Posts Tagged ‘BBC’
Monday, November 7th, 2011
Gary Barlow - now Scarborough pantomime's biggest promotor
When Gary Barlow said to one of the X-Factor contestants that his act was like ‘a bad pantomime in Scarborough’ the audience lapped it up in the usual way. Criticism like that is, after all, just part of the X-Factor experience.
But for some Scarborians, the comment meant far more than the throwaway line it was intended to be. According to the local paper the comment has sparked outrage and fury.
However, I was impressed when I heard an interview with the head of one of Scarborough’s pantomimes on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast show today. Because rather than complaining about Barlow’s comments, he was thanking him for bringing attention to the town and already had promotional posters being printed with the slogan ‘As criticised by Gary Barlow!’.
I loved that – not only was the getting national news coverage for his production but he was going to milk the opportunity even further by playing on Barlow’s comment with his posters around the town.
That is pure opportunism and should be applauded. If those kind of opportunities come your way in business, you have to take them.
The only thing he didn’t do was get in a plug for his website or give out an 0800 number to enable people to buy tickets. Maybe there will be a next time to rectify this, but I doubt that Gary Barlow will give them a second chance…
Tags: 03 number, 03 numbers, 03700 number, 08 Direct, 08 number, 08 numbers, 0800 free phone number, 0800 freephone number, 0800 number, 0800 Numbers, 0844 number, 0844 numbers, 08direct.co.uk, auto attendant, BBC, BBC Radio1 5 Live, Call Forwarding, fax to email, free fax to email, freephone number, Gary Barlow, Interactive Voice Response, IVR, national 0844 number, non geographic numbers, non geographical numbers, number translation services., opportunism, pantomime, promotional tips, Scarborough, X Factor
Posted in Tips for business | No Comments »
Friday, November 4th, 2011
With the BBC celebrating 75 years of broadcasting this week, it brought into focus the massive change in TV that we have seen in recent years. From a few programmes a day, we now have zillions of channels to choose from which are broadcasting 24×7 (but some would argue there’s still nothing to watch!).
And the same is true with communications technology. We all know about the proliferation of communications channels with social media and mobiles on top of face to face and traditional telephony.
But this abundance of choice can bring its own perils, because the old adage that ‘its not what you say but how you say it’ holds true but there is now a third dimension…the medium you use to say it.
Choosing to send a Tweet or a text rather than call someone suggests brevity – which some admire, but others will take to mean ‘you couldn’t be bothered’.
Emailing large documents when someone is out of the office might get the information to them but is it in a format whereby they can read it and get to the bits they need. In this case a text message might be better.
And then there is the case of mistaken medium whereby you mean to text someone from your phone but end up Tweeting them instead and what should have been private becomes all too public. In case you are wondering, this wasn’t me, or indeed the classic ‘friend’ but a BBC Radio 5 Live presenter. Thankfully the content of her message to her husband wasn’t anything too embarrassing but I’m sure it amused her 9000+ followers!
Sometimes you need technology to help you, so if you run more than one business, you don’t want to answer your phone with one company name if the caller was expecting to speak to another. Using call whispers is the answer as it announces the source of the call before you speak to the caller, which helps to avoid those embarrassing moments and makes you sound ultra professional.
Tags: 03 number, 03 numbers, 03700 number, 08 Direct, 08 number, 08 numbers, 0800 free phone number, 0800 freephone number, 0800 number, 0800 Numbers, 0844 number, 0844 numbers, 08direct.co.uk, 75 years, auto attendant, BBC, BBC Radio 5 Live, Call Forwarding, call whispers, fax to email, free fax to email, freephone number, Interactive Voice Response, IVR, miscommunication, national 0844 number, non geographic numbers, non geographical numbers, number translation services., SMS, texting, Twitter
Posted in Tips for business | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
As you’re reading this you’re clearly already online and pretty-well versed in using the internet. After all, as much as we love our blog, if you are looking for something to read and don’t know much about t’internet, you’re more likely to buy yourself a novel from best seller charts, than seek out our daily musings.
But lots of people are still untouched by the wonders of the internet – something which concerns the Government which is why they have been paying Lastminute.com founder and web evangelist, Martha Lane Fox to be the UK’s Digital Champion.
