Lockdown life skills

So after approximately 12 weeks without the tedious 45-minute commute to travel a measly 6 miles to the office, I decided to reflect on what I have achieved with these invaluable bonus hours. What have I accomplished whilst not radio and lane hopping my way down the M60?

This is my moment to brag about my bread baking and the perfection of my painting skills and a firmer, flatter tummy courtesy of Tabata. But my work colleagues know me too well. Even on Zoom, my work family would spot the exaggeration, well actually the outright lies.

My commute-free reality is an extra 15 minutes in bed and extra cuddles with my kids. Maybe not shout-out-loud new life skills but a bonus all the same. And in this taxing time, you take what you can and count your simple blessings.

In my defence the last 12 weeks has seen me gradually morph into my mum. I am helping self-isolating neighbours (and know their life and love stories and even their names now) and I have become obsessed with filling my decking with blooming plants and Mediterranean pots. I am even attempting not to kill a tomato plant and two lettuces. In my head I’m trying to recreate a heavenly, cool Ibiza Beach Club scene with cream sofas and parasols where I will sip Mojitos, reading French novels while listening to vintage Moby.

In reality, the garden looks like a miniature unfinished Haven holiday park adorned with plastic toys, a creaking swing, a fluorescent trampoline, a deflated paddling pool, naked Barbies and Ikea pink plastic tables. With then Frozen soundtrack blaring out to complete the Havenly, very unheavenly experience.

But at least my unschooled children are happy. And that’s my main achievement for the COVID ridden Spring-Summer of 2020. That and hopefully a home-grown salad.

So, what has the rest of the UK been up to with their commute-less, holiday-less and furloughed free time?

Has it left you feeling restless, bored, anxious, chilled out – or motivated to learn a new language, improve your culinary skills, take up taekwondo or mediate your way out of the madness?

With so many online tutorials, apps and resources swamping social media and bragging WhatsApp groups, mastering the art of the down dog or honing haberdashery skills through to coding courses and building a drystone wall should be a walk in the park. And free.

Sales of breadmakers, portable pizza ovens, home brew kits, yoga wear and sewing machines are soaring. In theory, we should come out of COVID as a highly skilled, fit, calm – if not a little inebriated nation of individuals. 

So, how have the rest of the Cameron Wells team livened up their lockdown?

Anthony reckons he is now fit for DIY SOS. After a crash course from the professionals, he can now lay an Indian Sandstone patio. And safely build a new slide for his son.  Maybe stick to PR for a bit longer Ant…

Amid the mayhem of working, planning a house move, spending time with his daughters, Mano has still found time to write and record new music. Now that’s what I call male multi-tasking.

Cara, our wannabe Jane Fonda is now a Pilates convert and can also do the crow pose in Yoga which had always evaded her. When we eventually make it back to the office, we are fully expecting her to be wearing lycra and typing with her toes with her leg slung over one shoulder. Now that would be a lockdown life skill worth tweeting about.  

Meanwhile, Debbie has been getting crafty and has made a pair of earrings and a cushion for a friend’s birthday. Watch out Notonthehighstreet. She has also been meditating to manage the madness of running a business remotely whilst juggling her cats, pro bono work and shopping for an elderly neighbour who eats more meat than a wild bear. Not the greatest COVID pastime for our vegetarian, animal fanatic MD. But as usual she puts her best pleather foot forward and gets on with it.

What Debbie and Cara don’t shout about is the selfless time and energy they give to helping elderly people living alone. They both volunteer for Independent Age and while they can no longer do home visits, they are still calling their ladies every week to check on their health and wellbeing and putting a smile on their faces with their craft, cat and yoga anecdotes. It’s good to talk. That old BT strapline still rings true – now more than ever.

Similarly, Jen has devoted much of her free time to helping Manchester & Cheshire Dogs’ Home with their website content and enewsletter to ensure that theses once unwanted dogs find their new forever homes.

So we’ve all been doing our bit and doing our best to perfect our lockdown life skills which may not change the world – but have changed ours.

I am a firm believer that good things happen to good people and these bunch are truly good. Proof that you don’t have to be ruthless in – or out of business. Brands that have been fair to their customers and used their clout and free time to do good during the crisis should hopefully flourish – and the bad will be flushed out.

Let’s live in hope that post COVID Britain will be smarter, healthier, kinder and more resilient. And I might have a self-sufficient vegetable patch.

Ten sectors that will thrive post-COVID – from the obvious to the unexpected

Coronavirus has turned our world upside down.

The UK and global economy has experienced a seismic shock in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic – and much has been spoken about the losses, both financial and social.

But while doom and gloom has understandably overshadowed any good news in recent times, commercial life has not hit the buffers.

Many companies have adapted like chameleons to the new business environment, restructuring and reorganising to cater for new needs. Furthermore, as we look forward, new opportunities and creative solutions will emerge.

Although we may not have a crystal ball, we have identified ten sectors that are already showing signs of recovery, growth, or that have good reasons to feel upbeat about their post-Covid futures.

1. DIY beauty

For many of us, lockdown brought with it the jettisoning of our daily grooming and beauty standards. Some found this liberating, others discombobulating.

For those of us that fell into the latter category, a desperation to maintain beauty routines translated into a surge in DIY beauty treatments.

According to data from IMRG, sales of beauty products during the week commencing 15 March rose by 32 per cent year-on-year. McKinsey, meanwhile, reports that online sales of prestige-brand nail polish in the UK have seen double-digit growth every week since lockdown began in March. In the US, Nielsen reported year-on-year rises in the sales of hair dye and hair clippers by 23 and 166 per cent, respectively, in the first week of April.

Returning to the salon will be a priority for many – when they are able to do so. But with money tight, and social distancing concerns over professional treatments, regular salon visits for others, for the foreseeable future at least, may become a thing of the past.

This may mean a flourishing post-Covid market for DIY beauty – from digital makeup classes to online cosmetic products – as we reassess what treatments we can do ourselves at home, for a fraction of the cost.

2. Home fitness

No gym? No problem. While gym memberships were put on hold during lockdown, the world of home exercise has boomed.

