There’s been a renewed flurry of talk during the past fortnight about the prohibition of advertising within the vicinity of London’s Olympic Park. Well, I guess we can all understand that – sponsors signing cheques for shed-loads of cash won’t take kindly to guerilla and flyposting campaigns. Although – and I don’t want to go far down this road right now – for a global PLC that gets £1m worth of advertising from its guerilla, a fine of £20,000 is cheap as chips. Deterrents won’t work if they make good financial sense!

Ahem, I digress…

My real interest is not the ‘Park ads ban’ but the much wider and largely unpublicised and unacknowledged ban (you try Googling for info and see where it doesn’t get you) on all other forms of marketing. As I understand it, there is heavy duty government legislation out there designed to stop businesses hitching a free ride on the Olympics. Except the law is allegedly written in such a way as to catch marketing firms like a trawler’s nets catch herring. As in lots. Indiscriminately.

If you use some words ‘in pursuit of trade’ then off to prison you go. Or into Court, at least.

If you think this blog is designed to publicise myself then it’s in pursuit of trade so already I’m skating on thin ice…

OK, so what are these words that are so terrible? Is it ‘Acme Corp is proud to support the Olympics…’ or something similarly blatant? Nope. Only a numpty would write that and NOT expect to get a caning. The words that will trick you into trouble apparently include anything the judges think imply an ‘association’ with the Games.

Apparently there are two lists of words. If you use a word from each list then off to Court you go matey.

What are these lists? Well, again, it’s not too easy to find out. Which is a worry. If I contemplate breaking a law I prefer to know what the law is first. Seems sensible. Otherwise it’s like taking down all the speed limits signs and letting us guess. We only find out AFTER we get the fine.

But I believe ‘List 1’ words include Games, Two Thousand and Twelve, 2012, Twenty Twelve…

And ‘List 2’ words include gold, medals, silver, bronze, London, sponsor and – so rumour has it - ‘SUMMER’!

So by my reckoning of the law, I could say ‘Avoid the London jams caused by the games, buy online this Summer..’ and the legal slot machine has just hit three lemons in a line with ‘Games, London and Summer’. If the law is ‘two words’ are illegal then you might as well throw away the key after that one.

If this is really happening then we need to clear the Courts and build more prisons ‘cos it’s going to be a busy Summer in London during 2012. Oops, I’ve done it again!

PS There are other words that are protected under the London Olympics Act 2006:

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

Award-winning events company Spy Games has launched its toughest training mission yet with a new full-day experience for would-be secret agents who want to brush up on their James Bond skills.

‘New Spy HQ’ offers men and women the chance to immerse themselves in the action-packed world of espionage at Spy Games’ headquarters in Buckinghamshire.

The Spy Games team has already begun signing up individuals to the six-hour experience which will test skills such as speed, agility and accuracy.

During the day, participants will move between activity areas including Sniper Lane, where they will be taught marksmanship and concealment principles, and the Laser Room, where agents will have to weave in and out of live beams in order to retrieve a secure safe.

In addition to learning hand-to-hand combat techniques including blocks, knife work and take-down methods, participants will be invited to get behind the wheel of off-road buggies for an adrenaline-fuelled driving challenge.

Armed with blank-firing pistols, trainee spies will also learn the drills necessary to confront enemies with a weapon.

‘New Spy HQ’, which is aimed primarily at the leisure market, is the latest addition to a broad programme of espionage-themed activities offered by Spy Games for individuals, private groups and corporate training purposes.

Spy Games founder and managing director Dave Thomas said: “This is one of the toughest training challenges we’ve created so far and is really designed for individuals who want to learn some of the skills that make James Bond such a hero. We’ve been really encouraged by the response we’ve had so far and the feedback has been really positive.

“Spy Games offers the chance to get out and do something completely different. But crucially, it is also embedded with important training and skills including communication, teamwork and accuracy.”

Other espionage-themed activities offered by the company include diamond heists, car chases, spy hunts, escape and evasion, hostage rescues, laser combat and pistol shooting.

(ends)

Additional information

Spy Games is the world’s leading events and training specialist in espionage activities and is passionate about delivering high quality corporate programmes that entertain and excite.

