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Prodo - Leading search engine optimisation agency in Chester

The inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the US revealed the impact that single events can have on search engine optimisation.

Google has indicated that during the inauguration the most searched for terms included phrases related to watching, streaming, listening to and getting information on the ceremony.

This was the case all over the world. With 12 per cent of search queries to Google on the subject coming from outside of the US.

Writing on Google's blog, Jeffrey Oldham, a software engineer and Fred Leach, a quantitative marketing manager, commented that search is continuing to grow.

"During the last nine years, the growth of the internet has changed the way the world seeks information," they stated.

"From President Bush's first inaugural address in 2001 to his second in 2005, the number of inauguration-related searches increased by more than a factor of ten. From 2005 to today's address, the number grew even more."

The likes of Aretha Franklin and Beyonce performed at the inauguration and were also boosted up the Google search rankings because of this.

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Prodo - Leading brand design agency in Chester

There are a number of challenges facing firms intending on brand design changes during the recession, a survey has suggested.

Research from Synovate has revealed that countries including the UK have a considerable proportion of consumers ready to switch to cheaper brands, with France leading the way with 44 per cent.

This means that established firms are looking at revamping their brand design, which Bob Michaels believes has positives and negatives.

"The challenges for marketers are multiple: Ensuring coverage of multiple price points to retain customers who are seeking cheaper brands, effectively targeting shoppers who are price sensitive versus those who are less so and doing so differentially by product category," he stated.

He added that "capturing consumers who are now open to new brands and building loyalty - and then retaining that loyalty through the inevitable economic recovery", should also be a priority.

Television network Five is among the organisations opting for brand design changes, with an advertising and marketing campaign being readied to relaunch its Five US channel.

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Now that Barack Obama has been inaugurated as the president of the US, will this have any impact on the advertising and marketing strategies of businesses this side of the pond?

Many firms have tried to integrate the popularity of the president into their marketing strategies recently. While some have been more popular than others, the likes of Pepsi and Audi have managed to incorporate their own brand designs with President Obama's message.

Pepsi has revealed a website design idea to tap into the significance of change, called Refresh Everything. The site is coupled with a new slogan of Yes You Can, which sounds strangely similar to the Obama camp's Yes We Can motto.

Walt Guarino, a professor of advertising, believes that connecting to brand Obama at the moment makes business sense. "[Obama] is being regarded as the hopeful answer to a lot of problems. To be identified with him right now is a good thing," he stated.

"Wherever there is an opportunity to put your brand in a good light, especially at an event as important as this, it's good," he added. This explains the range of companies taking pro-Obama stances, including Ikea, with an "Embrace Change" slogan and even Dunkin' Donuts.

Even rock stars have got on the bandwagon, seeking some positive online public relations by being associated with the new president. Of course, many celebrities are fervent supporters, with Jay Z and Angelina Jolie among those who have spoken out in Obama's favour. However, there is suspicion that others have clicked on to the benefits a newfound political edge can provide.

From an online public relations standpoint, this improves their search engine optimisation as news organisations are extremely keen to involve themselves in Obama-mania too. This can be put down to the feel-good factor he has created.

A study from market research firm Synovate has directly linked the happiness of consumers to their spending habits - when cheerful shoppers are likely to spend more. Synovate's global director of knowledge management and insight, Mike Sherman, stated: "Much of what happens in the economy is based on how people feel.

"If they are buoyant, they spend. If they feel there's no hope, they sit on their cash or find a low-risk way to put it to use," he added. Therefore, the buzz around Obama could contribute to a rise in spending. However, the economic climate he has inherited as president means that marketers, as well as the man himself, cannot be complacent.

Mr Sherman continued: "The old rules no longer apply. But in times like this, brands should show what they're made of. Some will fall by the wayside, some will survive and others will thrive. To make sure a brand is one of the winners, marketers first need to know what people are doing, feeling and buying."

The need for a message of hope in the UK is particularly important, as the survey revealed that Britain is the most pessimistic country when it comes to the economy. Three-quarters of Brits are anticipating the recession to continue to get worse. A bit of presidential positivity could get advertising and marketing moving forwards again.

However, one firm is trying not to force its Obama connections on the marketing world, instead taking a less pushy approach. This brand is Honest Tea, which the new White House inhabitant has been seen drinking.

Rather than push forward with an internet marketing campaign to capitalise on the association, the firm has attempted to show restraint in order to maintain the relationship rather than cash in quick - a vital lesson for areas such as email marketing, which can take time to build up.

"We appreciate the relationship, and it's a meaningful relationship, and we don't want to cheapen it in any way," Jesse Merrill, Honest Tea director of marketing, told USA Today.

Advertising and marketing often ties in with current themes dominating the world's collective conscience - sports events such as the World Cup and Olympics are obvious examples. But with President Obama in office for a minimum of four years, will the strategy continue?

Can search engine optimisation go on being boosted by mentioning the new president, or will people start to tire of all the hype? Is it only a matter of time before brand design moves on to a new favoured theme? Prodo, Chester's leading advertising and marketing agency, looks forward to finding out what you think.

Prodo - Leading website design agency in Chester

The Eden Project is set to host a new international website design event later this year.

Bamboo Juice web design and development conference will be held at the world-famous venue in Cornwall on April 24th.

It is a one-day conference that is inviting both ordinary web designers and developers, along with high-flyers from the top businesses around.

