Social Butterfly

Social Media has changed the world and the way we communicate with one another beyond recongnition! Social Media has become an integral part of our everyday lives, and it is for that exact reason why more and more businesses are moving towards Social. It offers a completely different way of communicating with consumers, and seems to add that almost personal feel. Word of mouth is by far the most powerful marketing tool, and social media allows business to establish ‘relationships’ with and between their consumers with ease. It allows business to create ‘hubs’ if you like, where their consumers can congregate and discuss their product experiences. This offers businesses a way of indirectly marketing their products and services without saying a word, and people seem to be more trusting of this than direct sales. 

So when it seems to be such a fantastic marketing tool, why are there still such reservations about businesses going social? This inhibition seems to stem mostly from luxury brands, and yesterday Markus Kramer, the Marketing director of Aston Martin seemed to shed some light on this issue. Speaking to Marketing Week at the Forrester Forum for Marketing Leaders last week, Kramer stated that, "Luxury brands are afraid of digital and social marketing because opening up information about brands to a much wider audience flies in the face of the exclusive nature of luxury brands."

In simpler terms, this means that Social Media opens up the market to everyone. Everyone can see it, and more to the point, everyone can have their say. Luxury brands are terrified of losing their exclusivity, which after all is crucial to the success of any luxury brand! Far too many brands run in all guns blazing with no clue whatsoever of what their motive for going Social is. Kramer addressed this issue by pointing out that he would never immediately say "go digital, go social”, and to be very careful to think through why you’re doing it, for which products you’re doing it and what purpose it serves before you go and do it.  I completely agree with this statement as I have seen far too many examples of businesses which have a social presence, yet there motive is clearly blurred. I recently read a HubSpot article called '101 brands rocking it on Social Media', and after reading it I found it extremely easy to spot the Social Bulldogs who had just raced in motiveless. 

Red Bull, Adidas, McDonalds, Coca Cola, Nutella, Michael Kors, Lindt, Vogue are among the Social media stars, and all of these brands share the same recipe for success. All of their pages, whether it be Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn are regularly populated with content, pictures, updates and random snippets of information to keep their audience engaged. Social Media is an all or nothing type thing! Either do it whole heartedly or don’t do it all! I am a firm believer that no Social Media presence is better than one without a cause, so in order to achieve social success in my oppinion, you have to get your motives in check and then put your heart and soul into it!

I recently went onto the Pizza Express twitter page, and I have to admit I was grossly disappointed! Do not get me wrong. Pizza Express is one of my all time favourite brands. The reason for this is probably pretty obvious, who doesn’t love pizza! However, as much as I love this brand, I was pretty disappointed when I went to check it out on Twitter only to find a meagre 25000 followers. Compared to the likes of other ‘fast food’ chains such as Nandos who are nearing the 1 million mark, I couldnt help but feel a little dissapointed. TO make matters worse, their feed seemed to be just a long list of tweets replying to people who had complained!

Lindt are one of the Social Media stars, and the reasons behind Lindts success seems to be because they post engaging, fresh content daily including photos of mouth watering chocolate. This in turn generates a huge amount of retweet action and positive conversation. This is an easy trick that Pizza Express could mimic as there pizzas really are to die for! Posting photos of mouth-watering pizzas would be a great way of tantalising the taste buds, and sending Pizza cravings across the nation. Moreover, Pizza Express claims to offer the best Calzone this side of Naples, so if I were in control of their twitter feed, I would take Pizza Express back to its Italian roots, and give consumers a glimpse of that Naples lifestyle. After all, who can resist the sun, beach and a good old pizza!

So I guess the Social Media debate will batter on, but I am sure of my view. Get your motives in check, set out your strategy, and then make it your absolute baby!

Absolute Angel

When I wrote my post on Cannes a few days ago, Alessandra Ambrosio had yet to grace the red carpet of the sumptuous film festival. Since then she has made three breathtaking appearances, and as a red carpet obsessor, there was no way that these episodes could be ignored! So where do I even begin with this Brazilian Beauty?!

