Welcome to Luan Wise, author of Smart Social Media – How to grow your business with social media marketing on the Strand Review of Books. Since 2019, Luan has been a lead trainer for Meta, and leads training on behalf of professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, the…
It’s a wrap: Season 4 complete!
𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 is taking a break! Listen to seasons 1 through 4 on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Acast and all good podcast platforms. Thank you to the authors Ekaterina Walter, Daniel Bausor, Jessica Fewless, Joe Federer, Simon Asplen-Taylor, Daniel Rowles, Gordon Glenister, Professor Peter Fader, Brad Borkan, Nancy Harhut, William Ammerman, Frank Somma, Phil…
Supercharging the Customer Experience, with co-authors Alan Williams and Dave Stubberfield
Can you actually deliver on customer experience? Authors Alan Williams and Dave Stubberfield have ten quick minutes to speak about real-world practical actions in their book Supercharging the Customer Experience — How organizational alignment drives performance. ❓What is it about customer experience delivery – or the lack of it – that prompted Alan and Dave…
How to Use Customer Data, with the author, Dr Sachiko Scheuing
Today I am delighted to welcome Dr Sachiko Scheuing, author of How to Use Customer Data – Navigating GDPR, DPDI and a Future with Marketing AI. Dr Scheuing is probably uniquely placed to write this kind of book, as she is European Privacy Officer of Acxiom, a global leader in marketing services. Sachiko is currently serving…
Natural Born Winners, with the author, Robin Sieger
Today on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 I am joined by none other than Robin Sieger author of Natural Born Winners – a best-selling business and personal development book, now in its 25th anniversary edition. Many books like this simply rust away, unread; why is Natural Born Winners different, and what does it deliver? Should you…
Dynamic Alignment, with the author, Holly Worton
Dynamic Alignment; what’s THAT? In the latest episode of the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧, Holly Worton talks about her book Dynamic Alignment – The Power Of Finding Your Purpose, Achieving Your Goals, And Living A Passion-Driven Life. Holly is author of 30 non-fiction books about business mindset and nature, and co-wrote Dynamic Alignment with Brad…
Sustainable Marketing, with authors Alexis Eyre and Paul Randle
𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? Take ten minutes with Alexis Eyre and Paul Randle, co-authors of 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 – 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮’𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 • Marketing and business books’ authors grilled in just ten minutes• No frippery and barely an introduction: straight-to-the-point podcasting• Hear what the author has…
Value Driven Data, with the author, Edosa Odaro
Do you have data vision? Today I am delighted to welcome Edosa Odaro, author of Value-Driven Data – Identifying, communicating and delivering effective business solutions with data Edosa is a multipublished author, investor and independent adviser on data and AI, has a background as chief data officer in corporations including AIG, Barclays and the European…
The Neurodiversity Edge, with the author, Dr Maureen Dunne
𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆? Gotta say, Maureen N. Dunne, Ph.D. offers a refreshing view in her book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘨𝘦. 𝗗𝗿 𝗗 has just ten minutes on the 🎧📚Strand Review of Books📚🎧, and your reviewer was genuinely inspired by her practical, positive view of the opportunities offered – a real mind-opener! 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 offers…
Kafka and the Truths of Leadership, with the author Dr Leah Tomkins
😲𝙆𝙖𝙛𝙠𝙖 𝙤𝙣 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥? Listen to the amazing Dr Leah Tomkins as she unpacks her astonishing book 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙯 𝙆𝙖𝙛𝙠𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 https://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/ Leah spills the Kafkan beans in ten minutes flat! Dr Leah Tomkins, author, is an independent scholar and Visiting Professor at the University of the…
Sustainable Advertising, with author Sebastian Munden
𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜? Take ten minutes with the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 https://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/ to hear Sebastian Munden, co-author with Matt Bourn of 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, explain how the key is to focus on changing behaviour. Sebastian argues the case for change… in ten minutes flat! 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 offers snappy interviews•…
Digital Marketing Strategy, with author Simon Hall
Is 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 your thing? Simon Hall talks about his excellent book 𝘉2𝘉 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘺 on 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧.Simon has some serious marketing cred: former Chief Marketing Officer for Dell UK, and senior roles at Acer, Microsoft and Toshiba, Simon founded NextGen Marketing Solutions, is a Course Director and Fellow of the Chartered…
Season 3 complete, 🎧📚The Strand Review of Books📚🎧
🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 – The super-short ten-minute format cuts right through: hear what the author has to say, pick up an idea or two, and ka-blam, it’s all over!
