tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70626051176080389512024-03-13T08:06:48.494+00:00Advertising MattersDaz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-78236776238341849252019-07-09T14:08:00.003+00:002019-07-09T14:22:33.497+00:00Charity fundraising in uncertain times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_htN5gqKHesezMc6ivFalSiqUUMawn1hy2cDUGuMBXweBh05ldsnVQXhLV9g4XstSl_vuGjCARtMArAcoYcklShGvJcWIYdkAxh_fz5ovpAlxVb_iWX5pmt2xn-B_H1CUmR7r1pkyEmL/s1600/green_collection_boxcol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_htN5gqKHesezMc6ivFalSiqUUMawn1hy2cDUGuMBXweBh05ldsnVQXhLV9g4XstSl_vuGjCARtMArAcoYcklShGvJcWIYdkAxh_fz5ovpAlxVb_iWX5pmt2xn-B_H1CUmR7r1pkyEmL/s640/green_collection_boxcol.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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These are difficult times for Charities. Government support has been eroded and so has Corporate sponsorship. There remains the generosity of Joe public and he is less enthusiastic these days.<br />
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According to the Charities Aid Foundation, regular giving though still providing around £10 billion in donations is now accounted by fewer people.</div>
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These fewer supporters therefore give more individually. Charities are also increasingly reliant on legacy contributions. One medium sized Charity recently announced that it collects 50% of total income from legacy gifts. In the past legacy income were regarded as welcome windfalls. They were unpredictable and though wealthy supporters were courted and encouraged to include the charity in their wills, the results were long in showing. Charities that tend to do well offer care, sympathy and the possibility of relief via research for cures of long drawn out suffering from specific illnesses like Alzheimer’s, Cancer and Heart disease.</div>
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All this implies that many Charities have falling income and so legacies while accounting for a larger share of total income, this is from a smaller cake.</div>
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There are of course many factors that account for the decline in public generosity. One may be the effects of the recently introduced General data privacy regulation.<br />
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Organisations that used to communicate regularly with their customers and supporters via the mail now need the express permission of people on their mailing list to continue this practice. Direct mail used to account for 70% of the total ad spend of Charities. It was the most efficient advertising vehicle acquiring up to 80% of income raised via advertising. The most recent analysis of advertising spend shows that Direct Mail now accounts for 36%.</div>
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Charities have switched ad spends into the Television medium, which though a great way of promoting the cause is less effective in raising money directly. Some use it to promote their own lotteries. Many advertise in daytime programmes and these whilst less expensive cater for a downmarket audience. Ideally TV should be part of a multi-media strategy.</div>
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Some enterprising direct response advertisers get around GDPR by continuing to use the mail by substituting the term “Householder” for named individuals. Others analyse their supporters by Mosaic post codes and thus expand their householders mailing list.</div>
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Inserts in carefully selected newspapers and magazines also provide scope for a wider telling of the story to a more relevant audience. There is even space to remind supporters of the benefits of charitable bequests without making it the sole reason for advertising.</div>
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And then there’s the quality press, selective and very adaptable.</div>
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-75511557048285189392017-12-07T11:02:00.002+00:002017-12-07T11:39:52.191+00:00How to get Ahead in Advertising<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4O-AXZStTJX-rLqEm4EL2Ww02XO75FqkNkBIgNvmbCj82rGFQHhF5R7A7ToFSBPngV15Jq4QX9sGFoEfeWEqrsRXZEcMA6g3UeCnbksecmAqVZbouk0JelVgyn4pX1ZxA47aKFYIj8Ne/s1600/Keitel-20150903073312139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="884" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4O-AXZStTJX-rLqEm4EL2Ww02XO75FqkNkBIgNvmbCj82rGFQHhF5R7A7ToFSBPngV15Jq4QX9sGFoEfeWEqrsRXZEcMA6g3UeCnbksecmAqVZbouk0JelVgyn4pX1ZxA47aKFYIj8Ne/s400/Keitel-20150903073312139.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The function of advertising is to inform and persuade. Before you can do that, you have to grab the attention of the prospect. This can be difficult. Attracting attention means diverting the mind from other more important issues. This difficulty often leads to over prioritising entertainment, so that one remembers the advertisement but not the brand being promoted.<br />
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Years ago, I did some small scale research which involved showing prospects cut down versions of commercials with the branding components missing. The commercials were selected to make the case, but I was still surprised by the high proportion of viewers who couldn’t recall the brands. Particularly since these were heavily promoted brands.<br />
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Some advertisements having attracted attention then fail to suggest good reasons for prospects to think better of the brand.<br />
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Rosser Reeves invented the concept of the Unique Selling Proposition, where a brand offered a valuable benefit which was either unique to the brand or was not capitalised by competitors. Many successful brands benefited from this USP concept in the second half of the 20th century. Sadly it seems to be less common now.<br />
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Which is why the brands that sell on a USP benefit stand out.<br />
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Think of brands who attract attention and then suggest positive user benefits and Direct Line comes to mind. They use Harvey Keitel in his wise guy persona. Then he provides tangible benefits not promoted by competitors.<br />
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Landlord protection for unpaid rents is one. A taxi ride home after a car accident is another. This is good advertising and as such is very effective.<br />
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Insurance companies suffer from an increasing level of customer complaints and simply trumpeting clichés makes for waste.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BoiUG8DOUc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BoiUG8DOUc</a>Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-77875969643770041852017-11-20T15:33:00.001+00:002017-11-20T16:12:02.813+00:00Lessons from two smart cities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CXjUFP8S1ui-L9DokKdMJhyAXF-RdtDG8frcQhvBLOxMZYsTkK8Ls3PhnVuN9VyIh3mKUfM-xrGMooN6JqrIT7fF7MaTSqk9xl1LCr2va4Gt5hMgRpCNSE2VkwsSl8ac_pONBDC-NNT8/s1600/Gardens-By-The-Bay-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CXjUFP8S1ui-L9DokKdMJhyAXF-RdtDG8frcQhvBLOxMZYsTkK8Ls3PhnVuN9VyIh3mKUfM-xrGMooN6JqrIT7fF7MaTSqk9xl1LCr2va4Gt5hMgRpCNSE2VkwsSl8ac_pONBDC-NNT8/s400/Gardens-By-The-Bay-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Observing how other cities are adopting change is arguably the fastest way towards sustainability for your own environment.Two cities I have recently visited are involved in novel ways of improving the lives of their people.<br />
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Consider Singapore. In geographical terms, it’s about half the size of London and supports a population of nearly five and a half million people.<br />
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Inevitably it is characterised by a multitude of high-rise buildings but the other overwhelming impression is just how green it is.<br />
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It wasn’t always so.<br />
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In 1965, when they gained independence, Singapore was “filled with slums, choked with congestion, where rivers became open sewers, no natural resources and few jobs for the workforce. Now it’s a clean, modern metropolis, economically successful and the highest rate of home ownership anywhere”.<br />
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Veteran architect and urban planner Cheong Koon Hean oversees the city’s public housing has developed the concept of livable density which is about “creating quality of life despite that density”. Pocket sized public gardens are linked by canals and pretty bridges, Vertical gardens adorn the sides of buildings, whole floors are given over to gardens used by everyone. Three million trees grow in luxuriant profusion amidst rivers and ponds. The botanical gardens are beautiful and it’s orchid collection not to be missed. Bishan park is part of network whose ultimate goal is the provision of 400 miles of walking and cycling tracks. By 2030, Singapore will be gauged by the Green mark standard whose aim is to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. Renewable energy is being developed rapidly and the smart money says they will achieve their targets.<br />
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San Francisco is one of my favourite cities. They have a target: 50% of their electricity will come from renewable sources by 2020. Since solar panels and wind turbines already account for 40% of electricity purchased, the target is likely to be exceeded.<br />
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It also has policies on recycling and composting. It aims to eliminate landfills and incinerators by 2020.All food waste, grass cuttings and foliage is collected and converted to compost as “fine as sand”. Hotels are involved in this recycling programme too because it saves them money. The City now bans the sale of small plastic bottles and are installing drinking fountains. Supermarkets are now no longer allowed to hand free plastic bags to their customers. The city is now targeting bans on packaging materials such as polystyrene and cellophane and developing the use of old fashioned washable diapers.<br />
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No reason why our cities cannot emulate Singapore and San Francisco. <!--EndFragment-->
