UKFast wins MEN Business Award

Jonathan Bowers, November 7th 2008, 11:26AM

I am delighted to be able to report that UKFast won a M.E.N. Business of the Year Award last night. We are all thrilled with the win, not only because it meant a great night’s celebration, but also because it is a real tangible reward for all of our hardworking employees.

The awards look to recognise the top Manchester businesses of 2008. There were six category winners at the ceremony held in Manchester's Midland Hotel and we fought off very tough competition to win in the category of businesses that had revenue of under £10m per year.

In fact, the high standard of entrants for this year’s awards makes our win all the more pleasing. The judging panel said the competition had “attracted one of the strongest fields in the event's history, with all the finalists showing impressive leadership and innovation”.

We certainly know how tough it was to just make last night’s shortlist of three. Our entire business came under scrutiny by an expert panel, and our MD Lawrence Jones then gave two impassioned presentations to them. So, after a lot of work and some nervous nail biting it was fantastic that the rollercoaster ride came to such a brilliant conclusion.

But, the event was not just about our success. Looking around the room last night, it reaffirmed to me that Manchester and the North West boasts so much business talent and vision. The judges were impressed with the quality of the local firms in the competition and said as a business region we should be collectively proud about what we are achieving.

Even in difficult times, Manchester is a booming economic centre and we are very proud to be recognised as a leading Manchester business.

Get more details and see pictures from the Awards dinner.

Tags: awards, brand, economy, internet, manchester_businesses, marketing
# Comment (0 comments)

Internet can be a remedy to the credit crunch

Jonathan Bowers, October 10th 2008, 2:59PM

The latest figures for online ad spend are an eye opening read. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, internet advertising expenditure increased by 21% year on year in the first half of 2008, while the total ad market fell by 0.7% in the same period.

Now these figures do cover a period before the credit crunch truly kicked in but the slow down was already starting and confidence was already falling, so they do reflect behaviour in belt tightening times.

The main headline is that when the advertising market as a whole is cutting back, internet spend continues to rise. And why is this? It is because companies know that online advertising is affordable, accountable and effective.

Online ads have the potential to reach a world of consumers and many online ads only cost per click, so you don’t pay for ineffective advertising. Meanwhile, pay-per-click campaigns and banner leads alike can be monitored to record the direct correlation between advert - interest- spend, so scrutinising management boards can see the tangible results of advertising on the net.

So even when businesses need to cut overheads they have learned that to do so online is a false economy. In my view, if cuts can be concentrated elsewhere they should be because a continued investment in an online presence will always deliver a strong return.

In fact, a bold policy of actually injecting extra online advertising investment now could be the best business decision an MD makes all year. Imagine having your brand all over the internet when your rivals are hiding behind the office photocopier.

And those with an online business should be equally bold. Promote your business and be prepared for extra traffic by ensuring that your hosting solution is up to scratch. Don’t run the risk of downtime when the online marketplace is at the fore. Invest in a dedicated hosting solution to ensure that you are equipped to beat the crunch.

Tags: advertising, adwords, brand, e-commerce, hosting, internet, marketing
# Comment (0 comments)

No technology recession

Jonathan Bowers, September 19th 2008, 3:02PM

The annual Interbrands survey gives an insight into the fastest growing global brands and shows that the technology and internet focused companies are making the largest gains.

Google has jumped 43% in the last year climbing into the top 10 while the other growing brands flying up the list include Amazon, Apple and Nintendo. Microsoft and IBM are both in the top three with Big Blue controversially nudging Microsoft into third this year.

As businesses look at the ways they can improve their ROI in this time of economic uncertainty the Internet has proved to be the most popular area to still achieve growth. So right from the top down we are seeing online focused enterprises remain on an upward curve.

At UKFast, sales of managed hosting are mirroring this trend. More and more companies are looking to their dedicated server solutions to give them a solid online presence that attracts a level of interest that is simply not evident offline.

It's not surprising then that the hardware companies like HP and Dell are also growing in line with this demand. At UKFast we have noticed that dell in particular have made their solutions much more attractive to those buying on a large scale and this allows hosts to pass on the cost saving, increasing the ROI of the businesses residing on their networks.

