It’s the oldest story in the world. Girl meets bread, girl writes to maker of bread and gets lovely letter in response, girl’s mum blogs about it, maker of bread renames product in response to blog going viral and gets massive amount of publicity for free.

Er… what?

In case you’ve missed it, this is the story of little Lily Robinson (aged 3½), who wrote to Sainsbury’s (with a little help from mum) and asked why their tiger bread was named as such when the patterns on the distinctive product more accurately resemble the markings of a giraffe.

Sainsbury’s Chris King wrote a charming reply with the reasoning behind the name and included a £3 gift card for Lily to get some tiger bread of her own. Between the cost of the gift card, postage and Chris’s time, this probably all cost Sainsbury’s no more than £20.

Lily’s mum was so impressed that Sainsbury’s took the time to respond that she shared the story with friends, with pictures of Lily’s letter and Sainsbury’s response side-by-side. Twelve months on, the story of Sainsbury’s excellent customer service has finally gone viral and thousands of voices have been added to Lily’s argument. Today, Sainsbury’s has announced the 75p product had been renamed and was on sale as 'Giraffe Bread'.

The news has already swept the social space much in the same way as the original story, and has been picked up by BBC News, The Sun and many other media outlets. Sainsbury’s PR team have played a blinder: the public are falling over themselves with praise for the decision.

This just goes to show the massive - and deliciously cheap - publicity a consumer brand can get from giving outstanding customer service, and the amount customers seem to appreciate those companies which do. So, next time you’re responding to a customer query, use your loaf.

According to one high-profile copywriter ‘your first 15 words count more that the 15,000 words that follow’, so just how important is it to get your headline just right?

A headline can make a real impression on a prospective reader; without a headline that manages to convert a browser into a reader, the rest of your news or story might as well be invisible.

But can a headline do more than just interest and excite a reader? A good headline can be an effective vehicle to communicate your key message to your intended audience and entice them to carry on reading. But in order to do this, and to generate maximum response, you have to spend a bit of time writing and testing your headlines. And, if you spend a lot of time producing lots of copy this can be easier said than done.

Whatever type of copy you’re writing, be it for a newsletter, press release, article or blog, you need to make sure you and your copy stands out from the crowd. These are busy times, so if your headline doesn’t make an immediate impact you could face going out with the trash.

Below are some of my favourite top tips and techniques for creating a good headline:
1.    Avoid using clichés – ‘unique’, ‘premier’ and ‘number one’ are all over used, remember you need to set yourself apart from your competitors.
2.    Intrigue readers – ask questions that are sure to grab attention and make you reader think.
3.    Get to the point Vs creative – both can work in the right situation. You just need to decide what the aim of your headline is.
4.    Promise to solve a problem – I’d be tempted to read something that promised I’d look like Angelina Jolie in two weeks, wouldn’t you? (Replace with Brad Pitt if necessary.)
5.    Let people into a secret – we all like to feel included. Making the reader feel special and privy to information only a few others know will pique their interest. 
And finally…… Make sure you deliver on your promises. Even if your headline is the most outstanding ever written, if your copy doesn’t deliver your reader will feel cheated. Make sure the rest of your copy lives up to the reader’s expectations.

Lady Cynthia Zissman and Sir Bernard Zissman meeting HRH The Duke of Cambridge

Last month my wife and I attended a unique gathering at St James’s Palace, the London home of the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra - a kind of Royal multi-occupation you might say! The occasion was a dinner to support the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas – just up the road on the A38, about 40 minutes from Birmingham – an organisation of which I am a member of the Appeal Council.

St. James's Palace, built in the middle of the 16^th century by Henry VIII, has been the setting for some of the most important events in Royal history: in 1588 Queen Elizabeth I directed the English fleet against the Spanish Armada; in 1649 King Charles I spent his last moments before being executed; and Queen Victoria was married in the St James Chapel. The State Apartments also contain an interesting range of Royal portraits from the time of Henry VIII, including important works by Mytens, Van Somer, Michael Wright and Wissing; portraits of military and naval heroes painted for George IV by Reynolds and Hoppner; a portrait of George IV by Lawrence; and important battle pieces by Wootton and George Jones.

It was in this most elegant and historic environment that we were to meet the Patron of the NMA Appeal, HRH The Duke of Cambridge and his lovely Princess, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. I was honoured to be asked to introduce “my group” of guests and as we enjoyed some laughter with the Duke, their presence - and the Duchess’s captivating warm smile - lit up a gathering of some 120 guests already dressed in its best and excited to meet our newest Royal Bride and Groom.

