Thanks to the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act (2006) and the Olympic Symbol (Protection) Act (1995) any such use is not a civil matter (as is usually the case with copyright infringement etc.) but a criminal one – your competition could be breaking the law and there is a team of LOCOG “Brand Police” who are very actively seeking infringing adverts, events and promotions.

We’ve produced a simple set of guidelines, based on the LOCOG brand guidelines, to try and help*

1) Do not use any of the trademarks, protected logos or marks:

Especially the ones protected by the Olympic Symbol (Protection) Act (1995):

2) Do not imply an association with London 2012:

“An association with London 2012 can be created by the use of any words, images or marks, or, more likely, a combination of these. For example: athletic images, representations of an Olympic style torch and flame, the colours of the Olympic rings, words or iconic images which evoke the spirit of the 2012 Games, and other representations relating to the Games may each contribute to the creation of an association with the 2012 Games.”

Especially the “Listed Expressions”:

“any two of the words in list A below
OR
any word in list A with one or more of the words in list B below:

A: Games, Two Thousand and Twelve, 2012, Twenty-Twelve
B: London, medals, sponsors, summer, gold, silver, bronze”

3) Do not promote or sponsor any marketing or promotional events/conferences themed around or focussed entirely on the games, inclusion as one section in a program amongst others is permitted.

4) Any reference to the games in a newsletter, briefing notes or internal memo should remain factual and should not suggest an association in any way (as above).

What is acceptable?

Genuine editorial pieces (not advertisement features) and factual information (“Due to road closures our distribution times will now be…”).

Here are a couple of clever campaigns, that avoid breaking the legislation:

Marks & Spencer – On Your Marks

Nike – Make it Count

*If you’re in any doubt at all, please contact your legal advisor. At this point I feel I must restate part of our website terms and conditions:

The information contained in this article & website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by RT Media Ltd. and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website and the information herein.

Wessex Enterprise explained that applicants had to meet certain eligibility criteria:

1. Less than 250 employees (or a group with no more than 250 employees)
2. Annual balance sheet not exceeding €43 million
3. Annual turnover not exceeding €50 million
4. Not be more then quarter owned by firms that do not comply with the above criteria.

Grants could be used for: lighting upgrades, new heating systems, compressors, recycling equipment, CAD design software, testing & monitoring equipment, consultancy / training / certification for environmental management or other projects. These grants are issued on a 50% match fund basis (minimum of £1000 threshold and maximum of £40000). Investments must be in Dorset.

The bottom line was that the amount you qualify for depends on the difference between your current carbon footprint and your potential post-grant carbon footprint. The potential difference needs to be comparatively substantial, which unfortunately limits the options of a smaller enterprise [especially those that do not have high consumption or high wastage].

Wessex Enterprise does offer 12 hours free support, which can be used to benefit the business in developing an environmental policy, guidance on developing an environmental management system, legal compliance check, resource related research projects, etc.

Following our recent acquisitions, we’re very proud to announce our updated and extended social media services!

We’ve expanded our training workshops to include:

Introduction to Social Media – designed for decision makers who need to understand how social fits into their business and how to begin to create a SMART strategy to do so.

I’m on LinkedIn, But… – understand how to take your LinkedIn profile to the next level as a powerful networking tool.

Twitter 101 – learn to make best use of this powerful communication tool for your business.

Better Blogging – covering both technical how-to (using WordPress) and best practice content creation.

Facebook for Business – designed to enable you to utilise the world’s largest social network for real business benefit.

We’ve also launched 2 new services:

The Online Social Impact Audit provides a reference point to identify areas of improvement and forms the starting point for any social media campaign or strategy development.

Maximise the number of people who hear about and interact with your event, product or brand launch with our Social Media Event Amplification.

Our Social Media Management page has been updated to reflect changes to our offerings also.

We’re offering an Introduction to Social Media breakfast session for only £25+VAT.

Come and join us on the 26th October at 8am (for an 8:30 start) for some breakfast and an overview from our Social Media Strategist, Luke on:

• Why social networking matters to your brand
• An overview of the key sites
• Some future trends to look out for

Call Steve on 01202 888192 to reserve your place.

If you’d like more information on any of our social media services, please call Luke in the office.

This extensive guide dubbed the ‘Creator Playbook’ gives YouTube users a distinct structured list of the best strategy to maximise the potential of their online videos. It also explains how to promote your marketing material through other social media networks and is designed to be accessible to all users, mapping out a tick list agenda to optimise the opportunities that Youtube offers.

