As a child, I have to confess that I found visits to my Grandmother’s slightly unexciting. Also, slightly unfair. While my father and brother got waited on hand and foot, I was expected to run around after them - fetching them drinks and food while they sat back and put their feet up. My Grandmother had very old-fashioned notions of gender roles, you see…
 
But I could always seek solace in the bathroom. Titter ye not. Next to the loo was a stack of Reader’s Digest magazines. Locking myself away, I would curl up on the floor with my back to the radiator and devour them. We didn’t get them at home (too US-centric for my parents’ taste, or maybe just too naff. Private Eye was their magazine of choice). I particularly liked Laughter is the Best Medecine, but there were also numerous stories of hope against adversity that completely absorbed me.
 
My Grandmother died years ago, and since then the only chance I have to pick up a copy is when waiting to see the dentist or doctor. Not that I consciously seek it out. After all, I like to think I’m a more sophisticated reader these days. And okay, so it was a naff magazine, only moving with the times with too little and too late. But it was an institution. Now the magazine is the latest publishing victim of the recession, but even just before folding it had a readership of 465,000. While this had dropped, it’s still nearly as much as The Times.  
 
But the sad thing is, that dentist waiting room will never be the same again…

Forget the buzz of working on PR campaigns like the twinning of Walt Disney World Florida with Swindon and Jameson Cult Film Club events. The real competitive edge you experience working at Launch Group came to the fore on Tuesday - Shrove Tuesday – which became the perfect opportunity for Launchers to compete in a pancake making competition!

This was a no holds barred event. Spatulas at the ready, Launchers gathered in the kitchen to show off their pancake making skills and batter their fellow competitors into ignominious defeat. We outlined the skills required to make a perfect pancake early on: adroit handling of the frying pan; the ability to flick your wrist at just the right angle to deliver the perfect toss, and, of course, a tennis player’s eye for the ball. Corporate’s Rebecca failed on the last count; she dropped her first pancake!

We discovered along the way that it’s essential to turn up the heat – Launchers are good at that – and ensure that your frying pan and the fat is very hot. So that’s my excuse for my own rather feeble effort.  As the first Launcher off the starting block, I had to contend with a cold pan and although I demonstrated good throwing skills, my humble effort was never in the running.

Rebecca did better on her second attempt. But no Olympic contender ever gets a second chance so her pancakes were consigned to the bin. Then there was Chris, whose confident, cocky and laid-back approach wasn’t impressing anyone. His one-handed tossing of the pancake might have looked good but he was never really in with a chance of the big time. The same could not be said for Elodie, whose Gallic culinary skills shone through as she set about creating the perfect crepe. A delicate turn of the pan and a flip of the wrist and her almost perfect, aesthetically pleasing crepe was a joy to behold. Nevertheless, the French aren’t going to beat us at rugby, nor could they triumph in the pancake tossing stakes. In the end, triumph and glory went to Laura, who was universally praised for her effective tossing skills and the height of her throw.

So – what is Pancake Day all about? It is Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent when Christians give up something, most often a favourite food. Pancakes contain dairy products, fat and eggs. So Pancake Day is a day of indulgence when you can enjoy an indulgent feast of pancakes before the long slog of abstinence over Lent. I don’t know if any Launchers are giving anything up over Lent, but if they are, I’m pretty certain it won’t be any delicious food. There are a lot of good things about working for Launch Group, and one of them is that you don’t have to be coy and hold back when there is great food on offer. Roll on Easter.

So, it’s been just over a year since I returned from my travels around Asia and joined Launch Group in January 2009. All I can say is that I don’t think any other agency could’ve pulled me out of my post-travelling depression so quickly, and that a LOT has happened in those 12 months.

From winning fantastic new business – hello Advance VisionCare! – to doing excellent client work – Butlins Ocean Hotel launch, Jameson Cult Film Club, and Disney Twinned to name just a few - it’s been a rollercoaster year here at Launch Towers and I can’t wait for the next one.

