Brrr it's cold here!

It's been a chilly week - understatement of the year! My client Cape Westerly has taken amazing menswear out to the greater public - thank you to Nicola Wheeler for excellent event organisation as always! Strangely enough this thermal winter hat's been selling out fast all week! I've personally given a Gearbox Gifts alarm clock to a car-mad 12 year old whose father wants one too and another client, The Belmont Hotel in Leicester has taken the initiative and has added mulled wine and mince pies to the menu for those who'd like to pause from their shopping and recover from the cold!

Meanwhile, I've been writing press releases for Las Vegas Market (slightly warmer environment!) in advance of Winter Market in January 2011. In other words, the snow's not stopped things here at Nicky Stephen Marketing, although I am under pressure to go sledging with children and dog!

Weather's turned, thoughts turn to Christmas

Pouring with rain out there, aren't I glad I'm taking the afternoon off to spend with my children later! I guess that's it, summer's over and it's time to start thinking about Christmas presents so that I'm not rushing round like a mad thing at the end of December. If you're looking for something for the man who has everything, then take a look at Gearbox Gifts - it's got some great stocking fillers for anyone who loves their car and some rather more substantial gifts too if you're feeling generous! This one's my favourite, take a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/user/Videoteq#p/u/5/iwhqStIVXa4

Cape Westerly Clothing website is live!

A busy start to October with things hotting up for the launch of Cape Westerly Clothing. We've worked on the brand identity, the labelling, website, and marketing and it's all starting to come to fruition. The website went live today http://www.capewesterly.co.uk/ - have a look. It's men's leisurewear with a sporty heritage, so launch concentrates on rugby shirts, but soon to be added will be hoodies, duffle bags, joggers and more. The first order came in ten minutes after the initial emailshot, so we must be doing something right!

There are some perks!

There are some perks to this job, and last night's was great! I took a group of international journalists to the Viva Elvis show at the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. We're all over in the States for the Las Vegas Market (furniture and furnishings) and after a long day's work our treat last night was a show. Spectacular didn't cover it - the amazing Cirque du Soleil production was a fabulous mix of acrobatics, dancing, incredible sets and of course Elvis music - I thoroughly recommend it to anyone coming over to Las Vegas!

New classified ads website

Take a look at the latest free classified ads website www.YourSalesAd.com - it's really easy to use and you get 14 days free advertising including 25 words and a photo if you're Joe Public (different packages if you're a trade advertiser). Official launch is 1st August, it's UK based - worth having a go I reckon!

World Market Center Las Vegas

Things are hotting up in the run-up to the Summer Las Vegas Market and what an exciting one it will be, the launch of VegasKids, Gift+Home as well as a fabulous expansion outdoors into the central plaza at World Market Center Las Vegas for Alfresco Spaces. With less than two weeks to go I'm busy planning for the international marketing and PR side of things - we have a number of international journalists coming over for Market from countries as far away as Australia, Thailand, Mexico, Germany and of course the UK, each looking for their own particular perspective on how Las Vegas Market would work for their readers. I'm flying BA this time, just heard on the news that Unite cabin staff have voted not to accept the latest offer on the table, so fingers crossed there won't be any strike action whilst I'm trying to travel - selfish I know!

Hoby Open Gardens weekend raises lots of money!

Hoby Open Gardens weekend which I blogged about last month raised £7,700 - a fantastic achievement, thanks to everyone who helped, visited and spent their money!

Hoby Open Gardens Weekend

It's busy busy busy in the village of Hoby, Leicestershire this weekend - it's Open Gardens weekend on both Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th and villagers can be spotted tending their plants until late every evening! Hoby Open Gardens weekend is held every two years, this time there are 13 gardens open, the village hall is home to craft stalls, fabulous lunches and crepes, there are cream teas, ice creams and a Pimms Bar in one garden. It's a real, traditional English village event, turn a corner and you'll come across the plant stall, turn another and there are cups of tea and scones. The Church is home to a produce stall, an art exhibition and War Memorial exhibition and the Methodist Chapel will see lots of lovely home-made cakes for sale. So, if you fancy a day out, or want to treat Dad to lunch or a cream tea in a lovely location on Father's Day, look no further than Hoby near Melton Mowbray!

