26/03/2024

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 ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“šStrand Review of Books๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง https://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/ #applepodcasts #spotify #acast #amazon and more.

19/03/2024

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 ๐™ƒ๐™ž๐™œ๐™-๐™„๐™ข๐™ฅ๐™–๐™˜๐™ฉ ๐˜พ๐™ค๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™ˆ๐™–๐™ง๐™ ๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ, for ten minutes on the ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง – available now https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd on hashtag#applepodcasts hashtag#spotifypodcasts hashtag#amazonpodcasts and on ๐˜š๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd

12/03/2024

GLUE – Transforming Leadership in a Hybrid World

If you have ten minutes to spare, I recommend listening to John Dore, author of GLUE โ€“ Transforming Leadership in a Hybrid World, on the surprisingly popular ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง. The show focuses exclusively on interviews with authors of business and marketing books. Previous episodes feature gems such as Using Behavioral Science in Marketing,…

05/03/2024

The Customer Copernicus – how to be customer-led

๐ŸŽงListen up!๐ŸŽง Action-packed 10 minutes all about customers with Charlie Dawson and his excellent book ๐™๐™๐™š ๐˜พ๐™ช๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ค๐™ข๐™š๐™ง ๐˜พ๐™ค๐™ฅ๐™š๐™ง๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™˜๐™ช๐™จ on the ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง https://lnkd.in/ey7hZrjd and on Apple, Amazon, Spotify and more.

27/02/2024

Can Marketing Save the Planet?

๐ŸŽงListen today! Ten minutes with the outstanding Michelle Carvill and Gemma Butler and their thought-provoking book ๐˜พ๐˜ผ๐™‰ ๐™ˆ๐˜ผ๐™๐™†๐™€๐™๐™„๐™‰๐™‚ ๐™Ž๐˜ผ๐™‘๐™€ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™š ๐™‹๐™‡๐˜ผ๐™‰๐™€๐™? on the ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง – Amazon, Apple, Spotify and more https://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/

20/02/2024

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 ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง Listen on ๐ŸŽงAmazon, ๐ŸŽงApple and more.

13/02/2024

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] ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง โ€“ ten-minute interviews with business book authors, on Apple, Amazon and more. Of course, The Strand Review…

06/02/2024

cALm tHE marKEting ChAoS!

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 ๐ŸŽง๐Ÿ“š๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜„ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—•๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ธ๐˜€๐Ÿ“š๐ŸŽง, with author Georgiana Laudi speaking about her book Forget the Funnel! In her ten minutes on the show, Georgiana explains how she and…

02/01/2024

Welcome to 2024!

In 2023, The Strand Review of Books โ€“ a series of ten-minute interviews with business book authors โ€“ 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…

07/11/2023

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…

31/10/2023

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…

10/10/2023

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…

03/10/2023

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,…

28/09/2023

Do influencers have a role in B2B marketing?

Briefly, the answer is Yes. Yesterday, Gordon Glenister spoke at a Strand breakfast (Claridgeโ€™s Hotel, London), asking โ€œDo influencers have a role in B2B marketing?โ€ 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…

26/09/2023

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 โ€“ 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…

19/09/2023

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…

01/09/2023

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/

23/07/2023

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.

20/07/2023

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…

11/07/2023

Season 1, The Strand Review of Books

On Apple, Acast, Amazon, Deezer, Spotify and Strand – and wherever you get your podcasts. The Strand Review of Books https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-strand-review-of-books/id1710370430https://shows.acast.com/6426bd9a0cfcac00117aa9d0https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/4ab39ceb-cd36-4845-b255-d0d0bcc9a1bf/the-strand-review-of-bookshttps://www.deezer.com/show/6006717https://open.spotify.com/show/1O2xAyTBCQvkyhTRS2WuBThttps://strand-uk.com/strand-reviews/

27/06/2023

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…

20/06/2023

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:…

13/06/2023

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…

30/05/2023

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…

23/05/2023

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…

16/05/2023

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…

09/05/2023

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…

02/05/2023

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…

25/04/2023

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…

05/04/2023

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, surpriseโ€ฆ? In…

23/03/2023

Whatโ€™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 modelโ€™s sources, regardless…

16/01/2023

Account-Based Marketing

Nothing helps kick-start my New Yearโ€™s planning like a little holiday reading! If youโ€™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,…

13/12/2022

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…

22/11/2022

The Nike swoosh is nothing without โ€œJust Do Itโ€

Letโ€™s face it, youโ€™re not reading this because of the typeface. Youโ€™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…

15/11/2022

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 โ€œsmooth deploymentโ€ and โ€œstreamlined…

08/11/2022

Marketing barometer 2022

Hereโ€™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 โ€“ though not necessarily more budget! Perhaps the figures above provide you with a barometer…

01/11/2022

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…

14/10/2022

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]

08/09/2022

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

11/08/2022

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…

08/07/2022

Summer: the perfect opportunity to relax, refresh and renew

โ€ฆand 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….

08/06/2022

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 Contentโ„ข, just a new phone number. Toby Chapman-Dawe [email protected]

19/05/2022

Testimonial

Hereโ€™s what one client thinks of Strandโ€™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…

04/04/2022

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]

01/03/2022

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…

28/02/2022

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 todayโ€™s customers are very comfortable with being…