Marketing Plan [April 2015]Compiled by: John Byrne, David Dunleavy, Aisling Hurley, Rob Irwin & Caoilfhionn McNamara
Table of Contents1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 32. Executive Summary ................................................................................................ 33. Organisation Vision, Mission & Values ................................................................. 44. Marketing Vision & Mission................................................................................... 45. Situation Analysis ................................................................................................... 56. Organisation & Marketing Objectives .................................................................... 97. Strategy.................................................................................................................. 128. Tactics ................................................................................................................... 129. Activity Plan.......................................................................................................... 1310. Control and Evaluation .......................................................................................... 1611. Appendix................................................................................................................ 1712. Find Out More........................................................................................................ 17
1. IntroductionThis plan maps out the strategies and tactics ADAPT need to undertake to achieveits mandate of being Ireland's global centre of excellence for digital content andmedia innovation. (Adapt Centre, 2015)It provides a review of the activities ADAPT has achieved to date and a look aheadat the programmatic activities and consumer marketing plans ADAPT should developto add and create value for potential clients, the public and industry partners.The content of this plan was developed in collaboration with the segmented targetmarket sectors and in conversations with ADAPT. 11 When the project started ADAPT was still CNGL but in the latter stages of a brand re-launch.Throughout the document ADAPT and CNGL are referred in some cases independently, where therewas not enough information to harness for research on ADAPT, the MOZ analytics data for examplestarted recording information in October 2014 on CNGL. In most instances the centre is referred to asADAPT. We would like to thank Laura Grehan, Marketing at CNGL/ADAPT for her support duringthis project. Adapt Marketing Plan – 1
2. Executive SummaryCURRENT POSITIONExplain the current situation from top to bottom. This should be concise and summarise yourplan.KEY ISSUESHighlight the key issues and challenges the organisation and individual departments face.This can be taken from your audit and might be best completed once you’ve finished yourplan. Adapt Marketing Plan – 2
ABOUT ADAPT CENTRESince it was established in 2007, CNGL has been at the forefront of delivering innovationsthat have helped shape the digital and intelligent content global landscape. In late 2014, withthe aid of substantial new research funding and the presence of new industry partners, CNGLevolved to become ADAPT.ADAPT comprises of world-class researchers from four of Ireland’s most prestigiousuniversities (Dublin City University, University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin andDublin Institute of Technology) and a number of leading industry partners.ADAPT currently boasts more than 120 researchers across its four main universities andaffiliated centres. They have provided digital innovation solutions to over 140 companiesworldwide. These achievements were recognised by the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI)in 2014 with the allocation of a new research budget of more than €50 million.“With €50m in new research funding from SFI and industry, ADAPT research andtechnologies will help businesses in all sectors to manage, personalise and deliver digitalcontent more effectively.” Prof. Vincent Wade - CEO, ADAPT CentreADAPT and their partners are constantly developing bespoke and innovative solutions thatprocess vast amounts of digital content resulting in considerable sums of revenue. The processingof such content has enabled interaction between organisations and customers on a global scale –the likes of which have never been seen before. For industry and general information about theADAPT Centre please visitwww.adaptcentre.ie.Adapt identify 5 key areas of focus for their research: (Adaptcentre.ie) Adapt Marketing Plan – 3
3. Organisation Vision, Mission & ValuesMISSIONADAPT’s mission is to deliver world-leading innovations in digital content and media. Indoing so we will maximize the potential of a wide spectrum of industries creating anenvironment where sustained growth is possible through managing, delivering andpersonalizing digital content. We will do all this within efficient timescales that work forbusiness.VISIONThe ADAPT Centre will position and promote its research and innovation capabilities toindustries and promote research techniques to second-level students and schools. Theorganization will deliver our digital marketing strategy to these market segments to growawareness of the research capabilities and how they might be employed to prospectivebusinesses. To deliver world-leading innovations in Digital content and media. Adapt Marketing Plan – 2
OUR ROLE IN THE INDUSTRY“ADAPT focuses on analysing media, content and customer interactions to enhancecommunication, customer engagement and satisfaction. ADAPT enhances global reach viainnovative machine translation of corporate and user-generated content. We transform anddeliver personalized content to empower customers and companies. We enable innovativecustomer engagement across multimodal media (speech, video, image, text) to enhance theuser experience. We extract actionable knowledge from all forms of digital content and userinteractions”. (Adapt Centre, 2015b)We present actions and tactics in this digital marketing plan to support the vision of attractingnew business and second level student involvement to the Centre.PROMOTEWe strive to bring world class content innovations and disruptive technologies to bear on newinitiatives and developments on behalf of organisations and businesses.We develop researchers and technologies to create new companies and tools that can existindependently or be licensed to end users.ADVOCATEWe design and implement events aimed at encouraging the next generation to get involvedwith the university and the programs of innovation.We bring our designs and applications to trade events to network and communicate ourportfolios. Adapt Marketing Plan – 3
4. Situation AnalysisWHERE WE AREThe past 12 months have seen the recovery of the economy in Ireland continue. Withemployment levels rising (Male unemployment is 13.8% and for Females 9.9%) andhistorically low interest rates (0.05%) people are feeling positive about the futureThe consumer index reflects this too with a 10% increase, and with inflation at a lowly .02%,growth in the short term also looks positive. (source - John)The government’s National Digital Strategy and the EU initiative ‘Horizon 2020’ are sturdyfoundations on which to build on the current 95,000 currently working in Digital sector. Adapt Marketing Plan – 4