So, just what is it that makes the largest online video destination and second most used search engine such a valuable brand and marketing tool? One reason I can think that video marketing is so advantageous and so powerful could be linked to the fact that 90% of our day to day communication is non-verbal. This implies that messages are most likely to be understood when given out and received usingbody language and self-expression. Unlike written words in printed media and websites, and spoken words in radio advertising, video and television marketing have the additional messages which are transferred by eye movements, visual cues, and overall body language, which makes YouTube a great channel to add more depth to your brand strategy.

You can download the YouTube instruction ‘bible’ here:

http://youtube.com/creators/playbook.html

While you’re waiting for it to download I can give you a few of my own ways to use make the most of your ‘home generated’ content which are often overlooked.

Firstly, it’s important to take an honest and value based approach to using YouTube to raise awareness of your business.  The direct selling route is not always necessary. Ultimately if your videos are interesting, informative, innovative or humorous then your audience are more likely to value them and share it, spreading awareness of your brand without any legwork from you. If a key factor to your video strategy is sharing then make your videos focussed and simple with a more subliminal marketing message. People are unlikely to share your video if they think they are being pitched to!

Make use of the close integration that YouTube allows with other social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Before you know it you can quickly and effortless have your video posted across platforms and embedded in your website and emails. YouTube video’s are viewed for an average of 2.9 billion hours a month so make sure you get a look in and use it as part of your overall strategy.

Customise your own YouTube channel (Like ours here: http://www.youtube.com/user/rtmediauk) to compliment your branding and to set up playlists with your personalised content. No lack of equipment or technology should stop you from producing original, creative content for your YouTube channel. Consider interviewing clients, or experts on a variety of topics which are relevant and authentic, and make sure an element of your brands personality shines through and reflects what your all about. You should maintain communication with your audience with regular updates and new posts.

Be Tag savvy. Remember…search engines like Google can only determine the content of your video if you tag it and your YouTube channel. Think carefully about the words and phrases you use for titles and descriptions. Link your social media accounts and make sure they are on your own website as well to encourage sharing and remind people to subscribe.

Check out RT Media’s You tube channel here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/rtmediauk

What am I referring to? The Facebook Business Pages.

Earlier this month I was listening to Radio 1 while they were trying to boost the number of ‘likes’ on their Facebook page to over 1.5 million. I picked up two interesting points from their chatter. Firstly, they were trying to see if there was a way that they could set permissions for a video so that only people who ‘liked’ the page could see it, as a loyalty reward. They established that this could not be done (it is possible, but not by any means easy) and moved on to uploading the video itself. They struggled for ten minutes to get it to display on the page, with Aled Jones stating that as he couldn’t sign in as the Business Page itself, only his personal account, the video was ending up on his profile.

This was not a very significant event, nor was it something we didn’t already know about Facebook Pages. It did, however, make me consider just how long we have put up with the difficulties of the Facebook business pages and that Google+ as a competitor is long overdue.

Despite its very recent invite only launch, the number of Google+ users has grown at a rate greater than that of Facebook at its’ launch. Google have also been continuously updating the selection of features on offer, with the game sections which was released last month.

However, the benefits of Google+ are likely to be had within their much anticipated Business offering. Where other social media platforms have struggled, Google+ Business is rumoured to be a tailored business social solution, rather than a business add on to a social platform.

Google+ are still in the development stages of the business pages, and brands have been advised not to try and create their pages under personal accounts. This indicates that they intend to offer something that is quite different for businesses from the individual accounts. They are even going as far as policing the network to shut down any business accounts that are set up prior to the launch.

Although nothing official has been released, experts have predicted that Google+ business will excel above Facebook in its usability, features, search functionality and analytics tools – most of these are native to the success of Google.

Google+ looks set to have the potential to be the leading social media platform for businesses, and I for one cannot wait for the launch.

Ross Thornley. founder of RT Media, explains: “We recently carried out a strategic review within the business with a view to increasing resources, skills and generating growth. Both SocialTech (http://www.socialtech.biz/) and Ozone complement our existing capabilities and will further enhance our offering, expanding our branding expertise into all online communications and leading to a wider solution for our international, national and regional clients.”

Ross Thornley with Tony Ridgway and Luke Williams

Founded in 2008, SocialTech has built a reputation as a leader of social media training and consultancy. Its clients include Channel 4, E.ON, Condé Nast and Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI).

