The definition of a trend setter is one of an individual who, due to his / her popularity and status within a specific group, is capable of influencing its members’ behaviour and opinions. Trend setters can be found in almost every industry (fashion is probably the main one), and they are frequently seen by advertising professionals as an important marketing tool in the launch of new products.

In summer 2003, the mobile telephony company “3” used trend setters to launch the new UMTS technology, which allows callers to see each other during a video call. “3” was the first mobile company to introduce UMTS services to Italian commercial clients. “3” selected 333 VIPs from various sectors (showbiz, sport, journalism, politics) and made them brand ambassadors. The list of VIPs included names such as soccer players Paolo Maldini and Stefano Bettarini, MPs Ignazio Larussa and Walter Veltroni, showgirl Elisabetta Canalis, actor and director Carlo Verdone and former Italian president Francesco Cossiga. All of them were provided with “3” branded phones, and the possibility to be the first ones to use the new and innovative video call service.    

“3” also recruited and trained 200 former models, and sent them to attend luxury events, such as exclusive private parties, golf, horse riding, and tennis tournaments and tour the most fashionable Italian clubs to hook up with high-spending clients.

“3” launched its services in Italy in March 2003. By the end of the same year, 59% of the Italian mobile phone users were subscribed to “3”.

National Centre for Domestic Violence

The UK National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) has created a campaign called “Drag Him Away” that urges smartphone users to send an SMS to stop the berating of a woman through an interactive video showing on a billboard. After an SMS is sent to a number shown on the billboard, the man is dragged away across multiple billboards and a message that reads, “An injunction will put distance between a victim and their abuser” appears on the screen.

Mercedes-Benz

Marie is a fictional character in the Mercedes-Benz “Escape the Map” challenge who needs help from viewers to “escape” out of Google Maps’ Street View.

This video shows Marie trapped inside a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe in Google Street View. Her face is blurred, just like the faces seen in Google Maps Street, and the video asks people to participate in interactive online challenges to help Marie, who will also unveil her blurred face. Viewers who participate also get a chance to win a C-Class coupe, in addition to receiving a phone call from Marie thanking them for their help.

In our real time communication age, one of the most effective communication platforms is undoubtedly the mobile phone. Once used to simply send and receive calls and SMSes, our mobiles have gradually evolved into multimedia tools, allowing us to access all sorts of information with a simple touch. Since smartphones are a pervasive presence in our everyday life, it just seemed natural for marketing professionals to explore the possibility of using them as advertising channels.

“Understanding Mobile Marketing” is the title of a half day course which will be held on Friday 4th May in Birzebbugga by Italian marketing and public relations professional Dott. Fabio Giangolini. After an introduction to the various possibilities available in the field of mobile marketing, a series of international case studies explaining how various companies have used smartphones to creatively engage and retain their target audience will be presented. The course will also focus on how to build mobile-friendly websites and optimize them for search engines.

“Mobile marketing, however, cannot function on its own – explains Dott. Giangolini – that is why the course will also focus on the importance of integrating mobile phones and traditional media into a coherent campaign.” Apart from describing how to effectively use mobile phones in advertising, the course will also highlight how the bad practice of sending out unwanted SMSes can become a real double-edged sword, with serious implications on a company’s corporate image.

The management of a company’s public relations function is the subject of “Managing your company’s corporate image”, another course which will be held on Friday 11th May by Dott. Giangolini. The course will specifically target those involved in PR, and will analyze PR at all levels, providing the participants with tips on how to write an effective press release and disseminate it to the media, how to handle crisis from a PR point of view and deal with enquiries from the media. The course will also provide practical examples of bad PR practices through the analysis of case studies.

Dott. Fabio Giangolini, is a Marketing and Communications graduate from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and a freelance journalist who has written numerous articles for the Italian and Maltese media, also collaborating with the Armed Forces of Malta’s Public Information Cell. After having set up and managed the marketing and PR offices of various local companies, in 2009 he started Strategic Communications, an advertising and PR agency with international clients and ramifications. For a complete list of topics covered by both courses and to register please visit http://www.strategicmalta.com/training.

