Hike in Postal Charges to Move DMs to Look for Alternatives
It has seen that some of the direct marketers to accelerate the use of alternatives such as email, internet and telephone which will lead to a “long-term decline in volumes of mail being dispatched. This move was triggered in response to postal services regulator Ofcom’s consultation on the regulation of Royal Mail. Direct marketing companies like Redwoods Advance have long been thinking of making the effective use of these alternatives to have the maximum reach that are cost effective as well.
5 great ways to increase your salesWith companies and marketing executives hunting for customers, the questions that hovers on the top of every mind in the field is - How to increase my sales? How to attract more customers? How to evolve as the leader in my segment? Here are a few ways on how you can achieve this... The first thing that you will have to do is to surprise the prospects. Customers like surprises and are always pleased when they get more than what they expect. You can follow the likes of successful companies like Appco Group who target the right person and later surprise them with their innovative marketing campaigns. Getting attention amidst the clutter is what matters and those who do it right emerge the most successful. Being innovative and creative is the next must-do. Think different and be different. Stand out among the crowd by virtue of just what you are. Focusing on what your customers care about is the third and making your offers outstanding, the fourth. Knowing what exactly the customer needs, wants and expects is what works. Offers are essential because customers don't want to make mistake. Last Updated (Tuesday, 17 January 2012 05:02) World of Social Search: Brands need to be FunctionalIf years ago, we would turn to our family or friends circles for recommendations, advice, opinions or for other answers, it was then cut away for some period once "www.com" appeared to the scene. But today again we go back to the same circles with the help of this "www" thing. Social media is now the best source of recommendations for nearly everything. iPad Saves a Canadian Enter US without PassportSteve Jobs soul might be rejoicing from eternity that his 'app-iPad' could save a man enter another border without passport. It was all a matter of luck for the man who is a Canadian, who realised he forgot his passport as he approached the US border found a new way to gain entry - his iPad.
As I went through this news story, it interested me and I couldn't resist myself sharing it with my friend who's so keen on having a collection of funny and interesting news pieces. Besides he also works with Sirius Star Marketing. Facebook Game By Popcorn Brand to 'Act as Reminder'Interactive marketing benefit is they can deal with their consumers live and more direct. Only thing is that it should be creative to grab the interest of consumers. Popcorn brand Orville Redenbacher's has come up with a Facebook game that features augmented reality. Pay-per-click in MarketingPay-per-click advertising services are widely used by most marketers who wants you to click on before proceeding further. The aim of pay-per-click service is to put your company's message in front of your prospects right when they're most likely to buy.
When prospects enter a keyword that relates to a product or service into any of the popular search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo, MSN), you know they're interested in your products or services; that's when you want to place your message in front of them. And, Internet Marketing services like Web Technologies Inc. can help you to get your business done. An App to Help you Dress BetterA fashion app can help you while dressed in gray kitty-cat pajamas, an oversized shirt of questionable origin, and fuzzy red socks. The app is to help those who seriously struggle when it comes to selecting outfits.
When I talked about this app, my friend who is working with Web Listings Inc. was very excited. "I am gonna shine among my colleagues (who are girls) with this app", he said. The town called Ivy BridgeThe small town of Ivy Bridge is known for many things. I met a friend of mine who works at Blackcode Advertising last week and he happened to be from this small town. I had read about Ivy Bridge before but I was always curious about how the town got this peculiar name. Direct Marketing Acting as One to One CommunicationWhen businesses go controversial at communicating the right message or when they fail to impress some peer groups, direct marketing can be a great help. This is when direct marketing does the heavy job of taking up the responsibility to get the things right with every one and not let the wrong message reach to the ones which are ignorent about the issues happened.