Right Kind of Wrong, with author Professor Amy Edmondson
𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀? Take just ⏱️ten minutes with Professor Amy Edmondson and her book 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 on 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 – packed with insights and real-world examples of how to turn failure into a path toward success. Sorry folks, it’s yet another must-read.
The Superpower of Small Teams, with co-author Brad Borkan
Take ⏱️ten minutes to hear award-winning author Brad Borkan speak about his fascinating book 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd and on hashtag#Apple hashtag#Spotify hashtag#Amazon and more
The Art of Statistics, with Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter
Statistically significant listening for 100% of marketers: ten minutes with Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter and his book The Art of Statistics on 🎧📚Strand Review of Books📚🎧 https://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/ #applepodcasts #spotify #acast #amazon and more.
High-Impact Content Marketing – strategies to make your content intentional, engaging and effective
Big thank you to the amazing Purna Virji, author of the excellent 𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, for ten minutes on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 – available now https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd on hashtag#applepodcasts hashtag#spotifypodcasts hashtag#amazonpodcasts and on 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd
GLUE – Transforming Leadership in a Hybrid World
If you have ten minutes to spare, I recommend listening to John Dore, author of GLUE – Transforming Leadership in a Hybrid World, on the surprisingly popular 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧. The show focuses exclusively on interviews with authors of business and marketing books. Previous episodes feature gems such as Using Behavioral Science in Marketing,…
The Customer Copernicus – how to be customer-led
🎧Listen up!🎧 Action-packed 10 minutes all about customers with Charlie Dawson and his excellent book 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙨 on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd and on Apple, Amazon, Spotify and more.
Can Marketing Save the Planet?
🎧Listen today! Ten minutes with the outstanding Michelle Carvill and Gemma Butler and their thought-provoking book 𝘾𝘼𝙉 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙀𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙎𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙏? on the 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 – Amazon, Apple, Spotify and more https://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/
The Human Experience: How to make life better for your customers
Giant thank you to John Sills, author of The Human Experience (how to make life better for your customers and create a more-successful organization), for a great ten minutes on 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 Listen on 🎧Amazon, 🎧Apple and more.
The New Rules of Marketing & PR
Despite the constant media revolutions, David Meerman Scott’s classic book The New Rules of Marketing & PR continues to sell millions of copies. Listen to David in the newest episode of the [surprisingly popular] 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 – ten-minute interviews with business book authors, on Apple, Amazon and more. Of course, The Strand Review…
Forget the Funnel, with Georgiana Laudi
Ever been frustrated by the tyranny of the marketing funnel, filling the pipeline, and closing those deals? May I invite you to listen to the newest episode of 🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧, with author Georgiana Laudi speaking about her book Forget the Funnel! In her ten minutes on the show, Georgiana explains how she and…
Welcome to 2024!
In 2023, The Strand Review of Books – a series of ten-minute interviews with business book authors – turned out to be surprisingly popular. This year I am delighted to announce that, among others, the amazing and highly entertaining Rory Sutherland will appear on the show, speaking about his book Alchemy – The Magic of…
Season 2 complete, 🎧📚The Strand Review of Books📚🎧
🎧📚𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀📚🎧 – The super-short ten-minute format cuts right through: hear what the author has to say, pick up an idea or two, and ka-blam, it’s all over!
The Fifth Phase, with Dr Mark Powell
Mark Powell PhD delivers a new take on the possibilities of AI, described in terms of opportunity and new ways of thinking. He argues that business spends too much time collecting and storing data, wasting money on data lakes in which many IT departments have drowned without being able to deliver useful insights to business…
Let It Go, with Dame Stephanie Shirley, CH
Dame Stephanie Shirley CH speaks about her life lessons, from child refugee to $3 billion IT entrepreneur to philanthropist – an amazing and extraordinary story told in her book Let it Go. An ardent venture philanthropist with an unrelenting energy for creating positive change, she arrived in England as an unaccompanied child refugee at the…
21st Century Business Icons, with Sally Percy
Author and leadership specialist Sally Percy talks about the lessons from very public business leaders such as Jeff Bezos to the secretive Satoshi Nakamoto. Sally writes about business, finance, banking, treasury and accountancy, and edits Edge, the official magazine of the Institute of Leadership & Management. Does leadership charisma, quality, or ability exist, or is…
The Social Brain, with Tracey Camilleri
Author and thought-leader Tracey Camilleri comments on her amazing book The Social Brain – The Psychology of Successful Groups. In The Social Brain leading experts from the worlds of evolutionary psychology and business management come together to offer a primer on great team working. They explain what size groups work and how to shape them…
Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy
On The Strand Review of Books, Author Phil Barden explains the behavioural science techniques that can be so valuable in sales and marketing campaigns. Decoded delivers a practical framework and guidelines for applying science to the marketing practices you use every day. As a marketing professional, you can look to this book for behavioural knowledge,…
Do influencers have a role in B2B marketing?