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-29359789649759739232016-07-07T13:04:00.002+00:002016-07-07T13:05:18.114+00:00Does technology only have to serve the rich?<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYZe58o50eN7AkWUcma-7VfN6fh_TiCjc5117RP-lNV1RAHSAs3X0EjoxKNk7YWsctVaCTmQV1nBgUgTUPTmq0KptqXNaBoExFT6X_lhplBKatYgWQ5izeqjw_8Sis000Jyd4GZNweUIU/s1600/hands-held-up-to-sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYZe58o50eN7AkWUcma-7VfN6fh_TiCjc5117RP-lNV1RAHSAs3X0EjoxKNk7YWsctVaCTmQV1nBgUgTUPTmq0KptqXNaBoExFT6X_lhplBKatYgWQ5izeqjw_8Sis000Jyd4GZNweUIU/s400/hands-held-up-to-sun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The divisions in this country have been
bought into sharp focus since the recent referendum. Some people in the winning
side are behaving as if they have been given a mandate to take us back to the
days of the black shirts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">There is less goodwill towards people who
have settled here despite their contribution to the economy. Has compassion for
the third world poor diminished too?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And yet the advances in science and
technology means that much more can be done to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Apparently, the Earth is hit by 430
quintillion Joules of energy from the Sun every single hour: That’s enough to
meet the World’s energy needs for a year. </span>Furthermore solar energy has never been
cheaper at thirty cents per watt. Installations of solar panels are growing
exponentially and battery technology has improved dramatically too.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">That is why countries like China and India
are investing so heavily as are companies like Tesla, Apple and Google. Low-level
technology such as spray-on can transform windows and glass in buildings into
solar panels. </span>In Britain, schemes already exist to
convert pedestrian footfalls into energy to light up buildings.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Sustainable energy that doesn’t need huge
infrastructures and national grids can transform poor people’s lives. </span>Better standards of living in their own
Countries can mean fewer migrants, less carbon emissions and global warming.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Schumacher was right when he wrote about
how low level technology could help the disadvantaged in his book: ‘Small Is
Beautiful’ forty years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Ultimately, Helping the poor in the third
world, helps us too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-13798586122323956182016-04-04T11:20:00.001+00:002016-04-04T11:43:03.344+00:00The law of unintended consequences<!--StartFragment-->
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">In China and India there are more young men
than young women. The problem in China was exacerbated by the one child policy,
but in both countries was created by a cultural preference for baby boys. The
technological advances that allowed the gender of the unborn baby to be
determined and the availability of surgery for abortion did the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The cultural norm had been early marriage.
Now with a gender gap, young women could exercise choice. So goodbye to dowries
and being second-class citizens. Now better educated, women had real power. The
drift towards automation left many young men unemployed echoing Mahatma
Gandhi’s warning: <i>“What we need is not mass production, but manufacturing by
the masses”</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The surplus to requirement young men
drifted, joined gangs, formed bad habits and sometimes turned criminal. A few
became the prey of recruiters to terrorist groups where the incentives were
money, pornography and drugs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Their salvation will only come if they are
given opportunities to educate themselves possibly through the internet. In
rural areas, Satellite TV and mobile phones leap-frogged the traditional route
of terrestrial television and landlines. Now the concept of a linked world as
imagined by the communication theorist Marshall McLuhan could do the same for
education. Online schools and Universities will emerge to teach basic education
and higher knowledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Technology can also create jobs.
Electricity can be made available without a national grid through solar panels
and improved storage batteries. Graphene can be extracted from the methane
created by cow dung and fabricated into suitable material forms. 3D
printing may also be possible, reducing the need for long journeys to an
industrial hub.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Others may become economic migrants and in
addition to a better life, they will have a better chance of finding a partner.
Many societal thinkers believe that migration is not only inevitable but could
be a force for good in an ageing Western world. Educated or self-taught, they
will find opportunities in the new digital world as explored in Professor
Douglas McWilliams new book: The flat white economy. Immigrants,
particularly the skilled ones add to the store of capital and even the others
take jobs that the native population don’t want. Imagine the NHS without
Doctors and Nurses from abroad. The digital explosion in London depends
on the importation of skills from abroad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Immigration could actually be beneficial
for the ageing West and not the bogey it’s currently depicted to be. In fact it
might be a case when ‘the law of unintended consequences’ could be a force for
good.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-31914219373720874762016-03-29T11:01:00.000+00:002016-03-29T11:35:19.005+00:00What is the incentive for saving?<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMabo00YPw2vHXeKe48vIzd6F9hYxSI4JDB7cZ3KQ0tAE08cI-pxMOTdONHu3OfWskISv6k17wHmue9_d8rdOz2m4I2qFPVYVYiAZSKvyAESzfzKxI9CWyAortGKhly_UCVLHka3Nx3mlO/s1600/horse1-20150629075635642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMabo00YPw2vHXeKe48vIzd6F9hYxSI4JDB7cZ3KQ0tAE08cI-pxMOTdONHu3OfWskISv6k17wHmue9_d8rdOz2m4I2qFPVYVYiAZSKvyAESzfzKxI9CWyAortGKhly_UCVLHka3Nx3mlO/s400/horse1-20150629075635642.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">People appear to have gone off the habit of
saving. For years wiser folk have recommended putting aside one-seventh of
income for the proverbial rainy day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The average savings ratio is now a meagre
5%, so why are we ignoring this advice?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Some are too poor. Day to day survival is a
battle for many. They are targets for the payday loan crooks, some of who
charge 1200% interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The fear of debt that kept our Grandparents
cautious appears to have evaporated. Indeed the economy is largely based on
borrowing. Get a car on the never-never. Use your credit card to fund a
holiday. Furnish your home with the notional zero percent interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">For the few thrifty folk, there seems
little incentive to save. Conventional saving accounts are not being encouraged
by Banks and Building Societies. Current interest rates are as low as 0.6% and
that scant return is liable to tax. George Osborne’s plan to have Banks not
deduct 20% of interest paid will only help the less well-off wage earners on
the lower tax threshold. They will welcome this change, but they will account
for a tiny proportion of savers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">ISA’s were popular when the tax free
interest they generated was worthwhile. Today the rates for Cash ISA’s are at
best 1.41%. A poor return for an Economy purporting to be growing by 2.5%. So
the drift to Share ISA’s should grow, if and it is a big if, they generate a
better return. Here the fine print becomes a warning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Share prices can go down and in the
volatile climate, careful savers may consider that now is the time to indulge
and spend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Then there is the Pension savers, an
incentive tax scheme, whereby tax is deferred until the rainy days your savings
can be retrieved. The Chancellor would like to collect these taxes when he’s
still in charge, but fears a political backlash.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">So it’s up to the Business in the wealth
management sector to offer benefits that encourage people to save.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But what can they say?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Some try to demonstrate trustworthiness in
a generic sense but without a proposition most are not credible. Hiscox did
this well and Lloyds have the most beautifully shot series of films with
memorable sound tracks. Others talk about longevity which in the light of
recent failures elicits little positive response. Without upward trending
performance graphs some can try calling on the reputations of wizards like
Warren Buffet, Anthony Bolton and Neil Woodford, but it’s still a difficult
sell. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Advertising needs to have a credible and persuasive sales proposition in
the way Rosser Reeves meant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And that depends both on the financial
service companies and talented creative people in advertising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-13265449767708651432016-03-14T12:37:00.006+00:002016-03-14T12:40:12.674+00:00Reasons to holiday in St Kitts and Nevis <br />
