Over May-September, we’re going to be looking for creative and enthusiastic individuals to join our team on a number of short-term placements.

During the placement, you’ll have the opportunity to work on a range of exciting briefs for our expansive client base, as well as the chance to learn from some of the leading agency minds in marketing and advertising. While the placement is without salary (but expenses will be paid), we’ll be looking to bolster our creative team in the coming months and there is the potential this position may lead to a full-time role for a suitable candidate.

If you want to express your interest for the internship, please send two examples of your creative work, plus a paragraph explaining why you’d like the placement, to leigh@delineo.com.
Good luck.

The radio ad was specially recorded by Delineo, in conjunction with the team responsible for a number of memorable jingles including the Crazy Frog song. Delineo chose to feature a memorable and catchy track as the basis for the advert in order to help the general public remember the firm in the unfortunate event of a personal industry.

The advert for the accident claims specialist features a reworked version of the classic fifties hit Witch Doctor, a number one record in the US Billboard charts for David Seville. You can listen to the original, via Spotify, below:

Speaking about the advertisement, our creative director Leigh Sheridan said:

“We’re delighted with the outcome of the advert. The creative team have developed a memorable and catchy piece of marketing and we’re confident that we have created a piece of marketing which will stand out in a crowded and competitive industry.”

It will be rather obvious to anyone reading this that we have a blog. As an advertising company, we’re always keen to share our knowledge or our latest digital, marketing or creative agency work. But, the Delineo blog is just one part of the online content we provide and we also regularly update a microblog; an online space through Posterous* where we post ideas, thoughts and advertising campaigns which have caught our eye.

So, why do we have a microblog?

We’re a full-service marketing agency. Within our four agency walls, we house creative designers, web developers, SEO copywriters, planning and account executives. Each of us have different talents and different interests.

Although we all have a passion for what we do, whether that’s advertising or social media. Our Posterous gives each member of staff in the agency the ability to share content, work and case studies that’s interesting to them. But more than that, the Posterous gives us the opportunity to showcase content in a way that wouldn’t be possible on, say, this website or another ‘official’ channel.

Firstly, the Posterous provides an insight into the culture of our advertising agency. Frequently, we’ll post photographs, AudioBoo clips and the occasion video about life here at Delineo. The Posterous provides us this informal space and, because of the nature of microblogging, we’re at liberty to be a little more relaxed with our content on this channel, as opposed to the blogs we’ll provide on this site, our digital home.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the Delineo Posterous provides us with great material for our social media channels. Each post – whether it’s about digital marketing, creative design or advertising – is automatically pushed onto our Twitter feed. And it’s all good content for our social media followers to read and share.

But naturally, we’re not in the business of promoting other advertising agencies. But that doesn’t mean we don’t respect the work our contemporaries in Manchester or London produce. Our Posterous provides us with the opportunity to highlight creative design or social media campaigns from other advertising or marketing agencies; work we wouldn’t necessarily be able to highlight on other online spaces.

And that’s why we have a Posterous.

*It’s worth noting that, having been acquired by Twitter earlier this year, Posterous’ future may be in doubt. Suffice to say, we’ll be adopting a new micro-blogging presence if and when they day comes.

Yesterday, we were delighted to see our work for The Co-operative featured on the Superbrands list, an annual collection of the UK’s strongest brands. Our campaign and branding work for The Co-operative Green Schools Revolution was featured in The Co-operative’s listing on the Superbrands’ website.

Our advertising campaign for The Co-operative Green Schools Revolution saw Delineo create the identity and branding for the community education programme, an initiative which challenges young people to become green pioneers through education programmes, resources and activities. You can read more about our marketing campaign agency work with The Green Schools Revolution, including our iPhone app development, here.

Superbrands, which has been listing the most powerful brands in the UK since 1995, is formulated from the opinions of marking experts, business professionals and thousands of British consumers. The 2012 Consumer Superbrands were listed as Rolex, Coca-Cola, Google, Mercedes-Benz and BBC. The top business Superbrands were Rolls-Royce, Google, GlaxoSmithKline, Apple and British Airways.

As part of Delineo’s ‘Are you being found online?’ search marketing report, we’re pleased to launch the fifth in a series of 10 case studies focussing on various industry sectors. The purpose of our research is to establish the following:

• On-site and off-site factors which influence and affect keyword rankings.

• How successful companies implement these factors to enhance relevant, targeted traffic.

• Examples of good practice in the field of search marketing.

Introduction

Microsoft, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and his business partner Paul Allen, is best-known for its Microsoft Windows and Office software. With its headquarters based in Redmond, Washington employing over 90,000 individuals worldwide, Microsoft is one of the world’s largest manufacturer of software for personal and business computing. As of April 2011, Microsoft sales were valued at $66.69B with a profit of $20.6B, according to Forbes’ Global 2000 list.

