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ASG & Partners scoops hat-trick of awards at PRCA DARE Awards 2023

ASG & Partners has been awarded a hat-trick of prestigious accolades at this year’s PRCA DARE Awards which took place on Wednesday 31st May.

Pictured (left to right) is Russell Lever, Deputy Head of PR; Sebastian McBrien, Account Manager; Ruth McCullagh, Account Director; Sasha Jeffrey, Director of PR and Alice Byrne, Senior Account Executive.

The only agency to have collected three awards, ASG & Partners secured the Best Public Sector Campaign of the Year and Best Integrated Campaign of the Year for their outstanding work on the Community Relations Council’s Good Relations Week 2022.

They were also rewarded with Best Event/Launch of the Year Award for their remarkable efforts on behalf of Richmond Marketing’s to deliver the Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s ‘II Pitstop’ event.

The PRCA DARE Awards recognise and honour the exemplary achievements of PR and communications professionals throughout the United Kingdom with the winners determined by a distinguished panel of industry experts.

Sasha Jeffrey, Director of PR at ASG & Partners said: “We are thrilled to have received three awards at this year’s PRCA DARE Awards. Being acknowledged at a national level is an incredible accomplishment and I’m immensely proud of our team’s unwavering commitment to providing an award-winning service to our clients.”

PRCA Managing Director, Renna Markson commented: “We are delighted to congratulate ASG & Partners on their success at the PRCA DARE Awards Northern Ireland, where they secured three well-deserved awards. The judges were impressed by their execution and strategic planning, which resulted in outstanding outcomes.

“Their campaign ‘Il Pitstop’ for Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% was recognised as the Event/Launch of the Year, highlighting their remarkable planning and execution. Additionally, ASG & Partners secured two awards for their exceptional Integrated Campaign and Public Sector Campaign, both associated with Good Relations Week 2022.

“Their winning formula was a result of diligent research, strategic approach, and a brilliant fusion of creative and innovative campaign ideas. The results speak for themselves, and we eagerly anticipate their future endeavours.”

The Community Relations Council’s Good Relations Week campaign is a celebration of Northern Ireland’s culture and heritage, while addressing sectarianism, racism, and promoting cultural diversity and gender equality in helping build a united and shared future for everyone.

Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s II Pitstop was a four-day event in Belfast and one of several activations planned to mark the beginning of a long-term multi-year partnership between Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% and the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team.

For more information on the PRCA DARE Awards visit: www.prcadareawards.com

We Think You Should Meet: Lisa Irvine

As our Recruitment Marketing team grows, it’s been a pleasure to welcome Lisa Irvine to the fold. Lisa’s work in the print media world means weve overlapped over many years. Now that she’s come on board with ASG, we took the opportunity for a quick chat.

Welcome Lisa!

Our paths have crossed over the years, can you tell us a little about your professional path pre-ASG?

You’re right! Ive known and worked with ASG in some capacity for a few years now. Coming from a print background, I have worked at the Belfast Telegraph, the Newsletter, and the Mirror Group among others. From weekly newspapers to the Yellow Pages, Ive had experience in most print publications in NI over the last 3 decades. Quite the education really!

What stood out for you in your roles within print media?

I did love my previous positions. The people, the ever changing nature of press and the evolutions I saw over the years. The most fascinating was the shift from press being purely print to becoming digital. The last few years have been really exciting in that respect. I always appreciated that newspapers were doing their best to move with the times. I would say though that I really believe in the power of picking up a newspaper and enjoying it. That will never change for me.

It sounds like you were dedicated to print in many ways, what made you decide to move?

Change is great for all of us and after many years soaking up one side of the business, I had developed a brilliant relationship with agencies across Northern Ireland and it piqued my interest in seeing the other side of marketing. Im keen to keep learning, to keep engaged with the market and moving to ASG represented an opportunity to do that.

How have you found the shift from print to client side?

So far, Ive really enjoyed it. Its without a doubt a steep learning curve but the team have been incredible in helping me get up to speed. I really like the experience of learning and being outside of my comfort zone. Its all brain food, figuring out new systems and new processes, I love it!

