From Rock Bottom to Top of the World

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We’re just back from a wonderfully inspiring evening in the company of Donegal businessman and Everest conquerer Jason Black. Recounting the details of his expedition to Everest last May, Jason kept the packed house at An Grianan Theatre captivated for  close to three hours.

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We’re big fans of the stage production Tom Crean Antartic Explorer and Jason’s event tonight reminded us of a modern day version of that story. His ability to bring his experiences on the mountain to life and relate them back to everyday life was  impressive. His passion for his homeland, hometown and home county shone through and you could feel his energy lift the spirits in the room.

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Like every life that’s fully lived, Jason’s tale is not without heartache. However, he is determined to use the trauma of bullying in childhood, losing his mother to cancer and the tragic death of his brother as a driving and guiding force in his life. He talks about ‘everyone having their own Everest to climb’, whether that’s suicide, depression, unemployment or financial worries. But his message is simple… ‘there is nothing that cannot be achieved’. It was a really worthwhile night.

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Where We’re At…

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Well, it’s all go at The Right Angle. We started small, but in the past two months, we’ve doubled our team and quadrupled our client base. All of which is not too shabby… but it begs the question, where are we in terms of the recession? As is often the case, the PR and marketing business was hit particularly hard in the economic downturn.scissors_cutting_euro_not_450

But once again, as an industry, we’ve proved our worth and those who know a thing or two about business (and consumers) know that cutting PR and marketing spend to the bone is never a good idea. That’s because it very quickly becomes a self fulfilling prophecy: fail to market your business correctly, and more often than not, your business will fail. So what about the road ahead?

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Well, our managing director started her career in Murray Consultants, so to give us an overview of where we’re at, it’s  fitting that we’re referencing research commissioned by MCsquared  (the consumer and brands’ division of Murray’s). Conducted by Amárach Research and carried out among members of the Marketing Institute of Ireland (MII), the report shows investment in brand communications through digital channels is continuing to grow strongly.

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Almost 60% of those surveyed plan to increase their digital marketing budget in 2014 and digital currently accounts for almost one quarter (24%) of marketing spend. And because the role of the marketer is ever-evolving, here’s an interesting piece on new skills marketing professionals would be wise to learn.

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So, the marketing outlook for this year is more positive than at any time over the past six years and that’s certainly been our experience since we launched. And while companies still struggle to find balance between in house resources and what to outsource to agencies, digital and content marketing are set to benefit most in the next two years – but relevance remains king. This video has lots more useful data…

Hearing Awareness Week, 2014

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We’re working with Hidden Hearing and we’ve a busy week ahead with Hearing Awareness Week. This Monday, our Hearing and Health Event is happening in The Gresham Hotel. Hosted by Joe Duffy, the event will offer members of the public free hearing screenings and health checks from 9am to 5pm.  It’s a good opportunity to find out if you’re suffering from hearing loss and do something positive about it.

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There’ll be free on-site hearing tests and screening by top hearing audiologists, while Hidden Hearing’s Medical Advisor, Dr Nina Byrnes will also be on hand to meet and greet attendees.

Picture2Around 35% of people over 64 years have significant hearing loss, but this is not something that just affects older people. A Hidden Hearing survey found that almost a quarter of under 25 year olds in Ireland (24%) are putting their hearing at risk by listening to music at levels that cause long term harm. That’s worth bearing in mind the next time you reach for your headphones.

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And do you know about the 60/60 rule? Neither did we. Basically, it’s a recommendation from researchers that we should only listen to music devices through our headphones at 60 decibels for a maximum of 60 minutes. Worrying then, that 16% of those tested had noise levels on or above 85 decibels, which is known to cause long term harm to hearing. rsz_apple_iphone

Hidden Hearing also has a handy app for tinnitus sufferers. And for the teachers among you, The Too Noisy app is a nifty tool. If the noise level in a classroom increases beyond an acceptable level, the metre dynamically indicates the level of noise and the background graphics within the app change to reflect the noise levels.

For those of you who can’t make Monday’s event, Hidden Hearing clinics will host ‘Walk in Wednesday’ on the 9th April, offering a free drop in service. Call in, talk to qualified audiologists and avail of a free hearing screening.

Pepsi Max – Unbelievable Bus Shelter

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Pepsi Max gave bus commuters in London quite the shock recently…