Microsoft Online

As with the previous case studies in the series, the first element which Manchester digital agency Delineo focussed on for Microsoft online was the organic search behaviour, in order to build knowledge of the traffic levels of the domain. Looking into this reveals there are 4,090,000 global monthly searches on average. This figure however, is a result of exploring the branded search term ‘Microsoft’ and does not include any variations, as well as ‘Microsoft + location/product/service’. This ‘perfect’ scenario unfortunately does not exist as we are all aware, but allows us to build up a reflective ‘ballpark’ figure.

When compared with other major software manufacturers such as IBM, HP and Apple, it is possible to ascertain the search hierarchy and recognise which company performs well for branded searches. As mentioned previously, advertising significantly affects these results and impacts branded search results.

Microsoft Search Behaviour

It is no surprise that Microsoft performs well for branded search terms. It is a sound argument that the widespread global use and market dominance of the Microsoft software products, such as Microsoft Office, enhance branded search traffic in comparison to the somewhat ‘smaller’ software manufacturers. Above the line advertising adds significant brand awareness, such as the current Internet Explorer 9 television advert launched in the UK on the 5th March 2012.

Looking more closely at non-branded search terms, there is a level of visibility for the vast majority of products or services on offer from Microsoft, however there is significant room for improvement. To research into the range of non-branded keyword terms further and understand how Microsoft optimise its domain for these keywords, we have chosen to focus on various relevant keywords. We have then compared this against our set of rankings correlation data to produce an estimate of web traffic per month.

Note that the above search research data is a sample and represents a proportion of Microsoft’s web traffic based on a variety of non-branded search terms. The data allows us to identify the performance of a variety of search terms relating to its product offerings.

Looking at the results of the non-branded search traffic, it is clear to see Microsoft relies heavily on branded search traffic relating to its product range, rather than focusing its efforts on non-branded keywords. Rather surprisingly, it appears Microsoft have a significant amount of work to do in this area if they wish to gain a competitive advantage.

Microsoft Paid Search

Microsoft take advantage of an extensive Google AdWords campaign, targeting both branded and non-branded keyword search terms. This approach allows Microsoft to capture both user behaviour data and maximise outreach i.e. organic listings and paid advertising users.

The paid adverts for branded search results includes Google’s recent addition to PPC adverts, displaying site links in the advert. This allows for six additional links under the main PPC ad allowing users to access deeper content of the site.

The non-branded PPC campaign for Microsoft appears to be setup to target popular, specialist keyword phrases, such as ‘cloud services’ and ‘office software’ whereby the user cannot source a free download of the software rather than less specialist terms such as ‘web browser’. Microsoft clearly adopts this strategy with the firm understanding that implementing this tactic targets the customer at a later stage of the purchasing cycle and may potentially increase the likelihood of a sale through the Microsoft store.

What influences organic search for Microsoft?

The structure of the Microsoft site has been well-designed with the customer in mind. As we are well aware, site architecture and design is a key feature in converting speculative users to purchase a product. For a more in depth overview of site architecture, read our post on Pets at Home SEO.

Relevant, branded keyword terms are well utilised throughout the site predominantly forming the anchor text to the individual software product or service pages. As we have discovered, Microsoft appears to focus on branded keywords rather than non-branded and this becomes more apparent when exploring the site content and design.

Another factor affecting organic search is the meta description attached to the site pages. Although the description may not be particularly important in terms of search engine rankings, they are vital in attracting the user onto the site from the returned search engine results. We can clearly identify the targeted set of non-branded keywords from the page title and meta description used by Microsoft below:

Microsoft: Calls to action

As with any well designed ecommerce site, the call to action ideally is placed in the most prominent position, displaying the latest product offer. This approach eases the customer journey and provides the relevant content the user is looking for, increasing the likelihood of a product purchase.

www.microsoft.com is a brilliant example of well-designed content with multiple calls to action, allowing simple navigation to deeper level pages from the homepage. Rather than using a front-facing sitemap or complex navigation structure, a simple right-hand navigation menu has been placed on the homepage allowing single-click access to the four main sectors of the product range.

Conclusion

The Microsoft site is a clearly structured, user-facing website with multiple objectives in terms of delivering product information and the ability to purchase or download a range of software solutions, full software support and a range of other services surrounding the product range. The organic and PPC approach focuses predominantly on informed, specialist keyword terms or brand-related queries. This allows Microsoft to focus primarily on the customer willing to purchase the product or seek further support through the Microsoft site rather than seeking an alternative software platform.