Tags: brand, internet
# Comment (0 comments)

Online Community Messaging – the next big online marketing tool

Jonathan Bowers, May 30th 2008, 1:28PM

In their efforts to connect with potential customers online, businesses are already using online banner ads, site sponsorship and email marketing but can we predict the next big development to hit the mainstream? In my view it’s going to be online community messaging.

Why? Firstly, community messaging has the power to deliver a business’s ad direct to the audience. Secondly, using the wealth of personal data held by community sites, marketing can be targeted right down to the individual.

Thirdly, it avoids the potential problems that have developed in using email for advertising, such as spam filters and users recognising and rejecting marketing emails. And fourthly, it offers an exciting, new interface, which we could call ’partnering’ or ‘piggybacking’.

If we take Facebook as an example we can see the huge potential for online community messaging marketing.

Facebook has a number of features that offer an effective message service through activity linking. The most direct model involves creating a fan page of a brand or product and inviting members. As people join their network friends are automatically alerted to the action, which spreads the word about the brand. This marketing style generates what is known as ‘Fansumers’ and it has the added benefit that brands are not just promoted but also endorsed.

The ‘partnering’ message is Facebook’s latest initiative. If a user messages a friend with reference to a commercial entity, the business can pay to include an ad that accompanies the message. The example Facebook uses is a restaurant. A user messages a friend saying they have visited a particular restaurant and included in the massage is an ad for that very restaurant.

Online community popularity continues to go from strength to strength and it offers unique characteristics to help businesses get their message across. So a big part of the future of online marketing certainly involves online community messaging.

Tags: advertising, brand, e-commerce, facebook, internet
# Comment (0 comments)

Tesco takes moral stand against Google Awords?

Jonathan Bowers, May 9th 2008, 11:19AM

UK supermarket titan Tesco has announced that it is not bidding on rivals’ names despite the introduction of Google Adwords changes. If true what are Tesco’s motivations?

Immediate reactions have been that Tesco does not want to dance to Google’s tune and that the move is designed to keep the cost of search engine advertising down. And Tesco would not be the only company in the UK commercial sector showing defiance to the US goliath.

Or does Tesco have something else on its mind. Naturally, if it appears to take the moral high ground and does not bid on names such as Sainsbury’s or Asda, it will want them to do the same. Just maybe, the market leader’s concerns of rivals diverting its intended online customer base are the real motivation.

This falls in line with Asda’s belief. According to Brand Republic , Rick Bendel, marketing director at Asda, said: 'Tesco believes everything is for sale, except when it doesn't suit it.' This supports the view that Tesco thinks it will ultimately lose out from the adoption of Adword changes and is trying to manoeuvre to prevent it. However, Asda is not playing ball as it has not ruled out bidding on rival trademarks.

Search engine traffic diversion has become a major issue. The new rules allow companies to bid on rivals’ trademarks for the first time. While advertisers are not allowed to pass themselves off as their competitors, they can now appear quoting their own URL at the top of a search for a rival if they are the top Adwords bidders.

For example, a searcher who wants to do some online grocery shopping puts Tesco in as their search criteria. Asda has top bid on the Adword ‘Tesco’, so its advert appears top of the Google search list. This online shopper just wants groceries and is happy to click on the first link. The searcher looked for Tesco but ended up shopping with Asda. Tesco has lost out despite being the initial front runner.

It is surprising that Tesco would be that concerned about a price war on Adwords. It is the dominant supermarket in the UK and most likely to have the resources to win an Adwords price battle. However, as it operates in a convenience retail sector where customers are likely to opt for the path of least resistance, the possibility that Google’s new Adwords system will divert custom away is a serious concern.

This is also backed up by brand new research suggesting that under the new system search engine users get to their original search destination 8% less often compared to the old system.

I believe that Tesco’s true concern with Google’s new rules is not that it will have to spend more but that its competitors will now profit from piggybacking on its hard fought brand positioning.

Tags: adwords, brand, e-commerce, google, search_terms
# Comment (0 comments)