By Hazel Butters

January 30th, 2013

Watching the Detectives

Watching the Detectives

This week back in 1952, the first TV detector van – a brand new way of tracking owners of unlicensed television sets in the UK – was demonstrated in front of Postmaster-General, Lord De La Warr.

Now, although this may just sound like a quirky historical technology milestone, we think that detector vans deserve a little more explanation – both for our readers outside of the UK, and for those among you who have never quite been convinced that this method of detection was all that it seemed. So here’s some brief background.

In 1926 the British Broadcasting Company – a British commercial company formed in 1922 by British and American electrical businesses trying to sell their innovative products to radio buyers – was wound up. All of its assets were transferred to the non-commercial, royal chartered British Broadcasting Corporation, or the BBC as we know it today. With the advent and wider adoption of TV broadcasting, the British government decided to introduce a licence fee payable by all TV set owners, who by necessity were viewers of BBC programming, the only show in town.

Introduced on 1 June 1946, the licence covered a single channel, black and white BBC television service, and it cost £2 per year. In 1968, a ‘colour supplement’ of £5 was added to the then £5 monochrome licence, making a full-colour licence fee £10 per annum. Today the equivalent fee for every UK household (with a variety of exceptions) receiving television broadcasts is £145.50 (£49 if you’re still watching solely in black and white) – and that includes the use of devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones. In 2011–12, declared licence fee revenues were £3.681 billion – the lion’s share of the BBC’s total income of around £5 billion. The licence fee is classified as a tax set by the UK’s Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, with the BBC authorised to collect fees by the Communications Act 2003. Evasion remains a criminal offence, and nearly every household in the UK routinely pays their licence, with many believing that detector vans will find them out if they don’t.

But would they? Really?

The 1952 detection equipment was developed at experimental Post Office labs in Dollis Hill, London. Contemporary photos show three horizontal loop aerials slung on the roofs of old trucks. These detector vans were apparently designed to receive signals from TV sets in homes using internal or external aerials, and were said to patrol Britain’s streets regularly, pin-pointing signals and matching them against a list of licensed homes before making doorstep demands.

And here’s the rub. Although most Brits grew up watching foreboding adverts of a slow moving but scarily sophisticated fleet of vans, and have dutifully paid their fees in fear of detection, an increasing number of people today have stopped believing in them entirely. It began when I was young, when I was told that what the licensing people actually did was just randomly knock on the doors of households with rooftop TV aerials  and spot checked licences, solely to keep the detection van myth going. This cynicism has grown and grown, and today it is generally accepted that if there really is a fleet of vans, then it probably fits in one pretty small lock-up garage, and only exists for PR purposes, if at all.

What is almost certain, is that the vast majority of licence evaders these days are not tracked by tricksy vans with special equipment on their roofs at all, but by unpaid direct debit records, tracked against an historic database, and prompted by renewal letters. In fact the only time I’ve ever heard of friends having their licences checked is when moving house, which again doesn’t demand much investigation by the BBC, and certainly not a spy vehicle of any kind.

So what do you think, really – 60-odd years of expensively maintained vehicle fleets and armies of personnel roaming the British countryside fingering licence evaders, or an evolution from random checks with clipboards into routine checks with databases and bank records? High-tech mobile surveillance, or a deterring veil of Orwellian scare tactics? Every opinion from every angle can be found online, of course (some pretty definitive, actually), but sometimes it’s more interesting to ask yourself – what do you really think? Had you even bothered to question the existence of detector vans?

Oh, and don’t forget to tell us!

By PromptBoston

January 28th, 2013

Prompt’s content marketing Monday tip #3: Think like an editor

Prompt’s content marketing Monday tip #3: Think like an editor

When you are ready to start creating and developing thought leadership content as part of your broader PR and marketing strategy, it’s important to think like an editor. Just as any editor would ensure a publication’s articles and stories are relevant, engaging, and accurately written for its readers and audience, you should do the same with your organization’s content.

Like an editor, you’ll need to take the time to think carefully about the content of your marketing pieces, and be prepared to put some effort into balancing your own marketing messages with the informational needs of the audience and individuals you are targeting – whether that’s other industry professionals or potential customers. To start, map out the content you plan to share, schedule when you will release it, and think about how it will be received and discussed.