In fact demand for home fitness equipment has soared by 170 per cent globally, according to Research and Markets.

All the while we have seen a surge in people following workout routines taught by fitness coaches online, from the nation’s PE teacher Joe Wicks to Hollywood super-trainer Tracy Anderson.

Will we return to sweating en masse again when life returns to a semblance of normality?

Not all of us according to David Minton, director of market intelligence firm Leisure Database Company. He predicts that one in five of us may forgo our gym membership for good in the new post-Covid world.

Where one door closes…

3. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity has become big business, and as we continue our ‘industry 4.0’ journey, its strategic importance is sure to only increase.

The trend towards an increasing dependence on digital tools and new working models will only accelerate post-Covid, with more companies moving services online and more employees working from home, using personal mobile devices to connect to home networks.

Consequently, despite the tightening of purse strings, it’s an investment that cannot be easily dispensed with.

Indeed, research by investment publication LearnBonds has revealed that 68 per cent of major organisations plan to increase their cybersecurity spending in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The growth of cyber insurance might also be expected to continue, as companies and individuals alike exploit all the possible avenues to mitigate loss.

4. Virtual meetings

Virtual interaction has become a mainstay of our daily lives in recent weeks, and so it should come as no surprise that the video conferencing sector has seen phenomenal growth.

At the end of April Microsoft Teams had 75 million daily active users, up 70 per cent from just six weeks earlier. It is the company’s fastest-growing business app ever.

Zoom, meanwhile, reported 169 per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2020 and expects full-year sales to increase by $623m in 2020.

As we emerge from the crisis, many of behavioural changes are likely to endure – we’re unlikely to be attending real world events or having regular face-to-face business meetings, for example, any time soon. What’s more, we have become a lot more familiar and comfortable with using these video conferencing platforms.

Tech providers are recognising the opportunities that lie ahead and are investing in their platforms apace in a bid to attract new customers, and to stay one step ahead of the competition. Check out our recent guide on how to engage customers in this new virtual world.

5. E-commerce and logistics

Thousands of businesses have shifted their focus to online sales during Covid-19, and the impact on the e-commerce sector is set to be huge.

According to analysts at Edge Retail Insights, the pandemic is expected to add £5.3bn to UK online sales this year – and significantly, industry experts are not expecting a retraction to pre-Covid levels.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has almost certainly had a lasting impact on the retail sector, reshaping consumer shopping habits, and the priorities for retailers and brands,” said Xian Wang, Senior Director of Product and Content at Edge by Ascential. 

The warehousing and logistics market, which was buoyant prior to the pandemic, will also become stronger as our reliance upon this core infrastructure intensifies.

6. E-learning

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the e-learning sector was fast growing. Lockdown accelerated this growth overnight, with demand for e-learning platforms reaching unprecedented levels.

According to the research firm Global Market Insights, the size of the market it is now set to exceed $375 billion by 2026.

And it hasn’t just been school pupils and university students turning to online resources. People in all walks of life, across all age groups, have been taking courses on everything from floristry to fishing.

The demand for smart education and learning solutions is expected to continue as digital technologies proliferate, techniques such as gamification and adaptive learning advance, and the benefits of easy and cost-effective access to educational content are increasingly recognised.

7. Healthcare

Over recent weeks, companies around the world have been racing to develop treatments for Covid-19 – and governments have been committed to supporting them.

As we emerge from the crisis, the widespread desire to spend more on health will remain and demand for healthcare products and services can only intensify.

Pharmaceutical and biotech companies have been leading the charge of late – and infectious disease prevention and treatment research is sure to continue with a vengeance – but opportunities for innovation and growth exist across a wide range of disciplines.

At Willis Towers Watson’s pre-Covid Health & Benefits Disruption Event, AXA Marketing and Innovation Director Gordon Henderson told delegates that healthcare “has changed more rapidly in the last two decades, than at any time in the last 2,000 years”.

New technologies, for example, are transforming how we think about healthcare. Amid Covid-19 fears, many patients have been forced to turn to virtual consultations, and this may help to trigger a boom in telemedicine platforms over the next few years. Other forms of digital and remote healthcare services, for both physical and mental health, may see a similar uplift.

The LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index found that professionals in healthcare are more confident about the prospects of their industry two years from now than the UK average.

8. Gaming

Video games have become a mainstay of the home entertainment industry. The sector continues to enjoy high-volume sales, and rather than seeing revenues wane in the wake of the pandemic, it has instead received a lockdown boost.

The immersive nature of gaming has offered welcome escapism. And while there have been understandable concerns that this binge may lead to an increase in gaming addiction, it is sure to have also opened the door to an even larger market of users.

Microsoft and Sony will officially launch their new games consoles later this year, which will trigger the next generation of game creations.

The industry must of course continue its innovation trajectory if it’s to retain its place at the heart of our entertainment media, but while creativity abounds, the sky’s the limit.

9. Cleaning and hygiene

As coronavirus spread, demand for cleaning products and services unsurprisingly surged.

Good hygiene practices have become so engrained in our day-to-day lives that returning to a state where we wash our hands, or disinfect work surfaces, less seems improbable

The future for companies that sell and distribute cleaning and hygiene products, or offer cleaning services, consequently seems a safe one.

Both the British Cleaning Council (BCC) and the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CHSA), however, have issued warnings about profiteering.

“The public needs to beware of some organisations outside the established cleaning and hygiene sector playing on people’s fears about Coronavirus to take advantage of the unprecedented demand for cleaning and hygiene products and services,” said BCC chair Paul Thrupp.

“We are aware of many instances where the products and services they offer have been exceptionally overpriced, with no kind of guarantee that they will do the job.”

10. Augmented reality

Post-Covid, augmented reality (AR) – which provides digital enhancements to the real world – may have an important role to play in retail, manufacturing and healthcare.

Augmented reality in retail can render items in 3D to give buyers a more experiential experience of products in their home, online environment. In the post-Covid retail world, this may be embraced with vigour.

