Jon done Goode

Well Jon's back in the office after his honeymoon in the beautiful Scottish highlands, so I guess that must mean the big day went as planned, with no awkward objections during the ceremony or wardrobe malfunctions whilst walking up the aisle.

There have been no horrifying stories of stepping on toes during the first dance or getting embarrassingly drunk afterwards, so it's full steam ahead into happily married life.

Whilst getting used to the extra weight on his finger and trying not to think about which wedding gift from the John Lewis wish list would look best in which room of the house, he's having to fend off the multitude of questions about the big day from everyone in the office.

Luckily for Jon, Monica was on hand with his favourite chicken and avocado baguette to ease him back into the office routine. His only worry now is finishing the renovations on his house, nothing too big then?

The Bridge Group's congratulations go out to Jon and Kath and we wish them all the happiness in their marriage.

Scott

When search terms are too much, too late

The sheer amount of money lost might have led BP's chief executive to make the final step towards resignation, but could better social media communication (as well as limiting the yacht trips) have helped his and the company's reputation?

With the USA administration hanging on to every word, 'PR gaffes' as they've now been dubbed were always going to be hard to avoid, but the BP team did find time to lay down the law online - or at least try to.

By purchasing the search teams 'oil spill' and 'gulf spill' BP plumbed new depths in social media terms by seeming to try to control who saw what. It also ensured a prominent link to its site and clean-up methods. But with pictures of the damage already being posted by others, and the disaster the talk of twitter days earlier, was it all a bit much, too late?

The communications team's response that the intention was to make the information on the leak more accessible may well be true, but unfortunately a sceptical public and media all thought it a little too slick.

Michelle

Number's up for competitors

It's normally words we pay attention to, but sometimes digits do the deed.

A bit of self-congratulation goes a long way, but we've been named as the ninth biggest public sector agency in the UK according to PR Week, retaining our position as the number one in the Midlands.

Thanks to all our clients for making this achievement possible.

Now to crack on and continue with the 2010/2011 work...

Michelle

Write up for new CIH text

Putting pen to paper isn't anything new for our team, but writing text for a best practice book is. Our managing director, Nicola Winn and I are currently writing material for a new Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) publication on marketing and customer insight.

The co-authors are renowned high-calibre housing professionals - including Jo Richardson and Tim Brown of De Monfort University, John Perry and Mark Lupton at CIH and Nicola Yates from Kingston-upon-Hull City Council - so we're excited to be in such good company.

Our chapters explore the relevance of branding, communications and marketing to the social housing sector. They showcase some of the great work that housing organisations do every day, with case studies from registered providers and communications agencies across the globe. These include references to our 'captivating campaigns' competition winners, Accord Housing Association and Friendship Care and Housing. There may also be a few surprises, with references to Mary Portas, Lego and the Spice Girls currently in the mix...

The book is due to be published in the autumn. Watch this space for details, and wish us luck!

Until next time,
Kerry

Tasty contract wins

Some food for thought this month, with several contract wins.

For starters, we've branded designer cake-makers Bake Boutique (who also kindly provided us with a birthday treat) and produced a hearty website for the English Beef and Lamb Executive. We've also been busy proofing and designing a multi-language publication as part of our work with the Home Grown Cereals Authority.

Moving off the menu, we've secured spots on a number of large frameworks - including design services for Coventry City Council and marketing and communications activity for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.

All that makes me quite hungry - where's Monica when you need her!

Michelle

Line up for the festival king

Our head of design, Leigh is turning into the festival king of TBG - with two stage appearances so far this year, and a third lined up in September.

So far, Echo Empire has notched up slots at Snowbombing 2010 in Mayrhofen - supporting the likes of The Editors, Doves, Fat Boy Slim and the Enemy - and the BBC Introducing stage at Wychwood Festival in Cheltenham. 

Now hot off the press, the band is now confirmed for Uplifted 2010 at Malvern in early September.  

Sadly we don’t have footage from the latest events (boo). But if you’re feeling a post-Glasto low, watch the band's Godiva '09 performance on YouTube (hurrah). No wellies, dodgy burgers or queues for portable loos required…

See you later,
Kerry

Whitewash in the pink house?

The pink TSA might be facing a whitewash, but commitment to tenant involvement and local offers apparently lives on.

Whilst the ink hasn’t yet dried on new government policy and ‘Grant cuts’ now has a whole new meaning, there’s no sign as yet that providers can forget about the 1 October deadline for annual reports.

The Bridge Group is helping a few organisations to develop local offers and reporting frameworks. That includes helping people to decide what consultation methods will work best for their residents, organising local events and helping to develop report styles that will get people talking and shaping their neighbourhoods.