THE OPPORTUNITYTransform Content IntelligentlyThere are many ways to access funding for business innovation such as, EU H2020,Enterprise Ireland Funding, National Digital Research Centre, and Science FoundationIreland. With Irish government policies aimed at job creation it makes today an ideal time tolaunch that innovation businesses have been thinking about.There are some 1.6 million smartphones in Ireland and with broadband distributed nationallyand more and more Wi-Fi spots accessible the need for fresh content, delivered intelligently,is apparent. Over 80% of people have used the internet in recent past and we will reach out tothe Irish public with informative, educational and interactive content.The ADAPT Centre is ideally placed to support, design and initiate innovations that deliverbusiness goals.FORECASTING THE SHORT TERMWith the new branding of ADAPT, the centre will continue to deliver innovative gamechanging digital media and intelligent content. The new partners and funding allow theorganisation to reach out to businesses and the general public as never before, to enableresponsive and interactive communications. All business sectors can benefit from this changeand we will actively highlight our activities and capabilities to attract them.‘Existing and emerging technologies when combined with a strong digital strategy can be acatalyst for change and growth in Ireland.’ ICThttp://www.ictireland.ie/Sectors/ICT/ICT.nsf/vPages/Papers_and_Sector_Data~the-global-technology-hub/$file/The+Global+Technology+Hub+ICT+Ireland+ISA.pdf Adapt Marketing Plan – 2
THE CONTENT LANDSCAPEWorld class expertise of four Irish universities combined with industry leaders.Although the digital information era started over 50 years ago, the past 2 decades have seen arapid reduction in computing costs. This combined with the emergence of the internet and aproliferation of Apps have affected the function of the economy and businesses in general.(John Research Centre, European Commissions in house science service, 2014)The European Commission research programme is attempting to address some of theeconomic policy issues arising from the super-fast growth speed of the industry. One of themajor objectives of the commission is to create a borderless single market for trade in goodsand services. They have since extended this policy to online markets. A top priority is aborderless Digital Single Market. (John Research Centre, European Commissions in-housescience service, 2014) They are further focused on copyright issues including those affectingbusiness models and revenue.ICT permits all sectors in society to influence each other. Citizens are now able to consumeand produce digital content at an alarming rate. “The market for content needs to be open toinnovation and new actors.” (Research Topic - Digital Living, 2014) Whilst interacting withdigital information systems, a trail of data is left after citizens. (Joint Research Centre,European Commissions in-house science service, 2014) Data stored can be used by anyone atany time, including ways unforeseen by businesses. The European Commission’s JointResearch Centre is currently examining the impacts of emerging technologies and societaltrends. (Joint Research Centre, European Commissions in-house science service, 2014) Otherareas of their research include how the digital information is processed, who is involved inthis process and what information is dealt with. Adapt Marketing Plan – 3
Emerging technologies and online networking platforms are growing faster than legislationcan keep up. The European Commission is concerned with interaction processes that allow aperson to interact using data that can be further processed. (Joint Research Centre, EuropeanCommissions in-house science service, 2014) The availability of mobile Apps, cloud basedservices, smart cards and RFID tags is allowing the consumer to interact without thought.BODIESThe Science Foundation is responsible for recruiting and retaining research groups in Ireland.They invest in academic researchers and research teams who generate leading edgetechnologies, knowledge and competitive enterprises. “Ireland has ascended the worldrankings of scientific research, rising from 36th in 2003 to 20th in 2010.” (Science FoundationIreland, 2014a)The overall aim of the Science Foundation is to “build effective cooperation between scienceand all members of society.” (Science Foundation Ireland, 2014b) The Science Foundation’scurrent main focus is on Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society Programme. AlvaO’Cleirigh acts as Ireland’s contact point (NCP) for society as well as being the NationalDelegate (ND). (Alva O’Cleirigh, 2014) Her role includes providing a national input intopolicy and strategy in Europe together with providing information to applicants.Their SFI Discover programme promotes the awareness of science amongst the generalpublic. This is achieved by the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths)programme. Their mission in this regard is to have “the most engaged and scientificallyinformed public.” (Science Foundation Ireland, 2014c) The area particularly interested in“novel means of public engagement and communications.” To this end they run severalprogrammes for schools including “Discover Primary Science and Maths” programme.(Science Foundation Ireland, 2014c)Enterprise Ireland offers financial support for Irish based researchers and businessesintending to apply for EU funding schemes. The Future and Emerging Technologiesdepartment is overseen by Stephen O’Reilly. Imelda Lambkin is the connection for the JointResearch Centre. Sean Burke is over the SME department with Jan Gerritsen being thecontact for the Enterprise Europe Network. (Enterprise Ireland, 2014a)For those involved in a Higher Education Institute research project with potential forcommercial exploitation, Enterprise Ireland will assign a Commercialisation Specialist.(Enterprise Ireland, 2014b) The purpose of this is to class the spin-out as a HPSU companythat can then be considered for further investment under the Innovative HPSU fund.(Enterprise Ireland, 2014b) Adapt Marketing Plan – 2
Their Research Commercialisation Support Report documents 5 academic spinouts supportedby EI. (Enterprise Ireland, 2010) This report also states that 10 Technology Transfer Officesin Universities and Colleges receive direct support from EI. (Enterprise Ireland, 2010) Theyoffer support by identifying Irish based companies for possible licence deals. They alsosource experience entrepreneurs to lead spin out companies via their Business Partnersprogramme. (Enterprise Ireland, 2010) They will also arrange for HPSUs to privately meetventure capital investors and private investors. (Enterprise Ireland, 2014c) They also host theBig Ideas Showcase annually. This presents an opportunity for commercial opportunitiesemerging from Institutes of Higher Education. The contacts here are Grace Labanyi andKevina Cleary. (Enterprise Ireland, 2013)InterTrade Ireland is a cross border initiative to encourage SMEs from North & South ofIreland to do business together. They are also supporting the Horizon 2020 programme. Theyare promoting the initiative amongst SMEs as “engaging industry so scientific ideas can beturned into viable products and services.” (Intertrade Ireland, 2014) They share 7 FP7 casestudies on their website to help potential applicants understand the process.EUROPEAN INITIATIVESWithin Europe ‘Digital Competence’ has been identified as a key area for lifelong learning bythe European Union. It is defined as “the critical and creative use of ICT to achieve goalsrelated to work, employability”. (Anusca Ferrari, 2013) Area 2 of digital competence withinthe report has been identified as ‘communication’ with area 3 as ‘content-creation.’ Such anemphasis on digital competence from the European Union central government suggests ahuge market for ADAPT to tap into. Digital competence has further been confirmed as a keypriority for the Commission in recent policies. (Anusca Ferrari, 2012/13)The current European Framework Programme for research and innovation is titled Horizon2020. This has almost €80 billion of funding available between the periods 2014 – 2020.(European Commission, 2014) This programme brings together all research and innovationfunding provided through the FP7, CIP and EIT. The mission of the programme is to secureEurope’s position in research, innovation and technology with the ultimate aim of jobcreation and economic growth throughout Europe. (European Commission, 2014) To ensurethat possible new projects are not impeded Horizon 2020 is open to everyone. (EuropeanCommission, 2014)The Institute for European Studies in Brussels is a policy think-tank focusing on theEuropean Union in an international setting. It provides services to policy makers, the generalpublic, scholars and stake holders. It has a focus on policies and law within the globalizationcontext and the way that institutions, law and politics intersect within the EU. (IES, 2014)They are currently active with a series of lectures on the European Digital InformationSociety. (IES, 2014) Adapt Marketing Plan – 2
