Source: Daily Mail
Don’t worry I’m not going to add a Pussycat Dolls video.
What career did you want to have when you grew up? Have you realised your dreams? My first memory of a chosen job was that I wanted to be a hairdresser. I loved the idea of making people feel better about themselves and its also a very sociable job. If you’ve not gathered by now, I love to chat! But it was during a trip to Granada Studios (remember when they used to be based just off Deansgate?) where my eyes where opened to the wonderful world of media. I don’t know why but out of the group of children and parents I was picked to ‘read the news’. It was an amazing experience and definitely lit the fire for a career in communications. The other thing I liked about the media was their desire to be the first to do stuff we shouldn’t be shocked by, but it was a big moment when the first black kiss occurred in 1968 or seeing a gay couple on TV. It’s saddening to hear that the creative/arts industry has taken such a knock due to coronavirus.
But what is marketing communications really all about?
“Marketing communications includes advertising, promotions, sales, branding and online promotion.[3] The process allows the public to know or understand a brand. Successful branding involves targeting audiences who appreciate the organisation's marketing program.”
(Wikipedia)
To me quite simply it’s all about being where your customer is, with the technology we now have at our fingertips this can be done in many different ways. There’s no denying that digital has overtaken many other media formats and you can see the attraction due to its accountability which is difficult to achieve from more traditional media. But a multi-media approach is still important that’s why I pride myself on being media neutral. The right plan for a client is dictated by many factors budget/objectives the list is endless.
I’ve said many times that media consumption is so much more fragmented now than it was in the halcyon days (for media planners) of the 80s I talk about it in more detail here. The plethora of outlets available now not to mention ad avoidance on subscription channels such as Netflix has made a marketeers job much trickier. But when it’s done well, it can be amazing.
I’m really enjoying Just Eat’s campaign at the moment with Snoop Dogg; an excellent execution which works well across different media. I’d love to know how much it cost to get Snoop to be involved (I may need to Google that later).
Paradoxically, I was saddened to hear the news that Bauer has made the decision to close down nearly 50 of their local radio stations and rebrand them to Greatest Hits Radio. I still feel there is a place for truly local radio in our ever changing media climate. Capital Manchester’s drive time show is testament to that with a significant increase in listeners according to the latest RAJAR. During the coronavirus outbreak I think radio has more than proven its worth. Keeping our spirits up during a particularly difficult time and providing an instant source of information.
With all that has happened in the world of late we’ve had an opportunity to self-reflect. There are many negatives and I think its going to be sometime before we get back to ‘normal’ both economically and emotionally. But I feel this is a great opportunity for us to reset, change our priorities and follow our dreams. I am genuinely passionate about what I do and helping businesses realise their true potential. We’re not out the woods yet but drop me an email if you want to chat I’d love to hear from you kiesha@iconmarketingcommunications.co.uk