However, rather than pricing out bloggers and upcoming enterprises, the event intends to be affordable.

The event states: "We're aiming it at ordinary web designers and developers, doing websites for clients…not the lucky few who work at Facebook or Yahoo!"

It costs £99 for a ticket, with speakers already confirmed including Jeremy Keith and Dom Hodgson.

Attendees will also gain free entry to the Eden Project, which attracts more than one million people every year.

While marketing itself as a 'global garden', the Eden Project also regularly hosts events varying from business conferences to rock concerts from the likes of Oasis.

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Prodo - Leading agency in Chester

Internet marketing through social networks has been described as an opportunity for firms to capitalise on.

However, social networks can also have negative effects on marketers so companies need to be aware of the risks, according to Abelard Management Services.

The business suggested that it can be a more effective marketing tool than the likes of email marketing if correct procedures are followed, NamNews reports.

William Buist, a marketing expert from the organisation, told the news provider: "Social networks provide an opportunity to engage with the customers in a way that can provide information to the stores and the customers that can either build strong synergies, or break the relationship.

"Those that understand the power of social networks will embrace the debate and join in the conversation, rather than trying to either suppress it or control it."

He added that both staff and customers can be contacted through social networks.

Computer World recently named receiving too much spam as one of the major drawbacks of social networking.

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Prodo - Leading search engine optimisation agency in Chester

The most successful e-commerce platforms are those that focus their attention on improving search engine optimisation, research has found.

A study from Econsultancy has claimed that e-commerce is one of the few areas in which companies are thriving and search engine optimisation is playing a part in this.

It is expected that e-commerce will grow by 15 per cent in 2009, reaching a value of £540 million.

Linus Gregoriadis, Econsultancy's research director, observed that companies are increasingly relying on internet marketing and sales on the web.

"Companies are investing in e-commerce because this is one of the few rays of sunshine in the beleaguered business world at the moment," he said.

"The best e-commerce platforms have demonstrated repeatedly that they are able to generate higher levels of revenue, by focusing on elements such as usability and search engine optimisation and helping to streamline e-business."

One of Econsultancy's predictions for the key trends of 2009 is that the "offline world" will begin to see the benefits of e-commerce.

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Prodo - Leading advertising and marketing agency in Chester

Graduates with travel degrees have been cited as one group that is keen on advertising and marketing.

The Institute of Travel and Tourism has claimed that marketing appeals to people who have a background in travel.

Many graduates will be tempted to enter into careers in the growing internet marketing sector.

Claire Steiner, director, chair of education and training at the Institute of Travel and Tourism, said that the prospects of travel and interacting with people are attractive.

"A lot of students are keen on the marketing side of things and the product side where you get to experience the product and sell the product," she stated.

"You have to recognise that there are lots of opportunities on the domestic market and similar things as well. A lot of people enjoy the sales side and there is lots of opportunities there as well."

STA Travel is currently searching for two interns to undertake a dream job that will require them to visit 15 countries in a three month trip.

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Prodo - leading public relations agency in Chester

Children are not harmed by the effects of viewing the marketing and public relations campaigns of companies, a report has found.

The Children's Wellbeing in a Commercial World study from the Advertising Association (AA) has revealed that advertising has little impact on the wellbeing of youngsters.

It was produced by a panel of academics, hand-picked by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, with data being analysed over 15 years.

Baroness Peta Buscombe, chief executive of the AA, noted that the marketing world actually has positive effects on the lives of children.

"This valuable new research shows that overall wellbeing of children and young people is robust and certainly not in decline despite the changes in the context for childhood in recent years," she stated.

"The picture that emerges is that aspects of the commercial world are important net promoters of children's wellbeing, helping to promote more positive thinking and counterbalancing negative pressures in children's lives.

An AA-supported media literacy programme called Media Smart is now used by more than 9,000 schools throughout the UK.

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Prodo - Leading SMS text message marketing agency in Chester

By being too complex, SMS text message marketing could be less effective, research has indicated.

A survey from Mformation has found that 95 per cent of mobile phone users do not utilise all of the capabilities of their phones as they are too difficult to work.

This could mean that including complex messages in texts could have a negative effect on their marketing impact.

Setting up new phones also causes problems, with the survey noting that 78 per cent of respondents would be more open to upgrading their handset if setting it up wasn't so hard.

Matthew Bancroft, vice-president of Mformation, said: "Operators and device manufacturers need to remove barriers to service uptake and unlock the true power of advanced mobile technology.

"The message from consumers is that phone setup is simply too complex. Clearly, this needs to be addressed."

However, Nielsen Online research revealed that mobile internet use grew by 25 per cent from the second quarter of 2008 to the third quarter.

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Prodo - Leading website design agency in Chester

Including user-generated content is becoming a far more central part of website design, a digital rights organisation has claimed.

Open Rights Group has stated that user-generated content has now got to a level where most websites are built around the possibility of users adding to their content.

This is especially the case with a number of the most popular sites on the web, from eBay to Facebook.

Becky Hogge, executive director at Open Rights Group, said: "The top ten sites in the UK is dominated by sites where the main content is supplied by users - ordinary consumers and visitors.

"What does this all mean? Well, firstly, what it means is that everyone is now a content creator. All these people are…creating and distributing content to an applied audience."

Alexa Traffic Rankings for the last three months in Britain place Google UK as the most viewed site, with Facebook, Windows Live, Yahoo and YouTube following the search engine.

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