Established in 2001, Spy Games delivers team building activities, product promotions and corporate entertainment for clients that include Asda, Barclaycard, BSkyB, Carphone Warehouse, Coca Cola Enterprises, Diageo, Ernst & Young, FHM, GSK, KPMG, Microsoft, Ministry of Defence, O2, Panasonic, Red Bull, Red Letter Days, Serco Group, Siemens, Shell, Sony, The Home Office, Unilever, Virgin, Vodafone, Wagamama and XBOX.

Using its extensive planning and co-ordination skills and expertise, Spy Games can deliver international events anywhere in the world and in almost any venue from coaches and trains to hotels, Bedouin tented camps or even the client’s office! Flexible in its approach, Spy Games offers both off-the-shelf programmes and tailor-made events and training packages that meet a client’s budget and objectives. Presented by highly trained professionals, Spy Games brings to life the exciting world of international espionage.

For further information please visit www.spy-games.com

Additional high-resolution Jpeg images are available on request.

Contact

Nick Henderson or Lucy Robinson

Friday’s Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QL

Telephone: 0845 500 1140

Email: lucyr@fridays-group.co.uk or nickh@fridays-group.co.uk

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

David Hockney: A Bigger Picture is at the Royal Academy from January 21 to April 9.

When offered the entire National Gallery to display his work, the 74-year-old Hockney didn’t look at the vast space and turn back at his lifetime’s work for ideas. Not a bit of it. He filled the entire show with NEW WORK ONLY.

Hockney refuses to look back. Yesterday’s achievements are history. Now is good. Tomorrow is even more exciting.

There’s probably a lesson for the rest of us hiding in there…

David Hockney: A Bigger Picture, takes his now-famous ‘big splashes’ and sets out to explore nothing less than a completely new method of depiction. And he chooses that most time-tested of genres — the landscape — to present it.

Critic Rachel Campbell-Johnson said: ‘Hockney, liberated by his profound admiration for Picasso, has consistently sought to shrug off “the burden” of a highly successful style. Despite prolonged periods of mental block, he has continued to wrestle with the problems and paradoxes of representing the three dimensional upon a flat canvas.’

Hockney devotes the largest gallery to a work involving 52 iPad drawings which document The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire 2011. Revelling in the fresh possibilities of the Brushes app - he has always been fascinated by technology, and in the past used the photocopier, the Polaroid, the fax - he presents a luminous miracle and, with it, the immediacy of his own excitement.

David Hockney: A Bigger Picture is at the Royal Academy from January 21 to April 9. It is sponsored by BNP Paribas.

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

Using public transport can be difficult.

For instance, we’ve all experienced that awkward moment climbing the stairs from the station when one comes face to face with someone on the same trajectory but downwards. They move left just as you do. Jerk right and so do they.

Trying to break the embarrassment I remembered a line from a suave friend: ‘At a time like this, we should perhaps just kiss?’

I suspect that I chose the wrong person. He was about 16 and carrying a knife…

Which is why I was particularly pleased to get behind the wheel of this month’s test car. And it’s a real ‘world car’. Take a FIAT 500. Redesign it as an Italian Lancia. Make it in Poland. With an American badge. A Greek name. And sell it in England.

Ladies and gentlemen I give you the Chrysler Ypsilon!

First of all, let’s deal with the engine, then we can move on. It’s the award-winning FIAT ‘twin air’ – a mill that’s synonymous with power, performance, low fuel consumption and emissions. And it makes a lovely noise!  So we love the motor…

But what about the rest of the car? Well, let’s face it - in the photos it’s a bit, well, odd. But in the metal I really like it. Cheeky and individual in an age of conformity so I’m all in favour. The two-tone paint is a clever design idea and the interior – while not as funky as the FIAT – has four doors and a clever dash with the rev counter up close and the speedo miles away almost in front of the passenger. Very Italian!  There’s a soft-touch covered dashboard and all Ypsilons get four airbags, while all but entry-level S models have two extras. There’s even one of those ingenious automatic ‘magic parkers’ - except the press car didn’t have it so I can’t tell you what it’s like. Odd concept for a demonstrator…

Since this is a bigger car, the performance edge is just fractionally blunted for the Chrysler against its FIAT equivalent, but the twin air likes to spin so working it isn’t a chore.  Oops, we’re back to that motor again aren’t we? It has just two cylinders and a capacity of just 875cc backed up by engine stop-start technology. And it’s turbocharged and a more efficient design with less friction than a four-cylinder so it actually kicks out around 23% more power than the 1.2-litre petrol model. But until you drive the Twin Air you still won’t believe me will you? So try one and challenge everything you think you know about engines!