It all began on Tuesday when Alessandra stepped out onto the red carpet at the De Grisogono party held at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, Cannes. The Victoria’s Secret angel wore a fully embroidered yellow Elie Saab Spring 2013 gown which featured a thigh-high slit to show off her never ending legs! I have read a bunch of reviews of people saying they hate the matchey matchey yellow shoes, but i dont think their too bad!

The following evening played host to the‘All is Lost’ premiere, and this bronzed bombshell was there once again to do some serious head turning! Dressed in a jaw dropping silver Roberto Cavalli gown, there are really no words that can be used that will do this ensemble justice! What i love the most is that she is almost completely covered! Irina Shayk graced the same red carpet half naked and didnt even look half as good as this! In this case, less is definately not more! And let’s not forget now that this woman has popped out two children…! Here's hoping that I look like this when I reach that stage…

Alessandra then popped off to another star studded bash on wednesday evening. The host was none other than Roberto Cavalli, who was holding a champagne popping affair on his private yacht. Talk about living the dream…! Dressed in another of the Hosts designs, the model partied the night away with the likes of Princess Charlene of Monaco and fellow model Erin Heatherton. This blue gown is probably my favorite of these three creations, as the color is truly unbelievable! Fancy giving us a lend now that your done with it? Thanks.

The Great Gastby

It has been one of the highest anticipated films of this year, and last night I finally had the joy of seeing it! I had read a mixed bag of reviews so I didn’t quite know what to expect...but my god did it not blow my socks off! I loved it! (And my crush on Leonardo DiCaprio is now out of control!!)

To give you a brief overview, The Great Gatsby was written by the late F. Scott Fitzgerald, and is a romantic drama set in the 1920’s. It follows the lives of Nick Carraway, Daisy Buchannan and of course Jay Gatsby, a multi millionaire who nobody seems to know much about. It is a story of love, hope and the pursuit of the American dream, all of which subsequently results in devastation. Ultimately, the story centres around Gatsby and Daisy, and his quest to reignite a flame they once shared. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, I won’t say more. All I will say is, get up, go the cinema and see it right now!! You won’t regret it!

So where to even start...? I fell in love with this story whilst studying the novel at school. This definitely helped me in going to see the film as I am someone who likes to know what’s going on in a film! I like to know what’s coming next... stupid I know, but hey that’s me!

One of key elements of this story is the over the top parties that Gatsby holds at his incredible mansion, and the party scenes in the film really are incredible! If only I knew someone who hosted parties like that...  Some have said that the parties are too over the top, but I remember reading the book and imagining the parties exactly how they are portrayed in the film! After all, Gatsby is meant to be an over the top character, and I feel that this aspect of the film is really necessary in order to capture the extent that Gatsby is willing to go to win over Daisy.

The film captures the essence of the 1920’s perfectly, an era filled with amazing music and out of this world fashion! The dresses in the film are to die for, and my goodness to the actresses make them look fabulous!! That brings me to the star studded cast...and my goodness do they do a great job! Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire are just a few of the famous faces that pop up, with Leonardo really looking better than ever!!

Now don’t even get me started on the soundtrack to this film. Oh my goodness it is incredible! It is without a doubt the best soundtrack I have heard for a film in a while, and boy does it make you want to go to New York!! Just go and see this film, and see how you feel when the camera spans over New York City in the opening scenes! Just Wow! A number of people have criticised director Baz Luhrmanns choice to use such modern music, such as rap by Jay Z, but I personally feel that this decision really brought this film into the modern age. After all, this is a remake of a classic for modern times, so why wouldn’t you spice up the music?

So there you have it. No matter what others are saying, I think that Luhrmann did a truly fabulous job with this film, and I would happily go and see it again tomorrow!

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back carelessly into the past.”
 

Cannes Credentials

Another week, another red carpet for the stars! This week swarms of A-listers descended on the French Riviera for a 12 day cinematic bonanza, otherwise known as the Cannes Film Festival. There has been no shortage of scandal with a gun scare, a $1million jewellery theft and enough rain to float Noah’s Ark, but that certainly hasn’t taken the shine off the glitz and glamour of the red carpet. So let’s take a look at the line up of stylish stars, and see who really brought some sparkle to the south of France.