The site is structured in a way that the user is able to quickly navigate to the specific area of the website they require, rather than being embedded in a long list of links or other untidy content. As discussed in the calls to action section of this case study, the right-hand navigation menu has been placed on the homepage allowing access to the four main sectors of the product range, reinforcing this approach. To find out more about heat maps and website layout please refer to the previous Superbreak SEO case study for further information.

As expected with a renowned, global brand such as Microsoft, the site performs superbly in terms of branded keywords and is complemented by a whole series of advertising to increase the level of brand awareness. Looking more closely at the search hierarchy, the site receives less branded search terms when compared to the like of Apple and HP. Although there is an opportunity for Microsoft to focus more attention on the non-branded keyword terms, as outlined in the non-branded research data, however it appears branded queries are the focus primarily.

Manchester advertising agency Delineo created a new fully integrated brand identity for one of Europe’s largest specialist auctioneers, H&H Classic Car Auctions.

H&H Classic Car Auctions was launched in the 1990s and has gone on to carve out a reputation as providing a trouble-free and cost-effective service to people looking to buy or sell classic cars, motorcycles and automobilia.

The rebrand is intended to bring the brand to life with a more contemporary look and feel; one that is reflective of the outstanding quality of the client’s auctions. The new look and feel showcases H&H’s auction items and gives the brand a unique tone of voice, which is inspired by its heritage.

As part of the rebrand process, the creative studio defined a colour palette to differentiate the Specialist and General auctions, using the Pantone colours of well-known classic cars, such as Rosso Corsa Red and Verde Miura Green as well as using a number of metallics. The two stripes are a key element of the design and when combined with the a colour palette provides an immediate identifier to the brand wherever it is seen, and will enable the company to stay fresh while retaining a strong identity.

The design shows off the detail and fine form of some of the fantastic examples of motoring history which H&H are asked to auction, really showing the classic car aficionado that the brand love the cars as much as they do.

Delineo’s creative director Leigh Sheridan said: “We are delighted to be working with H&H and really pleased with the outcome of the work we’ve produced so far. They have been on board with our creative direction from the beginning, and working with such classic and cool products has had the whole agency buzzing.”

The integrated campaign includes web refresh, press advertising, auction catalogues and signage, invites and a full suite of internal and external marketing collateral.

As part of Delineo’s ‘Are you being found online?’ online marketing report, we’re focusing on the social media case studies from five companies in five different industries. The purpose of this research is to establish:

• How active these companies are in the social arena
• The success of various companies in engaging with their online audience
• How responsive various companies are in dealing with negative feedback

Introduction

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is one of the most-visited destinations in the United Kingdom. A resort with a prestigious history, the attraction was founded in 1869 and has grown to become one of the twenty most-visited amusement parks in the world; in 2007, an estimated 5.5 million visitors passed through its doors. The below research was undertaken across March 20112 unless otherwise stated.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach online

Blackpool Pleasure Beach operates across three social networks; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To date, the Twitter profile has 3,110 followers, while the Facebook page has accumulated 146,292 likes. The venue’s marketing efforts on YouTube have resulted in 41 videos with a total of 1,772,208 views.

Social media activity

Twitter

The chart below displays the activity from Blackpool Pleasure Beach on this particular social network. On average, the account posted 1.9 tweets per day during the research period, devoting 6.38% of updates to interacting with other users on the social network.

A chart demonstrating the tweets from Blackpool Pleasure Beach during the research period

The majority of activity on the Blackpool Pleasure Beach account is devoted to the promotion of the resort; highlighting new and current attractions, while also sharing positive articles relating to the area. The below graphic demonstrates the most used keywords posted by the account.

The most frequent comments include ‘March’, ‘Wristband’ and ‘RT’, offering us an indicator of the focus of the account (March is in relation to the ‘March Madness’ promotion being offered by the venue).

Facebook

During March, the Blackpool Pleasure Beach account posted 23 updates to its 146,000 Facebook fans. These comments varied from the promotional of specific restaurants at the attraction to photographs and special offers. In all, these comments received 1,273 interactions from fans. The page offers no dedicated applications.

YouTube

The Blackpool Pleasure Beach YouTube channel features a number of videos from the ‘Pleasure Beach TV’ series, a collection of interviews with guests at the attraction. The channel also includes a number of promotional videos, with a particular focus on the rides and attractions on offer.

Interaction with other users

The majority of interaction with other users comes via Twitter. Over a seven-day period, Blackpool Pleasure Beach is referenced on 216 separate occasions across the social web. A chart demonstrating these references is below:

In regards to gender distribution, 52 per cent of comments which reference Blackpool Pleasure Beach were from females. Sentiment break-down for the selected period was overwhelmingly positive with 89.3 per cent in favour of the resort. Only 3.7 per cent were deemed to be negative in nature.