Highlighting the benefits this can deliver, earlier this year, Burberry launched a new augmented reality (AR) shopping tool, linked to Google search technology. When searching for Burberry items using Google Search on their phone, consumers can see an AR version of the product at scale against other real-life objects. 

In manufacturing, AR can be deployed as part of the design, prototyping, inspection and maintenance processes, while in healthcare AR can help surgeons visualise areas on which they intend to operate.

According to an industry report by market research company Technavio, the global augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) market is expected to grow by $125 billion between now and 2024.

The social media route to getting your sales pipeline back on track

Businesses around the world have been hit hard by COVID-19.

For many, the last few months have been some of the most testing on record, but as the UK enters the next stage of the pandemic, the focus now turns to getting back on track – and that means injecting life back into the sales pipeline.

So how can social media help?

Social media should have already been an essential part of your marketing strategy, but with business being conducted almost entirely online for a large chunk of 2020, now is the time to take full advantage of the shift to digital and use it to translate leads into sales.

Here, we share seven key tips to using social media to drive sales in the wake of the pandemic.

1. Choose the platform that’s best for your business

Research by GlobalWebIndex found 71 per cent of company decision-makers say social media is influential when researching a new product or service for their business, while more than a third use it to discover new products and services.

It’s easy to create a company account on most social media platforms. But do you really need a presence on all of them?

If your target audience tends to be men aged 40-plus, Pinterest might not be worth your time. Similarly, Snapchat might seem like a good idea but will you be regularly creating ad-hoc video content to share with users?

Analyse your current customers – their age, gender and location – and think of the channels where they are most likely to be found. Scrutinise how your competitors do social too – what platforms do they use? Do they get many engagements or is it a wasted effort? What type of posts are most successful on each channel?

For B2B companies, LinkedIn tends to be the key platform, as well as Twitter and YouTube. But that doesn’t mean you should rule out Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. There needs to be a balance between being visible and not spreading yourself too thin.

2. Provide engaging content

While you want your social media strategy to generate sales, being too overtly promotional will have the opposite effect.

No one wants to follow a company that constantly puts out sales messages – it can be regarded as irritating, boring and rarely offers any real value to consumers. It can also risk driving customers and prospects into the arms of competitors.

What’s more, it can impact the reach of your posts. If no one is engaging with your posts due to them being too salesy, social media algorithms – the way posts are sorted on a user’s timeline based on relevancy – simply won’t prioritise your content in a user’s feed. Fundamentally, the more engagement your posts get, the more likely they are to be seen.

So how do you get your content in front of potential leads?

Brands should look to follow the 80:20 rule – 80 per cent original content (such as advice features, infographics and videos) and relevant third-party content (such as news stories and blogs), and 20 per cent promotional content.

By creating your own advice-led content, it also helps position your company as an expert in its field, offering customers and prospects insightful information on the subjects they are interested in.

If you want to use your content for lead generation, consider making a proportion of it gated. That is, ask prospects to provide valuable data, such as their name, email address and company in exchange for viewing marketing assets, such as whitepapers.

3. Show your personality

Many B2B companies fall into the trap of just posting ‘business-only’ content on their social channels, but ultimately everyone is human and ‘personal’ content will invariably achieve higher engagement rates.

People want to know who they are dealing with, so involve staff in your social media postings. Share mini ‘meet the team’ videos or a Q&A with your MD to demonstrate to prospects that you aren’t a faceless brand with no personality, but rather a knowledgeable group of individuals that they can trust.

Shout about your award wins, new appointments and contract wins – but at the same time, share images that reveal your company’s culture such as your office pet or your participation in charitable events.

Let your followers get to know you.

4. Share customer stories and testimonials

As an unbiased, trustworthy voice, customer case studies and testimonials can be a powerful weapon in the battle to convert leads to sales.

Third-party endorsement helps to prove the value and success of your company’s products and services, strengthening the reputation of your brand.

Share posts linking to your website case studies page, post customer quotes with attractive visuals and retweet or share positive feedback received via your social platforms.

Short video testimonials can also act as a social media magnet. A real person associating their name and brand with your company helps to build brand trust and authenticity, as well as providing your sales team with content to share when pitching to a potential customer.

5. Employee advocacy

Employees are your company’s greatest advocates. By encouraging staff to promote company news and content, you are not only expanding your brand reach, but also helping build trust among your target audience. Indeed, research has revealed consumers are more likely to trust posts from individuals rather than from organisations.

A sales team that is active on social media can also have a direct bottom line impact. Research has found 73 per cent of sales professionals that use social media as part of their sales process outperform their peers, with 23 per cent more likely to exceed their quota. Moreover, the top-performing sales reps who close 51 per cent more deals than their peers say social media platforms are ‘very important’ to their success.

An investment in LinkedIn Sales Navigator is also worth considering, enabling your sales team to reach out to prospects outside of their LinkedIn network and opening the door to opportunities based on previous search history, profile views and saved leads. Sales Navigator can also integrate with your CRM to help better manage your sales pipeline.

6. Run paid ads

More than 27 million people use LinkedIn across the UK – that’s more than 27 million business professionals you could be engaging with every day.

Not every one of those users will be interested in your products and services, but the network can empower you to reach out to a highly relevant audience. Its advertising solution offers refined targeting, reaching professionals by job title, company industry, company size, user age, job function and more. 

When compared to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn advertising is more expensive, but it typically delivers the best results for B2B companies.

7. Monitor social interactions and engage

Social listening is a frequently underused tool in generating sales from social media.

There are times when social media users will voice their need for a particular product or service, asking their followers or connections for recommendations. This calls for a swift response.

Some might not be asking for product advice, instead posting about a topic relevant to your business. It is still important to engage and get involved in these conversations.

Social media management tools, such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social, can simplify this process. Just set up the relevant keywords and hashtags and reply to those that are most appropriate.

Feelgood films to get you through the coronacoaster!

There’s nothing like a film debate to unite or divide the office or get families feuding over the remote for Fight Club or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. 

These days, there may not be any office banter by the water cooler or coffee machine to debate the merits of Cooper over Gosling or Theron over Streep while we are denied our regular popcorn and pick-n-mix filled Odeon trips.