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I knew very little about these islands. Like most of you, I had known they were in the Caribbean and guessed their economy was largely based on Sugar and tourism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What I didn’t know was their differences with other islands in the West Indies. Was the scenery more stunning than that of St Lucia? Were the locals friendlier? Was it easier to get to than Barbados?<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is likely that this holiday hot spot is desirable but is it sufficiently different from its promoted sister nations to merit consideration? What it needs is uniqueness and reasons to go now. Non deferability in fact.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Selling Travel provided both factors in their March issue in an article headlined “Celebrating in St Kitts“. It listed six things to do in the islands at different times of the year.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the 27<sup>th</sup> of March, the fifteenth annual ocean swim between Nevis and St Kitts is open to all. Two and a half miles of excitement and fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In June St Kitts will host a tri-nation cricket tournament featuring the West Indies, South Africa and Australia.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Other events include a music festival, Restaurant week, Latin fiesta and at year end Carnival.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Selling Travel says:<i> “One of the best ways to experience the colour, personality and culture of St Kitts is to visit the island when a major event or festival is taking place”</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was sufficiently intrigued to investigate further. Flights from London are regular. Next a call to a travel counsellor and a visit to the website provided the reassurance that the islands were attractive, sufficiently unique and offered things to do for people who wanted more to do than fly and flop.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However these reasons need to be promoted , perhaps by working with British Airways and relevant tour operators initially and if possible by mounting an effective advertising campaign.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tell prospects about St Kitts and Nevis and they will come.<br />
<br /></div>
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-50855199114245907422016-03-03T12:12:00.000+00:002016-03-03T13:53:48.877+00:00Pensionable age extension - An election loser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6efMsrpgZWgkMDBGOuSUkwCbGli7dH9oCGtYT-500brB3W9HD_0sUJcwRRQy4ReTI8yocH9U7-GbZrj_UFKD2NberrthM7lwbAljsIoadL5D2F8ndGaIgnHEGUCL3hURRnCeuYeJ_fPMD/s1600/George-Osborne-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6efMsrpgZWgkMDBGOuSUkwCbGli7dH9oCGtYT-500brB3W9HD_0sUJcwRRQy4ReTI8yocH9U7-GbZrj_UFKD2NberrthM7lwbAljsIoadL5D2F8ndGaIgnHEGUCL3hURRnCeuYeJ_fPMD/s400/George-Osborne-012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Politicians are talking about the necessity
of raising the age when people can collect their state pension. The current
expectation is that people born after 1978 would be able to collect their state
pension when they reached 68 years.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">George Osborne thought the pensionable age
should rise to 70, but other people think it would have to be much higher. </span>Some think that our increasing longevity
warrants a pensionable age of 82.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">This will be increased gradually, but
people now aged 30 will be expected to work until they stumble into retirement
at 82. </span>They will already have worked for 12 years
and the prospect of another 52 of servitude is bound to be unwelcome.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">A man aged 30 today is expected to live for
another 51 years, so the average man will not live long enough to collect his
pension. The average woman of 30 has a life expectancy of 85, so her longevity
will cost the State three year’s pension. </span>Hardly fair for sixty years of
contribution. We think of these contributions as savings for old age, but the
Government has used these payments to pay for existing
pensions. So there’s nothing in the pot for future generations.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Will people accept these changes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">The large number of people likely to be
affected makes this move a vote loser for the political party responsible for
its initiation. In the end, this may only be a red herring to introduce a new
retirement age of 70.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">And there’s another reason for watering
down these proposals. Employers may baulk at the retention of so many elderly
staff who may earn more than young entrants and who are less able to cope with
technological developments. What if unemployment amongst the elderly rises and
unemployment payments fill the space intended for by wages? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Also increased longevity doesn’t
necessarily imply good health. Many chronically ill individuals will have to be
paid sickness benefits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">It may be that the very prospect of a
delayed start to retirement will spur the growth of private pension provisions.
We currently save less than 5% of income for our old age. Financial experts
think the ratio should be more like 15%. But the Chancellor is sending the
wrong signals with tax caps on pension pots over £1.25 million. Pensioners also
pay tax on the residue of their funds after the tax free portion is deducted. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Mr. Osborne and his successors must devise better incentives for people to save
because the State cannot provide in the way William Beveridge anticipated all
those glorious years ago.</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Perhaps Neil Kinnock was right when, on the
eve of the 1983 general election, he warned us <i>‘not to get old</i>’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-60162125858136053832016-01-19T12:19:00.002+00:002016-01-19T14:23:55.018+00:00Tourism: Hazards and opportunities<!--StartFragment-->
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimrC_OvDlLtOb_idiv7d49PHOmPKMnbGeHd0NQAM4r_YoKBHaVUShDEMdrMZQ9jjN-8ocjEQ68zYhA8asLUdCXn1PUumI6gcwFeD5WEduM7MH7g4bOMDFl8qJRBwIfn1a3F4SF-SW-f_P/s1600/1024px-Fort_Lovrijenac%252CDubrovnik%252CCroatia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimrC_OvDlLtOb_idiv7d49PHOmPKMnbGeHd0NQAM4r_YoKBHaVUShDEMdrMZQ9jjN-8ocjEQ68zYhA8asLUdCXn1PUumI6gcwFeD5WEduM7MH7g4bOMDFl8qJRBwIfn1a3F4SF-SW-f_P/s400/1024px-Fort_Lovrijenac%252CDubrovnik%252CCroatia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Tourism is leading the world out of
recession. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation,
international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4% in 2015 to 1,184 million. An
increase of 50 million tourists compared to 2014 figures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Tourism currently creates 9% of the world’s
gross domestic product and also accounts for 9% of total employment. As a
sector it grew faster than the conventional economic power houses such as
Finance, Retailing and Manufacturing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In Britain, the International passenger
survey suggests that overseas trips by UK residents have reached 63 million, a
significant improvement from the numbers generated in 2010. However not
everyone has benefited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Countries with a warm climate and attractive
scenery rely on tourism for a major proportion of their annual revenue. They
need a regular supply of tourists from wealthier nations with cold and
uncertain weather. These affluent tourists have an abundance of choice.
Discerning tourists select from a shortlist of countries based on factors such
as type of holiday desired, price, distance, convenience of airport and flight
times. Then they consider whether the destination is desirable and unique
rather than merely acceptable and ubiquitous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Overseas tourist boards must communicate
their advantages. However pressure on the domestic front has led to dramatic
falls in advertising in the countries who supply these visitors. Advertising
spends have dropped from £45 million in Britain to £16 million, when a longer
term view suggests a greater effort should be made to retain and even grow the
number of guests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Then there is the safety issue. The world
appears a more dangerous place as terror attacks in Indonesia, Egypt and France
indicate. The complexity of the reasoning and randomness of the attacks make
prevention difficult particularly in countries with porous borders, high
unemployment and disaffection amongst the young.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Tunisia has suffered particularly. The UK
foreign office warns: </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><i>“Further terrorist attacks remain highly likely including
against foreigners”</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Tour operators have been diverting their
customers away from Egypt towards Spain, Florida and Mexico.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">For countries in the risk zone, greater
security, surveillance, rapid response units and the active co-operation of its
citizens is essential. These days with mobile phones, everyone has the
opportunity to record suspicious behaviour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Other countries need also exercise caution,
but must make a strong case to attract tourists. Otherwise they will not
benefit from the growth in worldwide tourism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-4679249778014157632015-06-15T10:34:00.001+00:002015-06-18T14:21:13.034+00:00Lardiness and how to beat it<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdmjorsdTqCDNG4ezF45lLzHarcMHHl5GRlci0frNll3dttHOIKlOLAxlw8Wd-aheBOnyjI1qmvfw4StQU9f_AsHS4K7zHngZMgRi3kXhilAkn_zk3nu9XXO57jnK8wP9DQxY9MleuW_0/s1600/VBK31-HLTH-FAT_10451f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdmjorsdTqCDNG4ezF45lLzHarcMHHl5GRlci0frNll3dttHOIKlOLAxlw8Wd-aheBOnyjI1qmvfw4StQU9f_AsHS4K7zHngZMgRi3kXhilAkn_zk3nu9XXO57jnK8wP9DQxY9MleuW_0/s400/VBK31-HLTH-FAT_10451f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Obesity apparently costs the UK £47 billion
a year. Saving just a proportion of this, say 10% will make a deficit reduction
larger than anticipated by the Chancellor in the first year of the new
Government.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Why are we fat?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Obviously because we eat too much and of
the incorrect mix of carbohydrates, fats, protein and fibre in our diet. Advice
about portion control and proper nutrition is the official response to the
problem but the odds are stacked against success. Processed, i.e. “bad” foods
are cheaper than more healthy ones and there is a link between poverty and
obesity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The second reason is our general lack of
activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Dr Linda B. White, writing in the Healthy
Living website states:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Exercise is not optional. Your life depends
on it. According to the good Doctor, the benefits of exercise are many.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">These include the maintenance of a healthy
body weight because bigger muscles burn up more fuel in the form of calories.
