Blue Branch On Why New Year's Resolutions Fail

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates all the way back to 153 B.C. and although the tradition is still popular, according to an article by Forbes only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Year after year people set themselves up for failure.  A google search generates over 24 million results for New Year’s resolutions.

An article by Ben Lee on Digital Spy revealed the top 10 UK New Year’s resolutions in 2013;

1. Read more books


2. Save more money


3. Lose weight


4. Redecorate


5. Take better photos


6. Go travelling


7. Sell old unwanted stuff on eBay


8. Buy a tablet


9. Organise photos


10. Do something for charity

So why do most resolutions fail?

1/ Goals are too big

92% of people fail to achieve their resolutions because their goals are too big. Setting yourself a goal that is considerably unattainable is one sure-fire way to guarantee you won’t follow through, goals need to be tangible, as we explained in our previous blog; How to set S.M.A.R.T goals:

2/ Making too many at one time

Having too many things to concentrate on at once means your focus is split.  To give yourself the best chance of achieving a goal it’s important to focus on one thing at a time, allowing you to put all of your concentration and effort into that.

3/ Bad Timing

For many people January can be a hard month, trying to get back on their feet after over spending at Christmas and coming off the back of the holidays, it’s back to the harsh realities of the world.  Most importantly though, why wait for one particular day to make a decision, when there are 364 other equally great decision-making days available to you. If someone is waiting till New Year to set themselves a goal then it’s probably not one they are overly concerned about fulfilling.

Blue Branch is an events-based marketing company based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh.   We specialise in promotional events marketing campaigns that have been specifically designed to raise brand awareness and increase market share for our clients. Since we opened in September we have gone from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to the year ahead.

Blue Branch Top Gun / Rising Star Event

At the beginning of the December, we held our first Top Gun / Rising Star event. The top gun being someone we have worked with for a while and who has been a consistent top performer, and the rising star being someone who recently started and who has shown great promise early on. The purpose of holding the event was to recognise and reward the people we work with, for their hard work and effort over the last couple of months.


Competitions always brings out the best in people, it provides an incentive and something tangible to work towards. The success of this event was proven before it was even held, as since the competition was announced, Blue Branch became the number 1 office in the UK for our client in the telecoms sector.


The two people we selected for the event were Blaid Wright and Jonathan Allan. We hosted a joint event with our business associates here in Edinburgh. We travelled to Newcastle to battle it out at laser-tag. The fun, competitive game was a great opportunity for relationship building away from a work environment and proved to be a big hit! We are looking forward to hosting many more of these events in 2015.

Blue Branch are an events-based marketing company based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh.   We specialise in promotional events marketing campaigns that have been specifically designed to raise brand awareness and increase market share for our clients. Since we opened in September we have gone from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to the year ahead.

Blue Branch On Why Outsourcing Is Good For Business

Firstly lets clarify what outsourcing is; In business terms, outsourcing is described as the contracting out of an internal business process to a third party organisation. In layman''s terms, rather than companies doing the work themselves, they hand over the reigns to a company which specialises in that area.

As an outsource sales and marketing company, Blue Branch are paid to create marketing campaigns, on behalf of our clients, specifically designed to raise brand awareness and increase market share. Our expertise lies in customer acquisition and our clients can be assured of great results along with customer satisfaction.

So why is outsourcing good for business?

With the UK economy slowly recovering from a triple-dip recession, many companies are extremely cautious of their budgets and are looking for more cost-effective solutions. Many corporations, small and large, are looking for ways to slash their budgets while maintaining high levels of productivity. Most companies are now understandably cautious about spending large sums on traditional advertising and marketing methods, and are therefore turning to companies like Blue Branch to conduct the sales & marketing of their products through cost effective, measurable methods.

The practice of contracting out a business process rather than staffing it internally is a common feature in the modern economy. There are financial advantages that come from outsourcing.

1/ Outsourcing can offer greater budget flexibility and control.

2/ It lets organisations pay for only the services they need, when they need them

3/ It reduces the need to hire and train specialised staff

4/ Reduces capital and operating expenses.