COMPETITORS*insert paragraph about Insights Centre Adapt Marketing Plan – 3
iMinds is an independent research institute founded by the Flemish Government. Its missionis to stimulate ICT innovation. They offer companies active support in research anddevelopment. It unites 1000 researchers from 5 research departments. They promote aflexible composition within the research groups to facilitate the “evolving needs ofcompanies.” (iMinds, 2015) They are also currently active with the aforementioned series oflectures on European Digital Information Society. They have boosted the Flemish economywith 70 start-ups since its inception. (iMinds, 2015)Their website is very SME based, informative and speaks the same language as an SME.They avoid industry jargon. They refer to ‘incubation and entrepreneurship’ programmes.They focus on offering ‘coaching and support’.smeSpire is part of the Inspire Directive 2007/2/EC which requires large amounts ofenvironmental digital content to be made accessible across Europe. (smeSpire, 2015) “Making data available according to the INSPIRE standards in 30 countriesusing 22 languages requires specific skill sets that few public authorities have. Themanagement of this content represents an opportunity for SME’s active in this sector.”(smeSpire, 2015)The smeSpire programme expects 4 main results including the “creation of a network capableof transferring result driven knowledge throughout Europe with research centres,environmental agencies, progressive technology providers and digital content providers.”(smeSpire, 2015) They’re also assessing the market potential for SME’s in relation toINSPIRE as part of the Digital Agenda for Europe. (smeSpire, 2015) They intend to identifyknowledge gaps and obstacles for SME’s entering this market. The market is bringing thepower of location to EU government. (smeSPIRE introduces EULF, 2014) Their website alsocontains training modules that can be used on an ad-hoc basis by the smeSprie members. Adapt Marketing Plan – 4
Established iMinds 2004Main Objectives Technology and demand-driven research in conjunction in IndustryCompleted research projects Agile Methodology that enables fast response timesResearch Partners World class research teamsUniversities 550 local and EuropeanPublications 1250Researchers 5 Flemish 1200Funding 850+Research Projects (since ERC Grants - 2013 - €2.5m and €2.0m for differentestablished) projectsApproved Research Projects 2013Cost of Research projects approved 121in 2013 13Areas of Expertise €26.8m ICT Media Health Manufacturing Smart Cities Adapt Marketing Plan – 5
Established The Insight CentreMain Objectives 2013 Close relationship with industry partnersCompleted research projects Data driven technology that will enable better decisionResearch Partners making by individuals, communities, business andUniversities governments. World Class research teamsPublications 59Researchers 150+Funding 6 Irish and 5 research centres with excess of €150m overActive Projects past 10 yearsAreas of Expertise 520+ 200+ €75m SFI in 2013 69 The Semantic Web, Sensors and the Sensor Web, Social network analysis, Decision Support and Optimization, and Connected Health Adapt Marketing Plan – 6
CURRENT TARGET MARKETSADAPT’s current target markets encompass four distinct key audience groupings: Second Level SchoolsLarge Multi General National PopulationCorporations (MNC) Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) Adapt Marketing Plan – 7
1. Second Level SchoolsAccording to CSO figures, Ireland’s population continues to grow year on year and willcontinue to do so for the foreseeable future. Ireland’s population grew from 4,593,100 inApril 2013 to 4,609,600 in 2014, an increase of almost 0.4% [a]. This increase will have aninevitable knock-on effect in enrolment figures for second level schools.Each year The Department of Education produce a report titled “Projections of Full timeenrolment in primary and second level schools”. In 2014 the report projected enrolmentfigures for second level schools from 2014-2032. The projections were calculated based ontwo distinct factors – migration and fertility. The department of Education assumed thatfertility rates will decline over time and migration will increment slightly by 2019. Thefollowing table shows the projected enrolment figures in second level schools from 2014-2032 based on this scenario. Each year references the start of a school year (September-June). [b] Adapt Marketing Plan – 8
Year Enrolment numbers % Change Year on Year20142015 338,04620162017 342,457 1.30%20182019 346,978 1.32%20202021 350,326 0.96%20222023 353,399 0.88%20242025 359,470 1.72%20262027 367,710 2.29%20282029 376,771 2.46%20302031 385,940 2.43%2032 397,524 3.00% 407,030 2.39% 410,742 0.91% 409,553 -0.29% 405,595 -0.97% 398,236 -1.81% 387,668 -2.65% 376,006 -3.01% 364,324 -3.11% 352,434 -3.26% Adapt Marketing Plan – 9
As evident from the table on the previous page student enrolment in second level schools isexpected to incrementally increase year on year for the next 10 years before tailing off in2026.Such trends in population growth and school enrolment figures will be of interest to ADAPTwho have identified Second Level schools as a key audience segment they wish to target. Theincrease in student numbers over time mean ADAPT could potentially have greater numbersof students engaging with the Research Centre over the coming years.Adapt run a number of key programs aimed at second level schools and in particular secondlevel students. Two such initiatives are AILO – The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad andCompute TY. a) Set up in 2009 by ADAPT and financed by Science Foundation Ireland, AILO “is a contest in which secondary school students develop their own strategies for solving problems in fascinating languages from around the globe.” (AILO website). b) Compute TY is another second level program operated by ADAPT. Established in 2005, Compute TY introduces transition year students to website and app development, graphic design, computer programming and a number of other IT related topics. To date more than 4000 transition students have taken part in compute TY.According to CSO figures, participation in Transition year has significantly increasedamongst second level students. Participation had increased from 38.42% in 2001 to 63.55%in 2013. Adapt Marketing Plan – 10
Insights1 ADAPT should look to capitalize on the positive rating DCU receives amongst second levels schools as a way of driving a greater sense of engagement between schools and the research centre.2 Email is the preferred form of communication for schools and teachers. ADAPT need to develop a structured email marketing campaign focusing on each second- level school in Ireland.3 Websites of professional bodies and Internet search engines are the main sources of information for second level schools when looking for transition year courses. It is essential that ADAPT invest in improving their SEO standings to ensure they rank high on searches for TY courses.4 Online advertising through Google Adwords will be important as a means of raising brand awareness of Compute TY.5 Schools are extremely interested in AILO when prompted, increasing awareness of the programme amongst all second level schools is essential. Email marketing in conjunction with Google Adwords can help reach a wider audience.6 Students have identified DCU as a place they would like to attend. Adapt should look to engage with these students with improved Facebook pages for AILO and compute TY.7 There is clearly an appetite for the subjects ADAPT offer students particularly Mobile App Development and website Design. A stronger emphasis of these subjects may increase enrolment numbers. Adapt Marketing Plan – 11