Some examples of these positive comments are below:

Conclusions

Blackpool Pleasure Beach has a committed and passionate community of users. The attraction has a number of online brand advocates and it is hard to find negative comments directed towards the social media presence of the organisation. It’s a loved British brand and you can immediately see the goodwill towards the resort through its social media channels.

However, while Blackpool Pleasure Beach enjoys a positive sentiment online, the organisation may be missing the opportunity to harness this community for its own benefit. The company could certainly focus more on its customer engagement, using the Twitter and Facebook channels to interact with comments and tweets in order to develop a stronger relationship with advocates. Indeed, the company offers very little for fans on Facebook, providing the standard collection of photographs, comments and videos. And while this content does provide the foundations for discussion, there is greater opportunity here for the company to create stronger relationships with fans. Indeed, many of the questions from fans on the page go unanswered by the Facebook profile. It might be time for Blackpool Pleasure Beach to take their social media community management to the next level.

If you would like to understand your brand’s social media performance please contact us on 0161 839 6289 or send us an email.

Stay tuned for our following social media case studies in our report: IT and communications.

Without a doubt, the London 2012 Olympics are going to be biggest platform for worldwide advertising since the World Cup in 2010. The Olympics, which promises a global audience, is set to generate millions in advertising revenue. And, as we get closer to July, we’re beginning to see more brands reveal their themed campaigns.

One of the first advertising campaigns to hit our TV screens was the BP ‘Fueling the Olympics’ advertisement, released in June 2011. The advert, which you can watch below, features a variety of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls sprinting across the London landscape.

Understandably, given the nature of the Olympics, many campaigns feature athletes replicating their track and field endeavors on film. Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, the world recording breaking gold medalist from the Beijing Olympics, has also appeared in a number of adverts, including the ‘Life Flows Better with Vista’ campaign.

But while the majority of Olympic advertising relies on the prowess of celebrity athletes to sell a product, a number of campaigns utilise the personalities of their stars. Tom Daley (Nestle) and Usain Bolt (Virgin) have both appeared in adverts which showcase their personalities, offering something slightly different that the traditional ‘athlete in action’ approach.

Personally, I am a big fan of the more emotional sports ads, specifically these offerings from Wieden and Kennedy. As an extension of their ‘MAKE IT COUNT’ campaign, they have rather sweetly embellished lovely photography of sportsmen and women with hand-written personal pledges.

Confused.com, the online insurance company famed for its breezy adverts, recently released a new Facebook app, cheerily entitled ‘House of Horrors‘. The app, which uses your Facebook data to reinforce the importance of home insurance, follows a burglar around your abode as he looks through all your framed Facebook photographs before making off with a MacBook. It’s sinister stuff and you’re all ready to renew your insurance policy as the call to action rolls.

The concept should be a familiar one. The Confused.com app borrows heavily from the viral hit TakeThisLollipop.com, a website which drags your personal data into the dilapidated home of an online stalker poking around your Facebook profile. Take This Lollipop is sinister, effective and, as a stand-alone piece of marketing absolutely brilliant. The concept lends itself quite nicely to the importance of home insurance and, as an application, the House of Horrors is an effective piece of marketing. It’s just not the right piece of marketing for Confused.com.

The most recent campaign for Confused.com (embedded below) is a world removed from the themes featured in the House of Horror. The adverts are friendly and informal; the standard value de jour for insurance companies. The content on the Facebook page is in a similar vein. The tone is positive. The brand mascot is a cartoon.

Odd then that the company would diverge from this message with an app so far apart from its brand. The app is sinister and threatening and totally at odds with the values so delicately replicated across its offline and online offerings. While the company may enjoy a bump in conversions in the days House of Horrors gets passed around Facebook, the long-term effects on its brand as a result of this confused message may be more severe.

Social media marketing is still marketing. And it still needs to reflect the brand’s values. It’s horrific to think otherwise.

Last week, we were delighted to discover that Delineo had been victorious in the prestigious RAR Awards, claiming two notable awards during the ceremony in London on Wednesday.

The RARs are awarded based on feedback from clients and we were pleased to discover that we were ranked first place for best ‘on budget’ campaign. Delineo were also awarded third place in the prestigious Grand Prix, an award given to the best agencies rated in the RAR Awards.

Speaking about the win, Ella Worthington, Delineo’s marketing manager, commented:

“Obviously, we’re over the moon to be recognised in the RAR Awards. While it’s always nice to be nominated for an advertising or marketing award by our peers, to be rated so highly by our clients is an especially gratifying experience.

“We’re pleased to be recognised for our on budget campaigns, while our third-place ranking in the Grand Prix award is an achievement which the whole agency can be proud of.”

You can read more about our advertising, marketing and creative work on our website.