Facts:

Chrysler Ypsilon: 5 door Hatchback 0.9 Twinair.
Performance: 0–60mph 11.5 secs Top speed 109 mph.
Economy: 67.3mpg combined cycle.
Price range: (all models) £10,695 - £15,495.

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

Kind-hearted technology expert Paul Frossell has defied the downturn by raising almost £1,200 for charity with his ‘Different Christmas’ initiative.

Paul, a web developer at MatsSoft, in Bedford, was so fed up of hearing people grumble about the prospect of over-spending at Christmas; he decided to turn their moans into money for charity.

With the launch of his website ‘Different Christmas’ last month, Paul challenged people to be more benevolent, either by cutting back their spending and donating the difference, embarking on fundraising activities or making a simple one-off donation.

The website provided supporters with an easy portal to share money with the people who need it most.

The rescued riches haven now been passed on and distributed to the six chosen charities; Oxfam, Save the Children, British Red Cross, Age UK, Christian Aid and Tearfund, which will benefit greatly from the donations.

Paul has been encouraged by the response, and is already looking ahead to next Christmas to see how the initiative can be improved. The website will also be accepting donations until the end of January 2012, so there is still time for people to get involved.

Paul said: “We’ve had a fantastic response to the ‘Different Christmas’ appeal and it’s our pleasure to be able to donate such a generous amount to these deserved charities. This also confirms that despite being in a recession, there is still plenty of goodwill out there. We’re now looking forward to building on the success of last year and helping even more charities this year. ”

For more information or to pledge your support, please visit www.differentchristmas.com

(ends)

For more information or images, please contact:

Lucy Robinson or Nick Henderson

Friday’s Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QL

Telephone: 0845 500 1140

Email: lucyr@fridays-group.co.uk or nickh@fridays-group.co.uk

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

E-Lites, the UK’s leading electronic cigarette manufacturer, is planning a spectacular pit-stop at the Autosport International car show to showcase the latest smoke-free cigarettes.

From 12^th – 15^th January 2012 at the NEC Birmingham, petrolheads will be invited to get behind the wheel of E-Lites’ full-size replica F1 car with a built-in driving simulator, courtesy of F1driver.com. Visitors to the stand will also be able to get a close-up look at E-Lites’ stunning 37ft powerboat, as well as test out the most sophisticated electronic cigarettes on the market, which offer smokers a healthier, cheaper and legally unrestricted alternative to tobacco cigarettes.

E-Lites electronic cigarettes allow smokers to enjoy a nicotine fix without seriously damaging their health, and have seen record numbers of smokers switching in the last few months. They also have a growing number of celeb fans ranging from Johnny Depp to Katherine Heigl who have converted to ‘vaping’.

And for those who would rather spend their money on motors, E-Lites are a less expensive alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes. In fact, a typical 20-a-day smoker could save around £162 per month by switching. They are also conveniently unrestricted for use in most public places.

Autosport International is the ultimate day out for car and motorsport enthusiasts alike and the E-Lites team are fully revved up for their appearance at the show:

E-Lites co-director Adrian Everett said: “There’s a historic link between motorsport and cigarettes that has almost been extinguished by the clampdown on tobacco advertising. We are very happy to be involved in re-establishing that link in a way that’s fitting for the 21^st century. Just as car technology has evolved, so has smoking technology, which means smokers can now enjoy a smarter option. The nicotine buzz is still there, but we’ve excluded the most harmful elements, so it makes more sense from a health perspective.”

Visit E-Lites at Stand 2880 at the NEC, Birmingham from 12^th-15^th January 2012. For more information, visit www.e-lites.co.uk

About E-Lites

E-Lites (www.e-lites.co.uk) was established in the UK in 2007 and is now a leader in its field, producing some of the most advanced electronic cigarettes on the market. The company is expanding nationally and internationally as demand grows for its innovative products.