But family, friends and colleagues are Teaming and Zooming for work and pleasure – with film fanatics sharing their must-watch bucket lists to fill lockdown free time.

But tastes in films can be as varied and divisive as marmite.

While some swoon at the sway of the Swayze hips, others switch off the minute she mutters the immortal and infamous watermelon line. Love or hate it, Trainspotting hit the headlines and became a cultural and box office phenomenon.

But two hours escapism with a good film is just what we need right now. Since the pandemic began, people have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions from financial anxiety to appreciation for the heroic work of the NHS, emotional stress and loneliness to optimism for a more caring future.

So, switch off your laptops, turn off the (bad) news, grab some popcorn and indulge in one of these lockdown oldies but goodies – there’s something to suit every mood and taste. 

Here are the Cameron Wells top 10 films to get you out of your COVID slumber. Don’t judge us!

Feeling financially fractious?

Debbie recommends a dose of The Wolf of Wall Street to take your mind off your own money worries for a few hours. See how these top earners bounce back from financial ruin in Martin Scorsese’s story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort played by Leonardo DiCaprio who is living the American dream thanks to a life of excess, indulgence, corporate greed and corruption in the late 80s.

In need of a holiday with fine food and wine?

Claire would escape to Provence with Russell Crowe in A Good Year. Ambitious and ruthless broker Max Skinner moves to Provence to sell the vineyard he inherited from his late uncle. But of course he falls in love with the breathtakingly beautiful Provence and local barmaid and decides to settle into this intoxicating new chapter of his life, as he comes to realise that life, like fine wine is meant to be savoured. Santé!

Are you mad about missing music?

Our own Manc musician Mano would re-watch 24-hour Party People to escape the lockdown lull. Spanning the 1970’s to early 1990’s, this is the story of the Manchester music scene. After witnessing a concert by an unknown band called the Sex Pistols, Tony Wilson, a local news presenter persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester’s punk groups are clamouring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records and the Hacienda Club.

But if you’re not quite cool enough for the Madchester scene then why not head to Catskills with Claire for some Dirty Dancing. Filled with as many feel good tunes as gyrating hips and cheesy one liners, it’s a guilty pleasure for many fans – in and out of the closet.

Are you feeling anxious?

If you need to switch off and escape to a life where everything is full of shiny happy people, lose yourself in Greece for a few hours. Cara reluctantly admits to enjoying a bit of a sing-along to Mamma Mia. Let’s face it, we all know the words…so get out the Baklava and feel the beat of the tambourine. Oh yeah.

Desperate to be friends reunited?

Then join Jen in NYC for some Sex and the City. You’ll laugh at the one-liners, be jealous of the clothes and shoes, be warmed by the genuine love between these 4 friends who seem to be constantly shopping, eating out and falling in and out of love – and drinking Cosmopolitans like water.

And for the boys missing their mates, Anthony relives his misspent youth with The Inbetweeners following four geeky high school friends who set out on a wild, sun and booze-filled holiday. Packed with outrageous antics and laddish banter, these 4 nerds will help you forget your new norm as they head for a notorious Mediterranean clubbing hotspot to try to break their lifelong losing streak with the ladies.

Have you missed out on a wedding?

Cara had to cancel her Italian holiday for her best friend’s wedding. Not quite compensation but Bridesmaids is a funny and smart yet audacious take on the ups and downs of being a lady in waiting. Unlike many rom-coms, this film is all about the women’s relationship with each other – not with men.

To rebalance the gender karma, The Hangover is about a blowout Las Vegas stag do that turns into a race against time when three hung-over groomsmen awaken after a night of drunken debauchery to find that the groom has gone missing, and attempt to get him to the alter in time for his wedding. Grab a beer and order a kebab…

Need motivation to fight back and get fit?

Anthony would recommend Rocky every time – but the original of course. Follow Sly Stallone’s triumphs and tribulations in and out of the ring. This comeback story of a down-on-his-luck amateur boxer is thoroughly predictable but thoroughly addictive with an ear worm soundtrack that’s as famous as his battle cry ‘Adriiiiiiaaann’!

The new world of virtual sales and marketing – 6 practical tips for engaging customers online

With the majority of us still working from home, the digital world has become the go-to means of interacting and communicating with clients and prospects, almost overnight.

And now, as we emerge from the crisis, we can expect many of the changes to customer behaviour to remain in the collective psyche, at least for the foreseeable. None of us are likely to be attending industry tradeshows, real world events or regular face-to-face meetings any time soon.

Indeed, looking forward, recent research conducted by McKinsey found that B2B companies now regard digital interactions as two to three times more important to their customers than traditional sales interactions.

The flexibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness of virtual meetings, events and webinars are undeniable. But the lack of real life interaction can also be very challenging.

Most of us can relate to the side-splitting ‘conference call in real life’ video that went viral, and it served to highlight the difficulties of communicating in a virtual world.

With this in mind, we bring you six practical considerations for sales and marketing professionals who may be less than familiar with some of the hurdles and pitfalls of engaging prospects online.

1. Find a platform fit for purpose

A successful meeting, presentation or event can be made or broken by the platform used.

There is no single best solution however, nor a one-size-fits-all. It very much depends on how you intend to use it – and it is important to determine this at the very outset.

Are you looking for a general conferencing solution, a platform to host non-interactive ‘webcast’ presentations, interactive ‘webinars’ or more expansive virtual events?

TechRadar have recently published helpful guides to the virtues of some of the leading video conferencing software and webinar tools.

The functionality of webinar platforms, such as Zoom, join.me and WebinarJam, is becoming ever more sophisticated and these can now be used for bespoke events. But for events that may involve hundreds of participants, a wide variety of virtual spaces, virtual exhibitions, conferences, presentations and roundtable discussions, dedicated event software such as INXPO, Hopin or VFairs offers the more appropriate solution.

Furthermore, consideration should be given to the customisation functionality. To what extent can your company’s branding be integrated across the platform? This can be particularly important for virtual events, where a consistent brand experience is paramount.

