Thoughts from Image & Profile

We have moved!!!!

2010-08-12T11:59:00.000+02:00

Thanks for visiting our weblog site.

We have recently moved to a new location & if you click on the link below you will be transferred automatically -

www.imageandprofile.posterous.com

Mary Queen of Shops goes DIY!

2010-07-13T22:09:00.000+02:00

In this her final programme of the series, Mary tackles a DIY store in Lightwater, which seems to have lost the plot! Owner Tony has had the business for 12 years and has gradually turned it into a store that sells everything from paint to budgies.

This clip shows Mary taking Tony & his team to her offices in London for an image transplant -

A makeover for the church!

2010-07-11T09:08:00.002+02:00

A religious theme for this Sunday video clip. Taken from the BBC sit-com 'Rev'. Adam (the'Rev') lends his church to Darren, an evangelical vicar, not knowing that it will be transformed with plasma screens, a smoothie bar and bean bags.

If only we could get our own churches to undergo a 're-branding' no matter how small - perhaps no smoothie bar for example!!

If you want your church to be 're-branded' or just want to explore some ideas to bring it more up to date with publicity etc. then please get in contact - office@imageandprofile.com - and we will be pleased to work with you to make your church 'fit for the 21st Century'

Mary Queen of Shops goes to the hairdressers

2010-07-10T19:29:00.000+02:00

In this weeks episode of the popular Mary Queen of Shops, Mary tries to revitalise John Peers hairdressing business. As part of that she takes John to London to world renowned hairdresser Trevor Sorbie to get a first hand view of what she is up against.

It's Mary Queen of Shops again!!

2010-07-06T13:24:00.000+02:00

Mary works with a most 'amazing' couple and their son who own an interior design shop. But have they been left back in the 70's?

FIFA World Cup - the alternative view

2010-07-03T13:09:00.001+02:00

I came acoss this brilliant video produced by Slinky Pictures about a soccer centre linked to health care for children in South Africa and just had to share it with you -

FIFA 20 Centres for 2010 from Slinky Pictures on Vimeo.

Using FACEBOOK to promote your business

2010-06-25T11:05:00.000+02:00

The increasing use of FACEBOOK by businesses, cannot have passed you by. This video which was recommended by a business friend of mine, is well worth a look, and will hopefully give you 'food for thought' -

For more information or help email: office@imageandprofile.com

Mary Queen of Shops does the greengrocers!

2010-06-24T10:44:00.000+02:00

This weeks episode of Mary Queen of Shops saw Mary take on the challenge of a group of sisters who had bought a greengrocers shop that had been in business for over 100 years.

The sisters had no retail experience, no greengrocery experience, and no idea!!

This snapshot video shows how Mary got on -

Has FIFA shot itself in the foot?

2010-06-17T08:54:00.007+02:00

The story of the 'girls in orange' who are accused of ambush marketing when they 'stripped' off to reveal dresses in the colour of a rival beer brand to that officially approved at the World Cup, is threatening to leave FIFA with egg on its face.

The truth is that they are 'damned if they do & damned if they don't' take action over this issue.

One thing is for sure - Bavaria - have got more free publicity for their brand than they ever intended when they set out on this 'stunt'

What do you think?

Here is the video of what happened -

Mary Portas - Queen of Shops

2010-06-16T11:23:00.002+02:00

Many of you may have watched Mary Portas - Queen of Shops, where she goes into a local business & tries to breathe new life & ideas into it. Last Monday Mary went to Corfe Castle in Dorset & set about the local village shop. This video clip shows the local community having been invited to a sort of 'come & find out' event.

Another fabulous advert

2010-06-16T11:04:00.001+02:00

Continuing our search for great adverts, here is todays offering -

Another of our favourite adverts

2010-05-31T14:30:00.002+02:00

This is another in our series of TV adverts that we like -

Image & Profile joins Audioboo.fm

2010-05-03T10:09:00.002+02:00

As part of its continuing policy of developing new opportunities, Image & Profile has today joined Audioboo.fm. This will give us the opportunity to develop new audio material for our weblog, and to post direct to our FACEBOOK & TWITTER pages.

It also means that we will be able to produce good quality audio material for our clients, and to combine them with lots of other audio & visual capability that we have developed in recent months.

Listen to our first recording done via Audioboo.fm

Listen!

British Airways staff find new employment

2010-04-20T10:26:00.002+02:00

Staff of British Airways have been redeployed during the current 'volcano ash crisis'

Image & Profile and the General Election

2010-04-08T13:59:00.001+02:00

Image & Profile has begun its activity following the announcement on Tuesday of the General Election in the UK.