Its latest G9 range of E-Lites, the most satisfying, easy-to-use and durable yet produced, includes a disposable device that provides the equivalent of 40 cigarettes and is priced at £9.99. Rechargeable options include the E80 starter kit, which provides the equivalent of around 80 cigarettes and is priced £25.99. Customers can then order E-Tip refills from the website, which are priced £7.99 for the equivalent of approximately 80 cigarettes.

E-Lites, which are available in regular, light or menthol options, contain a solution of pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, purified water and tobacco flavourings. The internal components of the device are activated upon inhaling and turn this solution into a vapour.

While recreating the familiar experience of nicotine inhalation, E-Lites contain none of the tar, tobacco, carcinogens and added chemicals found in conventional cigarettes. They produce a vapour, rather than smoke, and have no nasty odour.

E-Lites’ revolutionary products are the result of extensive UK research and development. The evolution of E-Lites has been supported by significant investment in design and testing to ensure its electronic smoking devices are made to the highest standards and deliver the most authentic and luxurious smoking sensation possible. The company’s manufacturing facility uses the latest state of the art micro-electronic technology, ensuring E-Lites set the standard within the electronic smoking industry. E-Lites are globally patented, internationally trademarked, and are backed by an international parts replacement guarantee.

Michael Ryan, one of the founding directors of E-Lites, is also chairman of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association (ECITA), a representative body which provides advice, guidelines and support to members, as well as working to ensure the correct regulatory framework is applied to such products. For more information, visit www.ecita.org.uk

For more information or high-resolution images please contact:

Nick Henderson or Lucy Robinson

Friday’s Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QL

Telephone: 0845 500 1140

nickh@fridays-group.co.uk or lucyr@fridays-group.co.uk

Asda’s chilled distribution (CDC) depots have reported a seven per cent reduction in annual energy costs after the introduction of advanced temperature monitoring with Silvertree Engineering’s IceSpy System 5.

Asda and its refrigeration contractors Star Refrigeration/EJM enlisted Silvertree Engineering to help improve the efficiency of cold storage facilities. It was part of a wider energy-saving initiative which resulted in an overall cost reduction of around £85,000 (17 per cent).

The previous, hard-wired monitoring system employed by Asda became obsolete and frequently stopped working. This had a major impact on the energy consumption of the depots but Asda were also concerned about the possible impact on the quality of its products.

Asda quickly recognised the need to upgrade their temperature monitoring system to an advanced wireless system, giving them the flexibility to utilise the system throughout each site effectively.

In response to the British supermarket group’s requirements for a more reliable and accurate monitoring system, Silvertree Engineering installed IceSpy System 5. This wireless monitoring and alarm solution is designed to help ensure that optimum temperatures are maintained, as well as saving the time spent by staff doing manual checks.

IceSpy System5 automatically records temperatures from various locations throughout each cold store and transmits the data to a local PC or network where it can be viewed and assessed. The system’s “WebView” feature could also enable the user to log into the system from anywhere in the world using a standard web browser.

The installation of the system in Asda’s chilled distribution depots provided data that enabled site managers to dramatically increased energy efficiency and maintain quality storage conditions.

Tony La Rosa, infrastructure manager at Asda Group said: “We have been reviewing the performance of the refrigeration units at our Chilled Distribution Centres sites, not only to preserve the upmost quality of our products but to prevent unnecessary costs and limit the environmental impact of unnecessary energy usage. The service and support provided by Silvertree came highly recommended by Star Refrigeration and we are extremely satisfied with the system that has been introduced.

“The sales engineers from Silvertree travelled to all sites with the Star Refrigeration and EJM teams in order to calibrate the refrigeration control sensors and get the plants running at optimum frequency. Being wireless, the IceSpy system is more flexible and allows us to move sensors if required.”

IMC Group Managing Director Ian Robinson said: “This was a real team effort. Star Refrigeration and Silvertree worked closely together to roll out this system for Asda, who supported us throughout the project. The successful result is a tremendous demonstration of the energy savings that can be achieved by investing in the very best temperature monitoring system.”

Silvertree Engineering Ltd was established in 1988 and more recently became part of the IMC Group Ltd.

