by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Jul 24, 2015 | Events & Conferences, Guest Blogs, Koogar |
Koogar are looking for a Marketing and Events Student who wants a work experience opportunity for the next 8 weeks (Summer of 2015).
They would be looking after marketing and events for an Integrated Marketing Agency based on The Wirral to start IMMEDIATLEY!
This person MUST be studying marketing and events, can use a computer well including Social Media, great conversationalist over the telephone and email as well as creative and motivated!
A bonus of up to £800 is available for the student if targets are reached within the 8 weeks of working with us!
Contact Amanda at info@www.koogar.co.uk with the reason why YOU should get this amazing opportunity…
REMEMBER; be creative NOT boring! To stand out we MUST do something different…
We look forward to hearing from YOU!
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Jan 7, 2015 | Events & Conferences |
Influence 2015 is an inspirational (Northwest) Marketing Conference for Owner-Managed Businesses and Marketing Managers who want to shake up their marketing for 2015. This one day event will motivate and inspire you to take the action you’ve been meaning to take for a while.
At Influence 2015, we will share our knowledge and the lessons we’ve learned to lead you to a confident plan of action for 2015. You’ll have the opportunity to meet our guest speakers and discover how they have helped people like you.
Date: Friday 17th April, 2015 [Updated: 26/03/2015] Thursday, 17th September
Venue: The Heath Business & Technical Park, WA7 4QX. Runcorn. UK
Influence 2015 will cover a wide range of topics ranging from Data Collection and what to do with it, Niching your business, Podcasting, Clarity of your Message and more. You’ll leave the conference with a number of elements you can immediately apply to your business and retain as part of your ongoing marketing toolkit.
This is an exclusive and intimate event for only 120 delegates!
Do you want to Influence 2015?
Book your ticket today via Eventbrite and Paypal for £79
All delegates will receive a goodie bag with valuable vouchers and giveaways to support their 2015 marketing journey!
Included in your ticket price:
- Listen to 7 Speakers on 7 different marketing topics
- Lunch and Refreshments throughout the day – network with other delegates
- Access to the business exhibition stands – ask the experts
- Workbook – with exercises from each speaker, keeping your notes in one place!
- Goodie Bag – with valuable vouchers and giveaways to support you during 2015
- Business Related Raffle Prizes – all money received will be given to charity
- FREE All day Parking
- FREE Wi-fi
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Sep 24, 2014 | Events & Conferences, Mindset & Inspiration |
I had typed this on the train home from Birmingham, where I have been for the last few days, attending a 2 Day Marketing Conference held (21st & 22nd September) at the ICC.
We stayed at NiteNite City Hotel which was very different to a normal hotel. We slept in what looked to be cupboards with very little space but more than enough for the next two days and very comfortable.
What have I taken from the last two days? Well, quite a lot… but more motivation than anything else!
Day 1
The Woz (Steve Wozniak)!!! WOW this guy is brilliantly clever and fun! Some delegates were disappointed that he didn’t share tips specifically about business, however the bits I took from his fast paced and detailed presentation was have fun, be passionate and be yourself!
During our lives we sometimes worry about how other people see us and if we fit in or not. As I listened to Steve talk, it actually felt like I was listening to a 12 year old boy who was so excited about what he was doing and just loved connecting and building things, not a 64 year old guy who had built one of the most influential pieces of technology for the 20th century. On that stage I could see a “Goonie” who felt nerdy and shy but gave the world something new which has changed the way we communicate. Fantastic and inspirational!
H = S – F… “Happiness equals smiles minus frowns” – Steve Wosniak #enco2014
A session on mystery shopping was in the second half of day one were the room was brought to life with tips, suggestions and insights on how we act in front of our customers. A new job title for your receptionist “the director of first impressions” was also mentioned and how this person needs to be with internal and external customers.