Now, I admit that I didn’t actually work on the Disney campaign personally, but as one of the agency’s most successful projects we were all incredibly excited about the amazing results. I even called fellow Launcher, Elodie, and left her a far-too-over-excited voicemail when I saw the coverage on Jonathan Ross before realising that I was watching it on Sky+ and that she’d already known about it for two days. Oh well, she appreciated the Sunday morning call. I think.

Day-to-day work aside, we’ve had two unforgettable company parties – Summer and Christmas – where we all witnessed some very questionable dance moves, but I guess the less said about those the better. What happens in Soho, stays in Soho, after all…

So, what’s on the agenda for 2010? I for one am getting married – hurray!

And now that I’ve started planning The Big Day I’ve noticed that maybe us PR professionals don’t approach things in quite the same way as others. My laid back Devon family seemed to be shocked at my almost military-like approach to the preparations. From my time-maximising schedule of venue viewings to the eight tab excel spreadsheet that has become known as ‘The Wedding Bible’, the organisation skills picked up from years of juggling clients, suppliers, colleagues, and everything else look like they’re about to come in very handy indeed. I’m just going to have to try to remember not to send my parents a weekly update report, schedule regular conference calls or ask them to attend monthly status updates. Although, now that I mention it, that does sound like quite a good idea…

Bridezilla? Moi?!

With everyone having their say about what’s going to be ‘hot and what’s not’ for 2010 here at Launch HQ, we thought it might be apt to give our thoughts on the experiential trends sure to dominate the coming year.

Despite the words ‘recession’ and ‘budget’ looming inevitably over a number of ideas,  there’s one creative little gem that that has no end of magical possibilities, and that’s the pop-up shop.

Pop-up shops, or ‘guerrilla stores,’ have evolved considerably over the last few years, becoming increasingly more creative in design and location, with some going as far as to inhabit virtual worlds.

Here’s some of our top tips and hints to creating your own pop-up:

• You must always ensure when embarking on a pop-up to adhere to the brand values, and ensure that it generates an exciting customer experience
• Pop-up shops should not be used purely to drive sales - it shouldn’t be about a ‘pile it high and sell it cheap’ ethos. Rather a pop-up should engage its consumers while creating as much buzz, interest and publicity as possible
• In essence, pop-ups have to develop and expand on the in-store experience to properly allow customers to physically interact with brands (see Launch Group’s Moet example). Launch Group’s promotion of The Atelier Moët brought a bit of sparkle to shoppers last Christmas by creating the UK’s first pop-up champagne boutique, giving customers the opportunity to watch their bottles of Moët being personalised with Swarovski crystals by an in-store Artisan (see picture!)
• Pop-ups can be the perfect testing platform. You can market and trial new products, without the risk of a long lease. Brands can build any successes, and, if not, simply close without any fuss. A good pop up will also provide the space with an impression of exclusiveness, originality and freshness

We see the pop-up growing as a trend in 2010. They will no longer be viewed as just seasonal speciality shops. Brands are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits pop-ups yield in terms of capturing the public and media’s attention in a limited time frame. And consumers see pop-up shops as an exclusive retailing opportunity to purchase a limited edition / designer product. It’s the scarcity of time and limited edition product that creates such a sense of urgency in the consumer purchase.

And don’t forget that with the internet celebrating its 40^th birthday this year, we can definitely expect the pop-up concept to develop further in the digital space. The collaboration of the real and virtual world of pop-ups is an exciting extension of an activity that, in marketing terms, has been around for a while – so watch this space!

Back in October I wrote about our latest campaign for Walt Disney World (‘you’ve got to be in it to twin it’, October 16^th) – to find a UK village, town or city to be twinned with the famous park in Orlando.

Well, the entire UK has since been touched by the Disney magic by, if we don’t say it ourselves (!), possibly the best PR campaign of the decade.

Unless you’ve been living in a box, we’re sure you will have seen at least some of the buzz we’ve created:

The campaign generated over 650 pieces of coverage including 43 TV broadcast items (32 of which were national!), 22 national newspaper articles, 97 radio interviews, 119 regional newspapers and over 250 online pieces.