For more information, visit www.icespy.com

(Ends)

The IMC Group was formed in 2007 by the amalgamation of Lamerholm Electronics, Hanwell Instruments and Jekyll Electronic Technology. More recently, IMC has acquired Silvertree Engineering Ltd. The group has over 100 years of experience and offers a comprehensive range of instrumentation and communication systems. Housed in a 17,500sq ft factory/office in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, the group’s production range runs from small batches to thousands of units. For more information, visit www.the-imcgroup.com or call 0844 815 6227.

For more information or images please contact:

Nick Henderson or Lucy Robinson

Friday’s Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QL

Telephone: 0845 500 1140

nickh@fridays-group.co.uk or lucyr@fridays-group.co.uk

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

Feeling glum about 2012? Small wonder with all this gloom around.

I’m certainly no business guru, that’s for certain. But I have steered a few businesses through a few recessions and consistently made a profit. 2011 was a great year for us, in fact. So perhaps knowing that even a numpty like me can do it will give you a crumb of hope?

I almost certainly didn’t do anything spectacular, but again that’s good news. Because if success doesn’t require spectacular ability that’s reassuring isn’t it?

So what did I do?

1. Stay up to date

Keeping ahead of trends is tricky. It can produce riches but if your capital is small you will need rapid results, and hanging around for a year or two until the rest of the world catches up is expensive. So try to keep right on the edge of what people are talking about and design or refine your products to match the trends.

2. Let people know

Being at the cutting edge is all very well but keeping it a secret is a fast track to making yourself that bitter old git in the corner of a bar telling anyone who comes near ‘That was MY idea..’

Adwords, SEO, blogging, seeded articles, thought leadership comment, linkedin groups… clever PR is inexpensive but needs work and thought. Ads are quick, easy and expensive. If you can afford both then great. If not then it’s your call…

3. Make decisions

When I was on plc boards back ‘in the day’ it was educational to see divisional directors prevaricating for months. Most challenges do not offer obvious solutions. That’s why they’re challenges! So in many cases the only way to see if your proposed solution will work is to try it. My mantra was, and still is, JUST DO SOMETHING! Ok, it may not work, in which case you will find out sooner, instigate plan B faster, and probably solve the problem before the cash runs out.

4. Cash

Cash burn kills more businesses than any other problem. You always need a float twice as big as expected. People always pay slower than expected. And having a cash float distances you from stress, makes you present better, think clearer, act more creatively and generally be nicer to know and nicer to work with. And hence nicer to do business with. So it’s a spiral. Make that spiral UP.

Some people won’t pay what they owe you. Accept that this is how they run their lives and their businesses. Don’t take it personally and don’t get drawn in; that will be VERY COSTLY since while your blood pressure is peaking and your stress levels hit the ‘fight’ part of the ‘fight or flight’ response to an enemy you will stop delighting your other customers, you will stop being creative and you will stop prospecting for new businesses effectively. You will become side-tracked, boring, and a total pain in the arse to know.

So appoint a freelance invoice chaser or credit control firm. Even a factor if you are on the ragged edge of your cashflow. And then simply STEP AWAY and get on with moving on!

5. Be logical

When you are ‘wronged’, particularly about cash owed, compartmentalise or, even better, delegate.

In my early days, for example, I was owed £15,000 and I obviously needed that cash. It was a lot of dough way back when. A friend advised me against the planned 12 month legal battle for recovery. I was reluctant. I felt the loss personally and I wanted justice.

‘It’s not the money it’s the principle’ is the world’s most expensive phrase. It’s what will pay for your lawyer’s new Bentley.

Instead I was persuaded to be logical. I accepted that my time had a value greater than £15,000 so I invested that time in growing the business.

We brought in 20 times that loss in the time I’d have wasted fighting. Meanwhile, the pillock who owed me that cash went bust.

Where cash is involved, Learn to Love Logic.

6. Hear that clock ticking

The sound of the clock. The running out of the sands of time. However you do it, visualize the sense of urgency that works for you and get it in your mind. It should be constantly running in your head like Blackpool runs through rock. That’s the sticky stuff not the noisy kind, of course!

See time for the valuable commodity it is. Don’t waste it.

If you have an idea, don’t be so arrogant as to assume you’re the only one. If you’re the world’s greatest innovator then you’ll be OK. If you’re not then you need to jump about a bit. So getting it out there first is as good as being the only one!