Briefly, the answer is Yes. Yesterday, Gordon Glenister spoke at a Strand breakfast (Claridge’s Hotel, London), asking “Do influencers have a role in B2B marketing?” Not all influencers have millions of followers. In specialized and B2B markets, a highly valuable influencer may attract a relatively small but intensely loyal following. Your influencer could be a…
B2B is really P2P, with Frank Somma
This week I was lucky enough to interview the charming, amazing Frank Somma about his outstanding book B2B is really P2P – how to win with high touch in a high-tech world. Selling is an art and a science. This book brings you both! Joe Calloway, award-winning speaker, and author of A Category of One…
The Invisible Brand, with William Ammerman
With William Ammerman on The Strand Review of Books. Listen to author William Ammerman for ten great minutes, as he talks about his fascinating book The Invisible Brand. As we enter the age of mass customization of messaging, power and influence will go to those who know the consumer best. Whether you are a marketing…
Predictably Irrational
By Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational must be the closest to “If you read no other book this year, read this one!” https://www.amazon.co.uk/Predictably-Irrational-Hidden-Decisions-Paperback/dp/B002SL0SLU/
Bees; sentient, but not as we know it
Yes, bees are sentient – and so are slugs, fish, monkeys, dogs and people. Being sentient comes in degrees. Generally, I accept that other people are sentient because they are likely to be somewhat similar to me; their me-like behaviour persuades me that they are sentient. That’s the case we make for dogs. Exhibiting happiness,…
Mechanical dinosaurs
How will our children and grandchildren view the combustion engine? Even now, a diesel truck seems as old as a pony and trap; the rorty-snort of a petrol-powered muscle-car seems quaint, almost from another era. Mechanical dinosaurs. We’re better off without them.
What ChatGPT says about Strand
Unlock Your Business Potential with Expert Technology Copywriting! Are you tired of struggling to create compelling content that truly showcases the power of your cutting-edge technology solutions? Look no further! Our world-class technology copywriting service is here to revolutionize your marketing efforts and help you soar to new heights in the competitive landscape of software…
Using Behavioral Science in Marketing
With Nancy Harhut on The Strand Review of Books On this week’s show, Nancy Harhut delivers amazing insight into how behavioral science applies directly to marketing, turning instinctive responses into action! Using Behavioral Science in Marketing shows how to apply behavioral science principles in key areas of marketing, including marketing communications, email, direct mail and ad…
Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results
Ten minutes with Brad Borkan on The Strand Review of Books talking about “Audacious Goals, Remarkable Results,” co-authored with David Hirzel. Brad explores what it takes to get things done even in the face of extraordinary diversity, looks at decision-making, and considers how the lessons may be carried over into business life. Buy the book:…
The Customer-Base Audit
by Professor Peter Fader on The Strand Review of Books. Continuing my series of super-short book reviews, you may like to listen to Professor Peter Fader (quite a scoop, by the way!) speaking about his book The Customer-Base Audit. In essence, Professor Fader suggests that establishing genuine metrics are essential to understanding your customers, simply…
Influencer Marketing Strategy
With Gordon Glenister on The Strand Review of Books. Influencer marketing can no longer be ignored. The enthusiastic, entertaining and energetic Gordon Glenister brings a fresh eye to influencer marketing for B2B companies in his book Influencer Marketing Strategy, the ultimate guide to developing a successful influencer marketing strategy—and building campaigns that create real value….