The second-hand dealer decided to engage the services of a mineral engineer who, after having studied the area where the gold vein was initially found, concluded that the project had failed because the mine’s owner ignored the “fault line”. According to the engineer’s calculation, had the excavation continued, the previous owner would have found a new gold vein exactly one metre from where he gave up digging! When the second hand-dealer started the excavations, he discovered the new gold vein exactly where the engineer told he would have found it. The second-hand dealer became a millionaire just because he had decided to engage the services of a specialized professional!

So… what does this anecdote teach us? You may know how to start up and manage a business but, in a small and competitive market such as Malta, you may find yourself short of ideas on how effectively reach and retain your customers and, lost and discouraged, decide to give up. Lets’ admit it: too many times we have seen businesses open and close within a few months. Many entrepreneurs may have done exactly like the man in the story, stopping one metre from success only because they never asked for the help of specialized personnel. This is especially true in the case of advertising, particularly in the case of planning effective strategies to reach customers through social media and mobile phones, where companies expect an immediate return of investments from their campaigns.

This is when the assistance of a specialized service provider is required the most! On Friday 4^th May, Strategic Communications is organizing a half day course on the effective use of mobile marketing. We will analyze international case studies, I-phone specific marketing, and teach you how to creatively and effectively use the most personal and pervasive advertising platform on the planet: your mobile phone! For further information and to register, please visit http://www.strategicmalta.com/new-media-understanding-mobile-marketing/

Matching your corporate identity with your corporate image may sometime be difficult. In addition the spokesperson of an organization must be able to act swiftly to contain negative exposure in blogs and social media websites, as well as deal effectively with requests from journalists.

Our course aims at explaining how effective public relations can help an organization maintain its visibility in the media and tackle a crisis whenever and wherever it may occur.

The course is delivered by Italian industry professional Dott. Fabio Giangolini, B. Comm. (Hons), MA Marketing Management Universita’ di Roma “La Sapienza”. Director Strategic Communications.

Price

€65 including VAT.

Our training courses are developed to provide skills that are transferable to a number of employees within the organization, and from industry to industry. Therefore it is our understanding that these courses will be eligible for ETC’s Training Aid Framework (TAF) (click here to know more about TAF and how to apply).

When

Friday 11th May, 9:00 – 12:00.

Where

No.2 Dar Is Sliem

Alfons Maria Galea Street

Birzebbuga

FREE PARKING AVAILABLE

Who should attend

Managers, public relations officials and spokespersons of any organization. Public affairs professionals.

Objectives

- Providing participants with the tools to recognize occasions for generating positive exposure

- Analysing best practices in the management of a crisis from a PR point of view

- Recognizing risk factors inside an organization which could lead to a crisis and identifying ways of preventing them

- Limiting the damages from bad exposure in the media

- Understanding the use of public affairs in the EU

Topics

- Introduction to public relations

- The PR function in an organization

- Recognising news value in a story

- Critical factors in the publication of press releases

- Crisis communication: international and local case studies

- Standard operating procedures for managing a crisis

- Effective techniques to deal with media enquiries

- The financial communication

- Evaluation of PR activities

- Public affairs in the EU

Click here to book >

It stores the photos of your holidays, the numbers and addresses of your family, friends and colleagues.

Your mobile accompanies wherever you go and you rarely leave it behind, if at all.

Recognising the importance of mobile devices has become a critical factor for those companies that want to reach their clients in the fastest and most direct way possible.

Our course aims at introducing the participants to the possibilities offered by mobile phones as effective marketing tools, as well as creating mobile-friendly advertising campaigns and websites.

The course is delivered by Italian industry professional Dott. Fabio Giangolini, B. Comm. (Hons), MA Marketing Management Universita’ di Roma “La Sapienza”. Director Strategic Communications.