Outside of work, we hear you have a rather bracing hobby?

I do, and I suppose yes it is bracing! For the last few years Ive been going cold water swimming each week and Ive really fallen for it. My friend and I have our own little swim group, and the benefits weve found for physical and mental well being are remarkable. I completely subscribe to the healing properties of the ocean and just taking the time for some self care each week has been really important for me. Id recommend a dip to anyone. It really does get easier!

Any advice for prospective recruitment marketing peers?

Im not sure its advice so much as my own experience, but taking a risk and making change can be really empowering no matter what stage of your professional career youre at. Its been wonderful for me gaining experiencing in one area but the switch to another has given me motivation and real eagerness to learn.

National Sebastian Day

We love nothing more than getting to know our team and what could be better than celebrating them on their own National Day? This National Sebastian Day we chatted to our PR Account Manager Sebastian McBrien about how creativity runs through most parts of his day. We took the chance to quiz Sebastian on what brought him to ASG and where he’s hoping his creative drive will take him.

Hi Sebastian!

We’d love to hear a little about your professional path before you joined the ASG team.

Before I got started professionally, I completed my Undergraduate Degree in Psychology and followed that up with a Masters Degree in Marketing from Queens University. I was always interested in the social side of psychology so moving into marketing made sense to me. Through the roles I’ve had into since graduation, I’ve found it really is the right fit.

After graduation I decided to move to New York in the hope of securing an internship with a company in my field. It was a challenge and right before my visa ran out I found a position working with a German company based in NYC. My mother is German and I speak fluently so the position of a bilingual marketer came at just the right time for me. I stayed in the role the length of my visa and soaked up life in Brooklyn and NYC.

From New York I moved home to be near family.  I worked in a couple of roles where I’ve undertaken marketing and communications responsibilities. Each position has underlined my interest in the field and finding the ASG role has been the perfect move for me.

What is it about marketing that interests you the most? 

Originally when I was doing my Marketing Masters I thought I was interested in marketing in the broad sense, everything to do with marketing and communications. Now through my work and experience, I can see that it’s the creative, communications and PR side of marketing that most interests me. I do appreciate and value the  digital and financial side of things but it’s not what makes me feel energised. I’m excited to focus on the creative piece of marketing going forward.

What have you most enjoyed so far in your role at ASG? 

Really I’ve been enjoying all aspects of my new position. I feel like I’m already part of the team. My ideas are taken on board and I feel I can really contribute in the work we do for clients. It’s so satisfying! So far I’ve particularly enjoyed working on the events we’ve planned with Four Loko and 6 by Nico. Really, each aspect of work has helped me learn, and has sparked an interest in doing more.

Outside of ASG do you find ways to be creative?  

For the most part I’m a creative person inside and outside of work. Before my role here, I felt I was missing a creative outlet and decided to launch my own YouTube Channel, Instagram profiles and an Online Community for Star Wars Gaming fans. These were all routes for me to fulfil my creative side. Through my work here I’m definitely finding more of a creative outlet. I have to admit I still love working on my Star Wars Community outside of work. That’s a hard one one to quit!

I also have a lot of creative friends and we support each other in our goals. One friend has an art gallery and I often volunteer to help him out creatively. I like the balance and perspective working on other projects gives me. I feel I can learn something that might be useful in my role at ASG.

We always like to ask for some advice. Is there anything you’d suggest to aspiring marketers as they plan their professional journey? 

My advice would be to keep trying things until you get it right. You might get a job that on the surface seems like a good fit but you find you’re unhappy there, or it doesn’t hit the focus you really want. It’s important to know what you really want and to keeping working towards that. Finding fulfilment within work is hugely important and if you’re at a stage where that is not happening yet, there are avenues you can explore outside of work where you can fulfil creative interests or continue learning while you wait for the right professional opportunity to come round.