2. General PublicIn September 2014, The Fletcher School Tufts University, published a report entitled “Thestate and trajectory of global digital evolution”. Along with their partners MastercardWorldwide and DataCash, The Fletcher School sought to establish a Digital Evolution Index(DEI) as a way of measuring the transforming economies of the developed and developingworlds in a digital context. The report analyses key drivers and barriers that countries mustnegotiate in the digital economy, the report was conducted across 50 countries between 2008and 2013.According to the Digital Evolution Index Ireland is a stand out country, one that has alreadyattained a high level of digital development and likely to maintain that status in the future.In order to maintain their position as a Stand out Zone it is important that Ireland and inparticular Research Centres such as ADAPT to continue to grow and develop programs andinitiatives that are attractive to both industry and consumers. One thing that is clear in thecurrent digital market is that the needs of consumers are constantly changing. In 2015,Microsoft published a report entitled “Digital Trends 2015 The evolution of digital consumerexperiences”, an online quantitative study across 13 major markets in 2014The study identified a number of key findings that consumers are becoming more engaged inthe digital process and are looking for software or services that are tailored/personalized totheir own individual needs. Adapt Marketing Plan – 12
No. Trend 1 39% of global consumers are happy for brands to track and analyse data to optimize shopping or services 2 49% of global consumers are much more likely to engage with digital experiences that seamlessly integrate with their physical worlds 3 43% of consumers say they are much more likely to use products/services that bring in various data sources to help improve their lives 4 56% of global consumers say they are much more likely to buy from companies who allow them to shape their products or services 5 48% of global consumers expect brands to know them and help them discover new products or services that fit their needs 6 55% of global consumers say they are more likely to interact with a brand when using more specialist and niche digital servicesIt is clear that the general public are key to ADAPT moving forward. Over the years ADAPThave run a number of initiatives aimed at both educating and assisting the general publicwhile also developing applications that make digital content more accessible and meaningfulin their daily lives.Some of ADAPT’s initiatives include Anti-bullying crowdsourcing platforms (Uonevu) thataims to identify subtle non-explicit forms of bullying that would normally go undetectedonline and an accelerated language learning platform (Linguabox) that delivers personalisedinteractive exercises dependent on the users’ needs. Adapt Marketing Plan – 13
Insights1 Ireland is recognized globally as a stand out country, one which has excelled in digital development over the years and looks destined to continue doing so.2 It’s imperative that the country and its research centres continue to expand through innovative and personalized offerings to business and consumers3 Growing acceptance amongst members of the public that their digital engagements will be tracked and optimized.4 Customers are more engaged digitally and more open to integrated digital worlds.5 Personalisation is becoming more and more important to the needs of customers6 Awareness of Research Centres in Ireland is low.7 Irish people rate Ireland positively in terms of Digital content innovation with only 11% rating them negatively.8 Adapts initiatives are rated favourably amongst members of the public. Educational applications in particular such as Uonevu, Compute TY, Linguabox and AILO are amongst the highest rated programmes.9 Strong endorsement amongst members of the public of the importance that a business can manage, personalize and digital content effectively. Adapt Marketing Plan – 14
3. SMEThe SME sector accounts for 99.7% of all active business enterprises in Ireland. Theygenerate over 50% of the state’s annual turnover employing 68% of the workforce. (EoinBurke Kennedy, 2014) The lack of credit available to the Irish SME sector during the last fewyears of the recession has stifled growth. Many businesses were in survival mode. During2014 the most common form of bank lending requested was “Renewal or Restructuring ofExisting Overdrafts”. (Central Bank of Ireland, 2015) 44% of al SMEs sought credit in theperiod October 2013 to March 2014. One quarter of all credit applications declared thereason for credit as “Growth and Expansion”.The report compiled by the Central Bank of Ireland states that there is a “gradualimprovement” in credit conditions. The report also notes that the percentage of discouragedborrowers is significantly higher in Ireland and Greece than in other Euro countries. (CentralBank of Ireland, 2015)In May 2014, the Department of Finance announced the creation of the Strategic BankingCorporation of Ireland (SBCI). A number of institutions, including the German Bank KfW,the Irish Strategic Investment Fund and the European Investment Fund have pre-committedfunds to the SBCI in the sum of €500 million. (Central Bank of Ireland, 2015) This structureis to fund “innovative loans” to the SME sector. This is to provide cheaper loans to the SMEsector for innovation. Adapt Marketing Plan – 15
The Minister for Finance upgraded Ireland’s economic growth forecast by 3% for 2015,following rising retail sales, increase in exports and reducing unemployment figures. Thereport identifies that less than a quarter of Irish businesses engage in any meaningful waywith online commerce. 70% of online purchases in Ireland are from overseas retailers.(Paraic Burke et al., 2014)This provides a key insight for ADAPT. Irish businesses are notcurrently exploiting innovation or online technology to capitalize on new markets. SME’sidentified the top threats to growth as below.In their yearend report for 2014, Enterprise Ireland reported the highest net gain of jobcreation in their history. This indicates that Enterprise Ireland strategy of driving innovationand scale to international markets and new sectors is working. (Julie Sinnamon CEO, 2015)Enterprise Ireland supported businesses account for 16% of the total workforce. A key areaof focus is on regional entrepreneurship and enterprise development with programmes suchas competitive feasibility and start funds. The competitive start funds were awarded to 81companies with further investment in 102 HPSUs. Notably 43 of the 183 start-ups were ledby female entrepreneurs. (Julie Sinnamon CEO, 2015) The innovative IBYE (Irelands BestYoung Entrepreneur) attracted over 1000 entries. Enterprise Ireland are supporting the IMFprediction global growth rate of 3.8% in 2015. The put extra supports into high growthmarkets. They brought in 907 international buyers in 2014 to meet with Irish exportcompanies. Another key financial support was launched to help companies research and planaccess into overseas markets. This I referred to as the Market Access Grant.The agency’s Research & Innovation team work closely with HPSUs to “establish buildingblocks for sectors and technologies of the future.” (Julie Sinnamon CEO, 2015) The NewFrontiers programme focuses on the institutes of Technology, bringing initial concepts intoreality. In 2014 Knowledge Transfer Ireland was launched. This programme is to givecompanies a route to access research skills and knowledge in the HEIs (Irish HigherEducation Institutes). The aim is to increase SME’s innovation capabilities. EnterpriseIreland see Horizon 2020 as a valuable asset to Ireland’s innovation growth. They arecurrently leading national participation in the programme. Ireland had the highest successrate in Europe in the first results under SME funding instrument. (Julie Sinnamon CEO,2015) Adapt Marketing Plan – 16