When you get into the business remeber one thing, that your customers can spoil your business, if they get a wrong notion of your acts. It has happend to Avios, when they did an ad for the loyalty point scheme. What the ads are not pointing out is that this is a rebrand of AirMiles, the scheme owned by The Mileage Company. So, in such situations, the direct marketing companies like Enigma Marketing make use of their direct marketing tactics to get the things right. Behavioural Therapies Proved to Reduce WeightBehavioural tactics like diet changes and control and exercise have proved to help obese adults to reduce weight. This is possible with or without medication. Researchers came to this conclusion after conducting 58 clinical trials. Researchers found that behavioural programs helped obese people lose an average of 7 pounds more over 12 to 18 months, versus people who received no special therapy- most of whom lost little to no weight. The more intensive the programs did better result. Working in open plan offices might be bad for your brainsA new study has claimed that people working in posh, well kept and open office plan offices reported a drop in their productivity by over 15 percent. Researchers found that open plan offices create distractions and unwanted activity in the brains of workers, which could hamper their productivity. Interestingly they also claimed that contrary to the common belief, a clean and sterile can actually leave the employees with a smaller brain! Such work spaces can also lead to a 32 per cent drop in workers well being. Stride Marketing Reviews on its programsStride Marketing Ltd has in place two programs that are designed by the company – the Business Development Program and the Sales Program. Recently, Stride Marketing Ltd reviewed both these programs to analyse the positives as well as the negatives. Here are a few opinions from candidates about the program “After spending 3 years doing a degree in the Midlands, I moved back to the North East to find an opportunity in business. I spent a few years gaining experience in numerous roles, but they all lacked a challenge and there was little scope for progression. Since joining Stride Marketing, I have progressed onto Stage 4 of the Business Development Programme and attended a number of international training events including Barcelona and Dubai, as well as developing a lot of beneficial business attributes.” Living near a petrol station might be harmful for your healthBeware! if you live near a petrol station, you are likely to face more health problems because the fuel pollutants that can travel up to 100m, make fuel stations serious health hazards. Researchers say that the air near the petrol stations will be polluted with airborne particles from evaporated fuel, which could have harmful effects on the health of the residents. Airborne organic compounds such as benzene are carcinogenic and the air in the vicinity of petrol stations contain more than the average levels of these compounds. Woman spends $10,000 on non-existent masterpiecesThe love for art can cost you dearly at times. Here is an art lover who spend a fortune in owning an invisible art piece that doesn't even exist, thereby pushing the bounds of art appreciation to its breaking point. New media aficionado Aimee Davison spend a staggering $10,000 on a piece of non-existent artwork of artist duo Brainard and Delia Carey, along with actor James Franco from the Museum of Non-Visible Art (MONA).
Drink tea and live longerA steaming cup of tea might actually be more beneficial to your body than water. In a research report published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the authors say that tea not only replenish the water content in your body but also replaces fluids and antioxidants, which makes it more beneficial than water. Find more health benefits of tea here in this article http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/14/study-tea-is-healthier-than-water/?iid=WBeditorspicks Clover Advertising- direct marketing through better researchClover Advertising is one of the leading direct marketing companies that have a specialized marketing strategy that calls for targeted customers. The company takes a very specific approach with each of their clients when it approaches the market. In fact Clover already knows their client's preference and customers' behaviour, so that makes them enter the market easy. The best part of Clover Advertising is it does not follow the traditional methods where they target the entire audience, but keeps a measured and calculated approach. Clover has a list of some of the best companies as clients for the marketing needs. So every project designed to direct marketing is done thoroughly. The idea to bring in innovative marketing strategy is based on the approach "How to go ahead of your competitor and place the product or service directly to the customer without having to invest time and money on other media. The company knows that innovative marketing brings in better results and efficiently create more opportunities. $200,000 Pigeon: The New Chinese Trophy dealExpensive jewels, luxury yachts and private jets are all passe, the latest trend in exotic gifts ad status symbols seem to be pedigree pigeons, which carry an eye watering price tag of over $200,000 Marine Extinction – Turning out to be a shock to the world!New studies show that marine extinction is becoming the major cause that is affecting the world in recent times. The causes for the extinction are recorded as the high rate of fishing and climate change. Deteriorating than expected, the world's seas will see a gradual decrease in the marine area within a few years. With the damage to the marine life, the ones to be effected by this cause would be the humans who will have to support themselves and also the eco systems such as coral reefs which will soon die out.
Nasser S. Al Hajri Corporation: Vision, quality and efficiencyNasser S. Al Hajri Corporation (NSH Corporation), which has been partnering progress in the Middle East for over three decades, goes on with traits like vision, quality and efficiency. NSH was launched in 1978 and has been catering to key sectors of growth- including Refineries, Petrochemicals, Fertilizers, Cement, Power Desalination and Steel Industries. The company, which provides state-of-the-art construction service and blends technology with skilled manpower, works with a vision, a very futuristic kind of vision. As for quality, it has been setting benchmarks all the time. NSH Corporation been honoured as a Grade "A" general construction contractor by the Government of Saudi Arabia, has got the ISO 9001:2000 QMS certification and goes by quality control standards that are in line with OSHAS 18001, the global occupational health and safety management benchmark. Efficiency is what has made the company play a key role in the economic growth of the GCC. “We are pioneers in the regional industrial construction business and many of our construction projects have set new benchmarks in terms of scale, sophistication, safety, quality & speed. We continue to play a key role in the economic growth of the GCC with our on-time project completion which has, time and again, generated additional value for our clients”, says a company source about what makes Nasser S. Al Hajri Corporation so different and relevant. Edible RFID Tags To Describe Nutritional Data of your FoodA student at the Royal College of Art in London, Hannes Harms, has come up with a design for an edible RFID (radio frequency identification)chip, part of a system he calls NutriSmart. The chip could send information about the food you eat to a personal computer or, conceivably, a mobile phone via a Bluetooth connection. Chinese boy sells kidneyto buy iPadThe obsession for the latest gadgets and devices is on an all time hingh among the youth. This shocking incident in China where a 17-year old student sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPad 2 and an iPhone is an eyeopener of this dangerous trend. 3D Organisation Ltd: Adding new dimensions to direct marketing
3D Organisation Ltd, which is one of Manchester's fastest growing sales and marketing companies, strives towards adding new dimensions to direct marketing. The first office of 3D Organisation was opened in 2004. The growth then onwards was spectacular. The company now works through 15 affiliated marketing companies all across the UK. 2010 witnessed the company launching its business into Brazil and Sweden, representing an array of Blue Chip clients. Play Pong on a giant screen to win a McDonald's burgerHave you ever fancied of playing Pong for your lunch?