The food was superbly served, the wine very acceptable and the table company hugely interesting. It was a relaxing evening and the short speeches from Appeal Chairman, Major General Patrick Cordingley, HRH Prince William and a moving address from Jacqui Thompson - the widow of a serviceman killed in Kandahar and left with five daughters - inspired us all and brought tears to many eyes. There was even some entertainment with a short recital from violinist Nicola Benedetti.

A memorable evening, a unique location and an inspiring occasion, it was a privilege to have been present.

Like me, motoring enthusiasts across the country are this week coming to terms with the news that Saab, one of Europe’s most celebrated car manufacturers, is dead.

For those of us who follow the car industry with interest, though, this was an all-too-predictable demise that has been developing for some time. Saab’s collapse starkly echoes that of MG Rover, based just down the road from Rewired here in Birmingham.

The parallels are startling. Both Saab and Rover were quirky brands with a limited, but not insignificant, target audience (Saab owners are statistically more likely to have a PhD than any other brand of car, fact). Both brands were bought by major players - Rover by BMW, Saab by General Motors - who failed to seriously invest in new products, and cut their losses when it became obvious there were serious problems. 

Buyers of each brand dabbled with ill-fated motorsport dalliances in a bid to raise funds and interest; Rover’s stablemate MG went rallying and introduced a halo product, the £65,000 XPower SV: a car so miserably contrary to what they should’ve been developing that only 82 were ever sold. Saab’s new owners, Dutch sportscar manufacturer Spyker, took part in one unspectacular season in Formula 1 which placed such a financial strain on the group that its one profitable arm – the whole sportscar bit - was later sold off in a fruitless bid to prop up Saab.

Here we can learn something: channelling money into grandstand projects is suicide if you don’t do the everyday stuff really well. Sadly, neither Rover nor Saab did this.

When Rover collapsed, its would-be volume sellers included the 25, a supermini that had been on sale in various guises since 1995 and never a class-leading product, even when brand new.

Over at Saab, its entry level car, the 9-3 compact executive model, was introduced nine years ago. Charged with replacing a car which could trace its roots back to 1978, the 2002 9-3 didn’t need to be cutting edge to represent a massive step forward - so it wasn’t. The prospective BMW buyers Saab coveted also realised this when the motoring press gleefully highlighted the 9-3’s humble Vauxhall Vectra underpinnings.

GM refreshed the model in 2007 but this was a largely cosmetic facelift which addressed few of the car’s shortcomings. Sales figures increased marginally as prices were slashed, but the model was still viewed as a leftfield choice by drivers.

Spyker had the chance to turn things around with the 2010 9-5, developed with GM support as the first all-new Saab in a decade, but this was rushed onto forecourts in a desperate attempt to generate sales and cash. Poorly received by a motoring press again critical of its Vauxhall origins, and introduced at a time when savvy buyers already knew the wheels were slowly coming off (pun wholeheartedly intentional), the 9-5 has failed to sell well. Now any remaining stock looks set to be sold at knockdown prices as shoppers warily inspect an after-sales package that may be totally absent in the light of this week’s news.

A really excellent, compelling new product could’ve saved them - Tata have demonstrated this with its impressive rejuvenation of Jaguar/Land Rover, ironically inheriting the dormant Rover brand in the process. In the absence of such a product, failure for Rover and Saab became inevitable. Rover’s owners took it to ruin in five years; Spyker oversaw the death of its $400m investment after just twenty-three months.

Other factors exist that have led to this outcome – not least GM’s blocking of an eleventh-hour rescue package for Saab to protect its own interests in the Chinese car market – but ultimately MG Rover and Saab paid the price for failing to get their bread-and-butter offerings right. As businesses plan for survival in 2012, when ‘that’ll do’ just won’t cut it, this is a lesson from which we must all learn.

Clearly Bob Geldof doesn’t have any trouble when it comes to present buying during the festive season. Why else would he boldly claim: “it’s Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid”?

He’s wrong. There is a need. A very real need. Like many offices across the country, we recently exchanged Secret Santa presents, unveiling gifts like the glorious one I received in the image above.

And, while at first I was hit by a wall of fear about what to buy for my lucky chosen colleague, I’m glad to say the whole team came away with some fantastic items.