Digital Branding: a step-by-step guide
Interview with author Daniel Rowles for The Strand Review of Books. Author Daniel Rowles talks with conviction based on insight about the key elements in his book Digital Branding: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Strategy, Tactics, Tools and Measurement. Drawing together each of the core marketing avenues such as content marketing, social media, search engine…
Data and Analytics Strategy for Business
Interview with author Simon Asplen-Taylor on The Strand Review of Books Simon Asplen-Taylor talks about his book Data and Analytics Strategy for Business: Unlock Data Assets and Increase Innovation with a Results-Driven Data Strategy. Excellent insights in just ten minutes from an authoritative, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic speaker. The big question: is it worth reading? Buy…
The Hidden Psychology of Social Networks
Interview with author Joe Federer on The Strand Review of Books Author Joe Federer talks about the high points and themes of his book The Hidden Psychology of Social Networks. Great insights in just ten minutes into how B2B marketers can make social media work effectively. The big question: is it worth reading? Buy the…
Account-Based Marketing
Interview with author Jessica Fewless for The Strand Review of Books Author Jessica Fewless talks energetically about her book Account-Based Marketing: How to Target and Engage Companies That Will Grow Your Revenue. If you’d like the skinny on ABM in less than ten minutes, listen to Jessica’s sharp observations. The big question: is it worth…
The Customer Catalyst
Interview with author Daniel Bausor on The Strand Review of Books Ten insightful minutes from an engergetic, enthusiastic and expert practitioner: Daniel Bausor comments on his book The Customer Catalyst, and how market power has shifted forever from seller to buyer. Really ground-breaking stuff! Daniel is an enthusiastic advocate of the change in B2B and…
The Laws of Brand Storytelling
Interview with author Ekaterina Walter on The Strand Review of Books Ekaterina Walter talks about the themes of her book The Laws of Brand Storytelling. As one commentator put it, “Filled with valuable insights, tools, and frameworks, The Laws of Brand Storytellilng is sassy, strategic, and chock-full of great brand stories!” The big question: is…
What makes writing readable?
You may have come across software solutions that score text for readability. Often, the scores are based on the Flesch-Kincaid (F-K) system. Yet at an F-K of 65.88, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix rates close to Moby Dick at 57.9, which seems peculiar. Whatever happened to engagement, emotion, peril, revelation, surprise…? In…
What’s happening with ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a classic case of garbage-in-garbage-out. For one client, we trialled ChatGPT to write blog posts, which produced well-phrased outpourings of a lunatic. In that example, we asked ChatGPT to write posts based on prompts concerning industrial chemistry. But ChatGPT is not an expert; it generates content based on its training model’s sources, regardless…
How do you build a space rocket?
Word by word. Toby Chapman-Dawe [email protected]
Astrologers and Financial Pundits – are they related?
Astrologers and financial pundits use strikingly similar language. Your fortunes may soar, but storm clouds may be lurking. Jus’ sayin.’ Toby Chapman-Dawe <[email protected]>
ChatGPT is conscious
Consciousness appears to be the experience of an internal dialogue. As I think about what to write, my unspoken voice-in-my-head suggests the next thoughts; as I taste pineapple, it provokes a (very personal) revulsion. You, of course, do not hear my internal voice, or know why I find pineapple revolting. You take it on trust…
Account-Based Marketing
Nothing helps kick-start my New Year’s planning like a little holiday reading! If you’re searching for inspiration, I recommend “Account-Based Marketing: Unlocking Sustainable Value Through Extraordinary Customer Focus” by Bev Burgess and Tim Shercliff (Amazon). Many of the examples and case studies in the book refer principally to the enterprise technology world, including Fujitsu, IBM,…
Customer advocacy from 2021…
Santa’s favourite chemical: pyrogallol
C6H3 HO HO HO.
Quick intro, if I may…
Quick intro: Strand helps B2B technology companies sell the business benefits of their solutions, principally by writing case studies and thought leadership papers. “When I brief Strand, I have total confidence that the final job will be done exactly as we want. I find your service invaluable and unique, and see Strand as an extension…
The Nike swoosh is nothing without “Just Do It”
Let’s face it, you’re not reading this because of the typeface. You’re reading this because the words might convey a useful thought. How to get free stuff. How to make money. Find a partner. Dump a partner. Whatever. Many marketing managers start by looking for design, marketing, or branding agencies. Sooner or later, they discover…
If you hide how hard you work, people think you do not work hard
In March 2019 (aaaages ago), Harvard Business Review published an article on operational transparency (https://hbr.org/2019/03/operational-transparency). The summary is: If you hide how hard you work, people think you do not work hard. Yet in sales and marketing materials we constantly strive to make things look and sound easy. How many times do we say “smooth deployment” and “streamlined…
Marketing barometer 2022
Here’s a marketing stat that might be of interest to you: year-to-date, Strand has already handled around 10% more writing and design projects than in 2021. In fact, the 2022 year-end project numbers might be 15% higher than last year – though not necessarily more budget! Perhaps the figures above provide you with a barometer…
AI or Security?
