http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/MC&C is a direct response media company. We use media to recruit, retain, and develop new customers for our clients. We work across all media: from DRTV to direct mail, from inserts to email, and from telephone to billboards. But that's just part of our story. That's because we deliver more than just response to our clients. We deliver them active new customers; customers who will want to keep doing business with them for the long term; customers who will become their core, most profitable base for years to come. To find out how visit www.mcand.co.uken-UKhttp://backend.userland.com/rss092http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/f5/0f33a427cd023108ddd82aae43be0b_160x200.jpg <p>Well, very, very overdue blog here. Thought I had better brief you on last week's training as it is Thursday and we had our final lecture last night. So I have two training sessions to tell you about. </p> <p>Last week was on Newspapers. The lecture involved a) a very cool "who wants to be a millionaire type thing, quiz handset" and b) 2 speakers engaging in a debate - one arguing the case for using TV over Newspapers as a medium of advertising and the other using Newspapers over TV. All through the presentation, there were random questions regarding newspaper readership and circulations. The evening was enjoyable, although as this was week 9 of training, much of what we were hearing was now simply common sense. There is no one medium that is "the best". It merely depends on the target audience you wish to reach, how you wish to do so and how much you wish to spend. I think the most interesting part of the evening was that whilst new media, such as the Internet are growing rapidly, the old schoolers (such as Newspapers) are still standing their ground. For our client that is great news, as it opens up more and more opportunities to target an audience. Moreover, it can reduce wastage - by that I mean, that if you do have a niche audience, with the world of media today, you can target that niche audience easily without wasting money on people who are never going to be interested in you product.</p> <p>Last night’s lecture was very different to the previous weeks. We had comprehensively ploughed through a variety of media: press, radio, cinema, outdoor etc. and now it was the turn of “customer services” to take to the platform. Our speaker was well informed and had much to offer. He emphasised the importance of maintaining good client relationships and how the status of a client relationship can either make your working life pleasant or hellish! We were given some basic guidelines to help us achieve a good working relationship with clients – understand your client, make them look good and find something to like about them. We put these rules to practice through various exercises with the “person sat next to you”. Most of what was said boiled down to common sense, but it did help to understand the crucial nature of a client relationship within the world of media. After ten weeks of training, I have gained an overall idea of how media works and how to work in media. The question that remains is “will everything I have learnt, work in practice?” </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/11/16/training_newpapers~312369/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/11/16/training_newpapers~312369/Wed, 16 Nov 2005 15:14:49 +0100 <p>To many, the business of direct marketing may seem very number-centric. A company mantra of ours is "we grow our bottom line by growing yours" and if the sums don't (and won't ever) add up then there is no point in starting a project. But behind this unforgiving mathematical straitjacket there lies the X factor - the consumer. We can predict what we think they will do, what our experience tells us they will do, but what if, on the day, no-one responds to an ad? There is no telling what the man on the street will do.</p> <p>Or is there? For a fascinating insight into how concepts take off and why people make the decisions that they do, you should read two books by Malcolm Gladwell - <em>The Tipping Point</em> and <em>Blink!</em>.</p> <p><em>The Tipping Point</em> deals with how products, movements, attitudes etc. develop in terms of growth. Why did NY hipsters suddenly all start wearing Hush Puppies, rescuing the brand in the process? Why should the Kevin Bacon Game be easier if it was the Rod Steiger game? And why the hell does everyone yawn if one person does?</p> <p><em>Blink!</em> on the other hand tells us how people come to make decisions. I always knew that going with my instinctive answer in a pub quiz was better than listen to pub bore's long and reasoned argument, but now i know <u>why</u>. Even scarier - at one point Gladwell meets a man who can tell how long a couple will stay together by observing them in conversation for 15 seconds. Scarier still - he has always been right.</p> <p>If I knew some way of tying this into our work here - what will make people respond to media, in large volumes and instantaneously - well, put it this way, I'd have a lot more time to blog...</p> <p>These books are a really good read. My copies are floating around the office somewhere - feel free to borrow them!</p> <p>Tim P</p> <p><img src="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/050203gladwell.jpg" border="0" alt="Not me - Malcolm Gladwell (he has considerably more hair!)"