Beware rolling advertising contracts

A word of warning to check the small print ... a client of mine signed up for an advertisement on a television screen in register offices a couple of years ago. He was sold it on the basis that it was for two years and on that basis he agreed. He was asked to sign the agreement and to set up the payments which were made over the period of the first year. Unfortunately, he missed something crucial on the contract's small print which said that if he wished to cancel the ad after the two year period was up, he had to give twelve months notice i.e. he had to cancel after the first year of advertising. Indeed, he was stung for another two years worth of advertising that he did not wish to take and furthermore had to cancel the agreement in writing otherwise he would find himself invoiced for year 5 and 6 too.

Quite apart from the fact that this is appalling business practice on the part of the company selling the deal, I would caution anyone to take advice before signing up for advertising for such a long period of time. I'd be happy to offer advice on this or other such advertising connundrums to anyone who emails me!

Phew, we have a Government!

Just enjoying the joint press conference at No 10 - I would not have second guessed what happened yesterday to our political process. I'm remembering back to Mrs Rowe my politics teacher at school who inspired me to take Politics as an A Level - what material this will make for those taking Politics A level or indeed degrees this year! Can't remember when I last listened to BBC News to hear a No 10 press conference during office hours ... I think we'll find there will be lots of 'firsts' in the next few months.

A disappointment?

I've been dying to blog all morning, but technology let me down with my internet connection deciding not to work at the crucial moment. I was so hoping to wake up this morning to a decisive result - but alas no! From a marketing perspective it's been an interesting campaign - leaving aside Gordon Brown's 'bigot' day, the Labour Party's used all the tools it has had available quite well, but they haven't run a positive campaign - their one and only selling point seemed to be that they claim to be able to run the economy in a trustworthy manner ... Nick Clegg used the TV debates to great effect although by debate three his jibes about the 'old parties' were getting pretty worn out and I found myself wanting to understand more about his policies. What I liked about the Tory campaign was that it didn't peak too early - ads and leaflets and posters were still appearing locally right up until yesterday and debate three was the highlight for David Cameron. It started well with the photocall at County Hall and I think it ended well, it just lost impetus half way through and maybe, just maybe that's why he didn't carry it off last night.

If Cameron does manage to form a government, then I hope electoral reform makes it as an agenda item that needs serious debate. How can it be right that a party that's lost around 100 seats and clearly does not have a mandate in terms of numbers of votes can possibly be sitting there in Downing Street this morning still able to hang on by its fingertips?

I hope there is electoral reform for the sake of people like my 19 year old stepson whose first General Election vote it was yesterday and who were engaged in the political process for the first time. The Tv debate was a positive element of this campaign, it engaged people of all ages and political persuasions - let's not lose that engagement because the system turns voters off.

Phew - a sigh of relief

Can I be the only one who's breathed a sigh of relief this morning at the news that the election date has finally been announced? I cannnot help but feel optimistic that industry's constipation may be eased by this news ... well at least if we get an outright majority elected in May. It feels as though business has been holding its breath for so many months, not daring to make any major decisions until the election is over - roll on May 6th.

What will April bring?

March was an interesting month both on a professional and personal basis. On the professional side, lots of international work for my client Las Vegas Market whose August show is coming up fast and on the personal side my first ever rugby tour with my eight year old, with all that involves, like dressing up in strange outfits to follow the team's theme for the weekend. Along with that, despite a tough economy my hospitality industry clients like The Belmont Hotel, Whitwell Hotel & Conference Centre and Halstead House are working hard to ensure that they get more than their fair slice of any cake there might be out there. Vortice's launch of a new compact heat recovery system was well received by developers and contractors who are starting to see the new build and social housing sectors pick up a little and roll on the election so that UK business can stop holding its breath and get on with trading!

St David's Day and the start of Spring!

Somehow St David's Day is always the start of Spring for me. For several years someone I used to work with brought me a bunch of daffodils every March 1st - he's retired now, but I still remember those daffodils! My children are sent to school sporting leeks and I wear my daffodil with pride every St David's Day - a legacy of my childhood in Wales.

It's been a busy start to 2010, this week I've been at Eco-Build at Earls Court, where the best of today's eco friendly building materials have been on show as we strive for carbon neutral homes for the future. My client Vortice launched a new heat recovery system designed to extract the heat from stale air about to be expelled from the house and recirculate it in the fresh air being brought in from outside.

The evenings are getting lighter, snowdrops abound in the garden and somehow there seem to be more productive hours in the day. My next challenge is accompanying my 8 year old son on rugby tour to Torquay, will I ever learn the words to all those songs?