We feel very strongly that small, ‘proud as punch’ companies should enter as many credible awards as is feasible on the proviso that you have something genuinely impressive to talk about.
There is a school of thought that suggests that entering such awards is either frivolous, crass or quite possibly both.
At Purple Pilchard we actively encourage our clients to take a few bows for their great work, because we feel that if the brand owners of a young starting out brand can’t be proud of their team’s hard work and success who exactly can?
We’re not suggesting an overbearing ‘pushy parent’ approach, more of a gentle ‘shared wisdom’ philosophy.
N.B. Our favourite soup client Rod & Ben's has enjoyed a real increase in both interest and orders ever since they won a prestigious Soil Association award at the end of 08.
A FEW TRUTHS
Awards are one of the few marketing arenas that are genuinely weighted towards the ‘hungry for success’ underdog. Every judging panel likes to be part of the process that discovers tomorrow’s ‘shining star’ as opposed to simply patting on the back some dull established brand that already had loads of love and adulation heaped upon it.
An award also fills a brand’s internal team with a real heartfelt sense of pride that their hard work and clever insights have finally been identified and appreciated by their peers, providing yet further stimulus for everyone to pull together and carry on their great work.
Buyers and key decision-makers do notice award and peer approval. During my days at Ben & Jerry’s a constant stream of award success in the early years was pivotal in retailers and accounts taking chances on a young wet-behind-the-ears brand with only a modest church mouse marketing budget.
Awards are also a great way of generating PR miles, by adding a nice splash of third-party anecdotal to a well-crafted piece of self-publicity.
Finally for a brand like Cawston Vale a few telling awards (Q & Grocer) in 2008 have been integral in securing new outsider investment that will ultimately see the brand propelled into an even higher orbit.
So stop being modest and enter an award today
WWW.purplepilchard.co.uk
Wednesday 25 March 2009
Tuesday 10 March 2009
New Look Website For Purple Pilchard
A NEW WEBSITE LOOK FOR PURPLE PILCHARD
The UK's favourite marketing & PR provider (with a fish in its title) for ambitious, personality-packed food and drinks brands is proud to announce the unveiling of its new, rather fine website (http://www.purplepilchard.co.uk/) that further reinforces the fact that good marketing needn't be pompous, pushy or over-priced.
Set up in 2004 by ex Ben & Jerry's marketer Ian Hills, Purple Pilchard, was established to accomodate this former client-side marketer's growing frustration that there were no agencies currently geared to service the very distinct needs of freshing think start-up companies on tight budgets.
What began primarily as a strategic marketing consultancy has grown over the years to now accomodate PR, copywriting, stunts and website solutions within its remit.
According to Ian, 'it was becoming a bit embarrassing telling clients that they needed to enhance their website offering when our own site looked like rather unsavoury fish paste.' We don't profess to owning either the biggest or whizziest agency website in town - but this is really the point - a simple, focused yet premium-leaning website experience is all that a well thought through brand of tomorrow really needs - anything too glitzy to me suggests that the brand either lacks focus or has something to hide.
Current Purple Pilchard clients include: Salty Dog, Rod & Ben's Organic Soups, Island bakery biscuits,The Handmade Cake Co, & Cawston Vale juices and Monty's Bakehouse
The UK's favourite marketing & PR provider (with a fish in its title) for ambitious, personality-packed food and drinks brands is proud to announce the unveiling of its new, rather fine website (http://www.purplepilchard.co.uk/) that further reinforces the fact that good marketing needn't be pompous, pushy or over-priced.
Set up in 2004 by ex Ben & Jerry's marketer Ian Hills, Purple Pilchard, was established to accomodate this former client-side marketer's growing frustration that there were no agencies currently geared to service the very distinct needs of freshing think start-up companies on tight budgets.
What began primarily as a strategic marketing consultancy has grown over the years to now accomodate PR, copywriting, stunts and website solutions within its remit.
According to Ian, 'it was becoming a bit embarrassing telling clients that they needed to enhance their website offering when our own site looked like rather unsavoury fish paste.' We don't profess to owning either the biggest or whizziest agency website in town - but this is really the point - a simple, focused yet premium-leaning website experience is all that a well thought through brand of tomorrow really needs - anything too glitzy to me suggests that the brand either lacks focus or has something to hide.
Current Purple Pilchard clients include: Salty Dog, Rod & Ben's Organic Soups, Island bakery biscuits,The Handmade Cake Co, & Cawston Vale juices and Monty's Bakehouse
Monday 9 March 2009
Why pay A Retainer?
Ever since my days early days client side I've always been frustrated by the notion of why anyone would pay a PR or marketing agency a retainer?
Retainers are the very antithesis of staying fresh and only doing what's really required. At the very best it's money for old rope.
Talk that retainers secure you some element of exclusivity are often very wide of the mark. If an agency is doing a good job promoting your brand then they are simultaneously putting themselves in the shop window making it highly unlikely that they would consider jeopardizing a mutually beneficial working relationship.
If on the other hand you are working with an agency that thinks for a moment that it's morally acceptable talking to your direct competitors whilst working with you then surely this is a friendship you can afford to live without?
My biggest gripe with retainers is that it breeds suspicion and encourages poor practice. From a client side there is always a nagging doubt about how an agency is earning its keep this month, compared to a project fee where you should know exactly what you're getting for your money.
From an agency perspective there's the tempatation to invent unnecessary work to justify your existence, even though they know that there's a law of diminishing returns for brands who hog the spotlight too much but have nothing worthwhile to say.
Purple Pilchard is an agency that prefers to stay on its toes and so stubbornly refuses to accept retainers even when they're offered.
This isn't to say we don't devise strategic forward-thinking marketing plans that look between 6-9 months into the future because good planning sits at the heart of every good PR campaign.
What we won't do is discriminate against those start up brands on tight budgets who have a couple of great stories to tell every year but simply can't afford to fritter money away propping up lazy PR agencies looking for another easy pay cheque.
Retainers are the very antithesis of staying fresh and only doing what's really required. At the very best it's money for old rope.
Talk that retainers secure you some element of exclusivity are often very wide of the mark. If an agency is doing a good job promoting your brand then they are simultaneously putting themselves in the shop window making it highly unlikely that they would consider jeopardizing a mutually beneficial working relationship.
If on the other hand you are working with an agency that thinks for a moment that it's morally acceptable talking to your direct competitors whilst working with you then surely this is a friendship you can afford to live without?
My biggest gripe with retainers is that it breeds suspicion and encourages poor practice. From a client side there is always a nagging doubt about how an agency is earning its keep this month, compared to a project fee where you should know exactly what you're getting for your money.
From an agency perspective there's the tempatation to invent unnecessary work to justify your existence, even though they know that there's a law of diminishing returns for brands who hog the spotlight too much but have nothing worthwhile to say.
Purple Pilchard is an agency that prefers to stay on its toes and so stubbornly refuses to accept retainers even when they're offered.
This isn't to say we don't devise strategic forward-thinking marketing plans that look between 6-9 months into the future because good planning sits at the heart of every good PR campaign.
What we won't do is discriminate against those start up brands on tight budgets who have a couple of great stories to tell every year but simply can't afford to fritter money away propping up lazy PR agencies looking for another easy pay cheque.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