></p> <p>Not me - Malcolm Gladwell (he has considerably more hair!) </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/11/08/bedtime_reading~292089/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/11/08/bedtime_reading~292089/Tue, 08 Nov 2005 18:37:47 +0100 <p>Another Thursday, another write up on our training session last night. (Sumitra here again) So last night was good, very good. There were two presentations, one on Magazines and another on Outdoor media. Despite the known pitfalls of having two presentations in one night – overrunning, the last one being boring in comparison, etc; - last night, both presentations were good. The first presentation on Magazines, involved two speakers, two different styles of speaking but they coordinated well. First we were told about the intimate relationship that a magazine can have with its reader. The idea is that the reader chooses to engage with a magazine, quite unlike any other media, they trust what they read, view the magazine as a friend. But what does this mean when it comes to how a reader will view a magazine ad? Well, the reader views the ad first and then can either choose to ignore it or investigate further. This means that there is a definite moment that an advertiser can have with a reader. Very different to a TV ad where the watcher immediately turns the channel when the adverts begin. So in this definite moment, this tiny time, the advertiser can really make an impact on the reader. So it gradually becomes clear how important a creative can be to an ad and I will pick up this idea later when it comes to Outdoor advertising. Once we had established why Magazines can be an effective medium within which to advertise, we went on to look at the history of the Magazine. Particularly interesting for a history student and also effective at consolidating the notion that Magazines hold a special place in the general public’s heart. Further to this, the speakers flashed through a do’s and don’ts list on selling, planning and buying space in magazines. Although much of the advice was common sense, it is always good to hammer such disciplines home! </p> <p>So Outdoor…<br> The magazine speakers had relied on the intimate relationship a reader has with a magazine as the linchpin to their argument on why to use magazines. Consequently, the Outdoor speakers had to find a way to explain why Outdoor media, so remote to the individual, can be an effective medium. They did so well. Outdoor Media, exists out of the home; for instance, on the tube, at a bus stop, on the huge billboards at major road junctions and so forth. In a way it is so in your face, it is difficult to avoid. However, one can look away or not take it in. So here we are, back again to the importance of a good creative. If an outdoor ad has a stand out creative, people will take notice and it will not be forgotten. For instance, the Easyjet ads or the O2 ads are instantly recognisable and portray a simple message. What I liked best about the outdoor presentation was the willingness of the speakers to recognise their weaknesses, the fact that there is no intimacy with the audience, or that it is very difficult to use Outdoor for Direct Response Campaigns, given the difficulty in responding to certain outdoor ads. By this, I mean if a driver sees a huge ad for O2 on a roadside billboard, they can’t call instantly. Whilst they may well call when they get home, it remains difficult to measure the response achieved as you can’t be sure of where the ad was seen originally. Nevertheless, whilst outdoor media might not be good for Direct Response campaigns, it can be excellent at building a brand. Think of the massive FCUK campaign – now that relied massively on Outdoor media. </p> <p>All in all, a good evening, won a prize to see a tv show! Finally I won, this is the first time I have ever won anything in my whole life. It’s a big deal to me. Anyway, must get back to work! Hope everyone is well, chat soon. X</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/11/03/training_magazines_and_outdoor~280602/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/11/03/training_magazines_and_outdoor~280602/Thu, 03 Nov 2005 15:47:24 +0100 <p>Wow,<br> It seems like a lifetime since I last blogged (Sumitra here). So much has happened in such little time! I have had my first client meeting! This has allowed me to understand how a client brief develops and where we go once we’ve got the brief.<br> So, The Brief – where it all begins…<br> Through a meeting with a client, we are able to understand their needs and concerns and a time frame within which we should begin to tackle these issues. Whether this takes five hours to five minutes, this is a crucial process. Once we’ve worked out what problems our client would like to solve and what areas our client would like us to develop we are good to go.<br> This does not mean we can come up with a whole new media plan to tackle the outlined problems. This means that we must decipher through the client’s previous media results and work out why problems have occurred and it is only having done this that we can work out how to solve such problems. This is a long process - the answers do not just jump out immediately, but when we eventually find the root cause to a client’s problems it is incredibly satisfying!<br> So having identified the cause, or rather the causes to a client’s problem, we must work out how to fix it. But it is important to note that we only come up with suggestions. Nothing will happen without the client’s agreement, and nothing will happen unless the client has fully understood the entire process we have undertook in order to form our media suggestions. The client does not suddenly leave the picture having given us a brief.<br> So basically, we get our brief, we work on it, we go back with suggestions, we work through those and it is with the client that we work out any concrete solutions. The client is integral to every process of media planning. I love this aspect of our company as it seems so fair handed and objective. So here we are on a Monday, beyond the initial briefing and initial planning and I fear I better go as I have a feeling there will be a mass to do. I hope this blog has given you an insight into the initial stages of media planning and I will fill you in as the process continues. Happy Halloween!!!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/31/from_a_brief_to_media_planning~273082/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/31/from_a_brief_to_media_planning~273082/Mon, 31 Oct 2005 13:22:55 +0100 <p>It has been a rather colourful day in the office as today (28th October) is the official ‘wear it pink’ day for Breast Cancer Research. Everyone has rallied to the cause, although not without a few complaints such as; ‘Pink clashes with my hair!’ ‘Im Polish, we don’t wear pink’ and ‘Real men don’t wear pink’ (although us females in the office beg to differ) </p> <p>We have had some interesting alternatives to pink items of clothing, Tim, one of our resident gingers offered to go on a sunbathing session in order to achieve the appropriate colour. Whilst our ‘long-lost’ team member Chevy, who has just returned from a round the world trip, used a pink post-it in his suit (he was offered a pink scarf to use as a bandana by Cathy but respectfully declined as he and Louisa, who is wearing pink polka-dot shoes, had an important client meeting.) </p> <p>All in all it’s been a very successful day for a great cause. We’ve had all shades of pink in the office, from fuchsia to baby, salmon to dark, accompanied by pom-poms, stripes, cheques and of course… sequins.</p> <p>A big thank you to everyone for being great sports!</p> <p>Bring on next year….</p> <p>Becks<br> x</p> <p><a href="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/28102005(002).JPG" title=""><img src="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/28102005(002)_small.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a></p> <p><a href="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/28102005(003).JPG" title=""><img src="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/28102005(003)_small.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a></p> <p><a href="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/28102005.JPG" title=""><img src="http://data1.blog.de/blog/m/mcandco/img/28102005_small.jpg" border="0" alt=""></a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/28/in_the_pink~267549/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/28/in_the_pink~267549/Fri, 28 Oct 2005 17:17:45 +0200 <p>Hello,</p> <p>Becks here reporting on training (held on Tuesday due to the Media Week awards last night). In our fifth week of the course, having already formed opinions on the use of the internet, cinema and radio as viable advertising mediums, our attentions were turned to the use of TV. The presentation opened with the assertion that TV is the most effective advertising medium, for a few reasons, firstly the combination of sound, colour and movement engages the viewer in a way that other mediums can’t (something that we covered last week in our cinema presentation). Secondly, we Brits watch a phenomenal amount of TV, the average being 25 hours and 53 minutes each week, that’s over 1/7th of your time! This figure doesn’t seem quite that bad when you consider passive viewing whilst cooking, talking, drying your hair etc… or the collective hours of hangover TV watched by millions every weekend. However, if you take this figure that equates to just over 3 hours of TV viewing a day, with a few handy calculations, you can work out the number of ad’s that people should see (if they watch the ad breaks), 30 each day in case you were wondering (based on 30 second ad’s). Then came the really astounding fact, the average Britain will watch… wait for it… over 300 DAYS of ad’s in their lifetime! Being 65 days shy of a year, it’s a horrible thought from a consumers point of view, but great for us Ad Agencies! Then came the question that the presenters were dreading… what about PVR’s (Personal Video Recorders) that allow you to fast-forward through the adverts, surely that’s the end of TV advertising? Apparently not </p> <p>I personally found the ideas that were explained to us about the future of TV advertising very interesting, when the analogue signal is switched off in 2012, it truly will be the digital age. This opens up whole new avenues for advertisers to explore, from tailoring ad breaks to fit the consumer that you know from previous viewing habits is sitting on the other side of the TV, to downloadable promotions with ‘chip’ cards (such as the Boots advantage cards) that can be inserted into your digibox. It really is quite amazing the direction that media is moving in, interactivity is set to boom in the next few years as we move into the truly digital age. Sky has just launched the Sky Gnome, a cunning and very cute little pyramid that picks up the signal from your digibox so you can listen to your favourite programmes around the house (or even in the garden, hence the name). High Definition TV is also going to be huge when it is introduced in 2006, the picture quality is set to be four times clearer than current levels, but it will only work through Sky and with a compatible TV. Still, its something to think about! </p> <p>After the lecture we had a task to complete downstairs, lured by the promise of free champagne for the winners everyone happily obliged! The task was to plan a schedule of adverts for a fictional low fat chocolate bar that targeted an audience of 16-35 year old women, we were provided with a brief, budget and outline of all the possible programmes that we could advertise around (an opportunity too good to miss was putting an ad after Fat Friends) Our group was lucky to have a member that had experience in TV advertising, her expertise allowed us to devise a campaign that started in a strong position (Corrie on a Monday evening) made use of all the day-parts and ended with an extra push on Saturday and Sunday morning. We avoided programmes such as Xtreme Wrestling and The World At War that, although cheaper, did not directly appeal to our target audience. Perhaps this was a mistake as we sadly didn’t win, but it was definitely a good exercise to do, especially in a group.<br> The lecture was the first to receive a round of applause at the end, quite rightly I would say. It hit just the right tone in its delivery, the content was engaging and thought provoking and we got first hand experience of planning a TV campaign. Next week has got a tough act to follow!</p> <p>Until next time</p> <p>Becks<br> x </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/27/tv~265493/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/27/tv~265493/Thu, 27 Oct 2005 18:35:23 +0200 <p>Hi,</p> <p>My name is Piotr and I work as a Media Assistant for Mike Colling and Company. It’s been almost 3 months since I joined the company and must admit it’s made my time.