For some time, a sure-fire way to gain media attention has been to write about Artificial Intelligence. No matter how obscure or tenuous the connection, AI was marketing pixie-dust, to be sprinkled liberally on blog posts, white papers, and solution briefs. However, here at Strand we think security may be emerging as the new hot…
Information security
Strand recently reviewed and renewed its ISO 27001 Information Security Management Systems certification. If you would like to know more, please drop me a line. Toby Chapman-Dawe [email protected]
White Papers
Outside the technology bubble, the term “white paper” means a government policy document that sets out proposals for legislation. In the enterprise technology sector, “white paper” means a long-form (2,500 words or so) piece that describes an industry or marketplace, and its likely future. Strand is writing waaaaay more white papers than in the past…
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.” — King Charles III
Emotion vs Cold, Hard, Cash
The latest advertising, sales and marketing techniques borrow heavily from the B2C marketplace: emotional engagement and impact. For example, knowing that a logistics management solution helps to deliver humanitarian aid will engage potential buyers more deeply than ROI. But now you have their attention, what criteria will buyers use to assess the solution? My instinct…
John Donne
Read this book! Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, by K. Rundell. Toby Chapman-Dawe [email protected]
Summer: the perfect opportunity to relax, refresh and renew
…and to create new content for September onwards, such as eBooks, white papers, videos, and written case studies. Strand offers: Fixed fees per project No limits on amendments No retainer, no monthly fees Not-happy no-fee guarantee “When I brief Strand, I have total confidence that the final job will be done exactly as we want….
Best-practice mailshot
One of the most effective – in terms of response – mailshots from Strand… announced a change of phone number. No sales message, no Carefully Crafted Content™, just a new phone number. Toby Chapman-Dawe [email protected]
Strand offers…
In brief, Strand offers case-study writing and related editorial services, specifically and exclusively for enterprise technology companies. We help explain the business benefits of sophisticated technologies to your prospect customers, by writing your case studies, white papers, blog posts and more. Who at your company would find Strand’s content-writing capabilities useful? Send them an email…
Testimonial
Here’s what one client thinks of Strand’s services: “When I brief Strand, I have total confidence that the final job will be done exactly as we want. I find your service invaluable and unique, and see Strand as an extension of the team, not a supplier. I am really happy to recommend Strand to any…
Yes It Could
My favourite technology test is whether the same outcome could be achieved by other means. If the answer is “Yes It Could,” then the real benefit has nothing to do with technology, but the outcome that the solution delivers. And the answer, by the way, is *always* “Yes It Could.” Toby Chapman-Dawe [email protected]
It’s not about the technology
Yeeeeears ago, a Large Financial Institution launched web-based loan application solution. Punters entered their application details, which were processed by the bank’s back-end system and the results returned two hours later. Usually the in-branch paper-based process took weeks to return an answer. The slight hitch was that in those days nobody could get the web…
Combined written/video projects
As the year accelerates away from us, you may be interested to hear about the growth of combined video and written case study projects. In essence, the idea is to promote the business benefits of your solutions by asking your customers to go on-camera. We have found that today’s customers are very comfortable with being…
Ukraine
All our flags are Ukranian. To know the outcome, look no further than The Art Of War, by Niccolò Machiavelli.
Feed the Marketo-Mailchimp machine
Marketo, Mailchimp and the many, many similar solutions have transformed marketing. Sophisticated automation now powers the marketing machines of almost every large enterprise. Consequently, the appetite for compelling reasons-to-write has expanded, almost beyond comprehension. Some email nurture campaigns contain thirty steps, each with possible downloads or story hooks or new animations and images. The demand…
Welcome to 2022!
Prediction for the year: the first AI will be considered ‘conscious,’ and it will pass all tests designed to prove otherwise.
Strand moves
Strand has moved office, from 165 The Broadway SW19 1NE to 165 The Broadway SW19 1NE – two floors up!
Life-giving water
Here’s to the generous, the visionaries, the world-changers – to you! Your generous donation of $2,500.00 will make lasting safe water and sanitation solutions possible for people in need. Here’s to you and here’s to changing lives with safe water! To learn more, visit Water.org.
In praise of nuance
Marketing = ensuring your prospective customers know of your sales proposition. Enablement = ensuring your prospective customers have sufficient information to make a purchasing decision. Generally, marketing is proactive, outbound, and designed to generate attention and interest. Enablement responds to incoming enquiries (created by marketing) with nuture sequences, assets, and calls to action. The assets…
In praise of middle management
History is written by triumphant leaders and their acolytes. Lost in the miasma, middle management tends to get bad press, along the lines of “You can’t manage your way out of a crisis.” I’d argue that success arises from the capture marginal gains, and that’s where middle managers are at their strongest. Let’s take two…
Thank you speakers, sponsors and delegates for an outstanding Customer Catalyst Conference 2021
“The customer has killed business as usual” say Daniel Bausor and Chris Adlard at The Customer Catalyst Conference
Delighted that the conference has launched, with an outstanding session from Chris and Daniel.