Insights1 The business community need to be made aware as to the existence of Adapt first, and what benefits it can offer their business in terms of growth, efficiencies or savings.2 The survey identifies that they majority of businesses have limited understanding as to what digital content is and how vital it is to their business. By sharing and educating what it is and how the correct management of it can identify growth opportunities, creates an opportunity for Adapt to become the trusted source and the “go to” company in this area.3 Local Enterprise Offices drive possible Enterprise Ireland clients in the Midlands towards AIT first for innovation vouchers etc. These businesses have to get past the Athlone office first before they can gain access to Enterprise Irelands support based in Dublin.4 There is financial support available in Adapts area for SME’s under Enterprise Irelands New Frontiers, Knowledge Transfer Ireland and Platform for Growth. This can be tapped into by educating the business community leaders as to what Adapt can do for SME’s.5 87% of the surveyed businesses consider their industry moderately to extremely competitive. This is an opportunity for Adapt to power SME’s with innovative solutions for their clients.6 The majority of the surveyed businesses are not aware of Innovation vouchers or how they can be used. If Adapt engage in an education campaign directed towards SME’s they can tap into this finance. For example, using a tagline like “would you like 5000 euros to grow your business?” as an eye catching opener.7 Only 5% of the businesses surveyed are aware of CNGL and with a rebranded Adapt, an uphill battle is ahead. However by engaging on social media platforms and through an innovative website that talks the SME language, Adapt will be able to capitalize on all of the above opportunities. Adapt Marketing Plan – 17
4. Large Multi-National CorporationsAccording to a report published by the McKinsey Global Institute in 2014, Ireland are thenumber one ranked country in terms of Global service flows. Global flows refer to the flowof goods and services across world borders. This ever changing environment has aconsiderable impact on the way companies and countries do business, including,communication, finance, data and even personal interactions. In 2012, the flow of goods andservices globally accounted for €19 trillion (36% GDP) and it is estimated that these flowscould treble by the year 2025. It is claimed that Global flow is a principal driver in globalgrowth and economies that are globally connected are up 40% faster in GDP growthcompared to those that are less connected. Ireland rank 14th out of 131 countries of mostconnected countries globally. Moving forward ADAPT are ideally placed to capitalise on thisglobal trend and positivity surrounding the Irish market. Adapt Marketing Plan – 18
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from large Multination Corporations is a critical factor inIreland’s success. In 2012 161,000 jobs created from MNCs, rising to x in 2013 and x in2014. MNCs from the United States in particular are heavily invested in Ireland with 56% ofall FDI in Ireland originating from the United States. Aside from Ireland’s attractivecorporation tax, there are a number of other factors which attract MNCs to Ireland: Skilled Labour force Good education system High preforming science and technology universities International experience Government policies and investment in knowledge intensive-areas, estimated €1.96 billion in R&D firms in Ireland in 2012 (Department of Jobs Innovation, Ireland)With competition on the rise from Europe and around the world, it will be essential Irishbusinesses and research centres continue to maintain their high levels of performance andproductivity moving forward.It is important that ADAPT capitalize on the positive and healthy relationship they haveestablished with a number of prominent MNCs. When asked about the levels of ADAPT’sperformance Tim young, Director of Operation at Cisco Systems commented “Resources tothis level could not be found anywhere else in the world” and that Adapt are “deliveringdifferent mobility’s not just text its mobile and video too”. DR Kevin Marshall, Head ofEducation at Microsoft Ireland added that Adapt’s remarkable “Ability to adapt quickly tochanging environment.VERBATIM OF MNC CUSTOMERS Adapt Marketing Plan – 19
Insights Ireland is ranked number one globally in terms of Global service flow1 Constant digital evolution impacts the way large businesses operate in terms of2 communication, data collection and analysis, finance, customer interactions to name but a few Global flow of goods and services expected to treble in the next decade.3 Foreign Direct Investment is critical factor in Ireland’s success4 US accounts for % of all FDI into Ireland5 Large MNCs are attracted initially by low corporation tax. Other factors such as6 skilled labour force and high performing universities also contribute in enticing MNCs to Ireland. Adapt currently have an extremely positive relationship amongst a number of7 MNCs. Important to capitalize on this good will when looking to expand in the future.8 Speed – Quick turnaround time Adapt Marketing Plan – 20
THE PLANWe revolutionise the way people can seamlessly interact with content, systems & each otherto achieve new levels of access, efficiency & empowerment.OBJECTIVES 1. Drive positive brand awareness and perceptions of ADAPT as Ireland's global centre of excellence for digital content and media innovation. (Adapt Centre, 2015a) 2. Build engagement, trust and advocacy for ADAPT through collaboration, strategic communications, and stakeholder relations via digital marketing. 3. Complete the transition from a cold and industry specific CNGL to fully functioning digital marketing and social media brand mammoth called ADAPT. 4. Develop the positive links with secondary schools and students. 5. Organise and optimize the ADAPT resources to highlight the positive outcomes of collaboration to the SME sector. Build and diversify client lists consisting of large MNCs. Build a better online presence Build up authority and expertise of the brand and contributors through the blog. Adapt Marketing Plan – 21
GOALSADAPT will track and measure success based on improvements related to: online brandawareness and interaction of ADAPT as Ireland's global centre of excellence for digitalcontent and media innovation. 1. Reach out to the SME sector and achieve awareness level increase of 20% 2. Educate businesses regarding the importance of ‘Content’ for their organisations and how collaboration with ADAPT can improve their products and services. 3. Increase the level of knowledge of ‘Innovation Vouchers’ and other funding vehicles among SME’s. 4. Highlight opportunities to SME and MNCs sector of creating USP competiveness from innovations with ADAPT. 5. Increase the level of engagement with second-level schools and students in programmes run by the centre by 30%. 6. Increase the social media interaction with second-level students. 7. Increase the subscriber list to email newsletters aimed at second-level schools to 25% of second-level schools. Adapt Marketing Plan – 22