An ability to capture and record an event can also be important, allowing attendees to access the information you’ve shared with them at a later date.

2. Make your customer’s experience a visual and interactive one

In the real world environment, the speaker will generally be the focal point of presentations.

But in the virtual world, the focus will invariably be on slides, either as the principal visual aid in webinars or as a tool to help reinforce key messages in one-to-one sales presentations. This makes the need for presentation visuals to be all the more dynamic. Leave your audience’s screen static for too long and you risk them switching off.

The use of multimedia here – from charts and web pages to videos and animations – can offer a powerful antidote to the monotony of traditional presentations, and it can go a long way to boosting audience engagement. Think of presentations in the virtual world as a ‘visual magnet’.

Most video conferencing platforms will also allow you to run live polls, with the results display graphically back to the audience, and interactive Q&As that can allow more experienced speakers to adapt their presentations on the fly.

3. Set up to minimise distraction

Did you see Professor Robert Kelly’s children gate-crashing his live BBC interview about South Korea? He managed to keep his composure, but it was far from easy.

Taking steps to avoid interruption is important, but it is just one aspect of ensuring a good set-up to minimise distraction.

Whether you’re in a sales meeting or presenting a webinar, if your audience have to work hard to hear or see you, you will soon lose their attention. Ensure your internet speed can handle your VOIP connection and consider a USB microphone, which will generally provide clearer audio than a laptop’s in-built mic. A room with soft furnishings will also help to reduce echo.

Position your eyes level with your webcam to give the illusion of ‘making eye contact’, make sure you’re in a well-lit environment and consider your background carefully. If you’re struggling to find a suitably neutral and professional backdrop, your video conferencing software will normally feature a background blur option to help ensure you remain the focus of attention.

Most important of all, make sure to test your set-up thoroughly.

4. Less is more to keep ‘screen time’ energy levels high

In a virtual sales meeting, it is highly likely that your prospects will be on webcam – and because they can be heard and observed, it will be generally easier for you to retain their attention.

Equally, however, people don’t tend to have the same attention span in front of their screens. Keeping your presentation tight, and the pace and energy levels high, is even more important in this environment than in the real world.

With this in mind, particular attention should be paid to the structure of the content you present. It is advisable to break it down into three or four key topic areas and to keep the detail clear, simple to understand, relevant and focused on where it is likely offer most value.

5. Enable networking without a handshake

Networking opportunities remain one of the key event drivers for event delegates – so virtual events calls for virtual networking.

Even relatively simple platforms will offer live chat streams, allowing attendees to communicate with one another or to ask questions of the speaker.

Encouraging interaction on these streams, however, can be difficult, with questions often limited to the likes of “is anyone having problems with their audio?” Adding a Twitter feed can help overcome this, allowing people to communicate in a way they’re more familiar with.

Platforms such as Hopin will allow you to create dedicated networking spaces, where attendees with an interest in a specific topic can participate in video discussion groups. Using event registration data, you can also link attendees with similar interests and personally invite them to relevant group sessions.

6. Promote, promote, promote

The challenges of securing a virtual meeting with a sales prospect remain the same as for a real world face-to-face.

Webinars and virtual events, however, call for active promotion – multiple communications across multiple channels, including email marketing, social media and website banners.

An important, but frequently overlooked, consideration here is the tech savvy nature of prospective attendees. Virtual events may run the risk of turning technophobes away. Clearly signposted support prior to the event, in the form of FAQs and contact details for those that can help overcome technical issues, can help to boost registrations and your final attendee numbers.

Top 10 local business heroes showing kindness through COVID

We salute our local businesses across Manchester and the North West – many facing their own financial plight – who have been pulling out the stops to help their local communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

For PRs and marketeers, it serves as a reminder of the power of positivity and the importance of empathy through the bad times as well as the good.

1/ From theatrical costumes to NHS scrubs

The Royal Exchange Wardrobe and Costume Hire team members have been helping to make scrubs for our front line doctors and nurses.

Joining the national effort, the Exchange team are part of a passionate Greater Manchester Hub with around 36 makers, all co-ordinated from TV costume designer, Scott Langridge’s front room.

The first delivery from the Manchester team has already landed at Manchester Royal Infirmary with a further 250 earmarked for the Nightingale Hospital.

2/ Animal-themed masks to help the fight

Trafford-based print company Grafenia has designed and developed a range of facegaitor masks to help stem the spread of coronavirus – with all sale revenues going to the NHS.

Grafenia, a company that normally manufacture print and exhibition displays, have been increasingly making floor graphics, sneeze guards and other social distancing tools.

They’ve now switched their sewing team at their factory on Trafford Park into making designer face masks.

3/ Manchester doughnut drive-thru for key workers

The Krispy Kreme drive-thru in Trafford Park has been gifting NHS, police and fire service staff with a complimentary hot drink and glazed doughnut 3-pack.

Richard Cheshire, CEO said: “With this small gesture, we hope to bring a little bit of joy to these amazing people to show them we appreciate everything they are doing right now.”

4/ Gin makers provide hygiene products

Manchester-based Didsbury Gin has switched from production of gin to alcohol-based hand sanitiser.

One million bottles of sanitiser were produced in the space of seven days to supply key public service providers across Greater Manchester, including the NHS, Great Manchester police, local fire services, and other care providers, including homeless shelters.

5/ Converting cask ale into meals for the vulnerable

The White Hart at Lydgate and Dinnerstone in Uppermill donated all their cellar stock to the Committees of Lydgate Brass Band Contest and Love Lydgate, and members of Saddleworth Round Table.

The beer was sold over Easter to raise money for providing chef prepared nutritional meals for the vulnerable in Oldham, distributed via AgeUK.

6/ Holland’s Pies supports F.C. United of Manchester to create food parcels

Pie baker Holland’s Pies and F.C. United of Manchester have joined forces to deliver food parcels across North East Manchester.

With matches on hold, volunteers from F.C. United of Manchester have been providing food parcels every week, including a selection of Holland’s Pies as well as crosswords and literature to support the most vulnerable during these difficult times.

