As you may already know, for over two years now, Connecting Images has been working with Future Fibre Technologies (FFT) to build its online, local and international presence.

Most recently, we have been busy implementing a strategic marketing communications plan that has proven to be a challenging but highly successful and rewarding task.

One of the great outcomes has been the production of a truly unique and invaluable resource, the 65-page Boundaries of Security – Global Trends in Perimeter Security report.

The report was intended to reinforce FFT’s position as one of the most credible, progressive industry authorities in perimeter intrusion detection. It is also a valuable resource, educating and informing security consultants, managers and specialists about currently available perimeter security solutions.

FFT’s success with this report has been outstanding, reaching both local and global markets. International Client Manager at FFT, Alec Owen agreed that the launch of this report was “the most successful and precisely targeted initiative we could have hoped for.”

Our focus was on generating quality leads, and attracting A-level clients. Whilst FFT’s initial hope was to obtain 20% of A-level sales leads, ultimately, 80% of the leads fall into this category. A highly successful achievement that exceeded even our expectations!

This quote from Morgan Stanley’s The Mobile Internet Report got Adam Cahill’s attention, and it certainly got ours too –

“Regarding the pace of change, we believe more users will likely connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PC’s within five years.”

So we decided to look into this a little deeper. Here’s what we found…

With the release of the smart phone, Australians are staying connected like never before. No longer a source for just making calls and texting, devices such as the iPhone, are an increasing function for checking emails, accessing information and of course keeping in touch via social networking sites.

Research conducted by dotMobi and AKQA Mobile found that 90% of consumer respondents were more likely to choose an airline with mobile check-in facilities over one that didn’t offer this.

Interestingly, the survey also found that 63% of respondents claim they would rather give up their money than their smart phone in a mugging situation.

If that isn’t loyalty, we don’t know what is!

Safe to say there has been a fundamental shift in how people use the Web for information, but what could this mean for marketeers?

Adam Cahill states that many brands are less inclined to accept this mobile transition, yet nonetheless should be ‘catching up’ to this steadfast phenomenon.

He suggests they do their homework and establish how, where and when consumers use their mobile phones to make purchase decisions.

Claire Cain Miller from the New York Times agrees, saying that customers are regularly using applications such as ShopSavvy on their smart phones to bargain hunt for the best deals on merchandise.

According to Accounting and Consulting firm, Deloitte, one in five shoppers said they would be using their smart phones to buy Christmas gifts last year. The survey revealed that 45% would research prices on their phone, 32% said they would use it to search for coupons and 25% said they would buy items on their phone.

Last year, Polo Ralph Lauren secured first place as the 2009 Mobile Marketer of the Year. Giselle Tsirulnik from Mobile Marketer says that Ralph Lauren’s “outstanding” use of mobile advertising and marketing won them the title.

Their work included collaborating with GQ magazine’s mobile application to promote fragrances and offer grooming tips. Ralph Lauren also launched a mobile shopping site whereby customers can purchase items, read the latest news and watch videos from current runway shows.

Evidently, mobile marketing IS a big deal! We know that the 2010 customer wants to hold all the information they can in the palm of their hand.

As we creep towards the end of January in what appears to be ‘the year of the mobile’, have you made the mobile transition?

Rumours have been circulating for several months now on whether there will be a new addition to the Apple evolution, specifically, the nicknamed “iTablet”.

Engineered to sit between an iPhone and touchscreen MacBook, the highly anticipated tablet has been dubbed as the “iPhone on steroids”, referring to its ability to play movies, read books and more.

Endless stories, rumours and theories have been abuzz on Apple’s soon to be released new gadget, including whether it will include a camera or not.

And according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, it is expected to sell anywhere between $500 and $700.

Debates over the actual size of the device have itself been in abundance, with sizes expecting to range anywhere between 7 to 10 inches. Dena Cassella suggests thinking of it as “small enough to carry in a handbag, but too big to fit in a pocket”.

Nick Gold, sales manger at Chesapeake Systems, believes the iTablet will fill the usability gap between smartphones and notebooks. “A laptop doesn’t offer the experience of an elegant digital note pad with Internet access, nor does an iPhone serve for anything but the tersest of notes. A tablet could potentially address this middle space quite well,” he says.

Another factor yet to be determined, is whether the iTablet will cease the end of the Kindle and other e-book readers. Shane Spiess, president of MacForce believes the iTablet will have the capability to do everything a Kindle can do. “It’ll be a success if it allows me to access basically everything I own, from magazines and books to movies and television shows, no matter where I’m at” he says.