We have a dedicated FACEBOOK page at -
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/UK-Election-2010/112408982119116

and a TWITTER page at -
http://www.twitter.com/20ELECTION10

Who said.....

2010-04-05T15:41:00.001+02:00

"Everyone knows what I have gone through. I'm human, I make mistakes, but I've come clean on them all. I don't deny them. I've taken the heat and felt highly embarrassed. But I did something about it. I'm not above learning lessons."

Would you buy a used car from this lot?

2010-03-24T15:57:00.001+01:00

The main points from the Budget

2010-03-24T15:09:00.001+01:00

These are the main points from today's Budget -

Fuel Prices
:: April fuel price increases to be staged. Fuel duty will rise by a penny in April, followed by a further 1p rise in October and the remainder in January.

Stamp duty
:: Stamp duty threshold for first-time buyers doubled to £250,000 from midnight, for this year and next.
:: Stamp duty increased to 5% for properties over £1m from April.

Children:
Parents of one- and two-year-old children will be helped by increasing by £4 a
week money paid through Child Tax Credit from 2012.

Pensioners
:: The pensioners' higher Winter Fuel Payment of £250, and £400 for the over-80s, will be guaranteed for another year.

Alcohol & Tobacco
:: Duty on cider will increase by 10% above inflation from midnight on Sunday.
:: Duty on beer, wine and spirits will increase as planned from midnight on Sunday. Alcohol duties will also increase by 2% above inflation for two further years from 2013.
:: Tobacco duty to rise from today by 1% above inflation and then increase by 2% in real terms each year until 2014.

Taxes
:: Inheritance tax threshold to be frozen for a further four years
:: 1p increase in NI contributions to be waived for those earning under £20,000.
:: Those earning over £100,000 a year - the top 2% - will have value of their personal allowances gradually removed.
:: Tax relief on pensions will be restricted from next year, but only for those with incomes above £130,000 a year.

Business
:: Annual investment allowance doubled to £100,000.
:: Business rates cut for one year from October, bringing tax reduction for over 500,000 small businesses.
:: Entrepreneurs' relief for Capital Gains Tax will be doubled to £2m on which the lower rate of 10% will be taxed.

Mortgage support
:: The Support for Mortgage Interest scheme will continue at the higher rate for another six months.

Savings
:: From next month, annual ISA limit will rise from £7,200 to £10,200 and ISA limits will increase annually in line with inflation.

Young workers
:: No-one under 24 will need to be unemployed for longer than six months without being offered jobs or training. Offer extended to March 2012.

Older workers
:: Tax credit support for older workers to be extended. To make it easier for those over 60 to receive working tax credit, the Government will reduce the minimum hours they need to work to be eligible.

Banking services
:: A guarantee that everyone in Britain can have access to a basic bank account.

Investment
:: Help to be offered to the computer games sector similar to the aid given to the British film industry.
:: The Government will set up a £35 million University Enterprise Capital Fund to
support university innovation and spin-out companies.
:: To boost a low-carbon economy, the Government will set up a new Green
Investment Bank, controlling £2 billion of equity.
:: Motor industry supported to develop electric cars.
:: The Chancellor said he would provide £100m to pay for vital repairs to local roads throughout the country following the recent bad weather and £285m to pay for improvements on motorways.

Growth Package
:: A £2.5bn one-off growth package to help small business, promote innovation, invest in national infrastructure and key skills. Paid for by switching spending from within existing allocations and the extra proceeds from the tax on bank bonuses

Source: SKY News

Image & Profile covers the UK Budget 2010

2010-03-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

Image & profile is pleased to be able to cover the last Budget before the General Election. Using a combination of TWITTER feeds, studio comment & possibly live video comment, we will bring you the latest from the floor of the House of Commons

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=3a91539d36" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;UK Budget 2010&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

A taster for this afternoon Budget

2010-03-24T11:20:00.002+01:00

From skynews.com -

Don't forget that you can follow our 'live' coverage of the Budget at -

http://imageandprofile.blogspot.com/2010/03/image-profile-covers-uk-budget-2010.html

A PRAYER TO THE PR GODS

2010-03-21T11:04:00.001+01:00

Almighty gods of PR,

May my day today be a success, with happiness and joy;
Let my pitches be newsworthy and perfect, being loved by all;
Help me create that amazing stunt, that will make someone go WOW;
Please photograph Beyonce with my product, with the label facing out;

Almighty gods of PR,
May my day stay on target, and promise me some lunch;
Let my server make it all day, without shutting down;
Help me double check my subject lines, spell check doesn’t work;
Please cut back on the hate mail today, sometimes it hurts my feelings;

Almighty gods of PR,
May my day go by smoothly, regardless of what comes up;
Let my segments go unbothered, breaking news isn’t that important;
Help my clients just understand, and get it without a fuss;
Please have the Wall Street Journal* call me back today, because I was so nice.