As a live example, the very next morning whilst in a queue for the cloakroom, the clerk (Silvia) radioed to another team member within the ICC and said in a slow and moaning tone, “I’m on my own, by myself plus my machine isn’t working…. I need help!” It was very obvious she didn’t want to be there. I asked if she was OK but she replied “I’m having a really bad day…” which came out muffled because she was sucking her finger. Silvia had broken a nail on my bag. The strange thing was it was 7am and the ICC had literally just opened (granted something could have happened before she came into work). However, how you treat people from the very first meeting is how they will see you from then on. Don’t start on a back foot!
You don’t get a second chance to make a 1st impression!
P-M-M-F-S – Please make me feel special. During this session we stuck a post it note to our heads, turned to the person we sat next to and gave them a compliment to make them feel special. It’s something that we need to build into our customer service!
Day 2
Hearing Debra Searle on day two was phenomenal on many levels, the first one being the trip and adventure of a life time that she under took alone (Rowing the Atlantic). Secondly how she implemented the small things she had learned during that joinery to her business and finally as a speaker. Debra delivered an outstanding performance with emotion and laughter… and received a double standing ovation from the 1400 delegates within the ICC.
Her story was an amazing one and very relevant for me on a few different levels;
- One, my all time sport I have wanted to do for a number of years keeps popping up; Rowing – it is calling me and I will do it!
- Second, the fear that holds you back as a business owner, which all business owners go through at some point and how to overcome it using things like memory music and photos.
- Finally, having the belief in yourself even when others don’t. Your mind set is very important! We need to stay motivated to be able to deliver the best we can for our work and life.
Start your day in the right way!
I have written 15 pages of notes, ideas, to dos, not to dos, and research. It is all going to be scheduled in as soon as time allows. The key messages I have taken from these last two days are;
- building relationships
- defining your niche
- keeping motivated
- consistently marketing yourself
- giving as much value as you possibly can
These things are really important and without them we cannot grow.
Keep your eye on Koogar. We are moving to the next level and want you to come with us!
The action I would like you to take is…
If you attended the event we’d love to hear your thoughts and what you are taking away to implement in your business…
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Aug 6, 2014 | Events & Conferences, Interviews |
Amanda from Koogar interviewed Cindy Gallop at iStrategy 2013 in the Hague.
You can either watch the interview or read the transcript below this video [02:08 minutes];
Amanda: Hi Cindy. I would just like to ask you one question with regards to, “With discomfort comes greatness.” A lot of people that I deal with; businesses that I deal with, do the same thing as their competition… a lot!
What one thing or a couple of things would you tell them that would be different, to stand out, make themselves not do the same thing essentially?
Cindy: I’m Cindy Gallop and I’m the Founder and CEO of If We Ran the World and Make Love Not Porn.
In answer to your question about what is the one thing that any company should do to make itself stand out from the competition; to get over what I describe as the centre of collaborative competition which is where everybody in the sector competes with everyone else in the sector by doing exactly the same thing everybody in the sector is doing.
The one thing any company should do immediately is examine every area in your company. Identify all the areas that are all male or male-dominated and change that.
Put women into places and positions and scenarios of power within your company where they are not currently and just that one small thing will instantly set you on a more innovative and disruptive path.
Women challenge the status quo because we are never it.
Women think differently from men. We have different perspectives, different mindsets. But because business is predominantly male-dominated, businesses can get into a close loop of men talking to men about other men and women help break out of that loop just as diversity born of racial, ethnic. Any other form of different perspective or background has the power to do the same thing.
So if you want to be truly competitive, if you want to own the future in your business, get to a gender-equal company because the future is going to be 50-50 equally influenced, managed and informed by women as well as men and if you get there ahead of time, then you will blow the competition away.
Amanda: Thank you very much for your time.
Cindy: Pleasure.
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Oct 9, 2013 | Events & Conferences, Interviews, Mindset & Inspiration |
On 12th July I travelled to the big smoke, London, to attend an event by Adobe to find out about a new product they were launching. More importantly, to listen to someone I had seen before in London, at Stamford Bridge for iStrategy 2012. His name is Brian Solis, and he was the opening key note speaker at iStrategy. He blew me away on day one. Brian looks at how people use Social Media and Brands and analyses it.