A job done today is more valuable than that job done tomorrow. There’s always time for one more job before you finish for the day.

7. Important not urgent?

Make a list. That host of mostly trivial yet somehow ‘urgent’ jobs will soon fill your day. And the few ‘important’ tasks that will make a significant impact on growing your business will get carried over as you ‘simply run out of time…’ WELL DON’T!

The world will not stop turning if you leave some of the trivial jobs until tomorrow. But putting off those important tasks will soon give you more free time that you need since you will be standing in the ‘dole queue’. Does that make you feel angry? It should! Why should those stupid little jobs ruin your business? Set aside some time to tackle the big stuff too, and make it happen.

And whenever you feel ‘too busy’ and are about to put them off…think about that JobCentre and all the free time that represents.

8. Don’t be a perfectionist

People claim to be perfectionists with such pride. See their chests puff up. That scares me. I’ve yet to meet a rapid perfectionist.

And while I really really want the person mending my car’s brakes or servicing the aeroplane I’m about to board to be a perfectionist – please – I’m less interested in that when it comes to getting a proposal or a product out there.

This is not an excuse to be slap-dash and I’ll always invest time getting something to 90/95 per cent or better. But that final few per cent can take nearly as long as the initial ‘investment’ of time. Is that a good deal? I’ve won plenty of pitches where my less-than-absolute-perfection Proposal has been accepted because my competitor’s Proposal still ‘isn’t quite ready’!

Writing this stuff, for example. Given time I’d do it differently, and better. But by then I’ll have moved on. So I have the choice of either doing it perfectly (and we all know that actually means not doing it at all…ever) or getting it done in a few minutes and then progressing. And so long as this is not so awful as to actually make you angry, gentle reader, then that’s how I’ll do it.

9. Be realistic

Both emotionally and financially, you will get knocked back. So don’t supply the rocks to throw at yourself. Make sure your plans and your targets are realistic. That’s not ‘If all goes well’ realistic it’s ‘If some of it goes badly or takes twice as long to come good as I hope’ realistic.

Growing a business is tough enough on your enthusiasm levels without unrealistic targets and cashflow dramas that you should have foreseen.

Oh yes… since cashflow will inevitably cause panics, try to have those panics AT YOUR LEISURE. What do I mean by that?

Well, discovering that you can’t pay the rent on the 28^th of the month is a bad panic that takes your attention away from growing the business. A simple BUT UP-TO-DATE cashflow might have predicted that problem three months earlier; long enough to develop a plan. That’s what a call a leisurely panic that doesn’t divert you from growing the business. It works, try it.

10. Stay fun

Take breaks. Take lunch. Go to the gym. Play sport. Have a beer with mates. Sleep. This is not lost time. It took me years to understand that ‘fun time’ goes in the‘investment’ column not the ‘expenditure’ column of business development.

It will also make you a nicer person. And people prefer to do business with people they like…

And one more thing… Good luck!

Richard McCann MBA PhD Member of the Chartered Institute of PR
Friday’s Media Group Soho Media Centre 18 Soho Sq., London
Tel: 0845 500 1140   Mob: 07831 464 199

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group

www.FridaysVideoNews.com

twitter: @follow_fridays

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MatsSoft, a leading UK-based provider of workflow and communications solutions, was commended by International Health Partners (IHP) at the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.

The company’s process tracking technology has played a crucial role in ensuring the success of IHP’s groundbreaking medical initiative in the Gambia – SMS For Health.

MatsSoft Project Manager Kash Baga was among the key partners invited to join IHP at the House of Lords as the organisation received the prestigious innovation award for its work over the past five years, supporting medical aid organisations that serve children and adults in deprived communities around the world.

Harnessing mobile communications, MatsSoft created and implemented a system that uses SMS text messaging to deliver updates on the stock levels of key drugs across the supply chain, including remote health clinics, to reduce the risk of supplies running out.

SMS For Health not only tracks medication supplies and monitors the expiry data of pre-specified medicines, but also enables the logging and sharing of data on the incidence of particular diseases and the types of treatment provided in 55 health facilities in the Gambia.

MatsSoft CEO Martin Scovell said: “We were very pleased to work with IHP on this fantastic initiative and to know that our dynamic software platform has contributed towards saving lives is the greatest possible reward. However, to receive recognition at the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is an incredible thrill for us all, and particularly for Kash, for his continued hard work and dedication in support of this vital project.”