8. Increase the visitors to college ‘Open Days’ of second-level students by 50%.9. Increase the level of participation in events such as AILO by 30%.10. Increase the level of participation of second-level students in courses on designing web apps and websites.11. Nurture relationship with European bodies to ensure additional funding.12. StrategyStrategy Supports these GoalsRELEVANCE Increase relevance of ADAPT as industry leader 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9,10,11LEVERAGE/ Leverage and align the centre’s internal marketing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,ALIGNMENT efforts 6, 7, 9,10,11ROI Invest in programs and allocate resources on markets 1, 2, 3, 4,GROWTH and initiatives that will maximize results 5,11 Attract SME’s and Schools to participate in innovation 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and activities that will fund the work of the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. organization and create a culture of accessibility and involvement. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8,11 Collaborate on the development of programs withCOLLABORATE government and industry stakeholders.CO-OP Develop transparency to co-op opportunities to increase 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, involvement of stakeholders to the Centre 6, 8, 9, 10,11CONTENT Develop content that educates interested parties and 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, encourages others to get involved in the events 10DIGITAL Develop the segmenting and structuring of content for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,EXCELLENCE posting on all digital platforms 6, 7, 8, 9,AWARENESS/ 10,11IMAGE Develop a team of content creators and researchers that can provide customer service online and recognizes the 1, 5, 8,11 need to operate a policy of openness and inclusiveness Increase awareness of ADAPT as both a business 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, innovation partner and a resource for the general public 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Adapt Marketing Plan – 23
5. TacticsThere is a range of tactics to satisfy our objectives and reach our goals. This will includesetting up some new acquisition models and segmenting our audience. The website is beingdeveloped and new iterations will bring more focus and relevancy to the target audiences.WEBSITEWEB1 Website TacticsWEB2WEB3 Display a relevant, highly informative platform for visitors to experience theWEB4 ADAPT Centre’s content both for industry users and the general public. Create a resource capability to the website for businesses to discover the process involved in collaboration with the Centre. Case studies of former collaborations and contact details of ADAPT business development officers. Highlight the vouchers and credits available to businesses and how to apply for these. Design the mobile version of the website to appeal to the General Public/Students and promote upcoming events through this channel.WEB5 Create pop-out newsletter sign-ups to build up mailing list of visitors.WEB6WEB7 Develop the newsletter and segment to Business and General Public. TheWEB8 business newsletter should highlight innovations and review case studies. The General Public newsletter should contain information on ‘open days’ and up-coming events where students can participate. A new focus on user generated content to engage and enlighten new visitors. Business can supply case studies and links to their site. Content can be re- purposed through other digital formats. Develop a calendar for the creating and posting of guest blogs and content.WEB9 Create sections of the website to cater for the interests of Business usersWEB10 specific to other users.WEB11 Utilise the video content of the Centre’s activity and post on You TubeWEB12 Channel. Invest time in resourcing relevant partner content and share on the Centre’s channel and outgoing platforms. Create a contact database to help segment users for future mailings and profiling. Create an interactive platform via smartphone to communicate with visitors to the Centre. Adapt Marketing Plan – 24
SOCIAL MEDIASM1 Social Media TacticsSM2 Develop a LinkedIn for Business account to reach the target market of business professionals. Curate appropriate, relevant content to post and share posts from the industry. Use Google Trends to follow keywords such as ‘Innovation Voucher’ and ‘IDA Ireland’ to discover newsworthy items to share.SM3 Follow all contacts on their social media platforms and share and commentSM4 on postings.SM5SM6 Set up second accounts on Twitter and Facebook to use with moreSM7 segmented and relevant postings aimed at second-level schools.SM8 Create campaign calendars to better engage with schools and students regarding ‘open-days’ and other events. Organise for ‘live’ tweeting and Facebook updates as the event is active. Create ‘How-to’ videos for the web app and website design classes and post to You Tube and all social media platforms. Use the advertising platforms available on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, and LinkedIn to extend reach and support campaigns. Use tools such as Hootsuite to group all platforms and assist in the ‘listening’ for brand mentions and keywords.SM9 Create a number of new Twitter accounts for ADAPT’s blog contributorsSM10 Ensure effective integration of all social media platforms to leverageSM11 extended audience reach for content. Proactively encourage staff to engage with and promote the company via social media.SM12 Encourage staff members to create individual Mendeley profiles Adapt Marketing Plan – 25
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Business Development TacticsBD1 Hire a Business Development Officer.BD2 Invite 'Spin-out' companies to events in order to share their stories of the Centre.BD3 Actively promote the website at offline trade shows and events.BD4 Collect digital details from all contacts and request they 'opt-in' to mailing lists.BD5 Social media training for employees and the promotion of online advocacy.BD6 Seek and develop sponsorship partners.BD7BD8 Bring ADAPT to the schools and promote the hosted events aimed at thisBD9 segment.BD10BD11 Invite the media to all events and share the resulting content. Develop a platform for customers to correspond post-projects. Nurture these communications and improve service and deliverable features. Establish global tech event – DigiTech Develop a game for second level schools to encourage engagement and awareness of ADAPT – ABMA Adapt Marketing Plan – 26
DIGITALDIG1 Digital TacticsDIG2 Create and post content that can be accessed easily on mobile devices. Drive involvement with users through competitions, comments and availability. Segment the reporting of key metrics by target market and utilise the results to focus on meeting goals.DIG3 Source and co-create content with industry partners and customers.DIG4 Seek to leverage existing content by indexing, storing and re-cycling.DIG5 Investigate ways to implement gamification techniques to drive involvementDIG6 and user created content. Implement social media planning ahead of events to build anticipation and involvement.DIG7 Create a presentation deck for spokespeople to adapt as a starting guide.DIG8DIG9 Utilise new social media tools such as ‘Periscope’ to broadcast live andDIG10 show innovation and enthusiasm for current apps.DIG11DIG12 Design a process for customers to display their finished products. ProvideDIG13 awareness for their products on our platforms. Create an index of past and current businesses and develop a community where they can communicate and network. This will also form part of the resource ‘road-map’ for interested companies investigating our offerings. Create a number of blog accounts for contributors – representative of ADAPT and to encourage employee advocacy Utilise the new Google Analytics account to track visitor engagement, traffic sources and monitor goal conversion progress Invest in paid SEM techniques such as Re-marketing, Adwords and Display advertising.DIG14 Develop inbound link building strategy from reputable sources. Adapt Marketing Plan – 27