There is no need to create this content in a vacuum – always link your creative processes back to your broader business objectives and sales targets.  And don’t be scared to be specific and upfront about those business objectives either. For example, if the Prompt team is working with a client who is in the process of supporting activities around a venture funding drive, we will work with that marketing team to produce detailed content that can be used at appropriate times before and after VC presentations.

A core tactic we’ve seen many clients use recently is scheduling content to link to specific lead generation activities – whether it’s a key product launch, an interesting new product feature, or a strategic expansion into new markets or geographies. And most importantly, be smart, plan your content creation for maximum return, make sure you know why your messaging is of value, and remember to keep thinking like an editor.

By PromptBoston

January 22nd, 2013

A huge slice of Raspberry Pi

A huge slice of Raspberry Pi

It’s hard-press to find an aspect of the technology world that the consultants at Prompt don’t enjoy – from interactive shark tracking websites to mind-controlled helicopters – we are intrigued by it all. And the most recent tech gadget to grab our attention is more than just something to play with in your spare time, it aims to teach kids and adults around the globe more about computer programming.

And the Raspberry Pi, a credit-card-sized Linux computer created by the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory and launched in early 2012, has seemingly gained more attention than just that of Prompt’s. The inexpensive motherboard with basic word-processing and Internet application capabilities has already sold over one million units.

The non-profit behind the computer, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, has made its goals very clear – restore and drive interest in computer programming, particularly in youth, and encourage governing bodies to support programming curriculum in schools, starting with the UK.

Inspired by this mission and the little-but-mighty computer, Prompt has started its own Raspberry Pi project called, ‘A Slice of Pi’, where we will use the computer to enhance our computer programming skills (and have a little fun along the way). To learn more about our project, watch our YouTube video and follow our YouTube channel for the most recent happenings of the project, documented all on video.

Happy programming!

By Hazel Butters

January 15th, 2013

Why your business should hire a Cambridge teenager in 2013

Why your business should hire a Cambridge teenager in 2013

Here at Prompt we’re all big fans of innovation, of being active in our community, and of all the opportunities that are created when innovation and communities come together.

At our @PromptBoston office, overlooking the Boston skyline from the inspiring Cambridge Innovation Center, being part of a community expands beyond the scope of our own building to the broader Cambridge community. This manifests itself in many ways, one of which includes our support of Cambridge youth projects, including the Cambridge Challenge. This multi-year initiative led by the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s Community Outreach Committee, brings businesses and youth together. Just last week we were invited by the Cambridge Challenge to a guest reception, where we were able to meet Cambridge City’s Mayor Henrietta Davis, as well as Cambridge Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Young.

CIC’s Tim Rowe greeted everyone at the event, including companies and organizations like us that had recruited Cambridge teenagers over the previous year, as well as representatives from the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Tim then introduced Mayor Davis who explained how being introduced to business at an early age – particularly in Cambridge’s hotbed of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – can really give teenagers a feel for what is possible in life. The Mayor’s comments were complemented by thoughts from Jeffrey Young who talked about the immeasurable gains for youngsters participating in programs such as the Cambridge Challenge, as well as the many benefits for the businesses involved. From Prompt’s experience of working for a number of years with local Cambridge teenagers, we couldn’t agree more.

One of the talking points that really resonated with me personally was the broader opportunity for the Cambridge community. Working at this unique confluence of world-leading universities – including MIT and Harvard – businesses with cutting-edge technologies have a huge opportunity to make a real difference in teenager’s lives; inspiring and shaping them for the challenges that lie ahead.

It’s not the first year that @PromptBoston has been involved in the Cambridge Youth employment program, and it certainly won’t be our last.  We encourage other companies – within the CIC and in the wider area – to really participate in this. You can sign up by emailing teenjobs@cambridgema.gov

By PromptBoston

January 15th, 2013

LinkedIn gives over 200 million reasons to perfect our profiles

LinkedIn gives over 200 million reasons to perfect our profiles

As discussed in many of our past workshops and training courses, LinkedIn is becoming the top tool for employers and recruiters seeking new hires. An article in Sunday’s Boston Globe found over the past year, the number of corporate users on LinkedIn increased by more than 40 percent, from 9,200 in 2011 to nearly 13,700 in late 2012.

