Friday, 16 August 2013
The Changing Face of PR
Freestyle's Managing Director, Alan Boyden, recently contributed to a round table discussion for Midlands Business Insider magazine.
Alan and other PR professionals from around the region discussed the changing face of PR, including the use of outside agencies, social media and budget constraints.
When asked about social media and its potential to broadcast unauthorised information outside of the company's key marketing messages, Alan commented:
An overview of the round table can be found on the Midlands Business Insider Website and the full discussion is printed in the September issue of the magazine."That's the danger with treating social media as a separate channel. If anyone sent out a traditional press release without it being signed off there would be real anger. But that's exactly what you're doing with a blog or Twitter post created without guidelines."
Labels: Alan Boyden, Business, Business Insider, Freestyle, Freestyle Marketing, Managing Director, Midlands Business Insider, PR, Public Relations, Social Media
# posted by Freestyle PR : 15:53
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Why creativity should be a walk in the park
Alan Boyden gives his advice on how to spark your creativity!
Where do you get your inspiration from? Is it sitting at your desk staring at your computer screen? Surely not the best place to foster creativity and innovative thinking is it? Think about it, how many hours a day do you spend doing just that? I like to think that real creativity is born out of a more flexible approach, not sat at a desk all day.
Have
you noticed how much more productive you are after taking short breaks, or
having a chat with somebody over lunch about matters unrelated to your work?
How often do you work straight through the day and miss this opportunity?
My
best ideas come to me when I’m not at my desk, when I’m out and about, driving or
in the pub chatting, in the agency kitchen or even ‘shooting the breeze’ at the
water cooler with colleagues. My very best ideas however are when I've not got
a pen or phone to hand, usually when I’m in the shower or walking the dog!
I've never had a great work/life balance, but I’m pleased to say that I've finally
seen the light and I’m working hard at getting it right here at Freestyle. A
late convert, but its paying dividends already. Don’t put it off any longer,
try that early morning swim, a walk with the dog or perhaps a quick jog in the
woods? You’ll soon see why creativity and business really can be a walk in the
park.
Labels: Alan Boyden, Creativity, Freestyle, Ideas, Innovation, marketing, nottingham, PR, Productivity
# posted by Freestyle PR : 15:00
Friday, 14 December 2012
Do you really want to work part-time?
Alan Boyden offers his perspective on the world of entrepreneurship
Whenever
I’m approached for advice by budding entrepreneurs, they often ask me what prompted
me to set up in business? My answer is always the same – I wanted to work
part-time (and now I do… any twelve hours of the day I choose here at Freestyle).
In all seriousness, running your own business is never the easy option, especially
during those tough early days when cash is not flowing as regularly as it was when
you were employed. Even once you've got over the so called “five year trading hurdle”
it is not always plain sailing. The challenges don’t go away; they just change
as your business develops. Perhaps by
this point you've hired or fired a number of staff? You've won (and lost) a few
contracts and you’re starting to wonder if it is all worth the extra effort? It
always is.I've met very few entrepreneurs who having once tasted self employment, would not go back to being employed again. Many of course are forced back to employment for a period of time for financial survival, but often find themselves frustrated by the restrictions of corporate life. They long for the precarious (yet perhaps more fulfilling and exciting) world of entrepreneurship. So from my observations it seems that once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.
So,
are entrepreneurs born or made? I still find it odd how universities can offer
degrees in entrepreneurship, if the lecturers were so good why aren't they all
multimillionaires? Maybe some of them are and just prefer academic life to
sailing around the world on large yachts? Or are the very best entrepreneurs
those who have graduated from the University
of Life
Labels: Alan Boyden, Entrepreneurship, Freestyle, marketing, nottingham, PR
# posted by Freestyle PR : 10:13
Monday, 12 November 2012
The Ex Factor
Managing Director Alan Boyden shares his thoughts on business partnerships
"I
was reminded by an ex-colleague of a blog that I wrote back in June 2012, in
which I paralleled marriage to business partnerships. The irony of it was not
missed by him as I had recently announced my “divorce” in the business press.
So what of the Ex? The truth of the matter is that you have to move on. You’ll
never get anywhere if you’re constantly looking in the rear view mirror. I’m
pleased to say that I managed my business “divorce” (after eighteen years
together) without too much acrimony and the offspring seem to have come out of
it relatively un-scared too.
I've spoken to a number of entrepreneurs who have also sold their businesses
recently and the common factor seems to be not what happened leading up to or
during the deal, but what they did in the intervening period between selling
and starting up again. One of them referred to this as a period of “limbo”,
another was in a “commercial wilderness”.
Personally
it was a period of trepidation mixed with great excitement - an opportunity to
take time out to reflect on what you really want out of life. They all agreed
that at times during this “limbo” period you can easily slip into a negative
mind-set, over- reflecting and hankering after commercial stimulation.
So
what to do after this period of new found freedom? For me, it was obvious, I
wanted to stay in the same line of business, and for others there was nothing
more certain than they wanted a complete change. And most have done just that,
moving from a successful finance business to run a chain of restaurants.
Another from logistics to IT and another from property to sign manufacturing. Each
to his or her own I say. I've found my niche in marketing comms and “I’m
sticking to the knitting”.
I
was fortunate that an opportunity came my way to work with a fantastic team of
talented individuals here at Freestyle that I first met over 25 years ago. I
may have chosen to stick at what I know best, rather than spreading my entrepreneurial
wings like others, but it feels good to be back, and there’s certainly no
looking back. The only Ex factor in my business life now is the Excitement factor."
Labels: Alan Boyden, Business, Freestyle Marketing, Partnership
# posted by Freestyle PR : 09:36
Monday, 8 October 2012
Nottingham Entrepreneur Alan Boyden Joins Freestyle
The Freestyle team has welcomed Nottingham entrepreneur and founder of bcsAgency, Alan Boyden to its board of directors.
Alan will take the helm as
Managing Director, assuming the responsibilities of Freestyle’s previous
Managing Director Ed Watson who now moves up to be Chairman of the
Company.
 |
| Freestyle Directors Board (L-R) Tim Phillips, Des Buchanan and Alan Boyden |
Creative Director, Tim
Phillips and Des Buchanan, Commercial Director founded Freestyle Marketing Communications
Limited along with Ed Watson back in 1991.
“Having clocked up over 21 years at the helm, Ed deserves a break from the front line, but will remain actively involved with the agency’s clients at a more strategic level,” Des explains.
Alan will bring his extensive
management experience and impressive contact network to Freestyle, to help us
with our next stage of growth.
“The time was right for me to move on from my former agency, having come of age 18 years on from its formation as an MBO from Grey Midlands. I am looking forward to getting back to my roots in advertising, whilst helping Freestyle develop its Public Relations, Social Media and Digital Marketing skills,” Alan comments.
The team look forward to
working closely with Alan and developing the business further.
Labels: Agency, Alan Boyden, Digital, Freestyle Marketing, Managing Director, marketing, nottingham, PR, Social Media
# posted by Freestyle PR : 09:00
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