Pat Phelan, Chief Customer Officer, GoCardless, to speak at The Customer Catalyst Conference 2021
Customer Catalyst Conference reaches 500
More than 500 people are now registered on the Customer Catalyst Conference hub.
Registrations for The Customer Catalyst Conference are ticking along nicely
Registrations for The Customer Catalyst Conference are ticking along nicely. With 21 working days to go, we’re at 61 net-new registrations and 427 registrations total.
James Hyde, Founder, James & James Fulfilment, to speak at the Customer Catalyst Conference 2021
James Hyde, Founder, James & James Fulfilment – how customer-led smart technology drives growth
Andrew Carrick, Chief Customer Success Officer, Automic Group, to speak at the Customer Catalyst Conference 2021
Andrew Carrick, Chief Customer Success Officer, Automic Group
Registration site now open for the Customer Catalyst Conference 2021
Registration site now open: https://thecustomercatalyst.com/customer-catalyst-conference-2021/
Strand launches the Customer Catalyst Conference online
Are you ready for the New Customer Economy? It’s a world where *everything* is available as a service. The peril is that you can sign customers up quick, and in the next breath they quit for the competition. How do you respond, how do you drive growth?
Good-bye sales teams?
If buyers have better-than 75% decided on what to buy *before* they engage with a company, is there any room for the sales team? Some while back, the sales director of a large software company admitted to me that the customer support team brought in more revenue than the sales team. The support agents would…
The True Foundation of Business is Trust
Thoroughly modern management is focused, for the large part, on the definition, automation and industrialization of business processes. For example, today’s sales process is seen as a function of pipeline, qualification, and deal-closure, all to be measured and managed. And note the use of the word ‘process’ next to ‘sales.’ The true foundation of business…
Top Ten Technology Analysts 2020
Found this on the Apollo Research site, here: https://www.apolloresearch.com/blog/the-top-10-technology-analysts-2020/ “In total, we at Apollo Research recorded 3,960 different technology analysts quoted over the last year. With that much competition for coverage, Patrick Moorhead’s achievement in 2020 is quite exceptional.”
The content flywheel
Came across this: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/becoming-inbound-business-what-does-mean-fundamental-steps-maurice/ Worth five minutes of your time, perhaps.
The True Foundation of Business is Trust
Thoroughly modern management is focused, for the large part, on the definition, automation and industrialization of business processes. For example, today’s sales process is seen as a function of pipeline, qualification, and deal-closure, all to be measured and managed. And note the use of the word ‘process’ next to ‘sales.’ The true foundation of business…
The Customer Catalyst Conference
WOWSERS! Just finished the world-first Customer Catalyst Online Conference with speakers from Zoom, Cisco, Advanced, Slack, Ritz-Carlton, ServiceNow and many more. FOMO? If you are hungry for great content but short on time, ON DEMAND is the way to go. Pick and choose from TED-length presentations on a grab-and-go basis. REGISTER! To watch these world leaders, register…
The Customer Catalyst Conference
WHO? If you sell or market enterprise IT solutions, or are engaged in customer advocacy or reference programmes, then The Customer Catalyst Online Conference is specifically and exclusively for you. ONLINE? If you are hungry for great content but short on time, online is the way to go. Pick and choose from TED-length presentations on a…
The True Foundation of Business is Trust
Now there’s a funny thing. Today, Google reports no results for a search “the true foundation of business is trust.”