Why better business communications matter

January’s Better Business Communications Day aims to celebrate the efforts of those who communicate effectively. Whether that’s internal or external, every morsel of comms count when it comes to productive and efficient business. Successful leaders and growth businesses all acknowledge that working with a clear and focused communications plan is fundamental.

So how does better business communication actually show up day to day? And what are the rewards to be reaped from investing in a better level of business communications?

Engagement and productivity

Clear and consistent leadership communications are shown to be the top internal communications factor correlating to the engagement of employees. The more inspiring, authentic and connected the communications within a business are, the more connected and engaged employees are.

Improved employee engagement naturally leads to an improved level of employee productivity. More engaged teams are shown to be more motivated and more efficient, resulting in a higher output at every level.

Connecting remotely

As markets and societies evolve in the post pandemic world, we’re seeing an increasing number of employees employed remotely or navigating a hybrid set up. Putting in place better communications strategy and networks allows for improved connectivity regardless of where employees are based.

Reducing turnover

Employees who are engaged with their work and who feel included in the internal communications of a company are shown to be more content. Those who feel part of the motivations and sensitivities of a company and who are briefed on changes in their workplace are happier. Happier employees means an organisation can look forward to a lower turnover rate and higher staff retention overall.

Building a better company culture

Developing and rolling out a communications strategy that is based on honesty, transparency and collaboration feeds into the creation of a stronger and more positive company culture. The idea of a team, of communications as a relationship and as connectivity, can only improve the experience and overall culture of any working environment.  

What does it take to put in place better business commutations?

Honestly and vulnerability

The best communication is not a PR effort. It’s an open, candid telling of what is really happening. Leaders who lead by example showing strength through vulnerability are those who motivate support and backing from their teams.  As Brené Brown explains, vulnerability is the basis for creation. To create is to make something that has not existed before and showing that to the world can feel nerve-wracking. Leadership is just that: creating, creating again, and adapting to fit the response as you show your creation to the world. Being open to having difficult conversations can lead to more productive and successful solutions. No true and successful team is built on half-truths or omissions.

Concise and clear

Good communication does not mean long communication. Often the best and most memorable communicators are those who best understand what their audiences needs. Winston Churchill recognised just this and spoke mostly in short, concise sentences. He understood that people are most likely to retain brief powerful messages rather than long, rambling stories. Consider this when crafting your communication style. Choose clear and direct language. Remember that impact is made when people really understand and connect to your message. A real time example of this is TED who have implemented an 18 minute maximum rule for all meetings on the basis that research shows our attention spans are between 1018 minutes.

Connection

Communication is not only about what you say but equally how you say things and the manner in which communications are received. Emotions play an important part in this, something which renowned communicators recognise. Bill Clinton focused on emotionally connecting with his audience through nonverbal communications and tried not to distract with overly rehearsed gestures or gimmicks. Michelle Obama combined humour with unprepared candour to connect with her audience. Speaking from personal experiences, being open and honest about real issues and choosing language that resonated with her audience, she connected on more than a verbal level.

Collaborative dialogue

Good communication is a relationship, a dialogue between people. It’s not a lecture, or a monologue that is delivered from one person to others. Truly inspiring communicators recognise that collaboration is key. Taking a genuine interest in the people you’re communicating with and developing empathy with them ensures communications are better received and retained. Take Oprah Winfrey as an example. Oprah understands that listening (not just hearing) is fundamental to communication. She has built a career on showing a real interest in whoever she’s talking to and allowing their role in the communication to direct her own.

Underlining the relationship component of communication creates a true culture of collaboration within a company. Microsoft famously employee ‘Ralph’, the chicken to help their collaborative communication. The plastic chicken is thrown around a meeting room keeping the balance of speaking and listening and underlining a lack of hierarchy between team members.

It’s easy to show why better business communication benefits everyone, from company to employees, customers to bottom line. Interestingly more than half of companies admit they do not have a long term strategy for internal communications and 29% of employees report that poor communication is the reason for the failure of a project. Given that improvised communications can generate better engagement, productivity and a drop in employee turnover, there’s no doubt that turning our attention to a clear and open communications strategy within any business, large or small will have its benefits.

