function alongside its Euro Campaign with ‘Soccer Stars Soundboard’, created by none other than your friends at CMW.
Using images of England’s Euro ‘96 squad members, including Paul Ince, Les Ferdinand, and David Seaman, we created a soundboard app that allows people to select their backing track – rock, reggae, hip hop or house - and add a vocal accompaniment from Ince, Ferdinand and Seaman who appear on-screen.
Users can then record their favourite mix and share it with friends.
The app will be promoted via Facebook, as well as through an eNewsletter to the database and a presence on Nivea’s YouTube channel.
17. May 2012
CMW's mighty softball team started out the league with a killer win last night, beating the competition into submission within 5 innings. They're very happy with their final score of 28-9.
Anyone up for a good ol' game of softball...?
Pictured below (L-R):
Kim, Kristen, Leon, John, Anthony, Ally, Marnie; Wen, John, Tom