Technology Marketing Managers’ Index, June 2020
Welcome to the survey results from the Technology Marketing Managers’ Index, June 2020. I invite you to compare the results with your own views. Should you be reining in, or trying to out-market your competitors? On that topic, the Budget Barometer hints that people may be increasing their marketing activity: Confidence has declined slightly, from…
Technology Marketing Managers’ Index, May 2020
Welcome to the survey results from the Marketing Managers’ Index, May 2020. Scroll/swipe down for the interesting bits! The results may give you some insight into current industry sentiment. I have not commented on the data, and leave you to draw your own conclusions. If you have any questions, please let me know and I…
Four Kinds of Value
How do we assign value to what we hear? How about this: 1 Zero Value: Me telling me how great I am 2 Some Value: Me telling someone else how great I am 3 Fair Value: Someone else telling me how great I am 4 High Value: Someone else telling someone else how great I…
K.I.S.S. my Content
Every day I try to think of new, gripping, ripping yarns to post: Five-Point-Plans, Fascinating Facts, Illustrative Alliteration for the Amusement of Muddled Marketers. You get the picture. But today I gotta tell ya about the Most Successful Marketing Campaign Ever – and it wasn’t even intended as a marketing campaign. We changed our switchboard…
B2B vs SEO
The internet is a land of numbers: hits, conversions, dwell, rankings & more. It is now possible to measure almost every aspect of our web interactions, holding out the prospect of validated ‘performance marketing.’ And, as we all we know, “What gets measured gets managed.” (Peter Drucker never said or wrote this, but thanks to…
Marketing Managers’ Index
Foreground The Marketing Managers’ Index is based on a four-question survey of execs in the enterprise technology sector. The aim is to build a picture of confidence and future prospects. The questionnaire link changes each month. Mail surveys@strand-uk to find out more. Background You may have heard of the Purchasing Managers’ Index, which surveys the…
LinkedIn is one of my favourite business tools right now. Yet with the sheer volume of traffic, how do you cut through the cr** and have your messages seen by the right folk? First, if you’re posting or advertising on LinkedIn, have a look at the scale of the challenge: https://blog.hootsuite.com/linkedin-statistics-business/ https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/linkedin-statistics https://kinsta.com/blog/linkedin-statistics/ How about…
Shoot a video without leaving your desk
Sorry to jump on the coronavirus bandwagon, but it’s on everyone’s mind… These days, if you find customers are reluctant to host a visit from your video team (and their dirty germs), then all is not lost! Create the video from stock, b-roll, animations and graphics. You may be surprised at what can be done…
The power of a microphone
What’s the most-prized profile photo on Linked In? Yep, the one with the microphone. Why is that? A photo or video of yourself striding the stage, microphone in hand (or better yet, with a performer’s wearable set) sends a powerful message. And boy-oh-boy, that sure feeds the ego! Look at all those fawning acolytes, just…
A sense of purpose
Whatever you might think and whatever the customer might say, a good technology case study is *never* about the software – or the hardware, or even the services & support. A great case study is *always* about the outcome, and the outcome is *always* about something personal that somebody wanted to achieve. Why? Companies –…
Top Ten Tips for creating a great case study
Normally I avoid ‘top ten’ and ‘tips’ articles. It’s all too easy to say how *someone else* should write a case study; the only real test is to write the darn thing. On the shaky ground that two negatives make a positive, I am adding ‘top ten’ to ‘tips’ for my Top Ten Tips for…
How do you solve writer’s block?
Without question, Strand’s clients are among the brightest and best, easily capable of writing their own blogs, papers, case studies and clerihews. So why do clients, every single one of them an IT marketing leader, hire Strand? In economics terms, it’s down to the rules of comparative advantage, defined by David Ricardo in 1817. In…
How do you write a great case study?
Recently I read an article focused on the value of storytelling, couched in terms of a coherent, compelling, persuasive piece of writing. The author recommends that you create a connection, provoke the audience, offer evidence and empower action, etc etc. In one section, the author writes “implement these steps to craft your own stories and…
Case study writing: make a choice
Faced with case study writing, it’s all too tempting to report what the customer said. But is the customer always right? Take a case study sparked off by an ‘enforced upgrade,’ moving from out-of-support software (which works perfectly well) to a new version. The typical customer (often the CIO) will say “We needed to upgrade.”…
Nobody has to do anything
Here’s a story. Often we are commissioned to create case studies on your clients who are upgrading their software. You know, Version 2 to Version 4. SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA. That kind of thing. And the upgrade is a big sale, and the team wants a case study to help push along the next sale….
