Happy Mondays (no, not the band, although I do hear that they are reforming for a tour one month this year).

As I got in the car to drive to work on Monday, it was with a sense of relief after surviving the usual chaos of getting everyone out of the house on time and in the correct clothing and the right bags and kit for the day.  My thoughts then turned to the day ahead [...]

Do you really fit the best with Everest?

At the weekend we ordered some double glazing for our house, to replace the drafty windows that let the heat out in the winter. We called Everest on the Friday and got an appointment with a salesman the following day. He turned up with lots of samples and talked us through all the options. He [...]

What gaps are in your communication strategy?

The fourth assignment for my CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing involves creating a communications audit on the organisation I have based my assignment upon. After I had fathomed exactly what was required, I started to enjoy analysing every aspect of communication the organisation did, including the ‘external’ stakeholders involved, such as the media and pressure [...]

How do you integrate your online marketing, to save time and money?

The number of ways that you can promote your business through online marketing is constantly growing. It is now accepted that you need an online presence in order to market your business. I was asked to speak about this at a recent FSB IT event in Reading, so I thought I’d share with you a [...]

How to make a brand powerful

I noticed a clever piece of branding yesterday on Twitter. It was incredibly subtle (the best marketing always is) and this company took advantage of Valentine’s Day to send a message of love (with a little present attached) to its clients without having to say who it was from. In this case the recipient would [...]

LinkedIn Groups for interaction, publicity and knowledge

A great feature of LinkedIn is the groups. There are literally thousands to choose from, in a similar myriad of subjects, levels and sociability. Locate them through the ‘Groups’ link at the top of your profile page, and you will automatically go to the list of groups you have joined. These vary from open to [...]

Radio part two – 7 ways to give a great interview

In part one of this blog post I shared my tips on how to get onto the radio to get some free promotion. Click here to read part one if you missed it. Now in part two I’m going to share some ideas on how to get over your nerves and give a great interview. [...]

Using radio to promote your business – part one

I recently was invited to give a radio interview, so I thought I’d share with you my tips for getting on air and how you can use the radio to promote your business or your favourite good cause. In September I ran a charity event, so a couple of months beforehand I sent out a [...]

What’s the best marketing you’ve done this year?

What marketing have you done that has really worked? What have you done that hasn’t been a great success? What was your best effort and what will you be doing more of less of next year? 2010 has been a busy year for Appletree so we’ve taken a look at the different marketing we’ve done, with [...]

Ranting, reminding and rewards from Recognition Express

I have worked for Appletree for nearly 4 years as Customer Service Administrator. I was thrilled to be presented with an award plus lots of lovely goodies from Recognition Express. I didn’t know that my boss Chantal had nominated me, what a fantastic surprise! I am delighted to think my boss believes I have the [...]