Amen

* insert your own newspaper/publication

Ten ways to wrongfoot the competition!

2010-03-15T10:51:00.001+01:00

Use these strategies to keep your business ahead of immediate rivals

Treat your business to an image makeover. Consider rebranding - a strong brand will differentiate your business from others and helps customers to recognise your firm. Simple steps such as painting your shop front can make your business look modern and inviting compared to your competitors.
Launch a new marketing campaign. Deliver leaflets in your area offering a discount if customers visit before a set date. Remember to ask them to bring the leaflet so you can measure the success of the campaign.
Have a sale. If it's financially viable, stage a sale or bonanza day on certain product or service lines. A snap sale is an excellent way of attracting passing trade and new customers. If new customers like what you offer, they will return.
Hold discount events. These could be an evening or a day where everything is discounted. Advertise the event in the local press and hand out flyers to generate interest.
Introduce a loyalty scheme. Offer special discounts and offers on products and services for regular customers. Not only will this encourage existing customers to return, but more customers are likely to become members.
Offer bulk discounts. Put them in place at particular times (Wednesday nights: two pizzas for the price of one) or offer ongoing deals. But check you are making enough money before you ever offer a discount.
Watch your competitors' progress. If they are having great success with a particular product or service, see if you can modify an existing product of your own, or lower the price, to take advantage of the interest.
Launch a new product or service. And plan a marketing campaign around it to give publicity to your business as whole.
Join forces with a competitor against the others. You may both be able to reach corners of the market that were previously inaccessible. Or you might be able to work productively with a business in an entirely different market. Coffee shops and bookshops have long been joining forces for reciprocal benefit.
Take customer service levels to new highs. Customers are more likely to return to a business where they feel valued than to one which may have slightly cheaper products but surly staff

Source: www.marketingdonut.co.uk

Europe 2020: a good business plan, but will it be implemented?

2010-03-10T17:01:00.003+01:00

In the current economic climate, most small businesses in Europe are looking no further ahead than the end of the month or the quarter. But they know that Europe requires a radical and cohesive long-term reform agenda - and they are looking to policymakers to define and implement this agenda.

The "Europe 2020" strategy - presented by the European Commission on 3 March - offers hope, on paper at least. Few would argue with the pursuit of knowledge, innovation, competitiveness, sustainability, employment and social cohesion.

For each of the five headline targets of Europe 2020, EUROCHAMBRES has proposals on how they can be delivered.

1. A "Pact for Sustainable Employability". EUROCHAMBRES repeats its call for a 'Pact for Sustainable Employability' that should establish the framework for far more effective collaboration between training organisations, universities, businesses and public authorities to ensure that the provision of training responds to the results of skills forecasting.

2. Linking R&D to business. Spending on research & development per se will not contribute to growth. R&D must respond to the needs of businesses, which in turn requires far closer links between business and the research community and radical changes in the governance and philosophy of academic institutes.

3. Energy efficiency. The '20-20-20' targets to fight climate change of course remain valid and should be integral to Europe 2020. As a short term measure, a forthcoming Chamber survey indicates that much more should be done to encourage small businesses and consumers to grasp the low hanging fruit of energy efficiency measures. This is a potential quick win that would deliver considerable economic and environmental benefits.

4. Employability. Employability must be a key indicator of education systems. To this end, tertiary education must be more demand-driven and should embrace vocational education, which has become worryingly devalued in some parts of the EU.

5. Employment to fight poverty. The most effective route to poverty reduction and social inclusion is employment, so businesses are key actors in reducing the poverty gap. There are 18 million job seekers in Europe, while 4 million vacancies remained unfilled last year. Designing tools that would 'match the unmatched' could cut unemployment by nearly a quarter overnight. However, these targets will prove meaningless if national governments do not pursue them rigorously through their domestic agendas. The real challenge is to ensure the acceptance by Europe's elected representatives - and, indeed, electorate - of the painful truth that reform is no longer simply an option, it is essential.

Thus, a sixth target has to be added, as a pre-requisite to the whole strategy's success:

6. Ensure governance. National budgets, priorities and actions must be regularly monitored, reviewed and adapted by the Council in line with the priorities and targets of Europe 2020.

Europe 2020 is a sound business plan for Europe. But it is worthless if not implemented.