</p> <p>It all started back in Poland. I had just finished university, having gained my Master’s Degree I thought a lot about which way I should go. I have always been a challenger type who likes to explore new things and most of all make things happen.<br> It was just a moment, a quick decision – I decided to make London my next destination.<br> The accession of Poland and 9 others states into European Union in 2004 opened innumerable opportunities for cultural and professional exchange. I realized it would be very precious to learn more from a country that has been so strong and doing so well for many years. I knew that new experiences gained in England would give me a broader understanding of English culture and its market place and they’d enable me to spread the horizons and face something new.</p> <p>I started from the very beginning. Came to London with one piece of luggage, without family or friends accompanying me and totally unaware of what will happen. Sounds like a challenging thing and in many ways it was.<br> With a help of my great friends living in London, I had a place to stay and time to find a job. </p> <p>I chose media and marketing for a number of reasons. I have always perceived people working in media as a group of friendly, open minded, and creative individuals. The environment of work seemed to give a lot of flexibility with a space for growth, personal development and constant self-improvement. </p> <p>I will never forget the day of MC&C interview. It was very interesting as I had a chance to find out a lot more about company’s activity. There was an opportunity to meet a few employees and talk a bit more about their work and daily activities. Everything was very unique and remarkable – it sounded very exciting. I realized there was a lot more to learn and discover and got the impression MC&C was great place to work for.</p> <p>What happened when I got the job, I’ll tell you next week…</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/21/a_polish_man_in_london~251669/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/21/a_polish_man_in_london~251669/Fri, 21 Oct 2005 18:34:49 +0200 <p>Thursday morning, so of course it’s training overview time! And it’s Sumitra again! Last night’s talk covered two areas of media, radio and cinema. So 4 speakers in total! We began with radio and it was perhaps an example of what makes a good presentation. As I had said last week, each lecture aims to teach us about a medium; why it is effective, how it works and how to plan, buy and sell it. This week I learnt all of the aforementioned. Furthermore, it wasn’t a biased presentation we were told about both the pro’s and con’s of radio as a medium. For instance, radio listening is mainly habitual and often consumed in an environment where the listener is physically doing something else. Consequently, a person might not necessarily concentrate or even remember an ad they hear on the radio. In light of this, radio should not be used alone. But, if it used in coordination with another medium, the results can be astounding. </p> <p>Take BA, that music they use in their TV ads (very hard to describe a tune in words, but I think you’ll know the one, you know that kind of sleepy tune) this tune is also used on the radio ads. Together, TV and radio have stuck the BA tune in our heads. And now, whenever you hear that tune, you think of BA, without even to have a visual aid. So I think the idea is, you use radio together with another medium to start with to get all the visual and audio connections running through people’s minds and once that’s achieved you can cut the costs and rely more on radio to sustain awareness of a brand (ie hearing the tune and remembering its about BA). Does any of this make sense to you? I hope so, because I just couldn’t come up with a better way of explaining! </p> <p>Ok, so we were beginning to understand the power of radio through a variety of campaigns, from BA to the world cup ads. But after last week, the burning question was whether we would learn how to plan and buy radio. Fortunately we did. It became clear that in order to plan a radio campaign, you have to first clearly define what you want to achieve and who you want to target. Then, sticking to the budget, you begin to work out which are the best times to advertise and which are the best radio stations to use. Bearing in mind that ever since digital radio there has been an increase in listening opportunities. The lecture then proceeded to explain to us how to buy radio in the most cost effective manner. By the end of the first presentation I was certainly more aware of radio; how it works, why it is and isn’t effective, how to plan using radio and how to buy radio spots. All in all very informative, although I guess only half the mountain has been climbed and we’ll have to wait and see how all this excellent theory works in practice. </p> <p>Oh and did I mention that at the end of the talk there was a small quiz, “guess the intro” to 27 songs. I got 10, didn’t realised they were all mixed in together! Concert tickets as prizes as well! Gutting! </p> <p>The next talk was on Cinema. Felt slightly sorry for the next speakers as they not only had the worst job of going second, but also had to speed through the presentation so that everyone could go and watch the football. Consequently, we had to rush through everything. Despite the hurried pace, the talk was both informative and interesting. Again, the speaker detailed why cinema is an effective advertising medium; cinema is the only medium to offer a captive audience and it is a shared medium. We were then given the lowdown on planning a cinema campaign; from working out the cost (very expensive) to targeting the right people. i.e. not wasting money on a Lynx ad at the beginning of Love Actually (this has not happened, it was just an example from my imagination, as I can’t remember the one from last night!). You can also advertise through cinema beyond the use of the big screen. You can advertise in the foyer or on popcorn boxes or with mirror stickers. There appears to be a wealth of opportunity at the cinema. However, when it comes to direct response media and cinema there is a slight problem. You can’t put an ad on the big screen that says “call this number now” as everyone has their phones switched off! There are ways to get round this, such as ads on the backs of tickets that people can take home. But I’m not convinced that cinema is the best medium for Direct Response Media given the delay in the “direct response”. 