When I saw Brian’s name as a speaker on the invite from Adobe I had to book my place there and then. The first 100 people would get a signed copy of his new book that he was going to be promoting, so the event was a double launch.
The launch of his book “The Future of Business” was to be held at The Mayfair Hotel – another reason to attend!.
What's the Future of Business by Brian Solis
A few colleagues asked me why I would travel all that way for a few hours and a book launch. “Is it really worth going all that way?”, and the simple answer to this question was, “Yes!”.
At iStrategy Brian asked the audience the question of “Why do you do what you do?” which was a turning point in Social Media when brands and businesses understood more about their why. So when I was invited to see Brian speak again, I had no hesitation in registering bearing in mind that I would need to get up for 4am to get the train to London and be there on time for 9am.
So why was I going?
- To see Brian Solis speak again and to hear about the Future of Business
- To get inspired by a leader in my industry
- To meet like minded people
- For an experience – I had never been to the Mayfair Hotel before
- And to ask Brian for an interview! – If you don’t ask…
I got all 5 plus more…
#1: Brian Solis was fabulous and didn’t disappoint. I could listen to him all day talk about social, people, business and brands. My favourite thing Brian said during the presentation was “Most marketers are in marketing because they don’t like maths, which is why R.O.I is a touchy subject!”
#2: Everything he said hit the nail on the head as you would expect, especially the ego-system where we expect people to be interested in absolutely everything we do every day
#3: I met two new people and we even went for lunch afterwards and spoke about Social, Digital and everything Internet. We followed each other and in fact still speak on Twitter every week! Lovely people!
#4: The hotel was beautiful, in fact stunning!
#5: I asked Brian if it was OK for an interview whilst he was signing my book and he said yes! I just needed to wait until everyone else had been sorted out
So, was it worth going? Yes is the simple answer. It was a very successful and inspiring day! Sometimes you have to do things because they feel right or just because you want to; you just never know where your choices will lead!
by Amanda Daniels-Allen | Jun 10, 2013 | Events & Conferences |
Accelerate 2013 is a festival dedicated to the country’s high-growth firms.
We’ve selected the world’s brightest business minds, economists and inspirational speakers to deliver a “one-day MBA” at Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre. Jam-packed with practical tips, economic intelligence and panel discussions, ACCELERATE 2013 will help catapult your business to the next level. Read more on the Accelerate 2013 website
As part of Accelerate 2013 Koogar are holding a Fringe Event on Monday 24th June at The Womens Organisation in Liverpool City Centre. (Please Note: This event is available to both men and women, don’t let the building’s name put you off!)
The Workshop is £10+VAT (£12) per person including refreshments starting at 930am – 12:30pm. Book your place here: http://koogar-accelerate2013.eventbrite.co.uk/
During this workshop, Amanda from Koogar will show you new ways of thinking about who you are as a company, how to attract the audience you want by getting them to engage with you on or offline by creating the perfect journey for you and your audience.
You will work through a series of exercises which you can then take away and implement with your company the very next day!
Do you run a company or are you the Marketing Manager? Do you have social media account(s), a website, a blog and yes, you’re updating and tweeting but not getting what you want from it?
So, why not “Create a beautiful experience” online and offline for your audience?
Social Media isn’t the answer to Marketing, however encompassing it with traditional marketing techniques will help with brand awareness, which in turn will help build trust, loyalty and engagement.
Relationships are the most important thing any company should harness in this Digital Age.
So are you building relationships to last or just getting bums on seats?
Agenda for the session:
- Traditional Marketing vs Digital
- Starts with the website!
- S.E.O (Search Engine Optimisation)
- Brand yourself “The Expert”
- Beautiful Online Experience
- Analytics
- Social Media
- Target Audience
- To blog or not to blog…
- What are your processes?
By building a strong foundation to your company, the business will then come in organically.
So how do you create brand ambassadors and recognition by using the latest marketing techniques?
Book your place here to find out: http://koogar-accelerate2013.eventbrite.co.uk/