I like this advert

2010-03-07T12:17:00.002+01:00

In my quest for examples of good advertising, I came across this today on FLICKR -

The advert is the work of Laurent Nivalle whose website can be found at - www.laurentnivalle.fr

Coverage of Gordon Brown at the Iraq Inquiry

2010-02-27T17:51:00.003+01:00

We will be covering the appearance of Gordon Brown before the Iraq Inquiry on Friday 5th March. Do please make a note in your diary to join us on that day.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=03cd2b5377" &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Gordon Brown at the Iraq Inquiry&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

Tony Blair at the Iraq Inquiry

2010-01-19T11:20:00.003+01:00

We shall be carrying a live TWITTER feed from the Iraq Inquiry on Friday 29th January 2010, when Tony Blair will be giving evidence.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=afff0b6909" &amp;gt;Tony Blair at the Iraq Inquiry&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Another Virgin Group TV advert

2010-01-17T16:44:00.000+01:00

Another brilliant Virgin Group advert. This time it is for Virgin Holiday Cruises.

Another brilliant TV advert

2010-01-09T12:25:00.002+01:00

The latest Evian TV advert is just brilliant! The first of these videos show the advert itself whilst the second gives a glimpse into how it was made -

And this is how it was made -

What is your favoutite TV advert of the moment?

Virgin Atlantic TV advert

2010-01-07T12:40:00.007+01:00

Virgin Atlantic have just started using this advert again on TV, and I think that it still stands the test of time

New FLICKR Group hosting

2009-11-02T17:13:00.002+01:00

We are pleased to announce that we are now hosting a Group on FLICKR dedicated to Church Marketing. You can find it at - www.flickr.com/groups/churchmarketing.

It is a group for all those people who have an interest in the marketing of churches & church activities.

The need for churches to market themselves, has probably never been greater that at the present time, and this Group will draw together church publicity officers, charities & commercial organisations alike.

2009-10-27T16:29:00.001+01:00

Botellas Españolas is our latest project and is about photographing bottles for use by companies in advertising, promotion & digital media.

The idea was unashamedly copied from a similar project in the UK and which was featured on the Springwise website.

The difference between our project and the UK one is that whereas in the UK the idea is to photo the bottles on a pure white background and then cut them out for insertion elsewhere, we are going to add an additional feature that is about photographing the bottles in a series of different settings.

The project is new, exciting & developing in its range day by day, so if you have a bottle (or a jar) that needs photographing, then get in touch with us and we can talk the project through.

New internet listing

2009-09-07T11:45:00.002+02:00

We are pleased to tell you that we are now listed on alibaba.com

Follow the link below to have a look -

http://www.alibaba.com/member/es107552873.html

Scotland Yard issues new photographer search rules

2009-08-05T15:11:00.002+02:00

Scotland Yard has issued new guidance to officers about the use of terrorism laws against photographers following criticism of how police have applied the rules.

The new guidance has warned officers to be cautious about using stop search powers under sections 43 and 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to demand to see video film or photographs captured by journalists as a court order may be required to see material if it’s "created for the purposes of journalism".

The guidance says officers are not allowed to delete digital images or destroy film at any point during a stop and search exercise.

It also reminds them members of the public and the media do not require a permit to film or photograph in public places and police have no power to stop them filming or photographing incidents or police personnel.

Police officers were also reminded that section 43 of the Act only gives an officer the power to stop and search "a person who they reasonably suspect to be a terrorist".

The changes come after an earlier version of the guidance was criticised by the National Union of Journalists for suggesting police and community support officers had greater powers than they were actually granted under the law.

In June, Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, who reviews anti-terror legislation, warned that police were wrongfully applying anti-terror laws to stop photographers taking pictures of officers, adding that officers who used force or threats against photographers to make them delete images could themselves face prosecution.

Roy Mincoff, NUJ legal officer, said: "It is good to see the police have listened to some of what we've been saying and the new guidance is certainly an improvement.

"We still have significant concerns about the way counter-terrorism legislation is being used to impinge on media freedoms, so it is vital that any guidance issued by the police is accurate and recognises the importance of a free press.

"Let's hope that this marks recognition on the part of the police that they must take the concerns of photojournalists seriously. We will be monitoring to see if the changes are reflected in practice."

Source: Press Gazette - 5th August 2009

The Growth of Mobile Marketing

2009-06-21T08:14:00.004+02:00

With marketers all a twitter about Twitter and other social networking sites, an additional communications segment is growing quickly that will provide the same opportunities for business outreach.

The mobile marketing industry has seen exceptional growth over the past year. Increased partnerships between brands, wireless carriers and digital advertising and marketing agencies has led to numerous mobile success stories.

One of the major remaining challenges for the mobile industry, however, is building faith among consumers that mobile marketing is a positive way to engage with their favorite brands. Since the consumer is solely central to the mobile marketing experience it becomes a very individual way to communicate.