Pending the rumours are true, the iTablet will have the functionality to do anything the e-reader can do, along with having access to applications and the web.

Having already achieved a huge amount of success with the iPod and iPhone, it is highly likely that the Apple iTablet will render much of the same enthusiasm and acceptance.

A media launch scheduled later this month is set to unveil the new product as well as clarify all those rumours and theories. The question that will remain however is, will customers still buy a Kindle, iPod, or laptop, when the iTablet can do the lot?

It’s no hidden fact that designing and building an effective website is probably one of – if not the most important – aspect to running a successful, results-driven business. 

Many websites however lack that all important strategic direction and functionality, when it comes to reaping in the ‘returns’. A website should function as a source of leads and revenue, not just an online brochure.

Reasons for Limited Investment Returns

Steven Leung says that there are three primary reasons why websites fail to bring in a profit:

1. Difficulty in finding through search engines – According to Nielsen, 70% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses. Sadly, many site owners focus too heavily on their websites’ ‘look and feel’ and not enough attention on search engine ranks.

2. There is no call for immediate action – Similarly, if there is no call to action (lead them to a purchase page, contact us etc), visitors will immediately go elsewhere. If this is happening frequently, it can be quite damaging to your company. All visitors are a potential lead and all leads are potential customers.

3.  The site isn’t strong enough for referrals – A majority of visitors will generally refer the site to a friend if they are impressed with it. It is no longer enough just to get people to visit. Ensure your website is convincing enough and merits a referral.

So how do you avoid these mistakes?

Follow Leung’s 5 C’s to generate leads and increase your revenue.

1. Create. Providing quality content on your website will assist visitors in making decisions, whether it be on purchasing a product or using a service. Remember to consider search engine functions and ensure your company is easy to find.

2. Compel. After visitors have read the content on your site, they should feel compelled to take further action. Whether this is signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase (hopefully it is the latter!). Ultimately, this should be your primary goal.

3. Collect. The visitor must first trust your website enough to allow you to collect their contact details. This way, you have obtained a lead which you can now follow up on. Be weary of requesting too much information as some people will either resent the intrusion or get bored and leave the page.

4. Count. Ensure you are clear on what factors are working for your website and which are not. Count and measure your website’s successes in order to reveal what needs improving and what is achieving profits.  

5. Change. Be open-minded enough to adapt to changing market conditions in order for you to stay ahead of your competition. Allow your website to be adaptable should you require any repositioning of your products and services offered. 

Use these points to build a productive and profitable website to ensure your business stays ahead of the online game and reaps in those deserving rewards!

We have just received an interesting alert from lawyers Barnes & Thornburg, thanks to the initiative of one of our very proactive clients – thank you Gordon New, Managing Director at Ronson Gears!

The news will be particularly relevant to a number of our clients, with offices in Asia and the Middle East for example, and relates to new developments on internationalised domain names (IDNs).

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has begun accepting requests from leaders around the world for new Internet extensions that represent their country name.

Currently, domain names only consist of characters from the Latin alphabet (a-z letters, 0-9 numbers and hyphens), whereas the new system would include the use of non-Latin characters.

This new development will provide opportunities for countries and territories to utilise country-code domains in their own language, such as Arabic, Chinese or Hindu.

These new additions are anticipated to become available to several countries over the next year.

Already, the Egyptian Minister of Communication, Tarek Kamel, has stated that Egypt will open the world’s first Arabic language Internet domain, using the Arabic words, “misr” meaning “egypt”.

Although overall acceptance of the IDNs is still tentative, Barnes & Thornburg have cautioned that this new development could provide further opportunities for cybersquatters to hold brand owners’ domain names to ransom.

David A. W. Wong from Barnes & Thornburg advises that, “The new IDNs are fertile ground for cybersquatters. Brand owners that have, or intend to have, an international presence should consider proactively registering new relevant IDNs before a cybersquatter or domainer does the same.”

Thanks to Gordon New and the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) for sending this information through.

One of our favourite blog topics is website design and usability, especially in the context of conveying a desired image for your business.

We can’t bang on enough about how important your website is in the sales and marketing process, given it is most often the first contact potential customers have with you.

This week the Optalert website, www.optalert.com went live. Our brief was to redesign the site with a fresh new look that would accurately depict the future direction of the company. Optalert is a company that produces fatigue management systems for the road, rail and mining industries.