PARTNER MARKETINGPM1 Partner Marketing Tactics Explore ways to link with businesses who are also marketing to our customer base and target market. Investigate areas such as digital conferences and relevant SaaS companies.PM2 Explore new initiatives to link with schools and students.PM3 Find a suitable sponsor for ADAPT events such as digitech conferencePM4 Seek ‘link building’ opportunities with government and information websites.GLOBAL INSIGHTS AND RESEARCHGIR1 Global Insights and Research Tactics Launch and monitor interactions with the website from global users. Seek to enhance the user experience of these visitors and solve their queries.GIR 2 Entice global users to join our social networks and develop communications.GIR 3 Develop the relationships we have with finding initiatives in the EU and United StatesMEDIA PRMPR1 Media PR TacticsMPR2 Collate a list of media contacts and plan to inform them in advance of events and activities. Create a digital media pack with links and relevant information and 'elevator pitch' descriptions.MPR3 Invite interested journalists to non-public events and displays/exhibitions. Adapt Marketing Plan – 28
COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC POLICYCPR1 Global Insights and Research TacticsCPR2CPR3 Define a tone of voice for social media comments regarding employee advocacy. Aim to respond promptly to communications made online strive for a transparent complaint process. Construct steps to deal with online customer issues so as to minimise negative sentiment. Develop a listening strategy to be aware of consumer sentiment and social media activity concerning the brand.CPR4 Consult with government websites regularly and share relevant news.OPERATIONS Operations TacticsOP1 Track and report on the return on investment from advertising spend. Implement Google Analytics 'Event' tracking to give a metric on the userOP2 journey on the website. Use these results to inform changes to the layout and content of the site.OP3 Commence an internal audit of existing content.OP4 Create a calendar to encourage personalities to create content for blogs and videos.OP5 Create a culture of revenue building to align with the organisation's budget requirements. Adapt Marketing Plan – 29
HIGHLIGHTS BY DEPARTMENTSuccesses to dateMARKETINGThe ADAPT Centre was formally launched on 1st January 2015 and brings togetherresearchers from four Irish universities; Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University,University College Dublin, and Dublin Institute of Technology.There are a number of social media platforms from the combined universities that haveshared the Centre's development in communications to their respective followers.We have consulted with a digital marketing team to design and direct the digital marketingplan for 2015. Adapt Marketing Plan – 30
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT*We need to write up what the resources are for the centre*.There are 92 employees working at the Centre. 14 of these are focussed on revenue building.We have established relationships and are currently working with a number of leadingdomestic and international companies.We have been present at various events relating to trade and exhibition.We have hosted the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) and Compute TY events withmore than 4000 participants.COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC POLICYThe general public represent one of ADAPT’s key audiences. Over the years ADAPT haverun a number of initiatives aimed at both educating and assisting the general public while alsodeveloping applications that make digital content more accessible and meaningful in theirdaily lives. Adapt Marketing Plan – 31
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHEDThe ADAPT website was launched in December and we recommend some structure andcontent developments:WebsiteDisplay a relevant, highly informative platform for visitors to experience the ADAPTCentre’s content for industry users, target SME, multi-national market, second levelstudents, and the general public.Add a resource capability to the website for businesses to discover the process involved incollaboration with the Centre.Include case studies of former collaborations.Include contact details of ADAPT business development officers.Highlight the innovation vouchers and credits available to businesses and the applicationprocedure.Design a mobile version of the website to appeal to the General Public/Students andpromote upcoming events through this channel, including mobile advertising.Create pop-out newsletter sign-ups to build up mailing list of visitors.Add social media sharing buttons.Add social media icons that link to the relevant company pages and groups.Ensure CTA’s on each page including the contact page.Use relevant metadata and data Google’s data highlighter to ensure the site can becorrectly indexed by Google etc.Save image names using search relevant terminology.Ensure content is focused and targeted at the relevant segment. Use key phrases in theTitle of the content, first paragraph and last paragraph. Use semantic terminology.Set up a staff page, showing friendly approachable images of staff, link to Mendeley.Create a link strategy that focuses on getting high level links to Adapts website.Enable comments on posts for outbound links Adapt Marketing Plan – 32
MARKETING AND POSITIONINGCONNECTIVITY, WAVES OF INTENTADAPT has an opportunity to sustain long term growth under the core competencies ofresearch and development, technology and leadership. As a new brand Adapt must positionitself as an innovative global leader in digital content management strategies for business. Itsunique selling point is the speed at which the centre can deliver on products, as verified byclient testimonials. This is extremely rare in industry-academic partnerships.In order to gain market share, ADAPT must focus on selling this benefit to the businesssector. A key cause of frustration for businesses dealing with research centres is the slowpace at which they move. In the current economic climate businesses have to be able toinnovate and pivot rapidly, this is particularly important to the SME sector. ADAPT cansteal a march on competitors by referring to this USP. Adapt Marketing Plan – 33
UNDER STARTERS ORDERSIreland is recovering from the global recession at a tremendous rate. Its inhabitants haveimmersed themselves in the digital waves of connectivity that technology has brought in thelast two decades, particularly the internet and its boundless content.The Situation80% of the population have used the Internet in the last 3 months. There are 1.6 millionsmartphones in Ireland. The ubiquity of digital in Ireland will lead to new innovations frombusinesses requiring technological assistance in the Short and Medium term. Creating a brandawareness and a list of services available are priority tasks to the ADAPT Centre.There are 1.6 million people subscribed to broadband services and Wi-Fi hotspots are on theincrease. Ireland has over 900 software companies and developments to serve the populationwill increase. Reaching out to these companies directly to offer services in a key goal.With interest rates are at an all-time low of 0.05% and the Consumer Sentiment Index up10% to 101.1 it is a great time for companies to invest in capital projects and job creationexpansion plans. Helping companies with the processes involved with accessing governmentvouchers and grants is a valued service offering. Adapt Marketing Plan – 34
