The press is dead, long live the press!

“It’s not a good time to be talking about press and public relations” says Heather Maitland in the opening salvo of the latest JAM(1), but then goes on to do just that. And quite rightly too. The problem it seems is over saturation (read competition) and it has always been thus: proprietors were complaining of […]

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What is a QR code?

What is a QR Code? So you may have heard that QR Codes are set to become the ‘next big thing’ but thinking to yourself, what is a QR Code!? QR or Quick Response Codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be read using smartphones and dedicated QR reading devices, that link directly […]

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JAM today, jam tomorrow

If you are not a member of the Arts Marketing Association, you really should be. The latest issue of JAM (their magazine) focusses on customer development and includes excellent articles by Heather Maitland (looking at research tells about audience loyalty; Katy Raines on how assessing audience loyalty is essential (as she says “do the maths” […]

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Uncanny Valley – why clowns are scary

Coulrophobia – the medical term for fear of clowns – is quite common, although not always a pathological fear, you sense they are creepy. Well it turns out that there is a good reason for this. While psychologists think it stems from their transgressive behaviour (unpredictable and antisocial), neurobiology has a different take and is […]

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Apps we like: British Red Cross First Aid

“If a friend or family member was having a heart attack or was choking, would you know how to help them? The free app features simple, easy advice on 18 everyday first aid scenarios, as well as tips on how to prepare for emergencies, from severe winter weather to road traffic accidents.” Designed to be […]

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Fundraising Fortnight

The last few years have been particularly tough for the charity sector as it’s had to find new ways to operate and interact with the government whilst meeting the needs of those it serves. A period of economic growth followed swiftly by recession has seen income levels under pressure at exactly the time when charity […]

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LiveBase is 20!

When we first developed LiveBase® back in the mists of the 1990’s it was to provide an easily managed  dynamic element for web sites that were, for the large part, static and updated via FTP. LiveBase was first  used to power the news and events sections of the National Trust website and it’s second use was for […]

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Up Close and Personal

“By the end of 2012 there will be more connected devices than people on Earth”: the first sentence of Heather Maitland‘s article really kicks off The latest edition of JAM is a very timely look at mobile marketing. A host of excellent articles that build up to the final one (well it’s in the middle […]

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Day 14: Keep going!

Enthusiasm and motivation are the best habits fundraisers can have.  Schedule some time daily to create your enthusiasm habit; here are five things you can try: If you haven’t come across it yet, make time to read Hildy Gottlieb’s article, The Sound a Thank You Makes.  Try putting her concept into practice and regularly spend some […]

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Day 2: Ask for donations

Most Trustees would like to raise money simply by broadcasting how great their cause is, how great their need is, and then waiting for donations to roll in. However, even the best newsletters and media articles don’t raise much money. Asking people directly and passionately raises money, and there’s no shortcut to this. However, stopping […]

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Ready for the off: Gift Aid claiming goes digital

From the end of September Gift Aid Claims will be different. The current R68(i) form will be no more and you will have to submit using one of 3 options: Complete on-line forms with attached spreadsheet (up to 1,000 claims per submission, but as many submissions as you like); Submit from your database on-line [direct […]

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Being much more personal

I just read a short, but great blog from  Adam Thurman on the Mission Paradox and following on from my blog the other day about email marketing seemed very timely. The one bit that says it all: “If I say the word “marketing” and all you think about is ads or Facebook you are thinking too […]

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British Library unveils UK Web Archive

The British Library has unveiled an archive of UK websites (full story) to prevent a black hole. The project has been running since 2004 and aims to avoid “a digital black hole in UK web history”. One of the problems they face is copyright. They hope that Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 will be extended […]

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AMA Conference 2014

It’s the first morning at the AMA conference in Bristol. At the Watershed, temperature climbing, no air con except an open window and some fans. But we are set up and waiting for the rush. […]

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