Outsourcing strategies can be broken down into three broad categories that meet different goals:

• Efficiency – the first step in an outsourcing strategy is to achieve cost savings, typically through process efficiencies
• Enhancement – once cost savings have been realised the next stage is to achieve operational improvements related to business objectives such compliance and meeting availability expectations
• Transformation – business transformation is the end goal for an outsourcing strategy, where an outsourcing relationship is used to drive business performance improvements

It's no coincidence that Direct Marketing / Sales has been the fastest growing industry in the world for the last 5 years. It's a recession proof industry that's going from strength to strength and here at Blue Branch we're excited to be a part of that. Our more personalised approach and tailor-made marketing strategies have made our business model highly attractive for many blue chip corporations looking to explore new avenues.

Blue Branch are an events-based marketing company based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh.   We specialise in promotional events marketing campaigns that have been specifically designed to raise brand awareness and increase market share for our clients. Since we opened in September we have gone from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to the year ahead.

Blue Branch Countdown to Christmas

With the festive season in full swing, at Blue Branch we have started to reflect on the last few months and we have started to look ahead to next year.


Since we opened at the end of September it's been a whirlwind. We started out with a core of 5 people who shared the same passion, enthusiasm and vision and since then we have tripled in size. Our biggest achievement so far is becoming the number 1 office in the UK for our telecoms client, an incredible feat as we opened less than 3 months ago. Our early success has really set the bar high going into 2015.


Looking ahead to 2015 we are planning a trip to New York in the first half of the year, to visit with some of our business associates over in the US. Our main objective for next year is to establish the Blue Branch brand and become a market leader in the UK as we look to expand into 3 new cities next year.


In May we will be attending an industry awards ceremony in London and we're hoping to be among the award winners. Our theme for 2015 is teamwork and effort. With those 2 core values we believe we can achieve anything we set our minds to.


To celebrate an amazing first year, and the hard work and effort of everyone we work with here at Blue Branch, we are hosting a Christmas Party / award ceremony. The event will be held on December 27^th . We will be giving out awards to the top performers and people who have shown incredible commitment and dedication in helping to get Blue Branch to where we are today.



Blue Branch are an events-based marketing company based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh.   We specialise in promotional events marketing campaigns that have been specifically designed to raise brand awareness and increase market share for our clients. Since we opened in September we have gone from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to the year ahead.

Blue Branch On How To Set S.M.A.R.T Goals

Learning how to correctly set goals is one of the most important tools any businessperson can master.  Goal setting allows you to visualize where you want to be and motivates you to put in the work to reach the goals you set.  Setting goals gives your life direction and puts you on a path for success.  Knowing how to set S.M.A.R.T goals is one of the foundations for success whether it is in business or your personal life.  Top athletes, successful business people and achievers in all fields all set goals.

Here Blue Branch explains how to set S.M.A.R.T goals;

Specific

A specific goal is much more easily achieved that a general one.  Knowing exactly what you want and putting all you energy into reaching that will give you accomplishment and self-confidence once reached.  EXAMPLE:  A general goal would be, “Get in shape.” But a specific goal would say, “Join a health club and workout 3 days a week.”

Measurable

When you set a measurable goal it allows you to keep track of your progress along the way, keeping you motivated if you’re meeting the goals and spurs you to take action if you’re falling behind.  To determine whether the goals you set are measurable ask yourself questions such as; How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable

An attainable goal is one that can be achieved.  While almost any goal you set is attainable it required properly planning and the necessary action to be taken.  These steps make goals that may have seemed out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable. 

Realistic

You have to be realistic when setting goals.  Your goal is can be defined as realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished, there isn’t room for maybe or possibly, and you must be 100% convinced you can achieve it.  A goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work towards.  A high goal is often easier to reach than a low one because we are more motivated to achieve it and often try harder because a low goal exerts low motivational force.

Timely

Every goal you set should have a specific time frame, without this there is no sense of urgency.  For example, if you want to lose 10 lbs., when do you want to lose it by? “Someday” won’t work.  By setting a goal such as December 25^th, anchoring your goal to a timeframe sets your unconscious mind into motion to begin working towards it. 

Blue Branch are Edinburgh's newest and fastest growing company.  We have multiple customer service / events sales opportunities to be filled immediately. With our office based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Blue Branch specialise in customer acquisition through face-to-face promotional marketing and sales campaigns. We offer our client’s tailor-made, cost-effective and measurable marketing campaigns.  We guarantee high profile exposure and ROI.  

Blue Branch On The Gender Pay Gap

This week the rise in the gender pay gap has hit the headlines. News showed that women effectively worked for free for 57 days of the year, from November 4^th to December 31^st. 3 days longer than in 2013 and this number is set to continue to rise year on year.