3 question quiz at the end, free cinema tickets - I lost again! </p> <p>All in all: enjoyed the evening, sold on Radio, not sure about Cinema.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/20/training_week~248154/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/20/training_week~248154/Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:46:56 +0200 <p>Ohhhh, I think Sumitra may have been a bit harsh there! I personally enjoyed last night, most of the presentation may have been common sense but I did learn a lot, like the fact that 83% of all advertising spend goes to just 10 media owners, astonishing really! We also learnt how online banners actually get on to each site and how cookies can be used to track the effectiveness of this kind of advertising. The personalisation of websites was also very interesting. All in all, the presentation was designed to convince the audience that online advertising is the way to go, fortunately they had the facts to back their assertions up. Even though they didn’t know the presentation inside out or talk to us in the 'normal' lecturing style, they sold me on the idea of online media spend. </p> <p>Oh (and this probably helped a little) we managed to bag free stuff; mugs, glasses, T-shirts, DVD’s, books and Jelly babies! It was like Christmas! Definitely one of the perks of the job (see Sumitra’s blog below!)</p> <p>Well, i had better get back to my research!</p> <p>Until next time…</p> <p>Becks<br> x</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/13/training_part_deux_the_other_side~232551/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/13/training_part_deux_the_other_side~232551/Thu, 13 Oct 2005 17:36:57 +0200 <p>Sumitra, again. So here we are, Wednesday morning, the day after training. Following Last week’s comprehensive insight into Communications Strategy, this week’s lecture had a hard act to follow! Last night was supposed to be an opportunity to learn about the Internet as a medium, how to plan, buy and sell it. Unfortunately it achieved little of the above. Whilst last week’s speaker was able to understand his audience and approach them with subtlety, thus gaining their trust and confidence, this week’s two speakers appeared to by trying too hard to win us over; guessing the right figures to win beer commanded much of the evening! We flashed through a ten point presentation, learning very little on how to use the medium of the internet and more on why to choose the internet as a medium of advertising.</p> <p>So why should we use the internet as a medium of advertising? The thrust of this week’s presentation argued that as the internet is rapidly expanding and its use becoming ever more frequent across the world this is reason enough to spend more money on internet advertising. </p> <p>But how does it work? We were told that internet advertising might reinforce a brand name but not necessarily increase a product’s sales. But would this persuade you to place the majority of your budget on a medium that will only reinforce your brand and not increase your profit? I was not persuaded. </p> <p>Nevertheless, the speed of the presentation certainly matched the speed at which digital media is growing. The “funky” approach of the talk correlated well with the modernity of the internet. And guys just so you know, soon you’ll be able to watch TV from your mobiles. I wonder, will we ever have a conversation with the person sat by our side again! </p> <p>Oh and aside from training, yesterday I went for a very nice cup of coffee and not very nice orange and cranberry muffin with Adam from one of the nationals. One of the perks of the job! Lunches and Coffees certainly appeal! especially when the company is good too! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/13/training_part_deux~232037/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/13/training_part_deux~232037/Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:43:04 +0200 <p>Hello again,</p> <p>In the last few days I have been mostly doing research for a client who is currently involved in new product development. As their brand (by their own admission) is not as well known as they would like it to be, nor does it attract a very wide audience, I have been investigating the business models for similar companies in order to show us what avenues we could go down. After the initial facts and history of the company and a brief outline of their audience using TGI, I need to find out how they have evolved their brand with new products over time and which of these new enterprises were successes or failures. This threw up an interesting question in the brainstorming meeting last week, how can you define a success? Is it simply how much profit a certain product or service produces or is it more complicated? From the research that I have done in the last few days, I have seen certain unprofitable enterprises that are consistently subsidised by the company’s central funds. This is probably because these enterprises attract a larger audience, retain current customers within the brand, or increase brand awareness (partly what our client is trying to do). So, if a firm is large enough and has the overall funds, as well as the man-power to support a new scheme that is making a loss, should success really be defined by the profit created? Or, are the by-products of such a venture more valuable in the long term and worth the monetary deficiencies? </p> <p>Let me know if you have any comments!<br> <a href="mailto:Rebecca@MCand.co.uk">Rebecca@MCand.co.uk</a></p> <p>Until next time</p> <p>Becks<br> x</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/12/something_s_got_me_thinking~230626/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/12/something_s_got_me_thinking~230626/Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:55:59 +0200 <p>The Directors proposed that we should all get a flu jab, performed by a qualified doctor in-house.....Simple!... you would have thought. First reaction from the staff.... 