For me, my own anxiety about what to buy was largely relieved by the use of my mobile phone and a particularly impressive Christmas gift stand in Waterstones, and it turns out I wasn’t alone.

Talking to the Rewired team, it seems we all made use of the Internet before opting to head to the high street to make our final purchases. Despite reports that last week’s footfall figures for the high street were down on last year, it’s a way of browsing that brands are recognising and incorporating into their online offering.

Google recently announced that shoppers are using their mobiles a lot more to search for last minute Christmas gifts and store locations. The search giant estimates that this year 44% of searches will be made on mobile rather than desktop, more than double the 20% for the same period last year.

It means that the link between online and offline will hopefully aid footfall in high street stores in the run up to Christmas.

This style of shopping can be seen in the recent campaign from Argos which centres on a television advert featuring the voice of Bill Nighy. It demonstrates how shoppers can choose what they want from its online offering first and then go in store to collect it, and includes a mobile version for use on the move.



It’s good to see, especially when some articles suggest online and offline can’t work together, as was reported last week.

For me, I think we’re seeing some exciting developments for mobile and retail which will continue into 2012 – and anything to aid my buying experience and conquer my fear of Christmas shopping is fine with me.

It was really sad therefore to hear that many companies are looking at scrapping their Christmas dos this year and not necessarily just to save costs. Recent research has revealed that more than a million workers have taken time off in the past due to over indulging at their Christmas bash, leaving companies contemplating whether it’s worth it. This seems such a shame as yes, office parties can involve copious amounts of alcohol but as evidence suggests they can also be fantastic for team dynamics. 

Obviously, the economy is also playing a part in these decisions but even a small, low-budget Christmas party could turn out to be a great investment. Research shows that giving staff the chance to socialise is fantastic for team spirit, bonding and can lead to more efficient working relationships. Rewired will be putting this to the test on Wednesday as we head off to test our vocal skills at a spot of team karaoke. I confess that this isn’t our first karaoke experience and doubt it will be the last!

So, as there are only officially 13 days left until the big day the only thing left for me to do is wish all you lovely people a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

On Friday night over 450 people took to the streets of Birmingham in aid of St Basil's annual sleepout, to raise money for young people at risk of homelessness. It's fair to say that sleeping rough for one night, albeit in freezing temperatures with an added smattering of rain, gives you only a glimpse of what a life living on the streets can be like, but it was an experience we'll never forget.

Our thanks go to the team at St Basil's who organised a fantastic event, and to everyone who sponsored myself, Tom and Sam. You have helped us to raise over £500 which will support the incredible work that the team at St Basil's do.

Here's to next year!

Photo by trixiegirl31

A poll of America’s top 10 gifts to Britain was announced yesterday. Pulled together by US broadcaster PBS it featured firm favourites including The Simpsons, Levi’s Jeans and The Godfather films (but only 1 & 2….). In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d give thanks for my favourite gifts from across the pond. My top 10 would have to include:

- Aunt Jemima’s pancake mix – for those lazy Saturday breakfasts with maple syrup and bacon

- Alison Krauss & Union Station – the soundtrack to so many good memories

- Great TV drama: The Wire, 24, The Shield, the list goes on

Other, unashamedly low-brow favourites from the team include

Sam: "American sitcoms - I just love chilling out with an episode of Friends or Two and a Half Men (the Charlie Sheen episodes) and have complete box sets of both!"

Tom: "Steve Carrell, although we deserve thanks for introducing The Office overseas."

Lucas: "Budweiser and McDonald's Egg McMuffins. The cause of, and solution to, all of my hangovers."

When it comes to blogging I’m often teeming with ideas, until I actually need to write one: then I really struggle for inspiration. Predictably, as this week sees my name at the top of the rota, writer’s block hit hard. Then I switched on the radio.

“What is this NONSENSE?!” I hissed, before learning the drivel in question was this year’s Children In Need official single. So, cogs turning, I decided to do some research into the charity single genre. There is a definite recipe for success, but this also uncovered a group of songs which fail to make the grade: a ‘Collective’, if you will.

I name it this because no better example of ‘awful charity record’ exists than the latest offering from The Collective. The concept, I gather, was to create an urban supergroup which connects to disadvantaged young people in the aftermath of this summer’s English Riots.