 

To kick it off it has to be none other than the Met Balls leading rock chick, Cara Delevigne. Her Burberry ensemble knocked it out at the park at the Met ball, and she certainly didn’t let her standards slip this time. Dressed in another beautiful Burberry gown with a plunging neckline and lace detailing, the British model looked truly amazing! Can she ever get it wrong?!

Next up is the beautiful Emma Watson in Chanel Couture. As one of my favourite young actresses, I always love to see what she will pull out when it comes to gracing the red carpet, and in this case she certainly did not disappoint! She couldn’t have looked better in her monochrome Chanel Gown, but then again, is it actually possible to look bad in Chanel!?

Another beauty flying the flag for British style was Cheryl Cole, dressed in a maroon Zuhair Murad creation. I would go as far to say that this is one of her best ever red carpet appearances to date! The dress is absolutely beautiful! From the detailing to the color, it is perfection! She looks like a true Hollywood A-lister, and my girl crush is continuing to grow!

Our final red carpet beauty for today has to be Dutch Model Doutzen Kroes. A far cry from her usual Victoria’s Secret get up, but absolutely breathtaking nonetheless! She hit the red carpet earlier in the week in a peachy Versace number, but she really knocked it out the Park in this stunning White Calvin Klein masterpiece! There really are no words for this except Wow!

 

Three cheers for Coca-Cola

Coca Cola hit the headlines last week after pledging that they will no longer advertise to under 12’s anywhere in the world as part of a push to increase their market responsibility. This is just one of the four pledges that the brand has made to tackle obesity worldwide. Their other pledges are too offer low or no calorie options in every market, to provide transparent nutrition information, and finally to support physical activity programs in every country where they do business.

This news came as a very pleasant surprise to me! Last year during the Olympics I found it absolutely appalling that the likes of Coca Cola and McDonalds were allowed to sponsor the games. Moreover, not only did these two brands sponsor the games, but they were the two chief sponsors! Mcdonalds was being named 'The official restaurant' of London 2012. (Since when was Mcdonalds even a restaurant anyway!) Now maybe I’m wrong, but when obesity is such a serious problem in the UK it is highly hypocritical to have a sporting event, which aimed to ‘inspire a generation’ associated with two brands that are selling products that are known to be terribly unhealthy! 

I was lucky enough to visit Olympic Park for a day of athletics, and I was shocked to find that from pasties to fish and chips, almost every single food outlet was selling junk food. The McDonalds was by far the largest food vendor in Olympic Park, and to make matters worse, the queue was right out the door! Money had taken centre stage over what was right in the case of the Olympics, and I guess that it is hard to blame them. The Olympics was a roaring success, and maybe it would not have been if that money hadn’t come rolling in.

But when this news of Coca Cola broke, I couldn’t help but smile. One of the world’s biggest and most powerful brands was finally doing the ‘right thing’, and I certainly hope that there will be plenty more to follow suit! I am a firm believer in the snowball effect, and I really do hope that this is the start of something great. ‘Inspire a generation’ you could say. Do not get me wrong, I love a Diet Coke, and I’m certainly not saying that all fizzy drinks should be banned from the world. I just think that attitudes need to be changed, a consistent message must be communicated and that this issue must be addressed.

Waldorf Wonders

On Tuesday my dear little Granny will turn the bold old age of 93, so of course my family and I felt we had to mark the occasion in style! The Caledonian hotel is one of Edinburgh’s finest establishments, and as it has recently had a £24 million pound makeover to become a Waldorf Astoria, we thought it was worth a wee trip. As all old ladies’ love a good old cup of tea and a scone, afternoon tea was the obvious choice!

 

 

We all got our glad rags on and headed down there yesterday, and boy did it not disappoint!

 

First of all, the Hotel is absolutely to die for! Beautiful, elegant, sophisticated and chic are just a few of the words I would use to describe it. We were greeted by a delightful doorman in a top hat and tartan trousers, which just added that little bit extra charm to the afternoon. Afternoon tea is served in 'Peacock Alley', a beautiful room with high ceilings, bricks walls, and an ambience of exclusivity.

