Better Brand Agency

Core Message Specialists

Web and Digital

Better Brand Agency industry articles relating to web, online, website design, web development, social media, viral marketing, new media, mobile and digital communication

North East Business Awards

Friday, February 19th, 2010

We’re pleased, and very proud, to announce we’ve been shortlisted for the ‘ICT and Internet Award’ in the North East Business Awards.

We got the call today from the sponsors of the category to give us the good news and now we’re all excited and looking forward to the Awards Dinner on 25th March at Teesside University. The winning companies from each of the sub-regional heats (not applicable to Best Creative Business and Not-for-profit Organisation of the Year Awards) will go through to the Regional Final of the nebusiness awards which will be held at Hardwick Hall Hotel on Thursday, 29 April 2010.

More details of the Awards category and criteria is detailed below:

Purpose of Competition:

To recognise companies and other organisations that have used web technology, including ICT, e-commerce and e-business, to enhance their business.

Judging Criteria:

The judges will be seeking examples of best practice and will look for:

- Excellence of website design, in terms of visual appearance, navigability and interactivity.

- A demonstrable impact of the use of web technology on the business, internally and externally.

- The innovative use of Internet technology to improve business performance or boost competitiveness within an existing business, or to start a new enterprise.

The regional business award format is now in it’s 10th year. It is a tried and trusted formula that offers a consistent benchmark for judging performance.

Since 2000, over 2,500 different companies in the North East have entered one of the Award categories. That is a fantastic endorsement of the event and shows that the event really means something to the business community. Companies of all shapes and sizes, and in all sectors, get involved.

A key ingredient of the nebusiness awards is the tremendous support we get from the Award sponsors. Organisations such as Public Health North East, Pearsons, One NorthEast, UK Trade & Investment, KPMG and Deloitte give the event credibility and gravitas.

For any further information please visit www.nebusinessawards.co.uk.

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North East Tyne Twestival returns

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

TyneTwestival will be hosted on the 25th March 2010

On Thursday 25 March 2010, people in hundreds of cities around the world, including Newcastle will come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness.  Twestival™ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good.

All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects. Follow @tynetwestival on Twitter or visit http://newcastle.twestival.com for updates.

About Concern Worldwide.

Concern Worldwide was founded in 1968 to meet the needs of people living in extreme poverty, for whom every day is a fight for survival. Concern is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of poverty. Their mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives – improvements they can sustain without ongoing support. Concern meets the needs of these people in a caring and personalized manner, respecting their human and cultural dignity. They are committed to reaching the most vulnerable, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Concern’s work is informed by a vision for change and their education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world, with particular emphasis on reaching out-of-school children such as girls, orphans, street children, working children, children affected by conflict, children affected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities. Concern’s education programs currently reach over 700,000 people in 25 countries across the regions of Africa,  Asia, and the Caribbean.  Please follow @concern on Twitter to get a glimpse of their staff tweeting from around the world; including their efforts on the ground in Haiti. (more…)

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A mandate for 2010

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

A recent post by Jeanne C Meister and Karie Willyerd in Harvard Business discussed how few socially connected organisations there are, indicating this will need to be redressed if companies are to be attractive to a future workforce that judges a potential employer by the social media freedom they allow their employees.

The social networking juice that powers a generation across sprawling vibrant communities has its feed forcibly cut off when the majority of company staff walk into work. All the potential of networked company communities, the opportunity for people to collaborate and and share knowledge is left at home and lost to the company. (more…)

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Social Media: Beyond the Hype

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Date: Thursday 29 October
Time: 5.30 – 8pm followed by food, drinks and networking
Venue: Great North Museum: Hancock, NE2 4PT
Cost: FREE to Codeworks Connect members; £20 to non-members

Everyone and anyone is talking up social media right now. Asking you to “join the conversation”, “engage” with your customers rather than shouting at them. And telling you that if you don’t use these tools you’re at a major disadvantage.
But what’s the truth about social media? Can they really help your business? And how, exactly? (more…)

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Charities are making social media work hard for them

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

In tough economic times people and businesses are less able to give as freely as they may have once given, charity unfortunately stays at home!