The free social networking space is one outlet that has the potential to make this difficult job market that much more manageable – acting as a digital business card, resume and elevator pitch, all on one webpage.

Last week, LinkedIn proved its tremendous growth by reaching a record milestone of over 200 million members worldwide. The professional social space is now used in 200 countries, and users can access the platform in 19 languages across the globe. In fact, according to The Next Web, nearly two new members join LinkedIn every second – that’s a whopping 172,800 registrations each day!

If you haven’t signed up for LinkedIn yet, or have fears of promoting a half-completed profile, not to worry – Prompt offers free weekly LinkedIn pointers, helping you perfect everything from professional profile photos, to properly filling out the ‘Experience’ section. We’ve taken our knowledge from past workshops and training courses held in the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) and compiled them into simple, easy-to-implement emails, sent straight to your inbox on a weekly basis.

Whether you’re a start-up founder, a non-profit strategist or a college graduate just getting into the job hunt, these tips are ideal to get you fully up and running on LinkedIn, completely free of charge. To immediately receive our first LinkedIn tip, just provide us with your contact information in the form below:

If you have additional or specific questions about LinkedIn, please feel free to get in touch with us on our Twitter or Facebook pages, or send us an email: LinkedIn@prompt-communications.com.

Next month, we’ll also be hosting a LinkedIn workshop right in the CIC – a great networking event for Boston-based businesses. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for more workshop details in the near future!

By PromptBoston

January 14th, 2013

Prompt’s content marketing Monday tip #2: Don’t worry about ‘digital crickets’

Prompt’s content marketing Monday tip #2: Don’t worry about ‘digital crickets’

Please don’t worry about the ‘digital crickets’ – if you develop what you and your team know is a bright and original piece of content, but you don’t find people knocking down your digital door to download or request it, don’t worry. Learn from the experience by all means, and think about what you might want to change next time to make your call to action more compelling, but definitely don’t let it stop you using content marketing.

There are many very good reasons to continue generating strong content that may not produce immediately measurable results in the form of high analytics numbers, frequent comments or forms filled with demographics.

Great content will help you to communicate key messages, demonstrate engagement with industry trends, share an understanding of key issues and be authoritative about the topics that matter to your clients. In the long term, high numbers truly aren’t as valuable as any evidence that your content is playing a background role in instilling customer confidence and bolstering your company’s broader market credentials.

Engagement with customers and prospects is arguably the strongest metric of any marketing effort and can make all the difference with fickle customers in a cost-conscious, competitive environment. So as long as you trust your convictions and stand by your content, there’s no need to start panicking if a few digital crickets decide to get chirpy now and then!

By PromptBoston

January 13th, 2013

A tech PR’s reasons to love Cambridge #47: MIT hacks

A tech PR’s reasons to love Cambridge #47: MIT hacks

Working right next door to MIT, we love to see and hear about the regular student ‘hacks’. One of our favorites saw MIT’s green building become a giant-sized Tetris game.

We’re pretty sure that when  William Welles Bosworth designed MIT’s Great Dome, he didn’t foresee that one day it would be transformed into R2-D2, be adorned by an Olympic medal, become known as the resting place for a police car (okay, it was really the shell of a Chevrolet Cavalier, although it did contain a dummy dressed as a police officer complete with a box of donuts), or be the backdrop of Pac-Man and adversary Blinky.

For this latest hack of the Great Dome, MIT students had to work around some major construction work taking place on top of the building. The construction is actually pretty interesting in itself – it’s to replace a skylight that was blocked back in 1942 so that it couldn’t be used as a marker for enemy bombers keen to target MIT as a radar research facility.

Which brings us to another reason to love this area – a rich tech history.

By Hazel Butters

January 10th, 2013

Mass Innovation Nights: #MIN46 and its ‘Innovation Optimists’

Mass Innovation Nights: #MIN46 and its ‘Innovation Optimists’

The human drive to innovate overwhelms me.  I’m reminded of this most days, as I have the luxury of working with technology enthusiasts, those driving startups — the people I see as innovation optimists (because you have to not only come up with the idea, but have to have the passion, enthusiasm and belief in it as well).