 

The service was nothing short of excellent, and we were waited on hand and foot. On arrival we were shown to our table and our coats were taken to be hung up. The table was beautifully set, and a little thistle added a lovely Scottish touch. We were then asked to choose from an extensive list of different teas, from traditional, to fruit to herbal, however uninterestingly every single one of went for the traditional Scottish.

 

 

 

The champagne was then brought over to us on a trolley, and served at the table. After all, Champagne really does go with everything... The Waldorf Astoria has gone above and beyond to ensure that you feel like royalty, and every part of the afternoon tea experience really is first class.

 

 

 

The afternoon tea itself is served on cake stands, and a prodigious selection of cakes, scones and dainty finger sandwiches are included. Smoked Salmon, cucumber and egg mayo were just a few of the sandwich fillings, and they really were delicious. We were absolutely spoilt for choice with the cakes- scones, banana loaf, Victoria sponge, lemon tart, chocolate torte and éclairs were only a few of the treats on offer, and there was plenty left over! We didn’t even come close to finishing them all, and we really had not held back on stuffing ourselves! The waiter even asked if we would like to take them away with us, but we are all so full that the thought of tucking into more cakes later was a bit too much too handle.

 

So, as you can tell I don’t have a bad word to say about my afternoon at The Waldorf. My Granny really had a lovely birthday, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something that bit extra special.

 

 

Finally, to round off this post... It’s the little things in life, like spending an afternoon surrounded by all your nearest and dearest!

 

Best dressed at the Baftas

Last night saw the stars grace the red carpet once again for the British Academy Television Awards, otherwise known as the Baftas. TV personalities from the likes of Made In Chelsea and Strictly come dancing descended upon London’s Royal Festival Hall, all hoping to get there mits on one of the coveted awards. The cast of Made in Chelsea scooped the Bafta for the best Reality and Structured Factual, and Alan Carr took home the bacon for the best Entertainment performance. However, though who won what is an important part of the evening, it goes without saying that the spotlight also shines brightly on all of the outfits, glamour and wardrobe malfunctions- and boy were there plenty!

 

 

 

So let’s kick things off this Monday morning by looking at who stole the show in the style department!

 

 

Millie Mackintosh is one who never fails to impress. I’ve blogged previously about how much I love her style, so it should come as no surprise that she tops my list of the best dressed from last night’s shenanigans. Millie wore a beautiful, plunging, black cut out gown which featured daring thigh high splits. She paired it with to die for Black Louboutin sandals and a jewelled clutch. Unfortunately for Millie, the wind wasn’t on her side and she also tops the list of one of the worst wardrobe malfunctions. Red carpet posing disaster!

 

She was one of my favourites from last week’s Met Ball, and last night Sienna Miller did it again. Sienna looked effortlessly perfect in a powder blue Matthew Williamson dress. She matched her dress with Louboutins and vintage jewellery, which completed her look down to a tee. Miss Miller proves time and time again what a style chameleon she really is, and I am always eager with anticipation to see what she will pull out the bag next! Top marks all round.

 

So there you have it, these two ladies were the only two who seriously impressed me from this year’s Baftas. There wasn’t even anybody that was so awful to justify a worst dressed post! Instead I felt that the rest were just a bit ‘bla’. Alright but not dazzling! So all in all, a pretty mediocre night on the red carpet.

Give it up for the Girls!

Yeserday news hit the headlines that Nicola Mendelsohn had been appointed as Facebooks Vice President of Europe. Her successor, Joanna Shields left in January to lead the government’s investment group for technology startups, The Tech City Investment Organisation.

Becoming Facebooks Vice President of Europe will see Mendelsohn take responsibility for growing Facebooks advertising revenue, as well as improving Facebooks relationships with brands across the world.

I absolutely loved hearing this news as I think it is hugely inspiring to see women in top positions within business. Moreover, Nicola Mendelsohn is married with four children. She is proving that women can have a family and go on to achieve just as high a level of success as men within their careers. Now I am no feminist, but I think it’s great to see these women leading the way for females in the business world. So that is exactly why I think that we should give it up for the girls!

So for today, Its the Little Things in life, like finding something that makes you feel inspired!