Price

€65 including VAT

Our training courses are developed to provide skills that are transferable to a number of employees within the organization, and from industry to industry. Therefore it is our understanding that these courses will be eligible for ETC’s Training Aid Framework (TAF) (click here to know more about TAF and how to apply).

When

Friday 4th May 2012, 9:00 – 12:00

Where

No.2 Dar Is Sliem

Alfons Maria Galea Street

Birzebbuga

FREE PARKING AVAILABLE

Who should attend

Marketing executives and managers, and self employed individuals interested in maximising their marketing budget. Advertising agencies interested in knowing how to integrate mobile marketing in their clients’ campaigns.

Objectives

- Informing participants about the latest developments in the mobile marketing industry

- Providing the necessary basic knowledge to understand the technologies supporting mobile marketing

- Developing I-phone specific campaigns

- Understanding how to integrate mobile marketing into marketing campaigns

Topics

- Introduction to mobile marketing

- International case studies

- Mobile marketing applied to events

- Targeting and tracking

- I-phone specific marketing

- Location based marketing and mobile coupons

- Basic concepts for building a mobile friendly website

- Mobile SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

- Integration with traditional media

- International case studies

- Privacy, spam and viruses

- Mobile marketing in the world

- The future of mobile marketing

Click here to book >

With Timeline you can choose which posts to pin and maintain at the top of your page, such as your latest promotions.

Strategic Communications can help you to effectively set up and visually customise Timeline, a task which may prove cumbersome to many.

For only €109+ VAT this is what we will do for you:

-        Design of a personalized cover for your page;

-        Design of a customised profile picture;

-        Design of customised “button icons” for your featured applications;

-        Creation of an optimised About Us section;

-        Creation of a personalised Facebook address (i.e. www.facebook.com/mycompany)

-        Creation of up to 5 company milestones posts (i.e. foundation, mergers, introduction of new services, etc);

-        Creation and set up of a Contact Form , including telephone numbers, emails, website, address, links to social media accounts and map with location;

-        User guide explaining how to get the most out of your new Facebook page;

Contact us now!

1. Social signals: both Google and Bing are attributing priority to websites whose content is distributed on social networks. The reason is simple: as organic search is all about the relevance of a website to those performing the search, a website whose content is distributed through Facebook, Linked In, Twitter or Google + is perceived as relevant by search engines. Ensure your visitors can share your posts and press releases through social media buttons (all the websites that our company develops have this feature).

2. Backlinks: these are more important than ever, as websites featuring bogus ones are banned by search engines. On the other hand, if your back linking strategy is genuine, you will be rewarded with a higher ranking in query results. You can build an effective back linking strategy, by distributing your press releases to online media and including a link to your website.

3. Google + button: users clicking this button will automatically flag the content as interesting and relevant, thus resulting in Google ranking your website higher.

4. Fresh is better: if you were the owner of a fish restaurant, would you serve your clients fish which is not fresh? Just like a five-star restaurant, Google and other search engines only offer their clients fresh content. The more a website features updated content, the higher it will be ranked.

5. Search Plus your World: Search Plus Your World is a Google + feature expanding a post’s lifetime and making it easy for your contacts to find your post, even months after it has been posted. Another good reason to share your blog posts and press releases on Google +.

 If you would like to improve your website’s performance, contact Strategic Communications for a free SEO consultation.

]]> http://www.strategicmalta.com/2012/03/01/tips-for-effective-seo/feed/ 0 http://www.strategicmalta.com/2012/02/28/volunia-italys-answer-to-google/ http://www.strategicmalta.com/2012/02/28/volunia-italys-answer-to-google/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:46:24 +0000 admin http://www.strategicmalta.com/?p=1103 Article by  Giovanni Caprara, originally published in Corrieredellasera.it on 7th February 2012.

