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Organisations are predicted to spend an increasing share of their marketing budgets on search engine optimisation in 2009. But what are the new themes and issues that will tax organisations in their efforts to make the most of search?

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Business Briefing: How to Sell on the Web

Being able to compete online is a major area which small and medium-sized businesses in particular need advice. New Media Knowledge interviewed sales specialist Sean McPheat for some words of wisdom.

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e-Marketing Breeds New Events

The drive towards more Web marketing is heralding a new breed of tailored events for dispersed brand stakeholders and developers. Discover the emerging trend towards tailored, private events for online brand communities...

Rise In Web Marketing Sparks New Breed Of Events

The Web is the top marketing priority in 2005, however the drive towards more Web marketing is heralding a new breed of tailored events for online brand communities according to a new study by George P Johnson (GPJ), the UK’s leading event marketing company.

At least 78% of the 151 leading UK marketers questioned for the Event Marketing Trends 2005 study said they will hold or expand their Web marketing in 2005 with 36% planning to spend more. Almost one in five marketers said that the Web outperformed every element of the marketing mix in terms of its return on investment (ROI). As a result, it is the area of the marketing mix most likely to increase its share of budgets during the year ahead.

The pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors in particular expect to be more reliant on new media during the year – with 42% of those questioned predicting that budgets will grow. Similarly 41% of automotive companies and their suppliers expect to invest more in Web marketing.

Interestingly, this emphasis on new media appears to be sparking an intensified interest among marketers in the more traditional marketing medium of events. Event marketing (which encompasses conferences, internal events, seminars, trade shows) closely follows the Web as the area of the marketing mix mostly likely to grow its share of spend with 33% of marketers planning to spend more on events in 2005.

"Many companies appear to be deploying a clever combination of the Web and events," says Neil Jones, managing director of GPJ.

"They are using one to cost effectively reach a massive and geographically spread audience – and are then tactically deploying events such as seminars and conferences to cement some of these relationships."

Orange is a classic example of an organisation deploying this strategy. Orange runs the Orange Partner Programme. This is an online resource and contact point for the 19,000 developers who create applications for the 45 million or more customers who use the Orange Network.

To support this online marketing vehicle, in September 2004 Orange ran its first ever Code Camp. The Camp, based at Futurascope provided an opportunity for Orange to get closer to many of the developers based in France and the UK, reinforce its brand, and help accelerate the development of applications. The event, organised by GPJ, integrated classrooms and workshops, opportunities to exchange ideas with peers and industry gurus, with technology and support to write code. Of the developers who attended the Camp, 87% said the event helped them with their current developments, 48% said they would deliver their applications within the next 3 months, and 32% within the next 6 months. Almost all (95%) said they felt closer to the Orange Partner community.

Neil Jones believes it is this last crucial point which explains the emerging trend towards tailored, private events for online brand communities: "The Web is dominating many marketing agendas, and for good reason – but it has some distinct limitations. It doesn’t get an individual experiencing a brand, and it is that experience which builds intimacy and loyalty. That’s why we expect a growing number of e-businesses, or companies with significant online initiatives to start supporting these with tactical events during 2005."

For a copy of the Report or to find out more about the Orange Code Camp visit www.gpjco.co.uk or call GPJ on 207 8334 6700.

About GPJ:
GPJ is part of The George P. Johnson Company, the world’s largest event marketing agency. It is responsible for strategic planning, integration and brand communication for over 1600 events a year around the world. GPJ handles all internal and external events for IBM, it also organises ground-breaking seminars, exhibitions and conferences at venues as diverse as Tate Modern, The Palace of Versailles, The Eden Project and Barcelona's Montjuic Convention Centre. It's clients include Kraft, Unlilever, IBM, Siebel, Sun, Astrazeneca, Novell and DaimlerChrysler.