Zeus

 Sigma home page

The website we have designed, written and built for Sigma has just gone live. It’s at www.sigma-group.co.uk 

Sigma are IT infrastructure support and wireless networking and applications whizzkids, so we’re quite pleased that they trusted us with something so geeky!

Wireless networking side

When they get to be bigger than microsoft, you’ll know why

We’re not that bothered by Bob and Boris’s childish posturing. Honestly, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the tube was staffed by French farmers.  So thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we’re working from our Pinner office today, and no-one will even notice the difference. If anyone needs to get in touch with us, the office number will divert here and email will reach us too.

Best dressed man in advertising?

Last weekend, I took part in a folding bike race at the Smithfield Nocturne. The rules stated that competitors had to wear ‘business attire’. So this is what 10,000 spectators think that I wear to work.

In case you were wondering, I didn’t win any prizes for fashion or cycling. I qualified for the final, but could only manage to finish thirty-somethingth. Great fun though!

Why do radio stations keep playing the same ads over and over and over and over?

For me, it goes like this… First time I hear an ad I think “That’s new”. The next few times it becomes familiar - I don’t mind at this point, it’s a bit like hearing the next track on an album in your head a moment before it actually plays. Then it gets to the “I know this one” stage and it just washes over me. This is followed by the thought that “I like/dislike this one”, and then it goes quickly downhill to “This is starting to irritate me”, and from there to “This is actually annoying me now” to “STOP IT NOW” followed by “I will never buy anything from them ever again” and finally “What’s on the other station?”

I suppose the ideal is to change the ad before it starts to irritate. So why don’t they? It must be reflected in the sales and listening figures as well as in my irritation. Changing the ad can’t be that hard can it? They’re only radio ads. If they’ve run out of ideas, we’d be happy to write some new ones for them.

Today’s subject is Twitter, which I have to admit I just don’t get. Here are two twitter-related sites for your Friday link-clicky fun:

First up, a site which seems to confirm everything I thought about people who tweet…

http://tweetingtoohard.com/

And secondly, via B3ta, a site that tells you how to use Twitter for marketing and PR - the Web 2.0 adman’s holy grail explained…

http://www.howtousetwitterformarketingandpr.com/

Have a great bank holiday!

Yesterday we went to a 2012 procurement meeting and heard several mind-boggling facts which we’re happy to share with you.

Did you know that they’re spending £130 million a month building the venues? Or that that (love writing that) they’re going to increase it to £160 million a month?

The media centre alone is big enough to house five jumbo jets - but I reckon it will be more useful to house broadcasters in.

The Olympic park will have 800,000 people on site during the games.

And the security fence is 15km long and 6m high which is probably only just high enough to keep out pole-vaulting terrorists.

And my point is? Well after all the endless debates about costs etc it’s all starting to become real now. Quite exciting really.

Saw this bus ad in East Finchley on Saturday and thought it was great - very intelligent advertising…

Had an interesting email from a nice gentleman called Alfred Atkins this morning. He’s asking for help in transferring some money. I’d love to help him out, but I’m just too busy working to be able to earn huge amounts of money for doing nothing. Perhaps someone out there can help him out… Here’s his email… 

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Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Alfred Atkins, an executive staff of a bank in Scotland, UK. I wish to make a transfer involving a huge amount to a designated bank account of  your choice. For your support (morally, financially etc.), you will have 45% share of the total amount after concluding the transfer. Kindly reply me at alatkinz@megamail.pt, and call at +447045738816 stating your interest, and I shall send you the details and necessary procedure with which to make the transfer. I anxiously await your response.

Regards,

Mr. Atkins

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Please let us know if you become rich overnight as a result

We’re very pleased with the posters we recently created for Kinetic, the Out Of Home (OOH) media agency.  

Kinetic asked us to come up with some posters to run in agency toilets to make media planners and buyers aware of their new Daily Post product, which allows media buyers to start poster campaigns whenever they want. You can’t beat a bit of toilet humour…

If you’re worried about Swine flu, click one of these links to see if you’ve got it:

http://doihavepigflu.com/
http://doihaveswineflu.org/

On a similar theme, Private Eye’s current cover is brilliant:

http://www.private-eye.co.uk/covers.php?showme=1235&

And finally, a very clever idea that points up the stupidity of Jacqui Smith’s plans to create a superdatabase of everyone’s phone calls, texts, internet use, and emails:

http://www.ccjacquismith.co.uk/

Have a great Bank Holiday