Among those present at the awards ceremony were Prof Lord McColl of Dulwich, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of London and the Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Andrew Lansley.

Jono West, Partnership Projects Relationship Manager at IHP, said: “International Health Partners invited Kash Baga to attend this event as recognition of MatsSoft’s outstanding work in designing, implementing and running the SMS For Health program in the Gambia.  This has enabled vital data on disease outbreak and medicine stock control to be tracked across the whole country’s health facilities using SMS technology.

“Matssoft demonstrated an ability to find solutions to a range of issues and overcame barriers to implementing the project in a developing country, while working in a tight time-frame to have the programme up and running before the Malaria season began. Their strong work ethic, flexibility and ability to problem-solve ensured the success of the program.”

Over the past five years, IHP has collaborated with a range of organisations to maximise its impact. With the support of these partners, IHP has been able to donate 15 million treatments, valued at £100m, in 86 countries.

IHP Chairman Stephen O’Brien noted: “We are honoured to receive this award which recognises the power of collaboration and the potential of just what can be achieved when multiple stakeholders combine in common purpose. Humanitarian aid is an area in which everyone wants to become involved; however, it takes an innovative new model and approach to ensure that the best each partner has to offer can be combined to provide a truly effective humanitarian response.”

-ends-

Notes to Editors

· MatsSoft’s workflow and communications solution, MATS^®, is a managed service that can be quickly and easily set up to drive immediate and measurable efficiency gains, cost reductions and service improvements.

· MATS^® unique web-based, user configurable solution is used in any situation where there is a customer, a supplier and a product or service process with more than one stage. By linking workflow and communications, MATS^® keeps customers proactively informed via automated SMS messages, emails or personalised web pages, thereby freeing up the time staff previously spent on the ‘phone.

· MATS^® hosted solutions are now being used for processes such as mortgage and loan applications, insurance claims, bereavements, account openings, voting systems, case management, customer service, logistics, remote customer/patient management, complaints handling, supply chain management and resource management.

· MATS^® is currently used by many of the key firms in sectors including banking and insurance, healthcare, pharmaceutical, logistics, manufacturing, public utilities and government. MATS^® is also used as a bulk communication medium to customers and third parties, via text messaging and email campaigns.

· Within days of installation, MATS^® customers have reported calls down 65%, capacity up 30% and complaints down 90%

· The reporting tools within MATS^® also provide valuable real time management information on workflow and business process management that is used to further refine and improve cost control and service levels.

· For more information, visit www.matssoft.co.uk , call 01234 321555 or email info@matssoft.co.uk

· For further information about International Health Partners (IHP), go to http://www.ihpuk.org/home

Images available on request

Please contact Lucy Robinson or Nick Henderson

Friday’s Media Group, 18 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QL

Telephone: 0845 500 1140

Email: lucyr@fridays-group.co.uk or nickh@fridays-group.co.uk

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group • London • MK

I was recently shown a copy of some notes written by Caroline Limpert, the marketing executive for the $1bn Victoria’s Secret Beauty brand and co-founder of FITiST, the first one-stop membership and bookings platform for speciality fitness studios.

It’s encouraging to see that Caroline – from the client side – is preaching about PR benefits that we at Friday’s have been banging on about for more than a decade.

Caroline says that she dreams of one day building a budget from the bottom up, with multiple line items. But at this point, her focus has been on building the product, developing a business - with two markets and 80-plus partners – and motivating her partners and stakeholders.

That’s why her marketing budget has only one line item.  PR.

Surprised? Her reasons are as follows:

PR Builds Brand

As consumers we look to media to help define what’s new, what’s cool, and what’s important. Editorial coverage catapult and define a brand.

Caroline’s goal is to create a strong brand that resonates with a customer and instills affinity and loyalty. PR helps to do that.

PR Generates Awareness (Fast)

Caroline believes strongly in building a brand via brand loyalists. Get people in the door and have them try your product: If they love your product, they’ll tell their friends and you build a groundswell. But this strategy takes time. PR allows you to spread the word quickly. It creates widespread awareness and builds a list. The rest, she says, is up to you.

Friday’s PR • Friday’s Media Group