Luke Williams, Director and founder of SocialTech, comments: “I’ve always held the team at RT Media and the outstanding quality of their design work in the highest regard. When the opportunity to merge our businesses became available it was an obvious fit, in terms of culture and approach, and as a logical extension of their brand communication to offer an extended range of services.”

As a total creative resource, Ozone Creative Solutions brings expertise from its impressive folio of advertising, direct mail, sales literature, Point of Sale, interactive CD and online design work to RT Media. Its ‘straight talking’ and ‘clear creative thinking’ approach is also a natural fit for RT Media, as Tony Ridgway founder of Ozone, comments:

“Our view has always been to get the job done, and get it done well. The team at RT Media has a similar approach; they like to get under the skin of a client’s and challenge them to really know what is actually required to achieve the objectives. We have already started collaborating on several campaigns and new business wins, which has shown us just how much potential we have, working together.”

Steve Mills, Business Development Manager at Nutrichef said “As a long standing customer of RT we were asked to be one of the test clients they worked with pre-merger to support the re-launch of our new web site. Adding the social media knowledge from SocialTech to the branding expertise of RT worked very well, dramatically extending our reach online.”

Ross adds: “This is a coming of age for RT Media. Integrating the three very like-minded, skilled and professional teams has given us a very strong platform for growth. It is a new era, both for us and for our clients, who will most certainly benefit from having this level of resource for their campaigns.”

We were delighted when, after months spent collecting and collating the financial data of hundreds of recommended agencies, the Recommended Agency Register’s Design Review – a table that recognises design as a discipline – placed us 62 out of 100.

We have made the list because we have been highly rated by our clients through the RAR’s ratings programme. The agencies in this elite group not only have the high regard of their clients, but have also demonstrated that they have remained strong across our financial rankings in spite of the current economic state.

RT Media founder and Creative Director, Ross Thornley, explains: “Traditionally, design was seen and treated as a separate entity, and even with a certain reverence within the industry.  For some time now, especially with the advent of digital media and the shift from traditional marketing channels to the exponential opportunities of the Internet, this has not been the case.

“As an agency which creates highly effective campaigns for our clients using a whole host of marketing channels, we welcome a ranking table that acknowledges design excellence within the context of all the other core disciplines we have mastered to make our business successful.”
RAR has been identifying the best agencies based on client feedback since 2004 and more than 6,000 ratings have been made by clients.  RT is already a RAR listed company and we were finalists in the awards for best in video production last year. All of the team are really proud to have achieved this status and it is the result of lots of hard work all round!

The table published in The Drum was created as the result of clients recommending agencies for their design excellence, despite not being specialist design agencies.  Ross concludes: “While RT Media ranked #62 of 100, the table was set out in terms of size of operation in the absence of other parameters, since this was a ‘first-of-a-kind’ listing, and does not reflect the size or scope of the campaigns we are capable of on a local, regional, national or international scale.”

The ‘invitation-only’ launch of Google+ has been widely hyped as the most promising competitor to Facebook for some time. In some ways it seems to have ‘borrowed’ a lot of the key aspects and features of Facebook’s functionality, however, it is hitting out at Facebook’s weaknesses too.

With an estimated 500 million plus users, privacy is an area on which Facebook has been criticised in the past, and Google are grabbing this opportunity to differentiate themselves with both hands. Although this alone will not be enough to sway the dedicated Facebook fans, reviews from the chosen few that were invited to try it, shows that Google+ has potential to, compete with at least, Facebook.

Another of the key differences that could push Google+ is the depth of integration available. At the moment, Google+ is linked to all other aspects of Google; accounts and Gmail for example. This integration will undoubtedly allow users to go about their daily online business without leaving the site, meaning a much longer contact time with the user, attractive to both Google+ and marketers.

Comparisons with Facebook

Opportunities for brands

The main opportunity for brands on the new Google+ network, aside from wanting to be added to people’s circles, the equivalent of being ‘liked’ on Facebook or ‘followed’ on Twitter, is the ‘Sparks’ application. A user will list their likes and interests, and Google feeds them relevant information/products. The priority for brands will be to appear at the tops of these lists, whether this is through SEO linked to Google searches or interest optimization. This could give the opportunity for a new optimization market to develop, giving marketers another channel to consider.