Bones thicken and joints become more flexible. The heart, lungs, nervous,
digestive and immune systems benefit. Sufferers from Type 2 Diabetes,
Arthritis, Depression and Parkinson’s have some of their symptoms alleviated by
moderate exercise. There are also claims that exercise enhances your libido and
extends life span.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Apathy is the challenge. A draconian
measure would be to tax sugar and trans fats as we do tobacco, but there isn’t
the political will and the ad spends on Soft drinks laced with sugar and high
fructose corn syrup dwarfs anything that public service advertising can mount. And then there are the promoters of fast food like the burger chains, w</span>ith their salt and fat laced inexpensive
tasty products. The leading brand regularly appears in the top ten list of TV
advertisers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But it can be done as Germany did in the
80’s. Then we used to laugh at them as the fattest people in Europe. Fortunately there are signs that the tide is turning. Childhood obesity
appears to be falling so a shift in public attitudes will be easier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A Government Tsar should be appointed to
organise the drive. Then we can expand the reach and influence of the
relatively small public service health promotional budget by involving all
interested parties, including the NHS, the media, gyms, chefs and creative
advertising people.</span></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-72193777176320812492015-06-12T10:14:00.001+00:002015-06-15T10:33:10.096+00:00Tales from the Carlisle Arms<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBNB8mhyphenhyphenWFpRvcSdKkASoCA-RNWSplcybRvS-vLOlfJcPXnYdOGxzQ6YZIssNl0Z1ahJQCPpIEyrkzSkKZK8IbTD5Cy35mkjInyexLVUJzqcOrjACVZ1XgOkMR54z_cxDuCVnGkebU4Pq/s1600/pic1654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBNB8mhyphenhyphenWFpRvcSdKkASoCA-RNWSplcybRvS-vLOlfJcPXnYdOGxzQ6YZIssNl0Z1ahJQCPpIEyrkzSkKZK8IbTD5Cy35mkjInyexLVUJzqcOrjACVZ1XgOkMR54z_cxDuCVnGkebU4Pq/s400/pic1654.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Alcohol
was always a necessary lubricant in the advertising business. Pubs were
landmarks and everyone knew where the Mucky Duck was located. Turn left at the
Crown and two Chairmen, past the Dog and Duck you will find the Carlisle Arms.
Characters spent time, sometimes lots of it and the quality of food was not an
inducement. Jeffrey Bernard was often unwell there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Maurice
was a regular. He used to stop off there after work for a few jars before
taking a taxi home to Barnet. One evening lasted longer and on the way home,
after the taxi careered around a roundabout, Maurice fell off his seat and
disappeared from sight. The taxi duly arrived in Barnet and the driver said: "<i>We’re here, Guvnor"</i>. When there was no answer and not spotting Maurice, he
assumed his passenger had slipped off at some traffic lights, cursed himself
for his carelessness and drove back into the West end.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Up
pops Maurice, asking; <i>“Are we there mate?”</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
Alistair
decided to drive home late one night despite being well over the limit. Past
Baker Street and on the elevated section, he decided that since he knew the
road ran straight for a mile, he could afford to shut his eyes. He awoke, on a
roundabout and heading for the central reservation, he jerked the wheel around
and crashed into the barrier. Below him on the pedestrian underpass an elderly
Jamaican woman, on her way to an early cleaning job, stood shaking as she
brushed glass off her woolen hat. She said: <i>“I tell you what, someone’s trying
to kill me. Third time this has happened this week”</i>. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
And
I killed my new car and the only taxi in Central London plying his trade at 3
am. Curiously there were hundreds of witnesses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even
stranger, they were all taxi drivers.</div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-75625648420471631592015-06-04T10:21:00.000+00:002015-06-04T10:24:38.075+00:00On liars<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbRniizThcqXTBPudAm_U3lDN_5HQLWQ2sSZfz3rRBh8IwyBBVP_qwutOq_rSZcT0uyj6vYRPe_bh5ON2Kbu0omDNYIWrWZcTZIxj_x6iD7Q-d_kLt-U9HVPIw57RGcY3489qeCJj7pjV/s1600/witness-for-the-prosecution-marlene-dietrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbRniizThcqXTBPudAm_U3lDN_5HQLWQ2sSZfz3rRBh8IwyBBVP_qwutOq_rSZcT0uyj6vYRPe_bh5ON2Kbu0omDNYIWrWZcTZIxj_x6iD7Q-d_kLt-U9HVPIw57RGcY3489qeCJj7pjV/s400/witness-for-the-prosecution-marlene-dietrich.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The world is full of liars. Politicians
lie. Bankers and business-men are economical with the truth and
most people tell fibs at least some of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> Liars seek to justify their
dishonesty. <i>"It was only a white lie"</i> or <i>"I lied because I didn't
want to hurt you"</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In fact, the truth is more likely to hurt
the liar, because the lie seeks to cover up a lapse of morals, ethics or
legality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Most people lie for self-interest and only
when this is threatened. A few people lie almost all of the time, even when
there's no personal benefit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Billy Wilder's film, Witness for the
prosecution, contained a court room scene, in which Sir Wilfred, a defence
barrister, played by Charles Laughton, is cross examining a hostile
witness Mrs Helm and catches her out in a series of lies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The lady's portrayed brilliantly by Marlene
Dietrich is then finished off by Sir Wilfred so:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>"And now today you've told us a new
story entirely"</i>, his tone changing from humorous to serious, <i>"The
question is, Frau Helm, were you lying then, are you lying now, or are you not
in fact a chronic and habitual LIAR?"</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">He wins his case, but because the film is
based on a short story by Agatha Christie, there is a twist in the tail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Chronic liars tell the truth when it suits
them, when very drunk, frightened or extremely angry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">How can you deal with liars?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If life was simple, you could avoid the
proven liar altogether. In a more realistic situation, consider if the liar's
statement could be a lie. </span>If it is a lie, then is it a casual
purposeless one or a deliberate lie told with purpose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If you think it is, then ask yourself what
could the motive be? Examine the possible alternatives and decide the level of
importance each carries and how they affect you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">My Dad gave me a piece of valuable advice:
If you must lie, hope you have a good memory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Walter Scott said it more poetically :
<i>"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-52754295817482943912014-11-28T16:13:00.001+00:002015-03-05T10:43:04.232+00:00A matter of principle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xSafLwO9IUErtUL3pAU9OS8DyV6OEySlKYNpqcoUnymcbS_zpku2iwKMrjrxEZAMeSxlicY5QTa9te6EHELityzDGMlAkqRhgjK8SfRW9Xq3XjfwXlFHmeV9_3fhBTOD-NDI5WvpgoMi/s1600/davidAbbott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xSafLwO9IUErtUL3pAU9OS8DyV6OEySlKYNpqcoUnymcbS_zpku2iwKMrjrxEZAMeSxlicY5QTa9te6EHELityzDGMlAkqRhgjK8SfRW9Xq3XjfwXlFHmeV9_3fhBTOD-NDI5WvpgoMi/s1600/davidAbbott.jpg" height="400" width="398" /></a></div>
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">David Abbott was a brilliant copywriter. He
was also a man of principle when it meant something. Bill Bernbach said: "A principle is not a principle till it costs you money". David refused
advertising briefs from Cigarette accounts worth a great deal of money. On
principle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Today the new Advertising chieftains have a
wide range of advertising accounts to be principled about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Take payday loans for instance. Friendly
actors try to persuade disadvantaged people that borrowing money at interest
rates so bizarrely high that make it look like a typing mistake. And then add
arrangement fees and penalties to load the profit pot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A soft drinks company is to launch a "premiumised" (their word) milk brand with higher protein content and all the
