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LBi launches BT Business

Posted by Laura JB April 27th, 2009

LBi and BT Business have provided a solution based boost to UK firms with the launch of a new technology and information site to speed efficiency and reduce costs in just one place. LBi and BT Business have announced the launch of a new technology and information site for BT Business, which is designed to help provide a boost to UK firms.

Featuring all of the information a business needs to work more efficiently and reduce costs in one place – without the need to leave the destination page, the site is designed to help users find the information, products and support they’re looking for more quickly and easily. Product collections have been grouped together according to ‘business needs’ to highlight the packages that can help firms control and cut costs. New features include single page product and service summaries, help widgets allowing customers to see how BT can support them in-life, plus forums where they can discuss the options with other firms and FAQs. The popular BT Business Insight site provides customers with the latest business news, guides, videos and white papers and, if customers want to speak to an advisor, the option to call or start a live web chat is available.

Bill Murphy, managing director, BT Business (http://business.bt.com) said: “We are very sensitive to the limited time owner-managers have to research and understand how to profit from new technologies and services. Time is even more precious in the current climate and our aim is to provide an effective overview of how to work more effectively and profitably.”

LBi managing director Anil Pillai “As an SME ourselves we understand the time pressures other SMEs are under, so we’ve relished the opportunity to create a service that delivers real value for them”.

The re-designed website is online now. For more details visit BT Insight http://insight.bt.com/articles/Were-improving-the-BT-Business-website/

Tags: BT, BT Business, launch, UK

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LBi strengthens and expands planning offering

Posted by Laura JB March 30th, 2009

Jake Dyer and Ed Beard have joined LBi to take customer brand engagement to another level.

Under Maureen Cuddihy, Head of Planning, both come with a stella pedigree. Jake takes the role at LBi as Planning Partner after comeing from agency.com as Head of Strategy and Planning and part of the management team. At agency, Jake created award-winning work for brands like BA and IKEA, including award winning digitally led integrated activity. Prior to Agency.com, Jake worked for Tequila and TBWAGGT as a Planning Director and CRM expert.

Ed takes the role of Senior Planner after coming from Digitas, where he worked on both B2B and B2C for clients like HP, Shell and Lloyds. While at Digitas, Ed created award winning work for HP. Ed started his career as a BBC journalist and brings his journalistic experience into the world of creating ‘earned’ media engagements for LBi’s clients.

Caroline McGuckian, LBi’s Global Media Director says, “These hires reflect LBi’s continued focus on strategic digital thinking throughout a consumer’s journey with a brand and evidence our commitment to providing clients with the best talent available to work with them in today’s ever changing landscape”

Tags: Consulting, hires, People, planning, Staff, strategy, UK

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LBi opens Cannes

Posted by Laura JB March 27th, 2009

LBi’s Chief Creative Chris Clarke will kick off the Cannes Lions International Festival Seminar programme this year. ‘The Death of the Creative Director’ is scheduled for 10am on Sunday 21st June in the Debussy Theatre in Cannes. He will be speaking about how social marketing changes the creative skill set, and kills old notions of the role of Creative Director.

Clarke feels that marketing has changed forever.

It has moved from locally focused broadcast to global conversations, bringing with a need for more complex multilayered forms of marketing. When shouting is replaced with listening, the old egos don’t seem to make sense anymore. The consumer has taken control and now agencies must reach those consumers through their networks with clever tools, content and services which make a difference and improve people’s lives. Doing this effectively calls for collaboration, open-mindedness and a feel for technology. The traditional Creative Director is ill at ease in this new environment and we see many of them retreating into a deeply conservative mindset and a position of denial.

In his speech, Chris will explore some of these issues hoping to goad the industry into a more meaningful response to the new realities of marketing than we currently see in the advertising industry.

LBi is also proud to announce that Jonas Linell from LBi Denmark is on the Cyber Lions jury and that Laura Jordan-Bambach from LBi UK will be speaking at 10am on Thursday 25th at the Creative Social event.

Tags: Cannes, Chris Clarke, Creative Director, event, LBi Group, Lorenzo Wood, UK

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LBi launches Customer Interaction Department

Posted by Laura JB March 24th, 2009

Leading LBi has launched a global Customer Interaction Department to help brands create more effective ways to manage and facilitate profitable relationships between customers and their brands in today¹s socially connected world.

The department was created in response to huge demand from brands wanting to know how to best communicate with consumers through social networks, blogs, virtual worlds and other social platforms, and balance this with more traditional marketing channels.

LBi fuses together both traditional CRM and “social CRM” thinking to deliver a holistic and fresh approach to CRM strategy and implementation and programme management, communications and data planning, multi-channel campaign design and management, customer data management and hosting.

By embedding these skills and service offerings into its full service mix, LBi ensures customer engagement is a primary consideration across the customer journey, from acquisition to retention and advocacy. In collaboration with their colleagues in Media and Technology, the Customer Interaction department has developed a number of innovative communication planning tools and solutions that aim to simplify the complex reality of planning, managing and facilitating millions customer conversations in a web2.0 world.

Headed by Pipa Unsworth, a leading expert in CRM, global clients include Marks and Spencer, Financial Times, Mazda Motors Europe, Sara Lee, Mitsubishi Motors Europe, Formula1 and mostly recently, after an 8-way pitch Electrolux.

Whether its working with clients such as Sara Lee and Financial Times to develop and reinvigorate their eCRM programmes, or planning integrated media and CRM campaigns for Mitsubishi Motors Europe, or creating an online customer dialogue platform for Mazda Motors Europe, this integrated approach is proving popular with clients – including new pan-European clients such as Electrolux who plan to shift a significant proportion of their above-the-line budget to CRM, digital and experiential activity this year.

Pipa Unsworth, LBi CRM Practice Director says “I’m excited to see a growing demand for this fresh approach to CRM but not surprised! CRM is critical to maintaining profitability and protecting customer relationships during tough economic conditions and, as a data-driven discipline, CRM provides a level of accountability favoured by clients especially when marketing budgets are under increasing pressure to perform.”

Ewen Sturgeon, LBi UK CEO, says “2009 will see continued investment in this area, coupled with substantial growth as clients continue to demand improved return on investment and more effective approaches to managing and retaining valuable customer relationships in a digitally centric, socially connected world.”

Tags: CRM, eCRM, Social CRM, UK

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