'what!!'(I personally think it's just a ploy for nobody to have an excuse to take a sickie during the busiest media planning months of the year... but don't tell anyone I said that!) So I sent the email with a little glint in my eye very curious about the anticipated response....I was expecting to get a barrage of negative emails laced with accusations of the directors trying to invade their personal health by forcing an unecessary injection on them.... but to my great surprsie I received a great response from the whole team saying.......'YES PLEASE'.So the doctor will arrive next week, needles in hand, ready to dish out the first MC&C flu vaccination.<br> Are you protected against the dangers of the winter weather....???<br> <img src="/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" class="middle" border="0"><img src="/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" class="middle" border="0"><img src="/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/11/flu_jabs~228843/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/11/flu_jabs~228843/Tue, 11 Oct 2005 18:12:42 +0200 <p>I love this job<br> Lots of things make it enjoyable, the people, the challenges, the new stuff, the learning. Especially the learning.<br> And sometimes you don’t realise you have learned something until someone asks you about it<br> And I’ve just realised one of the things we probably have learned about is convergence.<br> It’s the Martini media thing, anything, any time any place.</p> <p>And what has prompted the realisation is a question from one of the trade journals: is it really happening, and if so how?</p> <p>And the answer is yes. But its like teenage sex: it progresses more slowly and is less widespread than everyone thinks.<br> But I guess because we have a number of media owners as clients we probably have a closer view of it than many. We certainly have a view as to whether anyone is making money from it<br> Now, several interesting things about convergence<br> The first is that convergence means that old fashioned media (like print) become more like new media (like web) and vice a versa.<br> Obvious<br> But what is less obvious is that we are all really used to new media winning: Google and 3 will inherit the earth.<br> And I think that may not strictly be true<br> It might be about more subtle things than that</p> <p>Take 2 of our clients.<br> One is a hip trendy media owner, well known brand, reputation for innovation, early adoption, stirring it up. Younger, ABC1 audience, been on the web for years, been experimenting with mobile and broadband services for the last 4 years or so.</p> <p>The other is the antithesis. Old fashioned print brand, conservative, older audience. Only really come to the web in the last 4 years, only come to mobile in the last 6 months.<br> Both trying to extend their original business model into other media, to take advantage of the convergence thing</p> <p>You would have thought that hip trendy one would win hands down<br> Turns out, its not so.<br> Turns out the old fuddy duddy one does just as well in the migration thing. And it seems to be about how they each present themselves to consumers</p> <p>The hip media owner uses an old fashioned mass communication model. One very high reach message, addressing all potential audiences for any new product and service. Very high reach, but low take up from each message</p> <p>The old fashioned media owner has a data background. Instead of a mass broadcast message they draw on their past experience in direct communications. They use hundreds of thousands of personally tailored messages (and not just personally addressed: individually tailored content, relevant to time, place and individuals need)<br> Again, each of these messages produces a very low take up. But because they are tailored it’s a higher % response than to the high reach message of the other media owner. And because there are so many of them the actual total response, and crucially of valuable transactional response, is higher.</p> <p>So, convergence happening: yes<br> Should we look to form long term partnerships with media brands that will dominate across several channels: yes<br> But it might not be the obvious ones that will win</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/11/mike_colling_on_convergence~228043/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/11/mike_colling_on_convergence~228043/Tue, 11 Oct 2005 10:23:27 +0200 <p>Hello everyone. My name is Lou and I'm a senior tv planner buyer here at MC&C. I'm another fairly new recruit to the team and in a couple of weeks will be celebrating lasting 3 months as a member of the team - hopefully my standard probation period will be extended to full time!</p> <p>I work with Nicky and Piotr and my main priority day to day is to ensure that the shortform DRTV campaigns run as smoothly and effectively as they possibly can. This includes updating call schedules on a regular basis so that the call centres handling the calls are briefed and advised well in advance of the times of the ads due to go out and expected response as well as trouble-shooting where needed to liaising with the stations to ensure that the campaigns are delivered on target - certainly not as easy as that sounds!</p> <p>What I really enjoy about being a planner <em>and a</em> buyer is that I can follow campaigns through from start to finish and get involved in the analysis of resutls which is more often than not a satisfying and pleasing experience!</p> <p>I've had a rather busy week this week as I've been doing some planning for November campaigns as well as meeting with some clients. Now that it's Friday afternoon and the weekend is in sight i'm busy trying not to think about putting on my new boots that i've just bought and hitting the pub to celebrate my friends birthday, so that i can get everything ticked off my list so that I can start afresh next week.</p> <p>Well, that was my first blog and after putting it off all week i've finally done it and it was easy peasy and actually really good fun! Have a lovely weekend all you blog readers!