lactose removed. Their spokesman adds they will take the sugar down by
30%. Critics are mystified. Natural milk has no other sugar type than
lactose. The implication is this brand will have added sweeteners. If this is
their usual additive high fructose corn syrup then the implications are more
serious because HFCS has been described as addictive and accused of causing
obesity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Obesity is now recognised as a greater
health risk than smoking ever was. It is a worldwide problem associated with a
western style diet of fast and processed meals<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">loaded with dangerous hydrogenated trans
fats, excess sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and salt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Obesity is linked with the greater
incidence of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer. Wiser
folk watch what they eat and exercise but since obesity is also associated with
poverty, many people find that processed food is cheaper and therefore affordable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">These are established truths so why are the
food brands not doing something about their ingredients and methods of
manufacturing ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Eventually cost pressures on the NHS will
force the Government to do something as they have with payday loans. However
politicians act too slowly and the problem will only get worse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We need more David Abbotts to take a stand
against amoral advertisers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-73752731420990401342014-07-29T13:01:00.002+00:002014-07-29T13:02:32.543+00:00Tourism... Back on track?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/szRIkRbrIfQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The signs of an economic recovery are
everywhere. Apparently we are back where we were before the long recession
started.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Despite the need to keep borrowing, the
Chancellor is in a buoyant mood. Even the International monetary fund has
raised its estimate of UK growth from 2.8% to 3.2%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Raised confidence generally leads to
increased spending and travel is one area that should benefit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">According to our National statistics, UK
residents took 58 million trips abroad in 2013 compared to 56 million the
previous year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There’s still a way to go before the
pre-recession total of 69 million, but the signs are hopeful. Trips taken in
the first quarter of 2014 were 8.7% higher than in the first quarter of 2013.
And Heathrow coped with 6.6 million passengers in June, despite capacity
problems. Ryan Air have just revealed bumper profits and Easy Jet have
increased their capacity in Gatwick by 16%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">An area of concern is the tendency of
people to book late and the promotion of late discounted deals by price
comparison advertisers like Secret Escapes encourages this trend. Their ad
spend in the last twelve months hit £3 million. Other discounters like <a href="http://Hotel.com/"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;">Hotel.com</span></span></a> were active too. Even conventional
tour operators publicly advertise discounts where once they would be more
discreet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Over capacity is one problem. Stay
vacations are another. The speed at which some countries switch from being
deemed safe to dangerous is also a factor. Egypt’s tourism business is still
suffering from the Arab spring revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Perhaps tour operators should adopt the
discounting habits of some airlines who offer better deals to early bookers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-5705414848534213842014-06-12T14:24:00.000+00:002014-06-12T14:40:59.901+00:00Inheritance tax: the opportunity for charities<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq9CnlJbCrfqMtdQPF9WI_2253fO_z1EzgKZ2EzDDDEGUaV8ABmzMT91aZxcNEv4S60KyZo2GzI_MT4apupljxOTCxoi_DzWmHItewhjnhWum-lgGOSw0bhivfHRckjksIzBbODyaBYWh/s1600/wills-probate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq9CnlJbCrfqMtdQPF9WI_2253fO_z1EzgKZ2EzDDDEGUaV8ABmzMT91aZxcNEv4S60KyZo2GzI_MT4apupljxOTCxoi_DzWmHItewhjnhWum-lgGOSw0bhivfHRckjksIzBbODyaBYWh/s1600/wills-probate.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Three recently published articles should
interest charities specially those who depend on legacies for survival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The first was an article in the London
Standard of Tuesday June 10 and concerned Britain’s millionaires. According to
Lucy Tobin, there are 513,000 households in the UK which have been identified
as worth one million dollars or more. Of these 1044 are very wealthy with
assets of over 100 million dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In the same issue in another article, Lucy
Tobin discussed the benefits of leaving money to Charities in your will.
Apparently there is a significant tax advantage, in a reduction of inheritance
tax, if you bequeath 10% or more of your assets to Charities. Money left to
Charities is of course tax exempt but the tax paid after this and tax-free
allowance by beneficiaries also drops from 40% to 36%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">An example highlights this advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Assume you have assets of £1,325,000 in
your estate when you die. Excluding The IHT allowance of £325,000, there is
£1,000,000 for which tax is due.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If no money is left to a Charity,
inheritance tax of £400,000 will have to be paid leaving £600,000 for the
beneficiaries. Plus of course the tax-free allowance of £325,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If however 10% of the estate is provided
for Charities, then in addition to them benefiting by £132,500, inheritance tax
at 36% will be paid on £867,500, totaling £ 312,300, leaving £555,200 to the
beneficiaries. Plus the tax-free allowance of £325,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In other words your generosity of awarding
£132,500 to good causes is only costing your other heirs £44,800.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">This surely is an opportunity that should
be promoted by Charities?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Andrew Papworth publishes Harvest, a
monthly newsletter and in the June issue writes about baby boomers. He states
that the time to approach them about possible bequests is now, since they will
begin the journey to the “unknown land” soon. People born between 1946 and 1966
will die between 2017 and 2046. Their wills probably drawn up between 1997 and 2026.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Only 37% of all adults have made a will and
the numbers rise slowly as we get older. 36% of adults currently between the
ages of 45 to 54 have, 58% of adults aged between 55 and 64 years have also
made a will and the proportion rises to 79% for those over the age of 65.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">And Andrew says: time is running out if you
plan to approach the baby boomers for legacies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-52480034808094117382014-06-10T13:25:00.004+00:002014-06-26T13:27:14.273+00:00The acquisition and retention of donors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<!--StartFragment-->
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSJCMCv2cb6zhxm8M2Njq9btUfd7_N3R12y3jCYRvbSM-k4Zk1Gj1j83EoH882QIRBNxwobRK5YTeAICWnRkYgiVfcgHTZNQvLHlgxyrmXClu1cK1ALfIhqcZ_yNxcaLb8dBwT7FePhIR/s1600/nupremis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSJCMCv2cb6zhxm8M2Njq9btUfd7_N3R12y3jCYRvbSM-k4Zk1Gj1j83EoH882QIRBNxwobRK5YTeAICWnRkYgiVfcgHTZNQvLHlgxyrmXClu1cK1ALfIhqcZ_yNxcaLb8dBwT7FePhIR/s1600/nupremis.jpg" height="330" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the biggest challenges facing Charities today
is the growing reluctance of new donors to provide contact details. They know
that if you know where they live, you will undoubtedly send letters asking for
more help.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Direct mail accounts for nearly three
quarters of all advertising spend and is justified by its relative level of
returns. Donors are gauged by the lifetime value because the return on above
the line advertising investment is usually much less than the initial spend.