Agreement, approval
Writing for clients can be a revealing exercise, especially when it comes to what we clumsily call ‘approval.’ When we send draft text to clients, we so often find ourselves drowning in a sea of feedback from multiple individuals, all with their equally valid opions. I realized that we usually invite clients to *approve* the…
Flash in the pan (and tilt and zoom…)
Does ‘digital marketing agency’ or ‘video marketing agency’ sound worrying? When faxes were new, new ‘fax marketing’ agencies sprang up, possessed with the immediacy and urgency of faxes. When email arrived, new ’email marketing’ agencies sprang up, determined that email was the way to grab people’s attention. Right now, video is a hot medium –…
Re-position yourself
A new client has asked to re-position the [perfectly good] brand. The fundamental point, though, is that while we can create video, written, infographic, press and social pieces until they come out of your ears, we believe that the first step is to re-position yourself. What on earth does that mean, ‘re-position yourself’? Here’s a…
Events, dear boy, events
Events, whether technical, sales or marketing, are huge opportunities to beef up your customer testimonials output – and yet so rarely are the opportunities truly siezed. We have found that even at the busiest events, your clients are surprisingly willing to find 30 minutes for a conversation that can lead to a reference either on…
Blockchain for a greener planet
Like lasers, blockchain started as a solution looking for a problem – and of course lasers are now ubiquitous (theodolites, DVD players, display pointers, scalpels, optical tweezers…). Practical blockchain applications are emerging – for example, blockchain technologies will enable automated, secure micro-trading of energy generation and consumption. What does it actually mean, though? It’s easy…
Robin Sieger, success, and customer satisfaction
World-renowned speaker and thinker Robin Sieger (https://siegerinternational.com/) asks “Would you go to a film if someone said it was satisfactory?” and “Would you go to a restaurant if someone said the food was satisfactory?” Why do we use customer satisfaction scores to measure success? By the way, if you’re looking for a conference keynote speaker,…
Social video
There is no question that video is hot, but the big debate is short- or long-form? Budweiser might spend millions on a 30sec ad to air at the Superbowl, and yet so many companies insist on four-minute product-focused, feature-led talking heads. Aaargh! My Ridiculous Video Rules: Shorter Cut out the intro Shorter, please It is…
Tell Mum (and the dog)
As a rookie journalist I learned the Iron Rule: get the punter’s name right. Why? Because in print, the first thing anyone checks is their name. Katherine not Catherine. Thompson not Thomson. MacDonald not McDonald. (I could go on…) Today, we’re more visual. When you see holiday snaps or video, who do you look for?…
Sheep dip
It’s an old theme of mine, but it comes up time and time again: the customer sheep dip. Creating a written or video customer reference, case study or testimonial takes time and effort, and that translates into love, care and attention. For a relatively short period, the customer is treated with super-soft kid gloves, encouraged…
The Entrepreneurs’ Marketing Manual
If you fancy a refreshingly direct view of marketing, I recommend The Enterpreneurs’ Marketing Manual by Chris Willman. Visit the site, too.
Testimonials: real proof
From: Susan Date: 26/06/2019 18:11 Subject: Re: Year to Date Report: Case Studies and Videos June 2019 ________________________________________ Wonderful work!!! Thank you so much for all you do and to your extended team of writers/designers etc. -Susan Global Product Marketing Manager
Sales psychology & relationships
In the past, perpetual licenses and support contracts were handled exclusively by sales teams, and the company Sales Director was responsible for near-100% of revenue. Speaking with many software companies, I now know that the effect of cloud and saas is dawning on many software companies. For them, more than 80% of revenue comes from…
Video vs Written
There’s a good deal of talk about video taking over the world, displacing the written word. Here’s my take on it: Yeeeaaars ago, when faxes (remember them?) were new, ‘fax marketing,’ blossomed. The idea was that faxes commanded immediate attention, and fax marketing was a way to cut through the clutter. Ring any bells? The…
Unpopular social media
In a recent client meeting, their social media guru reported in tones of breathless excitement – how hits, posts and tweets were soaring. Not only that, the rate of soar was itself soaring. Bearing in mind that I’m a miserable curmudgeon, the presenter – an enthusiastic, personable West Coaster – really had me interested. Gee,…
Writers never ‘need to’
Nobody ever needs to do anything. What about if I hold a gun to your head and demand you give me access to your super-secret codes? Even then, you have a choice – give the codes or be shot. There is no ‘need to.’ People want to avoid a consequence or achieve an ambition, and…
Nobody ever has ‘requirements’
It’s a commonplace to talk about ‘requirements,’ as in “to meet your business requirements.” Well, Yes and No. Using ‘requirements’ like this is lazy shorthand, which covers up the underlying decision points and motivations. It is far more powerful to spell out what is actually going on: maybe the company is drowning in costs or…
Get Shorty!
Brevity can be the heart and soul of clarity, for both video and written pieces. Here’s a thing: a 30-second TV ad lasts an aaaaage. You can grow a spare head watching a John Lewis ad (two minutes, twenty seconds). And even though the advertisers spend a TON of money on these efforts, they are…
Advocacy, trust, referrals and testimonials
Advocacy is somewhat like loyalty: if you have to ask for it, then you probably won’t get it – and you might even create the opposite effect. The next-best-things to advocacy are probably referrals and testimonials, because you can certainly ask for those. If the answer is positive, you may incidentally create advocates. If the…