7/ Florist gives away 16 floral arrangements to key workers

Chadderton-based florist Amelia Rose Floral Couture has given away 16 flower arrangements to key workers across England.

Amelia promised the hatboxes to 15 key workers that needed that little bit of extra motivation at the moment. With over 500 nominations on Instagram and Facebook, she picked 16 in the end.

8/ Cloudwater loves key workers

Manchester’s Cloudwater Brewery has been offering a 25 per cent discount on all its beers to NHS workers.

In addition it has been providing a chance for customers to chip in for a beer for an NHS staff member. Purchase a £1 token on the brewery’s online shop, and for every 50 tokens accrued, they’ll ship an NHS worker a mixed 12-pack of beer and soda.

9/ The Creameries cooking for NHS staff …and others

Mary-Ellen McTague was one of the first to close her restaurant’s doors, locking up The Creameries in Chorlton five days before the government ordered restaurants to close.

Insights from her sister, a doctor working closely with the disease, encouraged McTague to move quickly.

She then set about preparing and delivering food to those in need – from hospital workers to the homeless.

10/ M&S’s generous gesture for the vulnerable of Rochdale

M&S in Rochdale handed over an entire food hall to the town’s most vulnerable people.

Worth around £40,000, it is believed to be the biggest single food donation the retail giant has made.

Marilyn Jones, who founded Rochdale Soup Kitchen six years ago, said she had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the generous gesture.

5 reasons for businesses to (still) be cheerful

Switch on the TV or cast an eye over our newspapers business pages and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the global business ship is on a one-way nose dive to the ocean floor.

We have become accustomed to a forbidding drumbeat of bleak news continuing day after day.

But while the coronavirus pandemic has indeed given the global economy a seismic shock, we should never lose sight of the power of positive thinking – it has long been the cornerstone of business success.

The current situation will inevitably test the resolve of even the most sanguine among us, but in a bid to boost business spirit just a notch, we’ve outlined five reasons to retain a sense of optimism as we set our sights on the post-pandemic landscape.

This is a health crisis, not a financial crisis

This isn’t a banking liquidity crisis like the one we saw in 2008, which caused banks to stop lending. The banks are in a relatively strong position and money should continue to flow into the economy.

Although bank credit can never make an insolvent company solvent, it remains vital in helping to keep the wheels of business moving.

What’s more, this means we can still harbour hope of a V-shaped recovery – a steep decline followed by rapid upturn – according to Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane.

“There is a debate about which letter of the alphabet will best describe the path of the economy,” he said in a speech at the end of June.

“It is early days, but my reading of the evidence is so far, so V.”

Other economists may have refuted this, but Haldane repeated this assertion to MPs on July 20.

Life may be still be tough for a little while, but an upswing will come, and we can take comfort in this.

Government stimulus will help business bounce back

In a bid to protect the economy throughout the downturn, the Office for Budget Responsibility is estimating the final bill for the UK government will stand at more than £300 billion.

We can reasonably expect further initiatives from the Chancellor as we strive to bounce back from the economic malaise. According to the ‘Bailout for Business after Coronavirus’ report from the Institute for Government, former No.10 adviser Giles Wilkes argues that the cost of supporting business through the crisis is affordable if it helps us return to economic growth.

And governments throughout the European Union are also implementing a variety of fiscal measures while the US, which has long been a catalyst for global economic growth, has approved stimulus packages totalling around $3 trillion.

No return to austerity

Beyond the UK government’s more immediate stimulus measures, what economic policies can we expect it to adopt as we look over the horizon?

Many economists have argued that the austerity measures introduced after the 2008 financial crisis exacerbated the economic downturn. But this strategy, it appears, will not be repeated.

“I think the economy will bounce back strongly, I think that this government will want to encourage that bounce back in all kinds of ways,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson proclaimed in a press conference.

He added that austerity “will certainly not be part of our approach.”

In another speech in Dudley, he reaffirmed his intentions.

“We are not going to try to cheese-pare our way out of trouble, because the world has moved on since 2008.”

This should come as a welcome boost to help encourage both consumer and business spending – and this will ultimately prove the driving force for our economic recovery.

The lights of commerce will keep burning

As businesses come to terms with the post-Covid landscape, spending plans will increasingly fall under the microscope.

However, history and shown us that while many may choose to batten down the hatches, there are others that, in times of crisis, seize the moment to lay down the foundations for their future success – sustaining, or even doubling down, their investments in innovation, marketing and growth. They recognise that the cost of not doing so far exceeds the benefits of any short-term savings.

As Angela Ahrendts said during her time as CEO of Burberry: “I was taught to never waste a good recession.”

These are the businesses that will not only gain a vital competitive edge and increase market share, but they are the ones that will also act as a catalyst for recovery, helping us to keep the global cogs of commerce moving.

Fostering the spirit of togetherness and ingenuity

Over the past few extraordinary months, the world of commerce was forced to adapt to new routines, new strategies, and new ways of communicating and servicing clients. At the same time, companies and entrepreneurs alike made vital social contributions to help us through the crisis – just when we needed them the most.

Employees, meanwhile, remained dedicated to the cause. Productivity among our UK workforce did not fall away, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. A survey by Willis Towers Watson found that two-thirds of companies had more than 75 per cent of employees working remotely – but only 15 per cent felt that this had had a material, negative impact.

The agility, ingenuity and togetherness has been truly remarkable and it should serve as a reminder of just what is possible when our backs are against the wall. If these virtues are channelled back into driving business success in our post-Covid world, we can rest assured that our economy will return to the fast lane sooner than many doom–mongers will have us believe.

The good, the bad and the ugly: brand behaviour during COVID-19

Getting the message, tone, language and style of marketing campaigns on point is vital to protecting a brand’s reputation – and during a crisis, the care and consideration that must be given to this is magnified.

Are you being empathetic? Is it a positive move? Could it be seen as insensitive or tone-deaf?

Ultimately, the coronavirus pandemic has demanded new approaches and campaigns that were planned before COVID may no longer work. KFC UK, for example, launched an ad campaign back in February that involved the licking of fingers – lots of it actually. In the current climate, where there is a heightened focus on hand hygiene, the ads were seen as inappropriate and attracted a number of complaints, leading to the campaign being pulled.

