CITY PREPS FOR 100 YEAR WAVE

My new article: City of Cape Preps for 100 Year Waves 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/city-cape-preps-100-year-waves-gareth-griffiths  The story focusses on an award-winning project by the engineering team from the City of Cape Town and the private sector.  

Thanks to this project, the people of the Strand, beach users, businesses and road users will be safe against the 100 year-old tidal wave for a long time to go. And the business precinct was significantly upgraded, which allowed for the expansion of the informal traders' market also.

Strand beach and Pavillion is a well-used area especially during the Christmas period, so all tourists and locals should enjoy an enhanced built environment and safety during the holidays.

This article first appeared in To Build magazine, of which I am Editor.

RECESSION BUSTING MOVES

With the economic outlook not great for 2012 one line cost item that often is cut by management is advertising and marketplace communications. Big mistake.

Here’s why:

More than 50% of commercial and industrial clients still use print media publications as their informative source of reference. Of these readers, a large majority are in senior decision making positions - not having the time to learn and adapt to the messages of the social media on the web. Readers such these are looking for well written, informative content, supported by logical arguments. The web is not ideal for this.

So you want to keep your media presence, yet reduce expense. Here are my suggestions for you:

1. Use the editorial channel on an organized, sustained basis. You pay only for the time spent on researching and preparing the content.

2. Use a professional, dedicated service provider to prepare this content.

3. Take a serious look at your current advertising with a view to: 

• Eliminating crossover between your targeted groups.
• Audit - size and content of message

 4. Employ specialist communications service providers, such as freelancers. The days of the large corporate advertising dodo companies are over.

5. Use social media - YES - but use it wisely. Intergrate it into a plan!

Save money. Get it right first time.

When you want to do these things, talk to Energy MC. The time is always right.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO BUILDING BUSINESS

You’ve done the hard work in investing, setting up your corporate infrastructure and in getting your products and services into the market but you feel that your turnover could be bigger? Sounds familiar because many companies fall into the trap of not effectively informing the market what they are offering and why they are different.

In the view of marketing and communications strategist, Gareth Griffiths, CEO of marketing communications company Energy MC, many companies also make the mistake of investing substantial resources in buying advertising space, be it on radio, newspapers, magazines or websites and then fail to put together an effective message. They fail to use the simple “ABC” of effective marketing communication.

A – for Articulation – stands for the preparation of an effective message and for deciding the most effective way of putting it across. Many businesses fail to use the full mix of opportunities available to them. “I’ve seen it time and time again”, says Griffiths. “The client usually is sold on a visually creative and often expensive advertising design. However, because the designer – often a person with a background in design or in arts – knows little about media and the additional opportunities available through the editorial channels, the client only gets half the potential of the money invested in the ad”.

It is also vitally important to use the right language, says Griffiths. “Clients write the worst do-it-yourself scripts because they are too close to their own businesses. A disconnected, but informed and clear view is the best”, he says.

B- for Budget – this means that the client should budget adequate resources towards doing the promotion. In particular, shortcuts or “homegrown jobs” should be avoided. It is highly advised to call a professional service provider to help with the creative content and also negotiate the best deal with the magazine, website provider or radio station.

C – for Commitment over the long term. It takes a long time to build a brand image that attracts customers. Many fine advertising and promotional campaigns are ditched at too early a stage due to either ineffective budgeting or the client’s impatience.
Advertising and other forms of marketing communications are really a form of “Show and Tell. The showing comes from the effective use of photographs and images which graphically illustrate your products or services at work and the telling comes from using the type of words and sentences most appropriate and interesting to your audience! It’s that simple” says Gareth Griffiths.