Social media as a customer service priority

No brand can exist without customers or clients. Most brands and products are created having the end user in mind and a key part of that involves customer service. Every stage of interaction between brand and customer creates a relationship. How a brand chooses to engage with their customers forms a baseline of customer service. Naturally every company offers differing levels of  service. From committing to 24/7 customer care to automating every stage of interaction, there is no one singular way. What is clear however is that using the pathways of social media to improve customer service has become a firm differentiator between the success of brands.

What exactly is it that social media offers that makes it a non-negotiable when it comes to quality customer service?

Customer service optimisation

These days, life is immediate no matter the medium. From streaming any programme to overnight shipping, downloading a radio show you missed to reading press online day and night. We’re habituated to wait for nothing. Customer service expectations are no different and social media provides a way to offer prompt and efficient engagement directly to customers.

With up to 79% of social media users looking for a response within the first 24 hours, it’s clear that companies need to put in place clear social media guidelines as well as a protocol for escalation. The gap between customer expectation and company performance can be hard to close. As expectations move, demands spike and the tech requirements of social media shift so the onus is very much on companies. From training and retraining staff to drafting style and content parameters it’s no small task to set up a realistic and functional social media schedule.

The upside of social media pressures are that customers are documented to spend 20-40% more with companies that respond to them on social media. This is compared to companies who don’t engage with their customers on social media and as a result lose market share year-on-year. It shows that laying the social media groundwork is worth the effort. Doing nothing really takes you out of the running.

Go public

For better or worse, committing to social media as part of any customer service and communications plan means that you’re taking your business public. Whether that is a negative review that goes viral or a positive interaction that boosts your brand, there is no hiding. But rather than shy away from this, brands who are winning loyalty are those who volunteer to make things public. It’s something that many customers have come to rely on.

Sharing a positive experience on social media is common and the viral spread of a great review is hard to replicate in traditional forms of press. When it comes to a negative social media moment, a bad product review, an underwhelming customer service experience or a product complaint, it’s not all doom and gloom. Companies who take the time to respond quickly, honestly and openly can actually use the negative moment to their advantage. There’s always the option to move to direct private messaging but actually keeping things public shows the rest of their community just how committed they are to dealing with customer concerns and improving their service. Winning trust and loyalty can be worth being hauled over hot social media coals for.

Broad scope

If you consider traditional forms of customer service – phone calls, emails, meetings – these are all limited in scope. Whether limitation by time of day, by scope of request, or by location, each has its purpose and does not extend outside of that. Social media offers no such limitation. Companies flexing their social media muscles can profit from an extensive reach.

Starting with the more basic customer service of direct engagement to answer questions and complaints, the opportunities don’t stop there. Smart companies are sharing positive news and reviews as a form of PR. They are creating content to showcase the life of their companies, the stories behind their products and the benefits of their brand ethos. From video content to direct messaging, brand ambassadors to social media takeovers, every post on social media creates a ripple effect. While many of these engagements may not be classed as traditional customer service, they each offer something to a brand’s clients. They answer questions customers didn’t realise they had, they offer a shared community and they push out offers and experiences. Each piece layers on peripheral customer service that will sustain a brand as it moves forward.

Social listening

Making best use of social media as a form of customer service is not limited to the brand itself. Yes it’s incredibly useful to monitor your own brand. To watch what your customers are talking about, when they mention your brand, and in what context. All of these moments are useful. We can see which conversations end up with the most engagement, work out how to avoid engaging with trolls, and base future product decisions on direct feedback. But more than that, social media offers competitor brand monitoring as a means of customer service.

What are your competitors doing on social media? Are they offering their customers something you are not? Could you improve what you offer your customers, what you provide your community? Might there be ways in which your social media activity can better drive your brand forward? The volume of information available via social media trackers, analytics and basic research is fascinating and free. Any brand planning growth would be foolish to look past learning what it can from what’s on offer in the market.