Our priorities:
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was a consideration throughout the entire process with copy being written with carefully planned keyword density. As proven by the results we have achieved for many of our clients, SEO should dramatically improve Optalert’s ranking on search engines such as Google. Including the right keywords should also increase the average number of pages visited by users, and the amount of time they spend on the site.

The new interface has been carefully designed to ensure the site engages the user and increases the number of conversions of web visitors to become new business.

Thinking of giving your current website a face-lift? Why not come in for a coffee and a chat? Give Merilyn or Cal a call on (03) 9819 2566.

Current clients and suppliers are invited to complete this form and we will make a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on your behalf (we donate the money, not you!). This is our way of spreading Christmas Cheer in 2008.

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Future Fibre Technologies (FFT) is an Australian company that manufactures and markets a range of fibre optic intrusion detection and location systems – amazingly effective solutions for securing high value assets and critical infrastructure.

Focused totally on the security industry, FFT is a world leader in fibre optic perimeter intrusion detection, detecting third party interference (TPI) on oil and gas pipelines, and protecting sensitive data communications cables.

Early in 2008, FFT engaged Connecting Images for an initial media campaign to support the company’s presence at the IFSEC tradeshow in the UK, where it showcased its unique perimeter protection products.

With little or no previous media awareness of FFT, our brief was to identify appropriate media, build relationships with relevant journalists, introduce them to the FFT products and capabilities with the view to achieving editorial exposure. The outcomes were most rewarding, and FFT has now appointed Connecting Images as its marketing and PR agency on a 12 month retainer.

FFT’s fibre optic perimeter intrusion detection systems protect hundreds of critical infrastructures around the world – including some airports.

While spending on explosive detection and passenger screening at major commercial airports around the world has increased massively in the years since the terrorist attacks on September 11, nothing has changed regarding the security surrounding Australia’s major airports themselves.

Connecting Images developed a media campaign around this issue, securing great media uptake and interest. Recently three more European airports commissioned FFT Secure Fence(tm) – this single system protects an entire airport perimeter and can pinpoint intrusions to within 25 metres.

Our focus now is on developing more web content, quarterly newsletters and regular blogs, strengthening FFT’s online presence and SEO, maintaining a prominent presence in national and international target publications, and supporting the company with its marketing and promotional activities at trade shows around the world. FFT is represented in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish and Japanese translations.

FFT is also very progressive with its customer induction and training. Our first project in 2009 will be to work with FFT to develop a new 2 hour training DVD, designed to enable integrators of the FFT systems to install them in the most effective manner, thus reducing the need for direct FFT involvement in installations. This training video will be available to all FFT installers – both new and existing.

As with many publications today, there are two main ways catalogues can be distributed – through traditional mail and online. Whatever your distribution preference, we are experienced in creating catalogues that clearly communicate how your product will benefit your potential customers, rather than just listing the product’s features and details.

Catalogues have traditionally had great potential to end up in the recycling bin. However, producing a professional looking and accurate catalogue with sharp, striking images and persuasive copy that speaks to the reader, can leave your customers feeling inspired.

The Connecting Images team produces award-winning catalogues through:
* Photography (individual product shots and/or lifestyle images)
* Copywriting
* Graphic design
* Print management
* Project management (catalogues usually come with tight deadlines!)

Ready to support your sales team with a catalogue of your very own? Contact Cal Tod at Connecting Images on (03) 9819 2566.

Projecting an accurate image through your corporate identity and branding is essential; as this is often the first contact a prospective client or customer has with your organisation first impressions can be the only one that counts!

As you probably know, corporate identity is not just about placing a piece of clip art on everything from your letterheads and invoices to your power point templates. The philosophy, culture and your offering all need to be integrated into this important visual representation of who your business is and what it does. While it is a creative process, it certainly doesn’t have to be difficult and can indeed be an enjoyable journey of discovery.

A corporate identity should be:

* Consistent - To avoid confusion and to convey a sense of stability and reliability in your product or service it is important to convey a consistent corporate identity.

* Indicative – A corporate identity should reflect your organisation’s values, the direction you are headed in and the products or services you offer.

Through conveying a consistent corporate identity you can begin to build a recognisable brand, and instil confidence that your organisation will deliver what it promises to its clients or customers. A strong brand breeds loyalty, goodwill and trust, making selling easier, faster and cheaper.

Whether looking to refresh or overhaul an existing brand, or launching a totally new idea, Connecting Images will distil your message into a meaningful, memorable, distinctive symbol.

For more information, contact Merilyn or Cal on (03) 9819 2566.