However, The Collective is the brainchild of Gary Barlow, who is not a young person and is about as urban as a country manor. It misses the mark in fairly spectacular fashion, containing a stream of condescending nonsense lyrics spoken over the music from Massive Attack’s downbeat classic ‘Teardrop’. Witness the devastation for yourself:

This is not the kind of fun, happy, uptempo song that can be played over inspirational clips during telethons and on drunken dancefloors á la this, which is what great charity singles consist of. I met Pudsey Bear once. He was not ‘street’. He was cuddly.

This is really quite a bad thing, as Joe Public doesn’t buy it (in any sense of the word – The Collective has stalled at 24 in the charts) and this means less money for the disadvantaged kids Children In Need helps. 

Band Aid kicked off the genre in 1985 with ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ and provides a snapshot of the 80s’ musical zenith, featuring Bono, Sting, David Bowie and many others. It has stood the test of time well. By contrast, The Collective is a damning indictment of modern British music. Who is Dot Rotten, anyway? Even Wikipedia hasn’t heard of her him.

Generally telethons are quite good at this kind of thing, so there are slim pickings to be had in terms of properly awful records. Grange Hill’s ‘Just Say No’ gets an honorary mention because there’s nothing I can stand less than singing kids; also included is the questionable taste involved in putting ‘Irreplaceable’ by Beyoncé on the Songs For Japan earthquake appeal album – a tune which includes the bleak lyrical reminder ‘Everything you own in a box’.

Of course, this is atypical; even if they’re cheesy and awful, the failings of most charity singles can be overlooked because they are for a good cause. 

Among the better offerings, Gary Barlow did much better in penning Geraldine McQueen’s NSPCC Christmas fundraiser, ‘Once Upon A Christmas Song’, which is possibly the best new festive record since the 90s.

We can only hope that next year Children In Need gets back to winning ways with a song that everyone wants in their collection… 

This week, Twitter gameshow hostess @GirlBehindSix revealed her true identity: ‘Wendy’, of American hamburger chain Wendy’s.

The account was created as part of an elaborate stealth marketing campaign to launch Wendy’s new medium-sized ‘W Burger’. Firstly, let’s gloss over the description of this meaty behemoth as, in any way, ‘medium-sized’ (next they'll be calling it a vegetable); what’s more impressive is the rapid – and wonderfully cheap – way that the marketing scheme has operated.

The Twitter handle refers to the vacant space 6 on Wendy’s menu boards and, aside from a few carefully-placed ads along Sixth Avenue and on New York City’s 6 subway line (see what they did there?), the campaign’s only paid-for advertising was a one-day Twitter promoted trend bought by Wendy’s.

GirlBehindSix described her activities as a ‘140-character gameshow’, in which she challenged her followers to complete various tasks in exchange for prizes like mopeds and voice-activated robots – with six of each to give away. A spokesperson from the ad agency behind the campaign said the prizes were imagined as “things you wanted, but would never buy for yourself”; quite what this is supposed to say about the W Burger I’m not sure, but he’s quite wrong about the voice-activated robot. I have my credit card in my hand.

The gameshow concept obviously struck a chord with Twitter users – over 32,000 followed the account in a little over a month since it appeared with no outward affiliation to the burger chain; its speeding from 0 to 72 on the Klout scale of online influence is testament to the campaign’s success. This is all very impressive, especially as it’s taken me the best part of two years to amass 1500 Twitter followers and a Klout score of 45, and a comparable campaign for Wendy’s Baconator in 2009 (where do they get these names from, honestly?) gathered half the latest campaign's number of followers in double the time.

The GirlBehindSix and Wendy’s now face a greater challenge: how to herd those 32,000 across to the Wendy’s account. They’ve started by relocating the gameshow to the chain’s official Twitter feed and limiting entries to those following the Wendy’s account. Uptake is, perhaps unsurprisingly, relatively minimal.

What may have been a better idea would be to keep the GirlBehindSix account going as some kind of secondary Wendy’s persona by renaming it (finally possible, thank you, oh Gods of Twitter) – perhaps as the voice of Wendy herself, chronicling her fictitious weekends and using humour to ingratiate the brand with its already amassed followers. At the moment, the hard work is unravelling as tweeters recognise the gameshow as a short-term ploy to bait their hearts and flee in their droves.

No doubt the W Burger will be a success – in my time living Stateside, I never met an American who didn’t love a burger – but I can’t help but feel what was an almost-perfect campaign has ended up a missed opportunity.