Women currently earn, on average, £2.53 less per hour than men do. That equates to 80 pence for every pound a man is paid. The gender pay gap closed by a third between 1997 and 2010 in the UK but has since plateaued and is now back on the rise. The UK has fallen out of the top 20 countries globally for gender equality. dropping from 18th to 26th, mainly due to female earnings and a rise in the gender pay gap,


The news got us thinking here at Blue Branch. Being your own boss, your turnover isn't dictated by your gender, it is directly related to the only things that should matter in business;


a/ Your Attitude


b/ Your commitment levels


c / How hard you're willing to work


Thanks in part to shows like The Apprentice and Dragons Den, entrepreneurship is more in the spotlight. Entrepreneurship is on the rise in the UK. The number of active businesses in the UK is 2.82m, up from 2.73m in 2013 according to, the latest Entrepreneurs Index report from Barclays and Business Growth Fund has found.


Being a business owner is a sure-fire way to guarantee that you determine what you make regardless of whether you are male or female.


Blue Branch are an Event Promotions company based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh. Formed due to the ever growing demand for alternative marketing strategies, at Blue Branch we specialise in Event Marketing campaigns. We send clear messages directly to consumer without the use of high cost commercial marketing strategies. Each marketing campaign is delivered on a face to face basis, letting our representatives build relationships with customers from the first point of contact at event venues.

Blue Branch Share Our Golden Rules For Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is defined as a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. At Blue Branch we aim to go over and above expectations to ensure that we deliver an extraordinary customer experience. Working in a highly competitive industry, our emphasis on achieving complete customer satisfaction is what gives us the edge over our competitors.

We share our golden rules for customer satisfaction.

1/ The old adage “the customer is always right” is simple but crucial. The customer is king! They can make or break your business. Your main objective is to service and satisfy customer needs and strive for customer satisfaction with every interaction.

2/ Be a good listener, take time to identify customer needs. Give every customer your undivided attention, particularly important on the show floor where there is a great danger of being distracted by seeing who else we could be selling to.

3/ Identify and anticipate needs. Customers make purchases based on good feelings and solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. The more you know your customers, the better you become at anticipating their needs.

4/ Make customers feel important and appreciated by treating them as individuals. Always use their name when talking to them as it personalises their experience. People value sincerity and It creates good feeling and trust which hopefully builds a relationship which will lead to brand loyalty.

5/ Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request (as long as it is reasonable) tell them that you can do it and figure out how to later. Try to make doing business with you easy and always do what you say you are going to do.

6/ When something goes wrong, apologise. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done to rectify the situation.

7/ Get regular feedback, encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve.

8/ Lastly, but most importantly, treat the people you work with well. They are your internal customers and need to know they are appreciated. Thank them and find ways to let them know how important they are.

Blue Branch On Why Event Marketing Is Good For Business

Event marketing, the process of developing a themed exhibit, display, or presentation to promote a product, service, cause, or organisation using in-person engagement, is a marketing strategy that allows for for direct interaction with customers. Event marketing is one of the fastest growing fields in marketing and advertising today, It is everywhere you look. It's easy to see why this is becoming the favoured marketing strategy for many companies, event marketing gives you the freedom of movement, not being fixed to one permanent location, it provided companies with direct interaction with their customers and most significantly, it is extremely cost effective. 


In today’s buyer-empowered world, marketers need to seize every opportunity to build relationships and earn the trust of their prospective buyers and customers. The modern consumer has become more demanding and less loyal to brands. Events offer a unique opportunity for consumers to interact with brands to get a first hand sense of a company’s focus, perspective, and personality. 


Getting more interactive with your consumers creates a bigger impact than digital advertising. Do you remember the last billboard you walked past or the last advert you seen on TV? Probably not! However you would remember the last conversation you had. Technology is advancing and companies need to keep up. The number of people watching pre-recorded programming is on the rise and therefore many adverts are not even being viewed thanks to the ability to fast forward pre-recorded programming.  Times are changing and evolving and your marketing strategies need to adapt to the change. 



At Blue Branch we believe the success of event marketing is down to consumers craving a more personalised shopping experience. Being able to interact with customers face to face, building that relationship, is what's too often missing in today's ever advancing technological world. Human interaction is what makes the difference.

Blue Branch are an outsource sales and marketing company based in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh. Using our diverse expertise and experience we are confident we can get results for any brand through our promotional events campaigns.