On the day of the finalist announcement, the campaign was covered in every national newspaper and TV broadcast highlights included ‘Friday Night with Jonathan Ross’, the coveted ‘And Finally’ on ‘ITV News at Ten’ and ‘BBC Breakfast’.

The story was also featured on 75 blogs, discussed on over 100 Facebook, Bebo and MySpace groups and appeared on 650 Twitter feeds with a combined following of 465,599.  The campaign’s coverage led to over 13,000 people visiting the microsite.

We’re proud to have created a real ‘water-cooler moment’, and, if nothing else, have made the Mayor of Swindon a very happy man.  He was quoted in a local newspaper claiming that our campaign is Swindon’s “greatest achievement for this year.”  Mission complete.

Well, with all that has happened in a very busy 2009, we decided that we would finish the year with a little sparkle.

The Boys Pod - that is, myself and Adam, decided that we would do our bit by “glamming up” our workspace and adding some festive cheer to the office. Being blokes, we thought that we would do quantity over quality and nipped down to the local Pound Land in our lunch hour. So, for the princely sum of £10 we have donned our desks with crackers, tinsel, lights and some random bird / fern thingies.

This appears to have stoked the festive fire, and other Launch pods are plotting our demise as I type this, feverishly putting up their own impromptu Christmas decorations in nothing short of a festive challenge.  I say, bring it on!

So please do not forget to indulge in some Christmas spirit, get your Crimbo deckies up and finish off the year with a bang.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Okay, it’s happened! We’ve not even edged into December and I have already heard the dulcet tones of Her Majesty Ms Carey telling me that ‘all she wants for Christmas is me’ over the PA system at a shopping centre. She could have just called me directly! But secretly, I am now actually rather happy that I can just about get away with listening to my Christmas playlist on my ipod.

Christmas is a time of the year I always look forward to, especially the classic traditions like mulled wine, minced pies and quality time spent with friends and family. But another big tradition has begun to appear since my time at Launch. What started last year as an innocent attempt at Christmas cheer has turned into a hotly awaited contest! The Annual Advent Quiz – a daily quiz question that determines who opens the company advent calendar (yes, we have a company advent calendar) – is already keeping me up at night…. Will all of the questions be ready for the 1^st? What should I put behind door 24? What with that and organising the Christmas party I will be exhausted by the time I get my turkey!

What is it about a bit of healthy competition that gets people excited? Now it is not only once a year that us Launchers go head to head in a general knowledge battle. We also have the weekly ‘Has Lesley Got News For You Quiz’ a chance for us all to put our media monitoring skills to the test and ensure that  we’re up to speed with all of the happenings in the news agenda. We’ve gone competition mad!

I think it comes down to nostalgia – we miss those days when it was Red House against Yellow House and the innocence of believing that winning the Egg & Spoon race would make us masters of the universe. And I say why not? Whilst the prize of winning the Advent Quiz is only an oddly tasting chocolate, it also gives you that extra buzz you can only get from being the best.

Once again it’s that time of the year that we all brace ourselves for. The dreaded winter!  With the dark mornings and cold weather, the official start of winter is soon to be upon us. It’s time to don the scarves and gloves, turn up the heating and dig out the SAD light for that daily dose of vitamin D. Many of us look back over the summer months longingly…

However, winter isn’t all doom and gloom. There are definitely some cheeky pleasures that come with it…

December is the season to be jolly

Who doesn’t love Christmas? It’s the time for festive cheer, lots of guiltless, calorific food and a whole host of nights out - and all in the name of the season.

During this period people seem generally to be in better spirits (probably because they know a hard earned break is on the way!), and there is always a Christmas party or social gathering to attend, which is organised under the guise of ‘Christmas,’ but is really just another reason to go out and be merry.

It’s also a great excuse to shop! You can kill two birds with one stone as you shop for yourself whilst shopping for your nearest and dearest’s Christmas presents. It’s the perfect arrangement. 

Furthermore, as our evenings are plummeted into darkness, we can look forward to the warm glow of the Christmas decorations lighting up our skylines, shops and homes.  Thus making the dark evenings somewhat more bearable.