One large charity averages an almost immediate return of 30% on its
conventional advertising spend and without the possibility of further
attributable donations has to find other justification for continuing the
process. Awareness building is one. However since the overall aim is attracting
more regular donors, list building remains a priority.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When advertising in conventional media like
the press, usually the most cost efficient after Direct Mail, consider asking
permission to stay in touch with donors. Thank the reader for the time spent
and always say please. Promote your cause and stress the urgency behind your
appeal. New donor acquisition will be difficult so the more attention paid to
the copy and coupon the better. Enlisting the support of well-known people with
a vested interest helps. And don’t waste money even in justifiable media
if your appeal is placed where it will not be seen. Many charity ads are buried
in advertising ghettoes, which encourage the turning of the page.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After acquisition of donors, retention is
very important. You have already segmented your list to make your mailing
programme more effective. Some donors will only want to be mailed once a year,
others are happy to be approached more often.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sort of residential neighbourhoods they
live in can identify valuable donors and the Royal Mail will help you appeal to
their neighbours.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then have a direct response expert like
Drayton Bird audit your mailing package. He is probably the best marketer equipped
to make the improvements to retain donors and improve their responsiveness. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_Magazine">Campaign Magazine</a></span></span> named
him one of the fifty most important individuals in UK advertising during the
previous twenty-five years. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Ogilvy also rated him highly and he wasn’t one to scatter praise. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Contact Drayton directly: </span><a href="mailto:Drayton@drayton.bird.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drayton@draytonbird.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
</span>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-bxmIQsy5swg%2FU5cHVK4wblI%2FAAAAAAAAALo%2FqTFX3GQwYqE%2Fs1600%2Fnupremis.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSJCMCv2cb6zhxm8M2Njq9btUfd7_N3R12y3jCYRvbSM-k4Zk1Gj1j83EoH882QIRBNxwobRK5YTeAICWnRkYgiVfcgHTZNQvLHlgxyrmXClu1cK1ALfIhqcZ_yNxcaLb8dBwT7FePhIR/s1600/nupremis.jpg" -->Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-68569860559124049832014-04-02T11:40:00.003+00:002014-06-10T09:52:46.042+00:00When stuff hits the fan<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowHy9nWLnKLSavxYlm1TxMjsjgPKoQwkDQGwCkbHXschTv32H_IIoBXxomwt0JZq5SBRsFLGptglH17r2eP9BgI_d0249XvpFsso4r1OysJaRv3H02fwnyE7wOde6BMXu_0ixenTDU5Av/s1600/Disgraced-Co-Op-Chairman--009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowHy9nWLnKLSavxYlm1TxMjsjgPKoQwkDQGwCkbHXschTv32H_IIoBXxomwt0JZq5SBRsFLGptglH17r2eP9BgI_d0249XvpFsso4r1OysJaRv3H02fwnyE7wOde6BMXu_0ixenTDU5Av/s1600/Disgraced-Co-Op-Chairman--009.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Your business is doing well and then the
BBC drops a bombshell. It announces that you as a retailer sold unsafe
mattresses and sofas that were not treated with fire retardant chemicals that
are necessary by law. Your spokesman says:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>"We take the safety of our customers very
seriously". </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Really?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A charity is exposed for paying £ 70,000 to
its chief executive, as part of his renumeration package, for his children’s
school fees. A spokesman for the charity justified the package worth over £
200,000 per year as a reflection on "the complexity and responsibility of his
role".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">A financial service company’s wrongdoings
are leaked to the press, resulting in a sharp drop in its share price. If it
made an explanation or excuse, I missed it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">All these reactions were wrong and suggest
they were not prepared for these events to occur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Keynes once remarked on the need for
preparedness because: <i>"There is always enduring uncertainty"</i>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Murphy’s law
states that if something can go wrong, it probably will. Pray for it not
happening but prepare for the worst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Every organisation should have a crisis
management programme in place. One that is carefully thought through,
researched and rehearsed. It involves a continuous process of risk assessment
and timely communication through the media channels. This means having a
professional team in place prepared for if and when something goes wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Then they will not make up crass statements
to the press, but rather apologise, organise collection and possible
remuneration, talk of the steps taken to help prevent a recurrence and seek to
salvage damaged reputations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-19697188644256902452014-03-13T13:22:00.001+00:002014-06-10T09:54:54.384+00:00Don’t just tell me about the problem...<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzowpxszp2FtZE9epahOEOsQgHWulofNjpEMB91khofIKr5DpoelbeCeBHv7sYZYqorIjJ4kXHxL7T6q2kvlL4JcdZ6spEWIdpH1Z84FvCuZAVEo2DFWpVAPrt5YhcGYmr9eJTRqkNMiS/s1600/Starving-Child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzowpxszp2FtZE9epahOEOsQgHWulofNjpEMB91khofIKr5DpoelbeCeBHv7sYZYqorIjJ4kXHxL7T6q2kvlL4JcdZ6spEWIdpH1Z84FvCuZAVEo2DFWpVAPrt5YhcGYmr9eJTRqkNMiS/s1600/Starving-Child.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Most charities are good at describing
problems they hope can be solved with your donation and support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">One describes the dangers faced by very
young children and implies that these hazards can be stopped. Full stop.
Another tells you of the third world children forced to drink contaminated
water. A leading wildlife charity describes the plight of the snow leopard and
implies that adopting one of these beautiful endangered creatures will somehow
protect it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Most will talk about their achievements on
their website, but few do in the advertisements and advertisements are what
potential donors see first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It is however important to be realistic in
your claims. Can children really be protected when a lot of abuse takes place
in the home?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">And what can be done about the number of
cases in the UK of children used in sex trafficking?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Writing in the Sunday Times, Jonathan Leake
and Ross Clark tell readers how to save the world’s most endangered animals.