We’ve looked at some of the brands that have got it right during COVID, and those that got it (very) wrong.  

The good

1. Budweiser – Whassup in the COVID era

Remember the days when people would answer the phone to each other with ‘whassup?’ from the iconic 1999 Budweiser advert?

Well, it could soon be doing the rounds again over Zoom and Facetime thanks to Budweiser UK.

The company reworked the classic advert for quarantine, using footage from the original version and re-recorded audio.

It does have a purpose other than making you want to buy beer though. With one in five Brits living alone during lockdown, the advert shows one friend checking in on another to make sure he’s ok, with the final words on screen being ‘Buds support buds. Check on yours #TogetherAtADistance’.

The company also launched ‘Save Pub Life’, an initiative to safeguard the future of pubs during lockdown through the purchasing of a giftcard which can be used at pubs when they reopen. The giftcard value will be then matched by Budweiser and the total amount will go direct to businesses within two weeks.

So go on. Give your mate a call, see ‘whassup?’ and put a date in the diary for a pub visit in (hopefully) the not too distant future.

2. Brewdog – swapping beer for sanitiser

When lockdown measures were introduced in the last week of March, alcohol sales increased substantially, with an additional £104 million spent compared the previous week.

So you’d think alcohol companies would be ramping up production, right? Not exactly. Aberdeenshire-based beer giant, Brewdog, decided to transform its distillery and turn its hand at making hand sanitiser to help with the national shortage.

To date, the company has given away (for free!) more than 50,000 units to the NHS and local charities.

3. Nike – play together, separately

Sports giant Nike knows the power of emotional branding. The company’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign has been rolled out year after year since its launch in 1987, inspiring consumers to go forth and get fit, strong and never give up like their favourite sports stars.

The ‘play inside, play for the world’ campaign is no different. The ad unites famous faces and ‘normal people’, all exercising from their homes rather than their usual gyms, stadiums and courts. Viewers are asked to adhere to social distancing by working out separately but ultimately become part of a team looking out for each other: “today we’re playing for 7.8 billion people”. Emotional or what?!

The brand also got athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Dina Asher-Smith to share the message on their social channels, as well as having them take part in the #livingroomcup – a competition that sees sports stars challenge those at home to beat their workout score.

Now, pass me my trainers please. My teammates are waiting for me.

4. Scouts – discovering the great indoors

While the Scouts usually encourages its members to get outside, the organisation launched a new initiative focused on activities inside the home during lockdown.

‘The Great Indoors’, lead by Chief Scout Bear Grylls, involves more than 100 activities being made available online for free to help youngsters tackle boredom and cabin fever. Each game, activity or craft has been developed to entertain and educate, allowing them to learn new skills and advance existing ones.

What’s more, some challenges are also supported by other organisations, such as The Royal Air Force, Mind and the WWF.

Are we sure these are just for kids? We wouldn’t mind learning how to make a lollipop catapult – it might come in handy when fighting over the last chocolate digestive!

5. Bread Ahead Bakery – bake like us

Based in London, Bread Ahead Bakery do exactly what they say on the tin – they’re bakers, bread-makers and also have a baking school to boot.

Since mid-March, owner Matthew has been treating the company’s Instagram followers to a live step-by-step tutorial each day at 2pm, sharing tips and secrets on how to get the best bake possible.

What’s more, Bread Ahead have also created a new ebook that is free to download but has asked for donations for the ‘Meals to the NHS’ fund. At the time of writing, they’ve raised more than £15,000.

Not only are Bread Ahead keeping people sane, but their generous nature – whether raising money for charity or just sharing their excellent recipes – looks to be doing wonders for brand awareness.

NB: We would highly recommend the cookies and hot cross buns. Next one on our to-make list is the goats cheese and pesto brioche!

6. Marcus Rashford – food for all

This one technically isn’t a brand – but we had to give a shout-out to local hero, Marcus Rashford.

The Manchester United forward has been working with the charity Fareshare to make sure the 600,000 children who usually rely on free school meals don’t go without food during the crisis.

Supermarkets like Tesco, Asda and The Co-op have donated £20 million-worth of food and cash, while smaller businesses and the general public have also been donating.   

Marcus has also recently lent his support to The Co-op, appearing in the company’s new television advert to help boost urgently needed food bank donations.  

The bad

1. McDonald’s Brazil – socially-distant arches

While we understand the idea behind the separating of the fast food restaurant’s golden arches, the move was deemed insensitive and resulted in a backlash from consumers across social media. But why?

McDonald’s outlets in the UK shut down completely to ensure the safety of employees, however, over in the US, a large majority of restaurants still remained open for drive-throughs, take-outs and deliveries.

Tweeters slammed the chain for not practicing the social distancing that their logo preached. Others, including Bernie Sanders, called for workers to get paid sick leave as well as a living wage, seeing the ‘act of solidarity’ as a hypocritical move. They also criticised McDonald’s lack of action taken to help fight COVID, with one social media user saying: “I don’t want your cute logo play McDonalds. I want you offering a million free meals to those in need. I want you turning your drive thru into safe testing sites. I want you doubling down on that happy meal box content for kiddos who are stuck inside”.

The campaign was soon pulled from the McDonald’s Brazil social channels.

And the ugly

1. Sports Direct – the new frontline?

When the government ordered non-essential stores to close to combat the spread of COVID, the high street became a ghost town overnight.

Pharmacies remained open though, as did food shops. Oh, and Sports Direct.

Not exactly an ‘essential’ business, I hear you cry. Well, according to Frasers Group who own Sports Direct, the company was “uniquely well-placed to help keep the UK as fit and healthy as possible during this crisis”. Ok…?

While a lot of people turned to exercise during lockdown to boost their mental and physical health, critics condemned the company for deeming itself a vital public asset and putting lives at risk.