Because mobile devices are so highly personal, to make marketing messages powerful and valuable, there must be an underlying element of trust; otherwise, marketing messages get diluted and could be viewed with suspicion and mistrust. Consumers must have confidence in the mobile marketing experience. One small blip and a consumer will react to mobile messaging like they respond to unsolicited phone sales calls.

Brands and advertisers must be able to provide positive and valuable experiences. If consumers don’t truly buy into and understand the rules of engagement for the messages and marketing programs they’re receiving, chances are they’ll hit the delete button without even looking at the content.

Brands using mobile as a marketing channel need to project and deliver messages that consumers believe are positive, highly relevant, somewhat entertaining and of specific value to them individually.

Recently, Mike Wehrs, president/CEO of the Mobile Marketing Association released his “6 C’s” of mobile marketing -

The 6 Cs for a positive experience

The trick is knowing how to build and develop this level of trust, and developing a true dialogue of interaction with customers. Education of both consumers and marketers is crucial. Marketers must make customers aware of all the policing mechanisms in place to ensure that the mobile marketing experience they receive is a positive one, and provide them with a way to report any behavior that they question.

Most of all, marketers need to move away from traditional push — or interruption-based — advertising and adopt the six central tenets of a positive consumer experience: choice, control, customization, consideration, constraint and confidentiality. These form the basis of the Mobile Marketing Association’s global Code of Conduct and Consumer Best Practices. Here’s a more detailed look at these tenets:

1. Choice - Consumers must opt in to mobile marketing programs. Once that’s done, include clear directions on how to unsubscribe from communication should it become unwanted. This ensures consumer pull rather than consumer push.

2. Control - Consumers should have control of when and how they receive mobile marketing messages, and must be allowed to easily terminate or opt out of unwanted programs.

3. Customization - Any data supplied by consumers must be used to personalize content — such as restricting communications to categories they specify.

4. Consideration - If consumers allow you to communicate with them on their mobile devices, offer them something of perceived value, such as product and service enhancements, requested information, entry into competitions, discounts, and more.

5. Constraint - Manage and limit mobile messaging programs to a reasonable number of campaigns.Confidentiality. Make and clearly communicate a commitment that you won’t share consumer information with nonaffiliated third parties.

6. Confidentiality - Make and clearly communicate a commitment that you won’t share consumer information with nonaffiliated third parties.

The ideal ambassadors for the mobile marketing cause are consumers. So brands trying to reach them via this medium should make sure their communications are interesting, relevant, valuable and, above all, requested

If you want to find out more about mobile marketing - email us on office@imageandprofile.com with your contact details

Source: CEOWORLD Magazine

Simply Swing at St. Georges Malaga

2009-06-20T11:30:00.005+02:00

Last night we were at St. Georges Church Malaga, where they had an evening of modern jazz classics performed by multinational group - Simply Swing.

Image & Profile was pleased to be able to photograph the evening for the church, and the photo set - which is on our FLICKR page - is reproduced below.

If you are having an event & would like it photographed or a video made then email us on office@imageandprofile.com and talk to us about it.

Photo shoot at El Acebuchal, Spain

2009-05-14T12:59:00.002+02:00

Yesterday we went to El Acebuchal to do a photo shoot as part of our new Photography service at Image & Profile.

Why not have a look at some of the pictures, and see the quality of work that we produce.

How to get the media to use your press release photos

2009-05-02T18:01:00.005+02:00

Is it easy to get a picture published in the media? This is a question often asked by companies with a news item they wish to send out as a press release. The quick answer is no it isn't.

However, that isn't to say it is impossible. We have pictures published in the national and regional media as well as the trade press on a regular basis and your chances dramatically increase if you follow a simple set of instructions. As a general rule of thumb, the nationals are the hardest in which to have a photo published while the regional dailies, weeklies and trade press offer a far easier target.

The first and foremost thing to consider is whether your 'news' is in fact newsworthy. The fact that you have a new director or a new product is probably very important to you, but will it be of interest to the readers of all the publications you send it to?

Look very carefully at the audience you think will be interested and the publications they are likely to read. Having established this, take a look at those publications and analyse the style of articles and pictures they use. The closer you can match their style, the increased likelihood of your article being used. Is is often worthwhile using the services of a professional copywriter to do this for you.

Break the mould
When analysing the style and type of pictures used, especially in trade publications, be aware they are only too often sent a boring head and shoulders shot and a bog standard product picture. Because that is all they are sent, that is what they end up having to use. If you can offer them a picture that breaks this mould and still meets their house style, they will probably be only too happy to receive it from you.