The Irish government is encouraging innovations with vouchers and credits to expand orcreate business in the tech sector. We need to facilitate awareness of credits available andinformation on how to access them through a resource section.Ireland is part of the EU-US Trade Deal. There are data protection legislation and intellectualproperty agreements in place. There are structures in place to legally protect companies’copyrights and licensing agreements available. Investors can be assured of legal frameworkdocuments created in Ireland.Ireland is a long time member state of the EU with a reputation of high ethical standardsthrough its membership and various trade agreements. Investors can be assured ethicalstandards will be adhered to and this should be highlighted to global customers. In additionIreland is seen a prominent player in the digital industry with Dublin’s docklands beenreferred to as Silicon Docks.THE CHALLENGEIn order to be of value to our target market we will have to solve their needs and do soefficiently and interestingly.We will need to market to business highlighting our world class researchers and case studies,while inviting second level students to interact with us on modern devices and platforms and‘old skool’ meet-ups.Outlined in this report are the processes to entice all segments to communicate with usdigitally: • We have a fantastic start with the newly launched website, a blank canvas. • A construct of social media advocacy development. • Digital advertising through social media, search engine marketing and email newsletters. • European tech event- #digitech • There are a number of events that happen offline and we list ideas to bring information about these online. Adapt Marketing Plan – 35
The Social Tools of our Digital StrategyThe unique abilities of the centre to create innovations for content design are as a result of thegreat minds and dedication of the researchers who are part of ADAPT.We will be using a range of tools to communicate and drive awareness and new projects andthere follows a brief explanation of them. Adapt Marketing Plan – 2
FACEBOOKFacebook provides ADAPT a great opportunity to engage its followers with ‘a proactivesocial marketing strategy’ (Smith A., Fisher E. & Yongjian C., 2012). The tools and userinterface it provides marketers are second to none in comparison to other social media sites. Itprovides a business the chance to create its own branding tone directed at followers. It isbrilliant way to engage followers with its content from its company site, engage other playersin the market, provide a great customer service in real time and produce interactive. Facebookprovides the opportunity to deliver not only brand impressions at scale but impressions withsocial context (Lipsman et al, 2012) and also handle customer service issues, mine innovationideas, and ‘authentically’ engage with customers (Solis 2010). ‘One of the most valuablebenefits of using digital media is their capacity to offer consumers a personalizedrelationship’ (Wind & Rangaswamy, 2001). The power of a ‘Like’ on Facebook providesextended reach for ADAPT’s content. The power of a like is incredible with reportssuggesting that for every fan, there are an additional 34 friends of fans who can be reached(Lipsman et al, 2012).The tools it provides ADAPT: • In-depth page insights and analytics • Competitions • Advertising through sponsored posts to segment on desktop for organisations and mobile for the general public • Integration with other ADAPT social media accounts to reproduce content – i.e. YouTube account • Retargeting website visitors with display advertising on Facebook through Facebook Customer AudiencesRecommendations:Target second level school students and the general publicPost content that is relevant, interactive and interesting.Share photos and videos of events.Post about new Blogs, competitions and upcoming events.Encourage sharing of posts.Run campaign for gamificationAds for the gamification and downloading appsOptimise page description for search engine Adapt Marketing Plan – 3
TWITTERTwitter is a great tool for marketers to use to connect and engage with users. Tweets are nowindexed for search engines and so now is more important for business. Through the use ofHashtags and Trending Topics, ADAPT can build an interactive forum.Hashtags help businesses connect and interact with Twitter users from across the globe on‘trending topics’. To ensure visibility to users, Twitter has ‘Sponsored Tweets’ advertising.Retweeting is the ultimate aim to achieve from users for every Tweet published. The reasonbeing is that ‘Retweeting brand posts to their followers makes it possible to exchangeinformation about brands more quickly and easily’ (Kim, Sung & Kang, 2014).Recommendations:Create new Twitter accounts for each employee contributing to the company blog. Ensurecurrent employees have an association with ADAPT on their own Twitter profiles. This willcreate employee advocacy.Ensure Tweets contain more links directing to website or to the company blog.Use the targeted keywords in tweets and for Hashtags.Post videos from ADAPT’s YouTube account.Capitalise on Trending Topics in the innovation, technology and science industries.Creating a ‘bank’ of successful Hashtags.Suggested use of Sponsored Tweets for targeting segments for businesses and schools.Engaging with other Twitter users that have high social authority.Use at least 2 Hashtags per Tweet. I.e. #digitalcontent #digitech #digiminds Adapt Marketing Plan – 4
BLOGCompany blogs are an essential part of any digital marketing plan. A blog is a great way todistribute brand-related (content) and has the potential to shape consumer brand perceptions(Smith A., Fisher E. & Yongjian C., 2012). It helps drive traffic to websites by engagingpotential customers in non-directly related product content. By distributing blog content onsocial media platforms it can help acquire more followers, increase inbound links, create adatabase for email lists of blog followers and improve an organisation’s Search Engineranking.Blogs that create a big following would allow ADAPT to segment and analyse thedemographics or psychographics of the sample of followers.Currently there is no existing company blog for ADAPT. We have created a sample companyblog to highlight the layout and key widgets needed to create an effective blog site.Recommendations:As part of the report we have create a main ADAPT blog that can be integrated into thewebsite. It can be accessed at www.adaptcentreireland.wordpress.com See appendices forfurther details.Create 7 other blogger profiles for individuals from each of ADAPT’s departments. This willnot only provide multiple platforms to create content but will also help with ADAPT’soverall website page authority, as well as increasing each blogger’s social authority onTwitter.Ensure the following widgets are integrated and displayed for each blog: email sign up forblog updates, social media icon sharing buttons, Facebook ‘Like’ button, Contact andlocation, a side bar for recent posts.Monitor the source of traffic to your blog and ensure blogs have hyperlinks contained withineach post linking to other blog posts, social media pages and call to actions.Ensure you have effective metrics to measure the performance of each blog (Call to Actions agood example) like email sign ups or event sign ups.Comment on other relevant blogs within the industry. This may result in other blogs withhigh social authority to comment on ADAPT’s posts. Adapt Marketing Plan – 5
LINKEDINWe recommend that a LinkedIn Company Page account be set up for ADAPT followed byLinkedIn showcase pages to choose which services you would like to promote. LinkedIngroups should then be created and discussions started in these groups to gain followers. Ascontent is added the setting up of LinkedIn ad campaigns to target specific audiences shouldcommence.Company pages help your business to establish credibility by sharing updates, blog posts, andother social media opportunities that will help others learn what you do and the expertise inthe Centre. You can also link with other members in various other industries.You can also promote products and services on company LinkedIn pages. The page also has asection that is designed for promotion of services. You can provide detailed informationabout the services and link to them on the website.CAOILFHIONN TO UPDATE Adapt Marketing Plan – 6
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