What I look forward to most, though, is the occasion when thousands of people up and down the country gather together to watch the Christmas lights being turned on. This year the turning on of the Regent Street lights was once again a festive treat and also a PR’s dream! The crowds enjoyed performances from Taio Cruz and Peter Andre, as well as guest appearances from Jim Carey and Colin Firth. This was to tie in with the release of the A Christmas Carol movie.

However, to promote the film, the audience were encouraged to join in with a mass sing along to a well know Christmas carol.

January brings us great bargains

So once the joys of Christmas have passed, by Boxing Day I’m already thinking about sales shopping! My thinking is that I might as well make the most of it and grab myself a bargain. So through out the first week of January I can be found, along with the majority of the British female population, trawling the clothes rails on the high street.  And once that bargain is found, it’s well worth the blood, sweat and tears.

February is a time for pancakes  

On the 16^th February people up and down the country invest in flour, butter and eggs for Shrove Tuesday. What to put on your pancake is always the most crucial question of the day.  Whether it is simply some lemon and sugar or a more adventurous personal favourite such as Nutella and banana, they are a scrumptious treat which are well worth the effort and help to warm the cold evenings.

So for those who are wishing for the winter months to be a distant memory, cling to the knowledge that there are a few treats in store, which will help the cold months fly by that little bit quicker.

The wait is over for fashionistas and recessionistas alike as they flock to H&M for yet another highstreet collaboration with a high-end designer. This time it’s every shoe-aholic’s (myself included) dream - Jimmy Choo, whose range hits the shops tomorrow.

And with a pair of sandals, usually costing in the region of £500 selling for £80, no doubt the scene will be set thusly:

1.      Queues will already be snaking down Oxford Street at 5am

2.      When you do eventually get through the door, you’ll have to confront the dismay that there are only size eights left in the ‘must-have’ metallic blue cage sandals

3.      The delightful blonde woman who offered you a mint in the queue has mutated into O-Ren-Ishi, just as you try to grab the last size ten, one-shoulder suede dress

4.      If you’re lucky enough to grab a pair of the aforementioned ‘must-have’ sandals, it’s almost a certainty that half of the Xmas party contingent will also be wearing them

5.      50 per cent of the collection will be on eBay by lunchtime, selling for twice the retail price

So with this in mind, am I the only one that feels slightly sad that the aspirational element of designer fashion is being washed away, as high-end designers choose to cheapen their label by such alliances?

I completely understand that most people (myself included) cannot afford to have a designer wardrobe, and that these collaborations bring an affordable line to the masses, but to me that’s the beauty of high-end design: it’s luxury, it’s something special, it’s art.

When I eventually buy my first pair of Jimmy Choos (and it will happen one day), I want it to be in the plush boutique on Sloane Square where the immaculately presented assistant helps me into the glove-like beauties, and upon my nod of approval, delicately wraps them up in the pearlised, ribbon-handled gift bag. What I don’t want is to experience any of points one to five outlined above - just to have a pair of ‘cheap chic Choos’.

As my colleagues know, I am an Australian who has lived the majority of her life on the Sunshine Coast.  As such, I am always amazed and excited at the distinct change in seasons we experience in the UK, because in Australia, we slide from one season to another without really noticing. Here there are shorter days, lower temperatures and beautiful colours in the foliage, which are hard to go unnoticed.

If I were an artist I would find it hard to choose which colours to paint, with all the different greens in the parks, closely followed by the gold and browns. Just beautiful autumn shades. 

I took the above photo a few weeks ago, and, together with my walks through the countryside, it’s really helped me understand why I love living in England.

I must admit walking along residential streets in London the colourful fallen leaves can be mushy and dangerous, but even these add to the beauty of the season. Obviously it’s not so attractive when you’re spending your Sunday afternoons raking them off your lawn…

The next season in line is of course winter, and with it comes a colour change - white snow perhaps? Again the distinction between one season and another will be made obvious, and does spell the festival season, so make sure you enjoy!