If you want to make sure that you’ve got all the basics covered, you can get your hands on our ‘bright ideas for annual reports’ guide for free.

And if you need a spot of extra help, we can help get people fired up without burning holes in anyone’s pocket… just email us or call on 024 7656 0440 to find out how.
Michelle

Hook up for Goode guy

Congratulations to our communications consultant Jon Goode on his forthcoming marriage to the lovely Kath. 

Oxfordshire's wedding of the year is set to take place next week, and no detail has been left unattended. The photographer’s booked, hats are under construction and John Lewis shareholders are rubbing their hands with glee as the wedding list gets snapped up.

If you know the happy couple, feel free to post them a lovely message below. Or maybe tweet Jon with some words of congratulations, speech ideas or hot tips for a happy marriage - yes, preferably involving people living on the same continent...

Seriously, we're delighted for them both and hope the big day goes brilliantly. Watch this space for exclusive pics (subject to a little persuasion)! And Jon - make sure you throw some decent shapes and moves on the dancefloor, you might even make it into Mashable's list of top wedding dance videos :)

See you soon
Kerry

Seven steps to a savvy social media profile

Starting out in social media and need some quick tips on how to make a positive impact? Here’s a little food for thought…

1. Know what you want 

Before you put fingers to keyboard, be clear what you want from your social media life. Do you want to be seen as a thought leader? Position your brand in a certain way? Or talk to as many people as you can about a given topic? Your social media profile needs thinking through... so get a strategy together and make it part of your overall communications.

2. Show who you are

Once you know what you’re aspiring to, it’s time to find your niche. What makes you stand out from the crowd and worth talking to? Is it something you do better than anyone else? Broader service offerings than your peers? Or something unique about the area you serve? Whatever makes you distinctive will help build your presence.

3. Look before you hook

In the early days, it’s easy to get carried away and hook up with everyone who wants to be your friend. But alongside many inspiring, engaging and genuine people, others will gladly help you part with your money, passwords and reputation. So be careful to check people out before you follow them, and if their profile or brand may affect yours, think twice. 

4. Engage like-minded people

There’s a lot of noise out there, so engage people with common or complementary interests. This might be the industry you work in, a shared passion for cupcake-baking, or raising money for the same charity.  You don’t have to find every post fascinating; just enough to catch up now and again, learn something or share a smile.

5. Remember it’s social media

Social media is all about engagement. So don’t push the PR too much; there are plenty of consultants online already doing that, after all :) Instead, look for places where you can add value. Share experiences, case studies and ideas; look for ways you can help other people; and thank people who support you. To quote Justin Timberlake, "what goes around, comes around"… so think of yourself as being part of one big global community.

6. Watch what you say

Social media sites are a fabulous way of building your profile; search engines can elevate your profile and help put your name in front of a bigger audience.  But if you’re representing your organisation, remember to engage brain before mouse; what sounds funny to one person may be downright offensive by another. Recent social media #fails prove this point - such as the accountant who threatened an airport, the politicians who published and were damned and the employee sacked for extracurricular blogging - and take care.

7.          Don’t fence people in

Social media has a life of its own, so don’t ever kid yourself that you can control what happens in your part of the interweb. The KitKat kerfuffle is a classic example of how attempts to control a message can backfire.

If things do go wrong, try to stay positive. At least by being here you can see what’s going on, chat with people and contribute to the debate. It’s not easy dealing with negativity, so think like a Scout and be prepared. Make sure your social media strategy and policies take account of potential crises and how to handle them. Be open, honest and try to resolve things as far as you can. For further information, Mashable’s guide to handling negative feedback is a good starting point.

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post. If you’ve got any comments, feel free to post them below. And if you want to read something a bit more detailed, try our beginner’s guide to social media for a more comprehensive guide.


Best wishes,
Kerry

Wine, winning and Winn

Last night Ian and I spoke at the National Housing Federation's What We Are Proud Of awards dinner for the East of England region. And what a night it was.

Our appropriately-named MD, Nicola Winn turned up to support the proceedings (otherwise known as checking that we didn't say anything overly embarrassing). The reference to 'hanky wanging' went down pretty well despite a couple of pronunciation scares, and my teenage adoration for the mighty Kajagoogoo drew the expected response.

Of course, an after-dinner slot like this is essentially a pretty light-hearted event; the real highlight of the evening was the amazing award presentations which have done so much to transform people's lives... and that's ultimately what the housing sector is all about.

Well done to all of the presenters for their hard work and brilliant achievements. The winners, Flagship Peddars Way, delivered an excellent and moving presentation on the Oak Trees independent living scheme. The resident presenters in particular were living proof of the qualities we attributed to winners, namely memorable, passionate and focused.

Best wishes,
Kerry