After the backlash, the chain quickly u-turned on its decision…

…But then put its prices up online as “a way of relieving the pressure” of stores closing. *Face palm*

Lockdown light through the darkness

We only have to look at the inspiring Captain Tom Moore, the 99-year-old veteran whose heroic efforts have raised more than £28m for the NHS, to see that positivity is not lost during the pandemic. 

Here, some of the Cameron Wells team share our favourite links to help take your mind momentarily off the mayhem.

Cara Cunningham, PR Account Manager

Our in-house hilarious historian, very happily married, Northern Irish exercise junkie

Filter out the fake news

We not only have to contend with fake news and misinformation during this crisis, but we are also inundated what we should do and what we should avoid to get through the pandemic with our emotional wellbeing in check.

In this age of information overload, it is hard to see the wood for the trees – and trying to de-stress becomes even more stressful.   

To make it simple, here is an easy-to-follow guide on how to stay happy during these trying times.  It is from the BBC so it is legit stuff and there is no hogwash.

Mano McLaughlin, Art Director

Our very own uber-talented musician with a love of the great outdoors, tequila and his two daughters

Back to the wild

Being confined to our homes is not the easiest, but let’s give thanks for our one hour of outdoor exercise, which some of our continental counterparts are deprived of.

Trudging up and down the same road every day can soon become monotonous – so, how can we make the most of our time in the fresh air?

Here is a list of things to do in the great outdoors to look after yourself and nature. 

With some extra time on your hands, why not build a mini nature reserve, or learn how to identify butterflies and moths.  Get the creative juices flowing!

Claire Wood, Creative Director

Cheese, wine and seaside-loving Gary Barlow fan with a guilty pleasure of kitchen dancing and tinned hotdogs with her two girls!

Three cheers!

The weeks are increasingly becoming blended so we have to differentiate between the weekdays and weekend somehow!

To ward off the boredom of having nowhere to go this weekend and no-one to (physically) see, here is a list of drinking games to play with you and your partner or virtual friends.

And for those who want to try something a little more sophisticated, here is a list of simple, three-ingredient cocktails that you can (hopefully) make by raiding your drinks cupboard.

Debbie Wells, Managing Director

Four-legged friend fanatic, yoga-loving foodie and intrepid world explorer – especially if there is a good glass of red waiting at the end of the trek!

Take time for you

With the anxiety of the unknown, the stress of being cooped up and strain of makeshift workstations, we are bound to be feeling tightly wound and tense – in body and mind.  

During these chaotic times, it is important to take a breather and to push the reset button. 

My favourite yogi star, Yoga with Adriene, does some fabulous short videos that combine yoga with meditation, so you can get your body and mind out of a knot.  You don’t have to be a yogi to do these – they are as much about pausing as they are about posing.  

Here are some suggestions which you may find particularly useful at this time:

Yoga for anxiety

Stress melt

Yoga for tension relief

Yoga for beginners – mind practice

Jen Lever, Account Manager

Our very own book worm, social media guru and fashionista who unashamedly loves Westlife

And relax… with a good book

Today’s tip is for all you bookworms – if you can find the time between working, home-schooling, cooking, cleaning and sourcing rather than gold dust toilet rolls.  

In the lockdown, time can pass by in a flash and getting time to read a good book or two seems like an impossible task – but a well-deserved luxury.

So, with this in mind, I have done some digging and found a list of 50 must-read books under 250 pages.  

COVID countdown to sanity

I’m a working mum. A working mum in PR and marketing is the norm these days in an industry proudly dominated by the female species. Multi-tasking is a prerequisite of both jobs and I used to pride myself on my plate spinning skills. That was before the C-word and home-schooling was thrown into the mix. My COVID juggling skills have been tested to the max to avoid my life being transformed into a chaotic circus.

When the government announced that schools would close, I threw myself with gusto into a colour-coded daily school planner and signed up to every free online teaching app, read every blog and post about how to make fairy castles out of an old milk carton and like most mums around the country, I tried to force my kids into ‘doing’ Joe Wicks every morning. My plan was to shoehorn and share this workload with my other half – we would be like the Waltons, living and working in perfect harmony.

Working to a more flexible diary in my locked-down home, I also planned to get fit, lose weight, grow vegetables, clear out my size 10 wardrobe, declutter my chipped plates and unused kitchen gadgets, throw out all out of date medicine, put photos in albums, try yoga, drink more water, teach my girls to sew (not that I’ve picked up a needle since my disastrous peg bag aged 13), eat less cheese and add new meat-free recipes to my repertoire. And FaceTime friends and family with cheerful and uplifting anecdotes every day.

How naïve. How blindly optimistic. How ridiculous.

I have achieved none of the above in my ‘free’ time. Neither have I written a best-selling novel or learnt a new language with the exception of disguised, kid-friendly swearing. I still don’t connect with my inner or outer zen through yoga or meditation. My garden is vegetable-less and I have not written a million pound post-COVID business plan or even Marie Kondo’d my cutlery drawer. 

What I have done is desperately attempt to combine successful working from home with mediocre, haphazard home-schooling. Colouring by numbers and Little Mix dance routines are valuable life skills, right?

I’ve also plodded round the same park with 2 kids who moan like I’ve taken them to a sweet shop and made them eat kiwi fruit,  ‘cleaned’ the kitchen with baby wipes, cooked around 27 meals a day and worried about sourcing pasta as that’s all my youngest will eat. Now I know nursery lies when they tell me she asked for seconds of the vegetable tagine and cous cous. I’m also biting my tongue at how LOUD my husband types. Actually, I’m not biting at all. We really couldn’t be any less Walton-like.

Oh, and I mustn’t forget about keeping the family safe with anti-bacterial gel that I had to queue for 30 minutes for just 30ml of this caviar priced product. So, regrettably I have no available timeslots to hone my down-dog skills or bake bread. Like supermarket deliveries, I’m fully booked up for weeks.

In the meantime, all the motivational gurus who claim that we’ll come out of this quarantine with a new life skill, slimmer and fitter can quite frankly do one. And all the influencers and celebrities who are out-crafting, out-baking and out-meditating each other, please keep your tweets to yourself.  If you come out of this with your sanity, in my unwritten book you’re winning.