Although business and ‘non-human’ pages are not currently part of Google+ being tested in the trial, it is something that they are looking to provide. Jeff Huber, Google VP of Local and Commerce, has indicated that Google+, at some point in the near future will include the option for business profile page. Here is his comment:
‘And pre-emptively answering a question — yes, we will have (smb) business profile pages on Google+. I can’t announce a launch date yet, but we want to make them *great*, and we’re coding as fast as we can.’
It is surprising that Google+ has not been more prepared for the wave of brands wanting to create profiles, as happened with Facebook and Twitter. Brands want to go where their customers are, and by not trailing the promised specialized business profiles, Google+ may have missed a trick.

We are also looking forward to working with one of the companies from Young Enterprise to help them commercially take their idea to market. It is a great feeling to work with young people who are a constant source of inspiration.

In addition, RT Media have helped the students from Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne and here is what one of the students had to say:
“My name is Fern Johnson and I attend Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne. We are currently doing a unit called ‘Product Promotion’ which requires us to investigate advertising agencies. We had emailed loads of different businesses with no reply, until Mr Thornley kindly got back to our teacher advising her that he would be prepared to even do a meeting with us.”

“We then organised the event and on the day walked into Wimborne to go to visit RT Media. Mr Thornley very kindly gave us 2 hours of his time, which to us was a priceless experience, having never worked or needed to think about promotion of products beforehand; we could only use what we could find using the internet, our own ideas and a text book, but Mr Thornley gave us more than any text book example, we talked into depth about the pros and cons of different media types, their range, what they do in particular, how they have to create unique ideas.”

“I learnt a lot from the experience and found it very interesting, as well as informative, I then went home that evening to find myself write up about 5 pages extra on my assignment as well as set off creating my own promotional campaign, which was another assignment for the unit, without this trip I would not have had the motivation to do so, let alone be able to write in the amazing examples that I now have been able to write into my assignment. Thank you Mr Thornley at RT Media for making what I thought would be a difficult unit for me into something that I have enjoyed and taken a lot of time over now due to his enthusiasm of the business.”

iPad TripleO Website

Branding experts RT Media, has created a brand and launched the web site for a revolutionary product, tripleO, on behalf of client, ooops!

Ross Thornley explains: “We have worked with Paul Booker and his team at ooops! for more than 2 years on the side of the business which specialises in repair, painting, maintenance and ‘detailing’ of all types of transportation.  When we learnt that they had acquired the licence to commercially market a unique and specialist ‘nano-technology’ high performance cleaning and protective surface coating pioneered by the US military, we knew that this would be a special project.”

The product – tripleO – has heritage as a surface protectant for the US military and has been proven in some of the most challenging applications, for some of the world’s most demanding military organisations over three decades.  It was re-engineered in 2000 to incorporate innovative nano-technology into the solution to enhance its performance and ‘cross link and bond’ to any surface, which means it can be used on any fleet of aircraft, trucks, boats and helicopters, or even wind farms in exposed locations, and wherever reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency is mission critical.

Paul Booker, Managing Director at ooops!  comments: “While tripleO is an unrivalled product which has many benefits, how we chose to bring it to market would be critical to its success.  After months of work, we gained accreditation from some of the biggest names in aviation such as Airbus, Boeing, Douglas and Raytheon and we needed a brand and web presence that would not only reflect this pedigree, but the many scientific benefits and bottom line Return on Investment to our clients.”

He continues: “Having worked with the team at RT Media and experienced their integrity, creativity and passion for putting us first, I know they would provide us with the exact solution, and I was right.  Working with RT Media is akin to working with an ‘honest coach’ and ‘mentor’, whose strategic vision and ability to see beyond the horizon, means that we don’t waste money now, in order to save for the opportunities that will give the greatest return on investment in future.

“The web site was orchestrated to launch just as tv coverage about tripleO aired across Europe and on the BBC in the UK, and we’ve been very busy ever since – having received great feedback from clients and potential clients all around the world.  I am very proud of how the site performs – the aesthetics and branding are superb and most importantly, it is funnelling sales enquiries through its various options and giving us business. The web site really is our shop window to the world, and we feel we have not just had real value for money, also a format that will give our web site longevity.  I’m now looking forward to further investment to make it multi-lingual.”

Ross Thornley, creative director at RT Media, concludes: “For us, this project was about creating a business-to-business brand primarily for the web, which had to reflect its core values – experience, expertise and tested durability, whilst bringing them together in a format which also had to convey key scientific information and study research quickly and simply, provide media information and case study video footage, whilst also channelling those all -important sales enquiries.  We are really pleased with the results, but most of all we have evidence from Paul and his team that this web site is performing on a business level and that is what we are all about.”