PADUA – “Volunia, the new all-Italian search engine can now fly us all to freedom”. Creator Massimo Marchiori, 41, is delighted that Volunia’s moment has come after three years of hard work, hoop jumping and triumphant tests. Marchiori is quick to point out: “This is not a Google buster. We’ve only just started. However, the possibilities are enormous and far superior to those on offer from Google. With Volunia, it will be possible to search for something and also to meet other people who are searching. That’s why we have called it Seek & Meet.

THE STORY – Massimo Marchiori created the algorithm that Larry Page used to build Google. Spurning the siren song of America, he returned to Italy from MIT in Boston, where he was working, to seek out new opportunities in the land of his birth. The precise opposite of the path usually taken by young Italians. Following a spell as a researcher at the University of Venice, Marchiori was appointed professor at Padua, and at the alma mater where Galileo founded modern science, he hosted a webcast today to present his new creature, Volunia.

VOLUNIA – “I called it Volunia, from the Italian words for flying and moon, because I wanted to evoke the quantum leap my social search engine delivers”, Marchiori enthuses. The site has been operational since Monday afternoon and you can now register to browse. Marchiori assures us that the engine will be opened to all users next week, after a few days of necessary tweaking. In practical terms, the search engine offers two main features. When you enter any website, a toolbar gives you a range of options. The first is to create a personal map of the site with all its sections, “overflying the content” as Marchiori puts it. There’s also a “media” button that gives you an instant display of multimedia content to speed up your search. Another major innovation is the social box.

SOCIAL BOX – You can see how many other people are browsing, or have browsed, the site you are visiting but the biggest innovation is that you can contact them directly. “It’s a fantastic way to make friends with people that share your interests. In other words, it’s a wonderful way to socialise”. Obviously, data protection is guaranteed. Volunia, which is already patented in the US, was created thanks to Marchiori’s ideas and programming skills, to financial support from Sardinian businessman Mariano Pierddu and to input from a small supercomputer company based at Scandiano near Florence.

TWELVE LANGUAGES – The search engine features twelve different languages but addresses the whole world while the expandable hardware is designed to cater for a global user base. Marchiori uses a metaphor. This is the year when laying hens will be liberated in the European Union because from 2012, they can no longer be kept in battery cages. He puts it like this: “You see thanks to Volunia, internet users will finally be able to get out of the web’s cramped cages and have more freedom to scratch about in the web’s endless possibilities”.

SIGNAL – Padua University’s rector Giuseppe Zaccaria notes: “It’s a very positive signal if Marchiori has chosen to come back to his town and university for a new challenge. We have nothing to fear from the rough and tumble of international exchange and we are ready to support him”. “We must at all costs save the excellent things we have if we want to make sure we have a future”, says Padua’s mayor, Flavio Zanonato. He is proud of his illustrious fellow townsman and also passionate about the moon and stars. Hence the name Volunia, “which was rated positive in the United States and taken to mean voluptuousness”.

“The Service needed the expertise and experience, that Strategic Communications’ director Dott. Fabio Giangolini has, to produce a well written piece on our Maritime Squadron’s Rapid Deployment Team (RDT), which is the vessel boarding team of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM),” said Major Ivan Consiglio, who heads the HQ AFM’s Public Information Cell.

“The article’s focused content is in an attractive eye catching page design style, in an easily downloadable PDF file format, and is aimed to address both the military enthusiast and researchers alike,” Major Consiglio added.

Apart from managing Strategic Communications, Dott. Giangolini has been embedded on numerous occasions with the AFM out in the field during training and operations. He is also a freelance military journalist for a number of Italian magazines and has collaborated with the local Maltese news media, covering military subjects. Dott. Giangolini has a deep knowledge of the Armed Forces of Malta and of the RDT in particular, having followed the evolution of this specialized unit since its inception.

A high resolution version of the brochure can be downloaded from https://www.box.net/shared/fi4s9dz3f602tckeopdv