In a clever marketing move as it can be called "Pick n' Play", McDonald's in Sweden is using an interactive billboard on a Stockholm street that lets hungry users play the classic video game to earn themselves a free burger. Users visit a website and the geolocation system on their iPhone confirms that they are near enough the billboard to play. Then they choose what item they wish to play for - a portion of fries, or a burger, for example - and then are put in the queue to play Pong against the computer, with their game relayed on the big screen. The iPhone screen is used as the player's controller, with swipes of the finger used to manipulate the paddle. If they are able to last 30 seconds against the game's increasingly challenging AI opponent, then a digital voucher is sent to their phone which they can take to a nearby restaurant to redeem their treat of choice. This is not the first time that McDonald's is using this kind of advertising trick upon customers, but this time the fast food giant has come up with an innovative way to use an interactive billboard. Last year, again in Stockholm, customers were encouraged to use their smartphone camera to "capture" items displayed on a constantly changing billboard which they could then redeem in a nearby McDonald's. Mushroom Compound Suppresses Prostate TumorsA mushroom used in Asia for its medicinal properties has been found highly effective in suppressing prostate tumour development in mice during early trials, new Queensland University of Technology (QUT) research.
The compound, polysaccharopeptide (PSP), present in the 'turkey tail' mushroom targets prostate cancer stem cells and suppress tumour formation in mice, according to an article published by the Public Library of Science. These findings could have path breaking consequences in finding a solution to a disease that kills 3,000 Australian men a year. The treatment is not only effective in suppressing tumors but is also free from any side effects. As the conventional therapies are only effective in targeting certain cancer cells, not cancer stem cells, which set off and propagate the disease, this treatment could indeed be a milestone. E.coli Cucumber scares Germany and European CountriesA deadly E.coli outbreak linked to cucumbers is fast spreading killing a number of people infected. Fourteen people have died in Germany and hundreds are ill from infections linked to contaminated vegetables.
It is thought cucumbers from Spain were at the origin of the outbreak. But Spanish officials have refused to accept the blame, saying it is still unclear exactly when and where the vegetables were contaminated. Germany's national disease institute, has confirmed 329 cases in the country. In Sweden, there have been 36 suspected E.coli infections, all linked to travel in northern Germany. Cases have also been reported in Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK. In many instances, the gastrointestinal infection has led to Haemolytic-uraemic Syndrome (HUS), which causes kidney problems and is potentially fatal. Suspicion has fallen on organic cucumbers from Spain imported by Germany but then re-exported to other European countries, or exported directly by Spain. Cucumbers from the cities of Almeria and Malaga have been identified as possible sources of contamination. World's largest solar-powered yacht on a voyage around the worldTûranor PlanetSolar , the largest solar-powered boat in the world is the first fully solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate the globe. Apart from setting an around-the-world record, the voyage promotes the use of non conventional energy. The name Tûranor, derived from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, literally means 'The Power of the Sun'. 31m in length, this boat can hold 40 passengers and is designed to be used as a luxury yacht after the world record attempt is completed . The boat has 500 square meters of solar panels, which power the two electric motors in each hull.