Last night, PromptBoston attended the latest Mass Innovation Night, #MIN46, at the IBM Innovation Center in Waltham.  Run by the brilliant Bobbie Carlton, a woman who is unafraid to use a bullhorn, this is a chance to meet, speak and hear from a range of innovators – and is a key part of the New England innovation community. Some of the highlights from last night’s MIN event include, in alphabetical order:

– Amico Bracelets: Startup Trovare Inc. has enhanced the way society connects in real-time, face-to-face interactions — all through tech-powered, silicone Amico Bracelets. Along with being quite the fashion statement for techies, Amico Bracelets are completely touch-based and come in several different colors. A user simply downloads the Amico app, connects it to his or her bracelet and social media accounts, and the device will blink or vibrate once others with the same interests and hobbies are nearby. The bracelet overcomes any shyness or fear of rejection when reaching out to new contacts — the perfect accessory for those who want to network and be stylish at the same time.

– Cleverhood: Based in Massachusetts’ neighboring state of Rhode Island, Cleverhood aims to bring together style and sustainability in a smart-looking, durable rain cape. At $239 apiece, more than 400 Cleverhood cloaks have been sold since April. The ponchos, which are designed, produced and manufactured in the US, strive to promote walking and biking as a means of transportation — reducing pollution and heavy traffic flow stemming from automobile use. Last night, founder Susan Mocarski admitted the idea stemmed from her aggravation in hoarding women’s rainwear and yet having nothing practical to wear to face the elements — and we whole-heartedly relate!

– Urvideoprofile: Hiring a caregiver for a loved one is difficult — especially when making the decision solely from a paper resume. With this idea in mind, Urvideoprofile created a safe, online video platform, where applicants can log in, create a brief video profile explaining their experience, and interact with families looking for homecare, childcare, nannies and more. The local invention seems a perfect fit for today’s society, in a world that relies heavily on technology and visual aid.

– ViralGains: This Cambridge-based startup is redefining video marketing. ViralGains is an ad technology company with a focus in viral video advertising. ViralGains’ co-founder Kate Willett, explained to MIN attendees how ViralGains’ platform is built on social syndication, or people-powered placements. Willett highlights the fact that people are 90 percent more likely to watch a video if it has been recommended or shared by a friend through social media. From there, people who share the video are five times more likely to purchase your product. Current clients for this brilliant startup include Pepsi, Sears and Life is Good — all investing in the integration of social media and video. By creating this online strategy, companies can maximize views on videos, at a low cost.

Along with meeting great people, we also left the event with some treats, including UNREAL candy samples from CandyUnjunked (yum). We’re looking forward to the next Mass Innovation Night, and seeing even more innovation optimists take the stage to showcase such great local talent.

For more information on the events, be sure to visit the Innovation Night website. Also, to view Bobbie’s take on the event, read her blog post here – thanks for including us in the round-up, Bobbie!

By PromptLondon

January 9th, 2013

Table-sized tablets and mind-controlled helicopters: A look into CES 2013

Table-sized tablets and mind-controlled helicopters: A look into CES 2013

As tech-talking PR specialists, and self-proclaimed ‘geeks’, this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), hosted in Vegas, has captured our attention throughout most of the week.

While the tech extravaganza doesn’t wrap up until Friday, many around the globe are already abuzz about what 2013 will have to offer in the way of smarter, more innovative technology. The annual gathering aimed at developers, manufacturers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware is the marketplace for new gadgets and gizmos, with vendors vying for business sales and press attention. Speaking of attention, here are some futuristic products that caught ours at this year’s show:

Televisions: On day one, we saw Haier preview its latest smart TV that uses eye movement to control the panel – we’re sure this provides great excitement for long-standing and occasional couch potatoes alike.  But perhaps the TV that truly wowed CES-goers the most was Samsung’s 110-inch UHD TV, which is rumored to be made available to the public in late 2013.