Create a community

Social media offers a brand the opportunity to build a community. To reach its people where they are already, without having to knock on doors or buy contact information.  Social media brings the world right to a brand no matter how niche your audience is. Identifying your customer profile and targeting content to fit means that brands have the chance to speak to their audience in an unparalleled way. Editing customer service responses, learning from customer feedback and building a social media strategy around an evolving community is an incredibly powerful thing.

Stay up to speed

Using social media as a mainstay of customer service brings its own complications and challenges. The speed at which tech and specifically social media platforms evolve is an obvious hurdle. Keeping teams skilled and retrained across all platforms can be a real challenge. Many employees have some skills, but not across every platform. The financial and time demands of constant training can present difficulties. Add the regulatory changes that rise up across all platforms, whether relating to data regulation or adhering to advertising requirements? Managing a social media profile well is not a part time job.

Let’s not forget that each platform appeals to its own user group. Twitter appeals to an older demographic and we’re eternally tracking down the younger demographic between Instagram and TikTok, YouTube or BeReel. It’s an ever-moving target. Taking time to lay out a strategy around how you train and retrain your team is key. Creating content specific to each platform and demographic lays the foundation for better performance. And being realistic about the changing parameters is advisable.

Customer service necessarily involves social media these days. Companies that choose to ignore that do so at their own risk. It’s clear that customer expectations are only growing. We all want and expect more from the companies we choose to spend our money with.

Developing a clear and flexible social media customer service strategy is the first step in optimising any brand social media presence.

The Value of Radio Advertising

While broadcast radio has existed in the UK since 1922, the first radio advertisement in the UK wasn’t until 1973 and welcomed a Lindus advert for Bird’s Eye Fish Fingers as its launch advertising broadcast. Previous to 1973, radio was regulated and ad free but with the advent of commercial radio the opportunities for businesses to reach their customers changed forever. At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that as one of the oldest forms of media, radio might be outdated as a means of advertising. Actually the opposite is true, the value of radio advertising has never been as strong.

Reach

The mass appeal of radio is beyond any other media format. It’s estimated that up to 93% of UK adults will engage with radio at some point during a week. These figures are unparalleled elsewhere. No other medium can offer the ‘anywhere, anytime, any customer group’ opportunities that radio can and as the world changes as far as how we work, live and interact, this is an invaluable premise.

Referred to as the ‘companion media for the modern working from home demographic’, radio offers company and choice for listeners. Choosing which station to listen to, radio is often on throughout the working day and into the evening in a way that may not have happened in an office environment. Add into that the ‘commuter radio’ demographic, those in the car over school run, work run, morning and evening gym commutes. Before you know it, you have a growing number of engaged listeners.  Reaching remote workers like taxi, delivery, and long distance lorry drivers as well as other shift workers, it’s easy to see why radio reach is so broad.

In addition to the sheer numbers, a key component of radio’s value is the fact that its reach is active. Listeners choose to listen to radio, often while they are engaged in other tasks subconsciously building trust, loyalty and purchase intent. It’s a clever combination of audio and emotion, convenience and immediacy.

Radio also hits harder on reach when you consider just how many ways you can engage with it. From traditional radio to listening through phones, laptops, iPads or TV. Now it’s an option to stream through digital radio, Google HomeHub or Alexa. It’s hard to imagine any media which can be found in quite so many touch points of our lives.

Flexibility and targeting

The real beauty of radio advertising lies in its flexibility and targeting abilities. Initial targeting was limited to basic demographic information: geographic, age and musical choice. But as the world of digital data evolves, the more granular radio targeting gets. From identifying job seekers, to holiday seekers, mindset to motivation, data sets are specific and advertising can look forward to being increasingly effective.

The flexibility of time banks offering advertising at specific times of the days just adds to this. Choosing drive time slots, nighttime slots or anything in between, adverts can be selected to air after news, before traffic or myriad other permutations. And then there’s the option of multiple adverts, with brands cleverly recording several version of their ads to be broadcast to specific demographic groups. The specificity of targeting is truly hard to beat as audiences feel that they are being addressed directly.

