It makes a really refreshing change to be able to let you know about a round of funding that is available for NE England SME businesses. The funding is available as part of an ERDF investment programme for SME's engaged in mainly B2B activities which are undertaking revenue projects that will produce tangible results to create or safeguard jobs.

SME's can apply for the funding via this program directly or using a qualified North East Service Providers like ourselves to seed the project for them.

So if you have a 2012 initiative that might be:

I came across this very interesting survey in the eblog Social Media B2B marketing and have reproduced it here:

From a recent article in B2B marketing According to a B2B social media survey by Pardot, B2B cloud marketing automation software provider, even though 95% of B2B companies report using social media (a number that strikes me as way too high), nearly half of them (42%) have received no leads or can’t attribute any leads generated to social media. B2B marketers are responsible for generating leads and social media should be part of that process. Using social media for just brand awareness, connecting and engaging is not enough. And it is not what B2B marketers should be spending their time doing. A coordinated plan of blogging with calls to action on every post, and sharing that content on company social media profiles can generate leads. Other statistics from the study: 

In a week that seen the launch of the Apple iPHONE 4s and the hugely tragic death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs it would appear that their Brand has actually grown despite Steve's sad passing.

An article appeared from the Reuters news agency yesterday and it makes interesting reading:

It is with great sadness that we learnt today of the death of Steve Jobs founder of Apple Computers.

Steve was great visionary and a role model for all involved in Technology and Marketing.

Aegies Associates hit The London Times

As the PR company responsible for the announcement and unveiling of The Very Rev Justin Welby as the new Bishop of Durham Designate, Aegies Associates have been very busy over the last couple of weeks.

Well, its been another interesting week so far. I am writing this from a London bound train, off to meet the Ambassador of the UAE and another meeting later on. 

Yesterday I presented a workshop for NOF Energy on 'Improving Your Marketing Activity'. This was to a small but hungry group of business leaders and marketeers. The workshop focused on coming up with novel & creative marketing activities and campaigns to improve the process of the Marketing Communication Process.

In this months Issue of the IOD magazine Director, Trevor Clawson explores how SME's can develop an APP and really extend their customer communication and brand loyalty.

The following is a summary of the article and some pointers to getting the best from your APP developments.

Well I have been in India more than a week now and I have to say that I have found it to be quiet stimulating to find a changing land open for business and embracing change.

Is India becoming the Dubai of the Indian subcontinent - it's difficult to tell, but it certainly is trying hard. Here in New Delhi parts of it have changed so much that I don't recognise it from the last time I was here. Yes I is still a land of massive contrast from the new build environment and IT based economy to the squaller of the slums and the simple villages; the stark contrast in wealth and class still seems to the thing keeping the balance here and I guess that it will always be so.

Is doing business with India like 'Gambling with the lunch money?' A question I have been asked many times.

Its Sunday and have been out to lunch with our JV partners and made a couple of visits to exercise my photography needs.