Their five point strategy involves fighting the poachers, blocking the trade at
the borders, educating people, particularly the Chinese of the damage done when
they buy these products, incentivising local villagers to look after their
wildlife, encouraging tourism, and a captive breeding programme for wildlife
parks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Human encroachment and loss of habitat also
speed the process of extinction for beautiful endangered species. Few of these
basic problems can be solved by Charities.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">So don't make unrealistic claims. All they do is make the case for the cynics<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">.</span></span></div>
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-14920788322592837732013-12-05T12:07:00.001+00:002013-12-05T12:12:11.215+00:00Is the Internet effective for Charity fundraising?<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLf1aXyMXRodwsiUyI10YFLrJwKkUXqp7Q7YY9fUtOmn_w-_1tGQsSeKNxtBuAV_1VVsYvMO1AeuuplijOa_MQjKcwg5_yDZuOujdDChqK5djAGhzsR6cry15ElPbXAVZZ8zAZJh0_w1LP/s1600/Online-Advertising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLf1aXyMXRodwsiUyI10YFLrJwKkUXqp7Q7YY9fUtOmn_w-_1tGQsSeKNxtBuAV_1VVsYvMO1AeuuplijOa_MQjKcwg5_yDZuOujdDChqK5djAGhzsR6cry15ElPbXAVZZ8zAZJh0_w1LP/s400/Online-Advertising.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Can the Internet deliver donations to
Charitable causes more effectively than conventional media routes such as
direct mail and press advertisements?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Many fundraisers responsible for spending
advertising budgets believe so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Many experts have their doubts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Andrew Papworth writes a regular newsletter
called Harvest. His December issue has an article titled: Why you should not
rely too much on the Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>“According to the Office for National
Statistics, more than a third of women aged 65 to 74 and almost three-quarters
of those over 75 have never used the Internet”.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">And </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>“Elderly women are often a key market
for fundraisers and they are particularly likely to be missed by online
communications”.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Drayton Bird says that Social networks can
lose fundraisers a lot of money. He quotes using a statistic from the 'causes' application from Facebook:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>“Over the last 12 months for which figures
are available just $2.5 million has been solicited in the US by 19,445
charitable organisations. That’s an average of just $126 per organisation. They
would have done infinitely better using Direct mail, but that isn’t
fashionable”.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The problem is the sad fact that Internet
advertising is peopled by practitioners who have made jargon an art form and
who use it to make the practice very opaque. Transparency is absent for many
campaigns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The initial start point was search, a
digital equivalent to Yellow pages where people looking for something specific
are nudged into choosing a brand or service using adwords. This market is
for people who are 'engaged'.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The digital version of mainstream offline
advertising such as Press or TV are leader boards, banners, skyscrapers and
MPU’s. When all this started they were priced in Cost per thousand impressions
or Cpm’s in the American vernacular. And initially they were expensive, as high
a £25 per thousand impressions. This was clearly unsustainable because it made
the cost of buying online impressions more expensive than on established
offline media. Digital publishers began to offer more flexibility in terms of
geographic selection, behavioural and contextual targeting but prices had
to fall. Advertisers were now more interested in the number of people who
clicked on to their landing page or website. The average click through rate was
0.06% or 60 clicks per 100,000 impressions, so if you were foolish enough to
buy impressions at £25 per thousand you would pay £42 per click. Horrendous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The first to offer a low cost option were
the blind networks or exchanges, who took over the unsold inventory of
publishers and offered these for very little but at the expense of information about exactly where the ads appeared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">
<!--StartFragment-->
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">More recent is re-targeting where using
cookies implanted in your computer, advertisers can provide messages to people
who have previously shown an interest. Furthermore these messages can be
transmitted across all the devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and
smart TV’s. This is known as householding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Now the accent is on trading desks, real
time buying using algorithms and programmatic platforms. Some of the more
informed advertisers query the excessive jargon, are concerned about the lack
of transparency and are considering having their own trading desk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The jury is still out about whether these
developments will make digital medium more effective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-19247238860850353292013-11-21T12:07:00.001+00:002013-11-21T12:09:36.697+00:00Gaining a better share of tourisms largesse<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIG8ggGLa3YKiBd-Ejg73U8DUPV9WoN97srsnvaAa5GR6O9k7Rp4RvTC54ed-eOUVEiKIAPKPdYzPWEBvFOt_MHKzHQ9AShc1Ubld5EFjSKgwWAQq0j4xRMI-KgXzZrYYx2d65HYTI3Rc/s1600/Eurostar+girl+in+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIG8ggGLa3YKiBd-Ejg73U8DUPV9WoN97srsnvaAa5GR6O9k7Rp4RvTC54ed-eOUVEiKIAPKPdYzPWEBvFOt_MHKzHQ9AShc1Ubld5EFjSKgwWAQq0j4xRMI-KgXzZrYYx2d65HYTI3Rc/s400/Eurostar+girl+in+rain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Tourism is leading the drive out of the
recession. Its importance to the world’s economy is suggested by the work
produced by the World Travel & tourism Council who estimated that in 2012,
tourism generated 6.6 trillion dollars worldwide. This represents 9% of total
GDP and a similar share of jobs. Tourism grew faster than the other economic
powerhouses such as the financial, manufacturing or retail sectors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Most of the gains are due to the
belief that the bad days are over and because a resurgent airline business is
making access easier by laying on more flights. Six months ago, a spokesman for
IATA talked about European airlines being on a knife-edge. Now Lufthansa, Easy
Jet and IAG, the owners of British Airways and Iberia have announced large
profit gains for the most recent accounting periods. Tony Tyler, IATA’s
Director general said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“The strong growth of recent months,
coupled with the continuing improvements in air travel demand in September,
suggests that there could be a further acceleration in air travel growth before
the end of the year”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Not all of the smaller undifferentiated
airlines will benefit from this trend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">People make their independent holiday
destination shortlist first and easier access helps the decision process. For
countries with limited advertising budgets, it helps if the national airline
also promotes their country. A surprisingly high proportion do not. Sell the
destination and then your differentiated, easy access service. Why else would
you fly with Air Argentina if not to visit that country? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It doesn’t have to be an airline though.
Eurostar is giving people a reason to travel on its trains by promoting the
hidden treasures of Paris in a charming typically gallic film commercial. See
it here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It makes you want to be impulsive and
visit. And Eurostar is so convenient. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Sometimes the favoured destination is
served by a number of airlines. Price may be the major factor in the decision,
but if this advantage is marginal, then flight convenience, departure airport,
and perceived image matters. Skytrax rates airlines on the basis of product and
service criteria. The top airline is Emirates because of the age of its fleet,
quality of the website, airport service, cabin staff efficiency and
friendliness and the on board product. The other podium places were taken by
Qatar and Singapore Airlines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Airlines that don’t pay attention to all
the service ideals risk being marginalised and prey for the major operators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To see the Eurostar video in full: </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><b>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyQo6rVrOI</b></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-49868916129774496942013-09-20T09:33:00.000+00:002013-09-20T09:57:41.380+00:00Netflix and programming research<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMVENLHqxDayt08nWzPfEmYmjL7IBU9g6x-4SUe0T6ywNo5vY6J5V-yTu3BxwEz1wnDPM-FPwQpKTKXC1WQOwwJYCvSRTdsrK8AwvpBNv-CSGYN2g1EWYDGZKZaqmB1GjDSfarlcnpzjb/s1600/2521756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMVENLHqxDayt08nWzPfEmYmjL7IBU9g6x-4SUe0T6ywNo5vY6J5V-yTu3BxwEz1wnDPM-FPwQpKTKXC1WQOwwJYCvSRTdsrK8AwvpBNv-CSGYN2g1EWYDGZKZaqmB1GjDSfarlcnpzjb/s400/2521756.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Netflix is soon to be launched onto the
stock market. It will certainly be a success and part of its attraction is that
it has ambitions in the TV and film production business. It understands that
control of film software can be an asset to what is currently a distribution
business. Rupert Murdoch adopted this philosophy earlier with huge financial
gains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Netflix already produces some original
programmes, such as a TV series called ‘Orange is the new black’; a prison
drama featuring nudity and sexual scenes. Recently its spokesman appeared on
Channel 4 trumpeting their magic ingredient that would guarantee large
audiences. This involves an algorithm and big data. Put simply the algorithm
sifts through the audience preferences from their huge database to suggest the
ideal ingredients for hit shows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Forty years ago, two enterprising
researchers at Masius Wynne Williams, then the second largest Ad Agency in
the UK, successfully developed ‘TAPE’ which I think referred to Television
Audience Preference Evaluation. It purported to predict audiences to TV
channels based on their programming contents. Of course things were simpler
then. In the UK we only had two channels, but the model was exported to the
States where it was adopted by more TV channels and film Studios.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The problem with these models is that they
can only use existing data and the key element that constitute programming
success is originality. What algorithm would predict the success of ‘Steptoe
and Son’ or ‘Dad’s Army’?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Raymond Snoddy, writing in MEdiaTel’s
newsline, reports on the huge successes of ‘DR’, Denmark’s small public service
broadcaster. They are responsible for hits that include The Killing, Borgen and
the Bridge. The rest of this piece is based on Mr. Snoddy’s thoughtful report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Morten Hessedahl is DR’s head of cultural
affairs and responsible for the programmes mentioned. He says: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">“Never trust your research department
and certainly do not let them inhibit your creativity. Numbers are good and
reassuring, but they can only tell you about what worked in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Stand behind the vision of the author at