<br> Lou <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wave.gif" alt=":wave:" class="middle" border="0"><img src="/img/smilies/icon_wave.gif" alt=":wave:" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/07/happy_friday~221480/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/07/happy_friday~221480/Fri, 07 Oct 2005 15:27:24 +0200 <p>Hello,</p> <p>Becks here, the youngest member of the MC&C team! I have worked here with these lovely people, a couple of times over the past year for work experience last summer and just before Christmas. Now I am working as a media assistant (my new title, upgraded from 'guinea pig' or 'pre-university experiment'). I mostly work with Tim on new business that seems to be popping up all over the place at the moment. Apart from working with specific clients, I am usually around the office to help anyone with research, TGI or NMR runs, getting delivery details for inserts and anything else that they would like me to do. </p> <p>Unfortunately, I am only here until March, when I will be disappearing to India, Nepal, Singapore, New Zealand (to Hang glide!) and Fiji on my gap-year travels. I am currently applying to university to read Geography, the inside knowledge that I have gained through being around so many graduates has been extremely helpful!</p> <p>Having just left school, and my home back in Bristol, the world of work and responsibility came as a bit of a shock! But everyone in the team has been so supportive im starting to get used to it! Although there are only 20 people in the office it is such a lively and friendly place, everyone gets on well and works as an (ever expanding) team. We think it may have something to do with the female:male ratio of 6:3 at the last count!</p> <p>Until next time, </p> <p>Becks<br> x</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/07/the_baby_one~221204/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/07/the_baby_one~221204/Fri, 07 Oct 2005 12:39:19 +0200 <p>So I suppose the first thing to do is introduce myself. My names Stephen, and I'm the new graduate who started with MC&C on Monday. I'm working alongside Catherine on the Press team, and starting to get to grips with the industry and my daily tasks.</p> <p>I've come to MC&C with little knowledge and even less experience in the industry having studied Politics and Economics at Durham University. I graduated in 2004, and since then have been living it up in Vancouver, Canada. I returned from Vancouver after a year there only 3 weeks ago, and have had to hit the ground running. New job already, and soon to be a new place to live in from November all things being well. West Hampstead is the target destination. It may not have the views and lifestyle of Vancouver, but it does have a few decent bars and kebab shop as I discovered last night. What more could you want? </p> <p>So far life at MC&C has been great. Catherine is showing me the ropes, and I've already been to a few client meetings and introductory training sessions. I'm slowly getting familiar with the technical jargon, and have started to do a bit of work for our clients - mostly booking press, and checking up on the affiliate networks. Tomorrow is welcoming drinks, so I'm looking forward to meeting everyone properly, and by the sounds of it, having the mickey taken out of the 'Boy Beard' I'm sporting at the moment. I thought it was fetching, but apparently not!</p> <p>Well, I'm off home to have a shave. Until next time.....</p> <p>Stephen </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/06/new_boy~219984/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/06/new_boy~219984/Thu, 06 Oct 2005 18:35:41 +0200 <p>So last night involved media training. The course is attended by about 150 graduates, Piotr (another grad at MC&C), Bex (working here pre-uni) and I. As we arrived early, we waited outside for fear of looking too keen! I'm sure the feeling is the same for most grads; the thought of having to go a lecture is most unwelcome! Pleasantly surprised, our lecture on Communication strategy was in fact...very good! The lecturer, or rather speaker, had himself attended this course when he was just starting out in the world of media. As he began to talk, it was clear that he was putting his theories into practice. We, the grads, were his audience and he was seeing things through our eyes and communicating to us at our level. All very impressive. The speaker discussed the significance of Communication strategy in the world of media. According to our speaker, Communication involved:-<br> i) The idea (the concept behind a brand)<br> ii) The message (what should be communicated about the brand)<br> iii) The brand itself (what the product actually is and does)<br> This was demonstrated to us through examples of brands that he himself had worked on and the level of success that his communication strategy had achieved.<br> All the while, the presentation was formatted on rather unusual slides. The slides, the speaker chose were snapshots of today's popular culture and were always implicitly related to the topic he was talking about. For instance, behind the title slide of "examples of bad communication" was a snapshot of Bill Clinton's infamous denial of the Lewinsky affair. I really did feel that this was a very effective way of communicating his ideas to an audience of twenty somethings. The highlight of the evening was when a scene from the film "Big" was played to us. Once again, the speaker's visual aids nailed his message on the head. I'm sure you know the film, but the scene depicted to us was of Ben (Tom Hanks), a child in an adult's body, sat in a boardroom meeting at a toy store. As one of the executives reels off figure after figure, in an attempt to persuade his team that the toy building which turned into a robot, really is a good idea, Ben speaks up. Ben doesn't understand why on earth a child would find a building which turned into a robot fun. Obviously, Ben's prospective is that of a child (a toy store's target audience) whilst the executive's garble was devoid of any audience empathy. The point is simple. Always understand you audience.