Radio provides advertisers with the opportunity to target exactly who they want, at exactly the right times. It makes use of the effective touch points of our day when we’re engaged with other activities and primes each listener for engagement and return.

Budget conscious

Many advertising and marketing decisions come down to budget and radio offers the most economical of all advertising options. Consider the process and cost involved with creating a high standard (TV advert? Eye watering at best. TV of course has its place in the media mix but the same consideration when it comes to radio adverts is incomparable. Advertisers can create numerous creative versions of their ads provided they have good script writing and great sound engineering. Quicker, more cost efficient and more flexible for edit and update allows more clients the opportunity to hear their key messaging on radio

In the UK, it’s widely accepted that the return on investment from radio adverting is £7.70 for every £1 invested. A good ROI even taking into account the overheads involved in advertising design, creation and broadcast. This option for low cost, low risk and high impact advertising is hugely attractive for brands and when combined with the extraordinary targeting capabilities, difficult to look past.

Brand building

No brand can be static and hope to stay afloat so well considered strategies around brand building are key to future proofing any company. Radio advertising is recognised as offering huge benefits in this regard. Accepted as an emotional form of digital, radio pulls on two specific heart streams to really engage with its listeners.

Firstly, loyalty to local radio in certain areas of the country is incredibly high. Listeners choose what they listen to and they are often staunch in their support of the station. This loyalty offers advertisers a most fertile consumer group to speak to.

Secondly, radio often music and the integration of well known music before, after and as part of any advertising has been shown to have a far more positive outcome than print or digital advertising. Music can act as an emotional trigger and lives on in the neural pathways of consumers long after they listen to an advert. Interestingly stats show that the use of slower paced songs has been attributed to improve memory so advertising looking to choose music to run alongside their broadcast might bear that in mind.

Position for the future

Radio advertising is here and here to stay. It’s not lessening in importance with time, quite the contrary. As targeting capabilities improve the impact and value of radio can only grow. Whether listening in the car or working from home, whether a music or talk radio fan, whatever the nature of your radio participation, advertisers can look forward to a limitless and primed audience for years to come.

Digital Trends To Watch

Industry Notes from our Digital Account Manager Sean McCrudden

When it comes to trends, there are a few headliners that are informing our digital strategies this quarter. From streaming to short form, socials to live TV, video content and how we consume it is at the forefront.

The battle for viewers

In recent years, (aside from an upswing during Covid) we’ve seen traditional TV struggling to maintain audience numbers and to retain a stronghold when it comes to advertising spend and strategy.  Admittedly there have been chinks of light. We’ve seen episodic shows like Big Brother set to return to screens, and Love Island recommissioned (surely no coincidence that the last series main sponsor was social media platform Reddit?). These anchor heavy-weights of live TV give advertisers hope that viewers are still engaging and that broadcasters are  doing their best to stimulate  their return  to the community of live TV.

But at the same time, the fight for viewers is ramping up. Paramount have launched a full streaming service and Netflix have introduced an ad-funded platform. With ITV launching its new streaming platform – ITV X –  the battle for audience attention and potentially advertising spend will be even more heated. At every level the viewing horizon is shifting and it’s understandable that advertisers and brands feel confused about where to direct their ad budgets and strategy.

Consumer choice

For our part, we’ll be carefully observing the consumer choice response to all of this. Are viewers content to follow content wherever it’s available regardless of the subscription fee?  Or is cost king? Are views motivated by finance, opting for free services? Will viewers accept the value exchange of watching ad breaks to get free or discounted subscription? This is truly the litmus test and what advertisers should be watching out for. With Netflix launching their ad-based service here in NI, we are glued to see what happens next. Streaming and local TV broadcasters services will surely be paying just as close attention.

It’s all about short form

Our other video focus is a much shorter one. It’s the move away from long form video content entirely. Not that it’s happened over night: VidYard (video hosting company) reports that already in 2020, 60% of all videos published online were under 2 minutes. Since then the stats have only exploded further. From the launch of TikTok to Instagram Reels, gone are the rewards for long form video. Instead engagement is only expected in the short, sharp delivery of micro content. Remember when YouTube rewarded videos over 10 minutes in length?  Now it’s all YouTube Shorts and niche content clips.

