Is there a better way to promote your product than to incorporate it into a music video with some spreadable appeal? Brett Dominoes’ Justin Timberlake video is a great viral marketing example. Let’s see how it fares for them. We will be waiting for the good news!

You may be aware of the very successful ‘Compare the Meerkat’ campaign, informing you of the confusion between two similar sounding sites. But were you aware of their fully functioning website that allows you to compare meerkats, watch meerkat videos and fully immerse yourself in the world of meerkats!

It hadn’t occurred to me that the creators would go to the extent of creating a website to accompany the concept. But then when I began read about the campaign as a whole and understand the scope, I found it works on so many levels, across a multitude of media.

The standout from other competitors in the market has been a great success “Times Online reports, citing Hitwise stats, that the site increased its market share of UK insurance comparison site visits by 76 percent since the campaign was launched in December 2008.” With the ongoing viral campaigns, tv ads, soft toys of the characters (you can even follow Aleksandr on twitter), it seems that the campaign still has the legs to carry it on throughout this year – All this from a concept concived by a couple of drunk creatives in a pub who decided that Compare The Market sounded quite similar to Compare The Meerkat. …simples!

Over recent years we’ve seen a shift in where businesses focus their marketing activities. Advertising spend online topped that of offline spend for the first time this year as companies are now fighting to find their space online, rather in traditional media.

So what do this mean for the typical business owner? Well they suddenly need to think about how to put together an online marketing plan. Do you sign up to Facebook? What about online PR? Should you start Pay Par Click advertising or create a Banner Ad? What about Blogging, RSS or Feeds?

All of a sudden, an understanding of a variety of new technologies is critical to taking advantage of the online marketing opportunities. No longer can you simply write a new plan and then carry it out. You need to either take on an Online Marketing Manager or find a suitable company to manage it all for you. Outsourcing your online marketing might be the right way forward as you would be taking on the expertise of a number of specialists and at the same time, drastically reducing the monthly outgoings required.

Either way the new technologies cannot be ignored, perhaps the first step is to start talking to someone who can help to shape the online marketing plan and to focus on the right places online to start marketing.

Masters Allen have been working with midlands based telecommunications company Daly Telecom on their rebrand.

Daly Telecom recognised the need to future-proof their business, viewing the situation as an opportunity to expand their client base and move into new markets.

It was clear that the name needed addressing first and foremost, whilst it may be familiar to the current client base, it restricted their product offering and development into new markets. We had to establish a name that not only retained the 25 year heritage within the industry, but also provide a solution to take the business forward in an ever-changing and fast-moving industry. The solution, as it turned out, was simple – a removal of the reference to telecommunications, combined with the retention of the Daly name and reference to communications, joined together, created the individual name – Dalycom.

The new brand and design style has been applied to a variety of visual assets to create a consistent and coherent business message.