Now you know what type of picture you need, choose a photographer to shoot it for you. Just because you have always used a particular photographer to shoot your product shots for you, that does not mean he is necessarily the right photographer to take this picture for you. If he has a proven track record in having pictures published in the media, that's great. But if he hasn't, maybe it is time to look for someone who does media work on a regular basis. If he doesn't know what an IPTC field is then you should be looking elsewhere.

Technical spec
On the subject of IPTC fields, they are simply hidden fields embedded in an image which hold amongst other things, caption and image title information. Recent research has shown that 75% of images submitted to the media fail to have completed IPTC fields and are regularly rejected because they lack them.

These fields are easily completed using PhotoShop. The File/File information menu will take you to the required fields. If you do not have a copy of PhotoShop, simply ask your photographer to fill the fields for you.

The format of the photo is equally as important as the content of the photo itself. Send it in the incorrect format and it will rejected out of hand, or bounced by the server. (This probably doesn't need saying, but do not send prints or transparencies by snail mail.)

The 'print size' or dimensions of your photo should be large enough to allow the publication to use it at a decent size, but not so large it causes the file to crash the journalist's mailbox. (This guarantees your article will not be used!) I recommend the longest side of the image should be 8 inches at 300dpi or 2400 pixels.

Save your image in RGB JPEG format. This is a whole other topic which I will try to cover succinctly. The JPEG format is a lossy format. This means it discards image information to decrease the file size using a complicated algorithm. You do not want to throw away so much information, the image quality is degraded to such a degree it cannot be used. But if you leave it on the highest setting the file will probably be too large for the email address of the publication to accept. So you need to find a compromise. I recommend a high quality/low compression setting of 10 or 11.

As you can see there is more to preparing an image to send to the media than you might have originally thought. If you are briefing a photographer, say you want your 'final high res images to be 8" longest side x pro at 300dpi, RGB JPEGS saved at JPEG 11 compression with completed IPTC fields'.

Talk it up
You should always telephone the publications in which you want your article to appear before you email the release and photo. Give them the bare bones of your story and ask if they want more information. Tell them you have a photo/photos available. Ask what email address you should send it to. The address for the photos will usually be different for national newspapers, so it is especially important those IPTC fields are filled in! Without them your photo and copy will never meet again.

Given that your photo meets all the right technical criteria, all you have to worry about now is how important your story is compared to the others competing for the space on the day, in the view of the editorial staff. If your 'news' is not rated highly enough then no matter how good your photo is, it has little chance of being used.

Supposing your news angle is good enough and they want to use your copy, they will then look at the picture. It needs to run a separate gauntlet against all the other photos the publication has available for that page. They are extremely unlikely to run a photo for every story so you really want your photo to beat the competition in the creative photography stakes.

This is where all the aspects of the photo have to come together. The publication will probably be looking for a main photo for the page and then one or more smaller supplementary ones for other stories. The lead story nearly always goes 'above the fold' or at the top of the page and that's where you want to be. It is entirely possible your story may qualify as the lead, but if the photo is lacking, your story will be knocked back to a lower, less desirable position or not make the page at all.

In conclusion, if your 'news' is good enough to be published you should always send an imaginative photo with the article which meets all the technical specifications.

Good luck!

Source: http://www.professional-images.com

Why not let us work with you to get the maximum benefit from your press release?

email: office@imageandprofile.com

and see our website at - www.imageandprofile.com for the full range of services that we provide

33% of small companies neglecting their website

2009-05-01T12:40:00.003+02:00

Small and medium-sized companies are neglecting their websites in the recession, according to new research by web hosting company Fasthosts Internet.

The survey revealed that 33% of SMEs are not updating their websites because they do not have enough time, even though just under 70% of small firm owners are aware that websites require regular attention to be successful.

"In challenging economic conditions, business owners are more stretched for time and resources than ever," said Steve Holford, CMO of web host Fasthosts Internet.

"However, it is important to remember that often the simplest improvements to a website can make a noticeable impact on sales conversion rates. Even a modest business website must receive regular attention to fulfil its potential."

Source: www.newbusiness.co.uk

Advertisers shun tradition for the Web

2009-04-30T13:54:00.003+02:00

For being able to offer better targeting and return on investment, advertisers will give their money to the Web by taking it away from traditional channels like print and TV.

Such is the finding from the European Interactive Advertising Association, which found seven out of 10 advertisers have increased their online spending so far this year.

The Web was rated ‘essential’ to marketing for almost half the responding companies, compared with 38% and 17% saying the same in 2008 and 2006 respectively.

As a result, online spending was projected to rise by more than 21% next year and by 15% in 2011, the association’s internet advertising barometer shows.

To make the investment in digital, companies will pull their budgets from TV (37%), newspapers (32%) and magazines (46%), indicating traditional channels will suffer.