Real authenticity

Linking into short form video and social content, we’re also driving strategy and planning around the importance of authenticity. It’s seen in the boom of unfiltered, real life social media community BeReal (the photo-sharing app that prompts users to post an unfiltered observational image at the same time as other community users every day). And then there’s the move towards smaller, niche influencers. Authenticity is where it’s at. Reddit (and its 330 million users) attest to that, suggesting their platform is the most honest and useful. It dispenses with personal information, prioritises user feedback and objectively ranks content through moderation and up-and-down votes (rather than the over inflated ‘like’ culture of Twitter and Instagram).

Niche is now

When it comes to influencer collaboration, we’ve been seeing a clear shift away from mega influencers. Instead attention is focused on smaller, expert influencers. Those who have a real community attached. Influencers who can offer brands more than just visibility, who lean into learning, content creation, and specific brand collaborations.

Social commerce

Our final trend note that links through everything else is the rise of social commerce and how that can and should inform digital strategy.  Most often creeping into video content, users have moved from researching purchases through social media to expecting to be able to complete on purchases all in the same platform. For brands looking to collaborate through social media and video, these opportunities could represent exciting new customer funnels.

From authenticity to video in all its forms, huge streaming services to micro influencers and everything in between, our signposts for the next few months of digital strategy are set. We’ll be watching how things move and shape with interest.

Reduce your energy bills

As we move through the colder the winter months, energy bills and the cost of living is at the forefront of many of our minds.  The Consumer Council walks us through 5 Easy Ways to reduce energy bills and energy consumption.

Embarking on even 2 or 3 could make a difference to your outgoings and help us to look after ourselves and the planet as best we can. It makes sense to make changes however small they may be. We’ll be starting with:

One

Turn down your thermostat by just one degree to save around 10 per cent  a year off your heating bill

Two

Programme your heating to come on only when you need heat in your home – for example when you get up in the morning.

Three

Make sure your windows and doors are all free from drafts. For example using drafts excluders and thermal curtains can save you up to £55 per year

Four

Avoid blocking your radiators with furniture and tuck your curtains behind your radiators if you can.

Five

Add insulation to your home to keep it cost for longer. There are often different grants and cash back schemes available to help with the cost of this.

For more information visit the consumer council website.

 

The Real World Cup Winners

Every four years since 1930 the Football World Cup comes rolling around. Gaining momentum with every tournament, it’s recognised as the single most watched sporting competition in the world. Not to shabby for the players, for the game, and of course for the billions of global football supporters. But what about the money, the economy and most importantly the advertisers that have tapped into this inspiration-fuelled event?

Originally football advertising was limited to inperson sales. Sales of kit, of food, whatever was available pitch side. Over time, with the advent of TV, radio, and the internet, opportunities for advertisers to capitalise became endless. From PPC, to content marketing, special promotions to epic TV adverts. Viewers are bombarded with World Cup content as early as months before the actual tournament.

To give context, during the 2018 World Cup, Fifa estimated that there were more than 3 billion searches relating to the tournament. They also recorded that related material was viewed by more than 5 billion people. During the current 2022 World Cup Fifa estimated that over $100 million has been spent by brands to advertise during the tournament.

The potential reach for brands is jaw-dropping. Its no surprise that advertisers are tasked with rewriting the very concept of audience engagement and often with budgets to match. Some TV adverts in recent years are considered among the best adverts of all time. Its clear that nothing is left on the table. Every four years, the top brands battle it out to gain the hearts and purchases of football fans.

Why are they so good?

So, what exactly is it that makes World Cup advertising so completely memorable? From the impressive list of TV adverts that stand out as changing the game, its clear they have some important factors in common. The ads that really grip us. The ads that anchor us to the beautiful game are those that build wholeheartedly on the idea of community, inspiration, and nostalgia.