</p> <p>After this impressive hour, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire. This would assess our coolness. "Do you like going out a lot" and "do you like social events" were just some of the questions asked. Now this is the only part of the evening which disgruntled me. The results of my questionnaire totalled a low score, labelling me as fairly uncool. Oh well!</p> <p>Anyhow better go and raise my coolness credits! Chat soon. Sumitra</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/06/media_training~219876/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/06/media_training~219876/Thu, 06 Oct 2005 17:48:03 +0200 <p>Hi it’s Sumitra again.<br> Wednesday morning: So far, this week has been manic. Monday involved sorting through the weekend press and checking the positioning of our client's ads. Tuesday involved a client meeting - very interesting as this is where our briefs are built up. So with this in mind, today the planning begins. Lots to do so better go. Will blog tomorrow with news of the media training course I will be attending tonight, along with any gossip from the post-course drinks!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/05/quick_note~217459/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/05/quick_note~217459/Wed, 05 Oct 2005 11:20:56 +0200 <p>Hi Blog</p> <p>It's me, Phillippa, but you can call me Phil.<br> I'm PA to Mr Mike Colling and Office Manager. A typical Monday morning in the life of an Office Manager. I got in reasonably early this morning (well, on time anyway! to the dismay of Spencer who I met on the door step and told me that I was likely to get a nose bleed by coming into the office that early!!)<br> We have 2 new starters today which means 2 new computers to set up and 2 new phones to patch into the network. Luckily all went very smoothly and with the help of the lovely Virtual IT they are both cruising around the MC&C network already!!<br> I have a big client party to organise for tomorrow evening in the office which includes buying Champagne and moving office furniture so I better go and organise before all the guests have nothing to eat or drink tomorrow.<br> Have a great day!<br> Mrs Kanye West<br> xxx </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/03/title~213905/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/03/title~213905/Mon, 03 Oct 2005 13:15:59 +0200 <p>Hello, my name is Sumitra. I have only recently joined Mike Colling and Company (MCandCo) as a planner/buyer, having recently graduated from Uni this summer. So this is both my first "real job" and my first time working in Direct Response Media. </p> <p>Before I joined I had no idea of what I would be doing 9till5. I mean it took me a while to realise that the clue was in the title - as in I would be dealing with media that prompted a direct response. But to be truthful beyond that I was stumped! And also I was just reeling from the shock that I was no longer a student; I would never again sit down for lunchtime with "Neighbours". Anyway, back to the matter in hand, what was it like starting work at Mike Colling and Co and what was I expected to do? On my first day, I was pleasantly surprised, people were nice and normal - my only impression of the work place thus far being of David Brent and Co. Having made the schoolboy error of wearing beautiful but painful shoes, I finally arrived at work. And I think once I had plastered my feet up with the first aid kit, it was pretty much all go. </p> <p>Liz, the senior planner/buyer at MCandCo, is teaching me everything about the Press department and to her credit, a month on, I really think I've learnt lots. So far, I have learnt about the research involved in planning press activity for clients, putting such planning to practice and the consequent analysis of a campaign's success. For me, the planning part is the best; as you get to do loads of research on what sort of press use is going to the most beneficial for clients, then work out the costs and stuff. Once the go ahead has been given from the client, the buying follows - this involves booking ad space in a variety of magazines and newspapers. Further to this, I have begun to look at the results of all the above tasks in order to assess the success of press activity. This involves "vouchering"; a highly technical process which involves going through all the papers and ensuring that all the ads we have booked are there and are in good positions - all the while getting inky fingers which then get everywhere! Whilst this is an important task, it is in all truth, the less exciting aspect of my daily routine. However the beauty of it is that it doesn't take too long! But vouchering does not account for all the analysis that goes into press activity! The much more interesting part involves actually looking at a breakdown of the results i.e. how many people responded to a particular advert. And apart from this, everything else I do continually challenges me and, beyond all my expectations, actually excites me. This is the kind of thing that has kept me busy over the past month.</p> <p>My workload has been a lot greater than I had expected, I had worried that I was just going to make the tea and do the post for the first few months! I feel that in some way, I was thrown in the deep end and made to work straight away but this was undoubtedly the best way to learn. Still I'm sure that my work must seem like Mickey Mouse Work to those in the company who have been here longer! Nevertheless, I’m really enjoying my job here. I know I’ve got loads and loads more to learn about, but whilst a thought like that would have previously scared me senseless - as it did the week before my finals – I’m really looking forward to the road ahead at MCandCo. Anyhow, better go, Sunday afternoon and about to go for dim sum with my brother, sister-in-law and my niece!! Very excited, as she is 6 weeks old today! Chat soon!<br> Sumitra X </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/02/my_1st_job~212810/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://mcandco.blog.co.uk/2005/10/02/my_1st_job~212810/Sun, 02 Oct 2005 18:35:05 +0200