Yet interestingly, budgets for direct marketing and radio were only cited as being reallocated to Web campaigns by 24% and 12% of the respondents, respectively.

The same shift in advertisers' priorities was picked up in the latest Bellwether report by industry body the IPA, though it said internet spend took a record cut this year.

However, underlining the comparative resilience of the Web, the IPA said the cut was at a much weaker rate than the slump in total marketing spend in the first quarter.

In spite of also saying ad budget cuts appear to be over their peak, as advertisers were increasing their optimism, the IPA believes UK ad spend will fall by 9% this year.

The budgets hardest hit so far this year were for main media advertising and ‘all other’ promotional channels, defined as PR, events sponsorship and market research.

The brightest future for ad personnel appears to be at US-based B2B firms focusing on social media, as Forrester predicts their budgets will increase by 34% in 2009.

The forecast implies B2B firms took the analyst’s earlier tip that spending in the space is vital to reach the 77% of decision-makers whose jobs involve social networks.

© Copyright Freelance UK Ltd

We are now on FACEBOOK

2009-04-28T13:50:00.006+02:00

As part of our ever developing presence on 'the net' we now have two pages on FACEBOOK devoted to our activities -

image & profile – public relations
http://www.facebook.com/pages/image-profile-public-relations/78121863845

image & profile – photography
http://www.facebook.com/pages/image-profile-photography/74223703917

Why not have a look & if you on FACEBOOK yourself why not 'Become a Fan' of each of the pages.

For more information on image & profile as a whole have a look at our main website - http://www.imageandprofile.com/

Finally - you can contact us by email at - office@imageandprofile.com

So what is this public relations thing?

2009-03-26T11:47:00.006+01:00

The Public Relations Consultants Association say that PR is all about influencing opinion and behaviour for the success of your business.

PR is much more than issuing press releases; everything you say and do communicates about your company. PR is essentially the groundwork for building a relationship with your target audience. A good reputation is something all companies big and small strive for, but like earning trust, it can take some time to achieve.

PR offers an opportunity to shine a spotlight on your freelance company where your name is currently unfamiliar. It’s a chance to road test your creative skills; what’s newsworthy, innovative, imaginative, credible about the work you do?

Similarly you can actively manage the perception of your company, by being seen to be associated with, or supportive of, certain values, skills or people you can actively change the way the public and your prospects think of you. You might be the first freelancer to follow certain green initiatives, or contribute in some way to a charity, secured a prestigious contract with a company or been involved in developing ground-breaking games software– all will highlight whatever favourable elements of ‘who you are’ and what you do best, that you would like the public to be made more aware of.

Efforts to bolster and sustain the image of your company can be made via newsworthy editorial in your local press or relevant trade websites and magazines, speaking as an authority in your field at events and local radio interviews, to name just a few examples.

PR is not ‘free’ as such; even if you’re not planning a big product launch, time needs to be spent writing press releases or attending events to give talks or researching the right journalist to contact about your story. Certainly a trained PR freelancer will have a healthy contact book that could be the key to your PR success.

Source: http://www.freelanceuk.com/

Why not contact us today to see how we can work together on your PR - www.imageandprofile.com

How TWITTER can make you a better writer

2009-03-25T16:28:00.002+01:00

By now you’ve most likely joined Twitter(and if you haven’t, you need to, pronto!).

Twitter is not only a great place for businesses and, but it’s also a great place to spruce up your writing skills.

Yes. You read that correct.

Twitter can make you a better writer. Here’s how.

Twitter forces you to be concise

If you’ve ever used Twitter, you know that you have 140 characters to say whatever you want to say. Now keep in mind, I didn’t say 140 words—or even 140 letters—I said 140 characters.

That’s not a lot of room. Letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation and spaces all count as characters on Twitter.

What all of this means is, you have to be concise. You have to know exactly what you want to say, and say it in as few words as possible.

Many writers, however, are “wordy” and often have long, drawn out descriptions and sentences, so it can be pretty difficult to create a message that’s only 140 characters.

Here’s where Twitter comes in again.

Twitter forces you to exercise your vocabulary

Since you only have 140 characters to get your message across, you’re forced to dust off your dictionary and thesaurus and find new words to use—Words that are shorter, words that are more descriptive, and words that get the job done in 140 characters or less.

Crafting a message for Twitter requires you to “pump up” your verbs (replacing adverbs and adjectives with them), and discover a better, clearer and more concise way to say what you want to say.

Now most people won’t hit 140 characters right away. No, they’ll end up with 160 or 148 characters to start out with (Twitter tells you how many characters you need to remove to make your message fit).

This is the final way that Twitter makes you a better writer.