Carlsberg

Take Carlsberg and their TV adverts during the 2002 World Cup. Carlsberg Dreams tells a heart-tugging tale of the Irish national team moving through the tournament. They bank win after win, knocking England out in the process and go on to take the title. Each success plays out against a backdrop of overwhelmed fans, dancing celebrations and utter joy. The tag line of  Carlsberg dont do dreams but if they did, theyd probably be the best in the world speaks to every fan’s hopes. Hopes that their own home country could possibly scoop the title. Hopes that even the most unlikely of teams have a chance. This tie to country and ‘what if’ is enough to engage with any viewer.

As for The Old Lions, Carlsberg double down on nostalgia. The advert follows a pub team made up of some of the finest old guard England players. Viewers soak up the banter and pre-game, and watch as they take on an opponent pub team to win. Packed with references that true fans will delight in and underlining the ties that bind across generations, its hard not to fall in love with a game that can do just that.

Nike

When it comes to inspiring the masses, Nike are the power player.  Each advert evokes the kind of motivation and joy in sport that few other brands seem to manage. Nike World Cup adverts are no different.

Nikes Airportadvert in 1998 is widely recognised to as the genesis for the heart-gripping, soul-lifting adverts that have followed since. Each moment plays to the love of the game and the national pride it provokes as it follows the Brazilian squad having a knock around at the airport. Completely joy filled, its hard to resist. Followed up by their Joga Bonita advert where we were invited into the Brazilian squad dressing room to soak up the love and skills they all possess, its impossible to miss the the inspiration and creativity around the sport.

Nikes Write the Futurein 2010 might be the most epic of all. This coloursaturated, fast-paced story telling combines snapshots of what ifmoments. Featuring legends of the game, it takes us to all corners of the globe. The electrifying scenes move players from hero to villain in a second and switch with such speed its impossible not to be gripped. The ability to encompass such rich story telling and inclusivity into such a short clip is impressive.

So, who really wins?

The list could go on. One moment we’re watching Adidas persuading viewers through fever dreams of winning. On to Adidas bringing the footballfamily back together to underline that community is everything. Next we’re tuning in to Coca Cola soaking up culture and joy, integrating music and talent from all around the world.  Breaking it down, its hard to see which relies on which more, the advertisers or the World Cup? The power held by both in the 6 months surrounding this 4 yearly event is a battle of inspirational thinkers, deep pockets and just about every way possible to gain the attention of the world.

PANI Awards

Our team were delighted to be shortlisted for several of this year’s PANI Awards.  In its 100th year, the PANI Awards remain a high point in the calendar. It was great to be part of such a momentous evening in the world of Northern Ireland’s local advertising.

We were inspired to see the range of campaigns profiled and the depth of expertise shown across the industry. It’s true that winning isn’t everything, but we were truly thrilled to pick up some awards on the night.

Thank you PANI and to our team for their endless hard work, creativity and commitement. 

ASG PANI Awards 2022

ASG & Partners were included in the shortlisted categories:

 1.  Digital

 *   Best Social Strategy

 *   ASG & Partners – Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI, Empty Chairs Campaign           BRONZE

 *   Best Digital Campaign

 *   ASG & Partners – HSC NI Foster Care ‘Give Hope a Home’               GOLD

 *   Best Use of Data/Analytics

    *   ASG & Partners – ‘Smishing’ SILVER

 2.  Radio

 *   Most Outstanding Radio Commercial

 *   ASG & Partners – HSC NI Foster Care ‘Give Hope a Home’       SILVER

 3.  Best Creative Use of Out of Home

 *   ASG & Partners – Firmus Energy ‘Live Life to the Firmus’

 *   ASG & Partners – ‘A Moment’s Pause’ GOLD

 4.  Best Use of Digital Outdoor

 *   ASG & Partners – Firmus Energy Winter Campaign    SILVER

 5.  Best VOD Advert – new

 *    ASG & Partners – HSC NI Foster Care BRONZE

6.  Best International – Radio / TV / Outdoor

 *   ASG & Partners – Remus Uomo

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