As with any business in a recession charities need to be where their audience is or they run the risk of being left behind, and it’s clear some smaller charities are struggling to change lanes and adopt social media as a key part of their strategy. Some charities, however, have made the leap and have been reaping the rewards of new social opportunities.

Age Concern with partner Innocent Smooties developed ‘The Big Knit’. Started in 2003 the campaign has raised, to date, over £600k for older people in the colder winter months. The campaign now includes Flickr, YouTube and Blog channels which enable the people who’ve got behind the campaign to be part of the story. Clever widgets such as the ‘Hatometer’, which can be embedded into supporters blogs and websites, shows how many hats have been knitted so far. (more…)

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Business2Business Exhibition – WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2009 (10am – 4pm)

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

The exhibition aims to promote, inspire and connect innovative people in Stokesley, Durham and the Tees Valley. Please come along to this FREE event and see what the area offers in the way of diverse and innovative companies.

FREE seminars FREE buffet lunch from 12.30 pm. Open to members of the public and businesses. Register your interest today to attend one or both of the seminars. Lots of help and advice will be available. Parking available around the business park.
(more…)

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Better Brand Agency

Posted by: Better Brand Agency

Filed in: Better Brand Agency, Events, Web and Digital

TyneTees Twestival THIS MONDAY @ 7pm

Friday, September 11th, 2009

Hi all,

Just a reminder that Tyne Tees Twestival will be held this coming Monday.  The team here at Twestival Towers are really excited and have been a bit hectic of late, hence the direct mailing!  Thanks to everyone who has bought a ticket already, and I hope you will encourage others to do the same!

It’s on Monday at 7pm at Hoults Yard within the Boiler House – I just realized that I’ve been calling it the Boiler Room….oops!  The photo comes from PJ White’s Flickr account – worth a look! You’ll find a map on our blog page – thanks Google! :)

If you can not get a ticket before the event, send us a Tweet so we know you are coming along (and will buy more booze/food). You can donate on the door as Better Brand Agency will be manning it along with a big donation box.

So…the all important question – what does your £10 DONATION for each ticket get you?…
(more…)

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Be Better Informed – August 09

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Our monthly shout out about what’s buzzing in the Better studio.

We’re all really pleased to introduce a new member of the Better team to you all. Say hello to Sam Larcombe, who has joined us as Account Manager. Sam will be keeping us slick and efficient as we grow as a business, ensuring we stay close to our clients. If you’re on Twitter please add her @abettersam.

In September we’re proud to be hosting the hottest event in the calendar if you’re a Twitter fan.
The Twestival is a global charity event being hosted in over 200 cites across the globe with the simple aim of having fun and raising money for local charities. This year the region will be hosting two events, TeesTwestival on Sept 10th and TyneTwestival on Sept 14th supporting Teesside Hospice and NECCR respectively. We’re looking for sponsors for either (Or both!) events so if you want to get your brand in front of techy cool crowd, and support a good cause get in touch.

If you’re on Twitter you really will need to be there. For exciting updates on plans as they develop follow them on @tynetwestival and @teestwestival and use the hash tag #TTWES. (more…)

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TWESTIVAL IS BACK, AND TWICE AS BIG!

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

As most of you have heard, Twestival is back and Better Brand Agency is happy to announce Tyne and Tees Twestivals will be taking place in early September.

Details of headline sponsor and corporate sponsors opportunities will be announced shortly, as will some of the ideas we’ve got to make this year, bigger and better. So keep an eye on the Twitter accounts @TyneTwestival and@TeesTwestival and local media for more news.

Tyne TwestivalTees Twestival

(more…)

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Living through a revolution

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

I read a piece recently by Clay Shirky, who in a blog post entitled ‘Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable,’ reflected on the nature of revolutions. Periods of time when old ‘stuff’ was no longer relevant to us and new ‘stuff’ couldn’t come along fast enough to replace it. That feels like now doesn’t it?

The edges of our media space are expanding faster than our ability to make sense of them, of new technologies, of how people use them and of the shake out, that will mean some old media will fall by the wayside.

But this is an unravelling story seen from two very different perspectives. The user, swept along by the rush of the crowd to try new media, to make that media fit their lifestyle and the marketer, trying to position a brand where its’ target customer is. (more…)

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