Twitter forces you to improve your editing skills

Every writer needs to be able to edit their work. And by using Twitter, you can really hone your editing skills and make them top-notch.

It’s almost like playing a game; trying to write a 140-character message and still get your point across in a way that inspires your followers to take action, to click on your link or to “retweet” your post.

I like to think of it as a brainteaser, forcing me to think hard and dig deep down into my vocabulary to find a way to shorten my message.

Yet another reason you should be using Twitter. Not that you needed one.

Source: Copyblogger.com

Social Networking attracts 3/4 of European internet users

2009-03-20T15:28:00.001+01:00

Of the 282.7 million European internet users aged 15 and older who went online via a home or work computer in December 2008, 211 million (or 74.6%) visited a social networking site, according to the results of a study by comScore on social networking site usage in Europe, with a particular focus on France.

Source: New Media Trend Watch

3 Things To Make You Look Smarter This Month

2009-03-19T19:30:00.002+01:00

1. In February, Twitter.com became one of the 100 most visited websites in the UK for the first time. It ranked 91st within All Categories.

2. Micro-bloggers are just as likely to consume other media as the average internet user, but more likely to read or view it through a mobile format.

3. The average age of a Twitter user is 31. That compares to an average age of 27 for MySpace users and 26 for Facebook users.

http://www.newmediatrendwatch.com/

PR for small to medium businesses

2009-03-18T12:02:00.002+01:00

PR or public relations is all about enhancing your reputation. PR aims to earn understanding and support, and influence opinion and behaviour. It can be particularly effective at local and regional levels and therefore, especially useful to people in small business. Small businesses can exploit opportunities and forums beyond the usual advertising and networking options and can learn to be their own best promoters. Featuring in an article in the local press, television or radio station is an extremely powerful marketing tool, because editorial coverage increases your credibility and helps potential customers get to know you. However, good PR requires some research, thought and planning.Which media should you approach?Your list of publicity prospects should include the local daily newspapers, weeklies, the local business journal, trade journals, the free tabloids, and the neighbourhood and university papers. The media, particularly at local and regional levels, are on the lookout for a new story, a different angle and a fresh approach. Find lists of possible publications to target by using directories such as BRAD, Willings Press Guide, or Hollis UK Press and Public Relations Annual.What’s your story?Reasons to mail out a press release to an appropriate reporter or features editor could be when your business gets an important new order, contributes or takes part in a local event or charity, launches a new product, wins a community award or comes up with a solution to a community problem. Look through the paper or magazine and see who writes what and phone the publications switchboard if you want to find out the names of the news or features editor. Think of a fresh angle or human-interest link. You may not always get coverage but you will have nothing to lose by cultivating these relationships. You could also create your own publicity by commissioning a survey on a topical issue and sending the results to the press, give your expert advice and volunteer quotes or send letters to the letters page using your business address.Press releasesYou could mail out or email press releases on the same story to a number of outlets. But you’ll need to tailor each release to the audience.

There are some golden rules when it comes to press releases:

Print press releases on company letterhead. If this is not feasible, adding the company logo is essential. The company’s name, web address, location address and phone number should be printed clearly at the top of the page. PRESS RELEASE should be spelled out in caps and centred in bold. The press release contact person’s name should be underneath the wording and all contact numbers printed clearly underneath. If the press release is for IMMEDIATE RELEASE, say so, on the left margin directly above the title, in capitals.

The Headline or title.

This should be centred, in bold and be short and snappy, so that it hopefully grabs the attention of the journalist and impresses them enough to read on.

The body of the press release.

The first paragraph of the press release should contain in brief detail what the press release is about. The second paragraph explains, in detail: who cares; why you should care; where one can find it; when it will happen. Also, included in the second ‘informative’ paragraph is generally a quote that gives the release a personal touch. Press releases and news stories need a ‘human interest’ or a clear ‘hook’ to make journalists want to write or broadcast a feature or news story about your company. The third, and generally final, paragraph is a summary of the release and further information on your company with your contact information clearly spelled out.

Press releases should be followed up by emails and/or phone calls, offers of images, an invitation to your event or product launch, samples of products, further information and alternative angles.Non-media PRYou can also raise your profile in your community or in your business sector by giving talks to local schools and colleges, becoming a figurehead in a local organisation, sponsoring events such as a school fete or exhibition, donating to raffles or a promises auction, sponsoring a local sports team, helping with or donating products/services to charity, and teaming up with suppliers or customers to work on attracting joint publicity.

Thoughts from Image & Profile

2009-01-01T12:41:00.003+01:00

Welcome to the world of public relations, marketing & event management

In the coming days we will be bringing you news, information and food for thought