Built at a cost of 12.5million euros, this solar boat is powered by a 6 member crew it has a cruising speed of 7.5 knots. The boat began its voyage on September 27, 2010, in Monaco and stops have included Miami, Cancun - during the United Nations World Climate Conference - and the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It received warm welcome from enthusiastic crowds, which thronged at the ports to catch a glimpses of this innovative yacht, which could redefine the conventions of yacht making in the days to come. How safe is the artificial sweetener used in Diet Cokestudies have shown that Aspartame, the artificial sweetener that is used in at least 6,000 well-known brands of food, drink and medicine could be harmful to human health. Diet drinks containing aspartame is thought to cause premature births and cancer. Though the health watchdogs, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), have ruled out any link to ill-health, the recent reports have forced them to make a review.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame contain methanol, which can be metabolised in the body to form two more nerve toxins, formic acid and formaldehyde, the chemical used to preserve dead bodies. Only further studies will clarify the harmful effects of these artificial sweetening agents and the FSA has recruited volunteers for an investigation into the reported adverse health conditions associated with aspartame. Computers hamper the reading ability of childrenComputer games are harming children’s reading according to a research study that found that the reading ability of nine and ten-year-olds has slumped in countries where households have at least one computer. A team from Gothenburg University in Sweden compared the reading skills of pupils aged nine and ten in Sweden, the U.S., Italy and Hungary and they found that since 1991 average reading ability had fallen in the U.S. and Sweden, but had increased in Italy and Hungary, where people are less likely to have computers at home.
Children in the U.S. and Sweden also spent less time on leisure time reading and took out fewer books from the library. The reading ability of the boys decreased marginally in comparison to that of girls as they tend to spend more time on computer games. Computers have robbed off the leisure hours of children, which could have devoted for developing high quality reading skills. Spending too much time in front of the computers also have many health risks like poor eye sight and pain in their wrists and fingers of the kids.The parents need only to bring back the kids to the world of books to enhance their reading and perception skills Thinking App With iPalmiPhone users may better find it adjusting with the thought of an iPalm. An iPalm means something that needed imagination of where exactly you'll place a phone physically in your hand.
Imagine you cannot find or use your phone when it starts ringing. Perhaps it's hiding somewhere, or your hands are wet from washing up or greasy from baking. To decline the call and send it to your messaging service, you press the area of your palm corresponding to the position of the relevant button if you had the phone in your hand. Or you could press the buttons to answer the call and turn on the speakerphone. But it's possible, one can use iPalm and unlocks it like in iPhone by swishing a finger across its screen and pecking out a four-digit PIN on its keypad. One onlooker will see nothing in hand. But, the person is pressing invisible "buttons" on his palm – to operate an imaginary cellphone. And, astonishingly, it works! The idea is certainly strange, but Gustafson and his colleagues Patrick Baudisch and Christian Holz at the Hasso Plattner Institute at Potsdam University in Germany think there is a gap in the market for phones and TV remotes like this that don't actually exist. For this to work the researchers says, "you'd need two things": people who know precisely where the apps are on their physical phone, and a technology that can sense where they are pressing on their hand so a computer can respond and send commands to your phone – wherever it is. Hopes there will be a time like that in future. Laser-guided wheelchair For visually impaired to SeeResearchers have developed an electric chair that will help the visually impaired see. This laser guided chair was developed by researchers at the Lulea University of Technology in Sweden.
The vehicle uses a laser to scan its environment and create a 3D map of potential obstacles such as nearby people or open doors. It alerts the wheelchair driver to these hazards via vibrating touch feedback, which lets them feel when they need to move out of the way using the wheelchair's joystick. The chair was tested for proof by one of the researchers who is blind himself. He was able to successfully avoid obstacles along the way. The chair isn't still quite ready to roll in to production and researchers looking for more improvements to be made with the chair. The current laser system can only sense objects at a certain height, so they plan to develop a 3D camera system instead to fully map the surrounding environment. Hearing loss reported among Viagra usersThe blue pill of Viagra may help you reach the heights of passion, but paradoxically the new studies have shown that in the long run it could make you deaf and unfit to enjoy the sweet pillow talk of your partner!
Impotence drugs like Viagra have been linked to many instances of sudden hearing loss around the world. The average age of those affected was 57, though a few cases among younger men were also reported. Though it is not clear how long the problems lasted, this type of hearing loss is likely to cause permanent damage in up to a third of cases. The FDA advises users of Viagra who suspect hearing loss to stop the pills immediately and seek doctor's advice. Though the researchers are not sure how Viagra might affect hearing, they suspect that the chain of chemical reactions might set off knock-on effects in the inner ear. |



Sited at about 9 miles east of Plymouth, the town enjoys a beautiful natural setting. It is also situated in close proximity to Dartmoor, a National Park of Wales and England. The town of Ivy Bridge has centuries of history as a mill town and the mills here which were built using the River Erme's power date back to the 16th century. Another interesting fact is that Ivy Bridge is often referred to as a dormitory town though most of the people work in the town itself.