all times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Don’t use external production houses”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Mr. Hesserdahl is a talented, experienced
and original thinker. I would trust his judgement over any algorithm invented
by Netflix.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-62568790462820379122013-09-18T11:37:00.001+00:002013-09-20T09:23:42.943+00:00The importance of tourism to a nations economy<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHak_HCqt_JqeNtOtDRdHEovP7omCFFZvAjwZU1H4d1lZyP-iqMknPi2Kx6xbv-wWb7LlPs9II1nBaeg2zU5ooMYc6iM2molA9BK8U5exhknSSde6gZmH0zjs5J-MlBXZpeimKagPbxWAM/s1600/santorini1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHak_HCqt_JqeNtOtDRdHEovP7omCFFZvAjwZU1H4d1lZyP-iqMknPi2Kx6xbv-wWb7LlPs9II1nBaeg2zU5ooMYc6iM2molA9BK8U5exhknSSde6gZmH0zjs5J-MlBXZpeimKagPbxWAM/s400/santorini1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Travel weekly published a story, which
claims that Greece expects to attract 17 million tourists this year. They will
spend £9.3 billion and this gain of 9% has already positively contributed to
the country’s still fragile economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The decline in GDP will be lower than anticipated. Tourism already accounts for one in five jobs and employment
in this sector is growing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The troubles in Egypt must have helped Greece. However their
reduction of Vat from 23% TO 13% has made a difference to what is already an
inexpensive destination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">All this has attracted the likes of
opportunistic operators like Ryanair who have opened their first base in
Crete. UK visitors in 2012 amounted to 1.8 million and this is
expected to increase to over 2 million in 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Soon the EU will approve another tranche of
bail out money for Greece. They should make it conditional that part of it
should be invested in tourism advertising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-7913656781899493232013-07-31T15:27:00.001+00:002013-08-02T10:04:29.358+00:00The function of advertising for charities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Charity advertising has a number of functions.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US">The most common ones are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">1. To
generate awareness of the charity, what cause does it act for, to make
prospective donors appreciate why this need is urgent and tell them what is
already being done to alleviate the condition. Awareness building also helps
other more direct forms of fundraising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">2. To
lobby influential bodies, politicians, corporate business leaders and financial
institutions. 50% of the revenue raised by the top 500 charities come from non-voluntary sectors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">3. To
raise money, ideally in the form of regular giving as well as from legacies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">As such Charity advertising is not classic
direct response marketing and very rarely pays for itself directly. The return
on advertising investment direct off the page or television screen averages 30%
which is why fundraisers use a 'lifetime' donor value to make the investment
seem more palatable. Some Charities simply justify their advertising and other
fundraising expenditure by expressing this as a percentage of their total
income generated from all sources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Advertising does do more than raise money
directly and helps improve responses from other areas of fundraising activity
such as appeals to existing supporters, street collections, trading revenues
and corporate sponsors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Some advertising seeks to attract the
attention of the people they seek to help. Combat Stress exists to help
ex-service personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
War is hell but reliving its horrors every day is torture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Well known charities can be brave and not
ask for donations as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds does in the attached great ad. It borrows the line from the movie 'Field of dreams': </span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">"If you build
it, they will come".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-30642734764799657332013-06-06T11:55:00.003+00:002013-06-07T10:45:04.015+00:00The manoeuvering of free choice<!--StartFragment-->
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxkU_piAyXhBwSocnGxundPKeHdW7dAg_jRYumGxsfCfgzOrbt1GmFnlifcqC52HZi4DgNcCpRVUc2PUB5ce4FZBFZJvUe6bNxTkLU35nusqOuLjwLgo1x0_qw3LJInJ4YbLwOWZpjydc/s1600/5311644377_60318fddd5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxkU_piAyXhBwSocnGxundPKeHdW7dAg_jRYumGxsfCfgzOrbt1GmFnlifcqC52HZi4DgNcCpRVUc2PUB5ce4FZBFZJvUe6bNxTkLU35nusqOuLjwLgo1x0_qw3LJInJ4YbLwOWZpjydc/s400/5311644377_60318fddd5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nudge, a book by Thaler and Sunstein was a hit when first published in 2008, despite some criticism from people
who described it as dull. Its theme is that people can be nudged into
making the right decision when attempts at persuasion, compulsion or other
forms of pressure might fail.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">David Cameron was converted to this notion
and created a “NUDGE “ team of strategists charged with changing public
behaviour without them noticing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Their latest finding is that legacy income
attracted by charities could double if people were reminded of making a
charitable bequest when drawing up a will. Most charities actually do so
anyway, and the reason legacy income has fallen may have more to do with
concerns about future income, drop in savings rates, fear about the cost of
long term care and the need to provide help to children and grandchildren onto
their first steps up the housing ladder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Nudge is not a new concept. Edward De
Bono called his theory: Lateral thinking. Indeed its origins go much further
back. Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey wanted his country to look
westwards. He believed that the covering up of women’s faces by the traditional
veil was wrong, so tried initially to ban its use. The clergy objected. Ataturk
then decreed that all women of ill repute would be compelled by law to cover up
their faces. Overnight respectable women abandoned the veil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Back to charities. The ones that continue
to attract donations and legacies are the ones that have a high level of
spontaneous awareness, are known for the essential role they play and the
public’s belief that this charity makes a difference. Cancer research and the
British Heart foundation do well with legacy bequests because everyone knows
someone who has died from one of these dread diseases. They also have a large
base of supporters. According to the Target Group Index, Cancer research has 15
million supporters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">It follows that this generates a large
mailing list, so they have plenty of opportunities to ask donors to remember
them when it comes to making a will. Charities spend 65% of their advertising
budget on direct mail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">But what can the smaller, less well-known
charities do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The answer is to get known, for the cause
and your contribution to alleviating the situation. Advertising investment by
charities in 2012 was nearly £ 400 million. Find some rich trustee to provide
the money. Raid your reserves. Hold events. Ask advertising experts to help.
Develop a clear objective that can be evaluated. If it is to raise money, ask
yourself if this is compatible with building positive awareness and creating a
larger donor base.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Two charities that attract legacies are The
RNLI and the Guide Dogs for the Blind. Research I have seen suggests that potential
donors are giving money for the brave life boat men rather than the hapless
sailors in trouble and for the beautiful dogs rather than the blind person. It
is important to understand what the emotional triggers are.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
More than that, find someone to advise you.
Someone who cares.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Contact me at: daz@bbvs.co.uk </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />(Your name will not be passed on to anyone)</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"></span><br /></div>
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605117608038951.post-41092338408161522332013-05-08T12:24:00.001+00:002013-05-08T12:31:14.788+00:00Getting it right for Charities<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"When markets are in decline, the only way for a Company or Brand to maintain sales is to steal market share from its competitors."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This applies to Charities as well. They too have to operate on business principles even though their purpose is altruistic. And charities have been badly affected by our economic doldrums.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some organisations have seen their income fall by 20%. This is true from both the individual private donor and Government sources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The general public has concerns on the impact of the stagnant economy on their future finances. The elderly now feel the impact of inflation on the returns on their savings and on their pensions. Many now feel the need to help children and grand-children onto the housing ladder. Some may also be fearful about the rising cost of care. Many feel "compassion fatigue ".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When they do give, a re-prioritisation of causes takes place. The repertoire of charities that used to be supported are reduced. Most health charities will continue to feature in the list, with the possible exception of mental health causes and aid charities. Third world charities may move off the burner and service aid organisations could find their support dwindling as returning troops and fewer headlines reinforce the view that this is a job for the Government. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Government cuts will not just affect those charities who used to benefit from their largesse. These organisations will seek to make up their losses from private donors and their problems have already been listed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Advertising investment is now even more important. In 2012, £371 million was spent in the UK promoting charities. Two-thirds of this sum was defensively spent on direct mail with the emphasis on appeals to existing supporters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the Charities Aid Foundation, the causes that continue to attract donors, other than disaster relief, do so because they have a good reputation, are believed to be likely to have an impact in this area and enjoy high levels of positive awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lessons are: Think clearly about your objectives and distinguish between business and communication objectives. Understand how best to integrate the need for building positive awareness and attracting regular donors. Invest in good creative work. Drayton Bird quotes Sr Silva, the current President of Brazil: "The pocket is the most sensitive part of the human body, so we must touch the heart and the mind first."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Macmillan nurses manage their advertising investment better than any other charity. Other institutions could learn from them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Contact me at: daz@bbvs.co.uk </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Your name will not be passed on to anyone)</span><br />
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Daz Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18039607392733549801noreply@blogger.com1