Tablets: Meanwhile, at a different display, Plastic Logic unveiled its revolutionary PaperTab tablet, marketed as the thinnest and lightest tablet to date. The product remains true to its name – it’s as thin as a sheet a paper, and features a 10.7-inch screen. In contrast, Lenovo attempted to take computing from the desk to a coffee table (literally), with its IdeaCentre Horizon. The device comes with a 27-inch screen that can be used as both a table surface and a massive tablet.

Gaming: NeuroSky, a California-based tech company, really impressed us at CES, partnering with Focus Pocus to create a $200 video game to help children with ADHD. According to the Los Angeles Times, the game improves concentration by focusing on impulse control, attention span and memory, having the player complete a series of wizardry tasks, like creating potions and racing with broomsticks. Reports are then sent to the child’s caretakers – a great indication of the scientific impact technology can have. As if that weren’t amazing enough, NeuroSky then joined Puzzlebox to showcase a mind-controlled helicopter, appropriately dubbed as Orbit. Put that on our future Christmas wish lists!

Accessories: SealShield debuted the Sea Lion, the world’s first fully-functional, antibacterial and waterproof phone case for the iPhone5. The phone case was one of many in a series of new designs, but this one stood out for its abilities to clean and stop the growth of microbial bacteria, mold, mildew and fungi on an iPhone’s surface.

Although we can’t be there in person, we’re excitedly trawling news updates and social media posts – awaiting reports from what’s left of CES 2013. From what we’ve seen so far, the tradeshow provides us with a glimpse into a future filled with smart technology, which is bound to impact our daily lives in the years to come.

By Hazel Butters

January 8th, 2013

Using LinkedIn to find a job: A ten point plan

Using LinkedIn to find a job: A ten point plan

One thing that I have learned while running free LinkedIn workshops for the past two years, is that there is no such thing as a typical attendee job role or level of expertise. I have spoken with managers, lawyers, personal trainers, computer scientists, marketers, and people in all possible roles in between.

But there are certainly a few common themes that crop up time and time again. One of these is the question: “How do I use LinkedIn to find a job?” In reply, we thought it would be helpful if we packaged up all our presentations, worksheets, templates and best practices to share with those of you who haven’t been able to come by our offices (although you are always more than welcome). We have also added in some extra videos and anecdotes (just so that you can see what I look like), and can now share all of our ideas with you in our latest course: ‘Using LinkedIn to find a job: A ten point plan‘.

Because we have created such a lot of great content, advice, hints and tips, we are offering it all as a month-long course. This will give you the opportunity to develop your LinkedIn strategy alongside us, and ensure that you have time to complete all the exercises and ask us any questions that you have as you go along.

The course is split into 10 sections and follows a detailed course with accompanying workbook that includes templates, examples, concepts and inspiration to give your job hunt the impact it needs to get you to where you want to be. Additional hands-on support will be provided with a personal weekly support check-in and weekly calls.

Request a full breakdown of the course contents here – get in touch and make 2013 the year that you used LinkedIn to maximize your job hunting.

By PromptBoston

January 7th, 2013

Prompt’s content marketing Monday tip #1: Avoid the hype

Prompt’s content marketing Monday tip #1: Avoid the hype

Here’s a piece of advice that’s relevant across all communications channels: there’s no advantage in being boastful, overselling or forcing far too much detail about your products and services down people’s throats. You won’t make any friends this way, and ultimately you’ll actually make fewer sales.

We all know that the very essence of marketing lies in communicating the value of products and services to customers in ways that lead to sales and revenue. But there is a distinct line between engaging customers, partners and prospects in an encouraging dialogue, and simply delivering a one-way torrent of hyperbole. It’s important to learn how to emphasize a strong ability to meet demands and solve problems, without making such grandiose claims that the truth in those message is entirely overlooked and lost.

Like marketing, selling isn’t about being boastful or pushy. It’s not about simply repeating a blunt descriptive phrase of what your company does until it sticks. It’s about sharing the features and benefits of your products and services, and genuinely engaging with prospects about how you could help them and work with them. It needn’t be a soft sell, but neither should it be so hard that it puts customers off.

So the next time you’re mulling over content for your new pieces of marketing collateral, dump the hype and be straightforward and genuine.