And the BBC has now launched a high profile campaign called ‘Give an Hour’ which encourages anyone confident enough with computers to donate their ‘free’ hour when the clocks go back on Sunday 30 October to introduce someone to the internet for the first time. (more…)
Tags: 03 number, 03 numbers, 08 Direct, 08 number, 08 numbers, 0800 free phone number, 0800 freephone number, 0800 number, 0800 Numbers, 0844 number, 0844 numbers, 08direct.co.uk, auto attendant, BBC, Call Forwarding, Digital Inclusion, fax to email, free fax to email, freephone number, Give an Hour campaign, Interactive Voice Response, IVR, Martha Lane Fox, national 0844 number, non geographic numbers, non geographical numbers, number translation services.
Posted in Tips for business | No Comments »
Thursday, October 20th, 2011
David vs Goliath
David and Goliath. The FA Cup third round. There are plenty of examples of small triumphing over big, but in business, it is generally accepted that larger is better. Bigger budgets, more resources, greater power and higher profile brands are all the things that most small business owners have traditionally coveted.
But this situation may be changing as it seems the big guns are turning to the little guys for inspiration. (more…)
Tags: 03 number, 03 numbers, 08 Direct, 08 number, 08 numbers, 0800 free phone number, 0800 freephone number, 0800 number, 0800 Numbers, 0844 number, 0844 numbers, 08direct.co.uk, auto attendant, BBC, Call Forwarding, fax to email, free fax to email, freephone number, Interactive Voice Response, IVR, national 0844 number, non geographic numbers, non geographical numbers, number translation services., Pepsi, PepsiCo, SMEs, start-up business
Posted in Business News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
Is your glass half full or half empty?
In the last 24 hours the news has been full of more economic doom and gloom. Inflation has hit a 3 year high at 5.2% and Argos, that stalwart of the high street, has reported dreadful financial results with its profits plummeting more than 90% in the last six months. As we’ve come to expect from the media, it sounds like everything is going from bad to worse for anyone in business, but it seems that many people, including elements of the press, share 08Direct’s view that to survive this downturn you have to be positive and not allow yourself to be talked into the depths of despair.
Take the recent Business of the Economy debate in Leeds which featured a panel of heavyweight business and economy experts including a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, the head of a leading accountancy group, a leading economist and a financial services expert.
According to leading regional news provider, The BusinessDesk.com , ‘it was refreshing to hear all four panellists being very bullish and honest about their thoughts for the prospects for both the general economy and the prospects for individual businesses – it makes a change’.
Clearly, everyone is getting fed up with constantly hearing the economy being talked down. TheBusinessDesk.com continued…During a discussion on confidence and the role the media has to play in the ongoing recovery, a special mention was given by chief economist Dennis Turner of Robert Peston, the BBC’s Business Editor. “We are emerging from a difficult period and it’s easy to take the economy down and Robert Peston is leading the charge,” said Turner. The murmurs of agreement from the audience said it all.
So, there you go. The experts are telling us that there are reasons to be cheerful and even the media is fed up of reporting negativity.
Let’s keep a positive outlook and raise our half full glasses to a brighter business future. Cheers!
Tags: 03 number, 03 numbers, 08 Direct, 08 number, 08 numbers, 0800 free phone number, 0800 freephone number, 0800 number, 0800 Numbers, 0844 number, 0844 numbers, 08direct.co.uk, auto attendant, BBC, Business of the Economy debate, Call Forwarding, fax to email, free fax to email, freephone number, Ian Briggs, Interactive Voice Response, IVR, national 0844 number, non geographic numbers, non geographical numbers, number translation services., Robert Peston, TheBusinessDesk.com, UK economy
Posted in Business News | No Comments »
Monday, March 14th, 2011
Chris Moyles - ranted about Radio 1's 03 number
Driving into work this morning, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and, as usual, I had the Chris Moyles Show on the radio. Now, Moyles likes to talk but one particular link caught my attention when he had to read out Radio 1’s telephone number so that listeners could call the show.
Now it isn’t unusual for him to have a bit of a rant, but in this case Moyles vented an opinion that he thinks Radio 1’s phone number is, frankly, rubbish. And he’s got a point because most radio stations use a phone number that has something to do with either their broadcasting frequency or the name of the station. But Radio 1’s number is 03700 100 100. (more…)
Tags: 03 number, 03 numbers, 03700 number, 08 Direct, 08 number, 08 numbers, 0800 free phone number, 0800 freephone number, 0800 number, 0800 Numbers, 0844 number, 0844 numbers, 08direct.co.uk, auto attendant, BBC, BBC Radio1, Call Forwarding, Chris Moyles, Chris Moyles Show, fax to email, free fax to email, freephone number, Interactive Voice Response, IVR, national 0844 number, non geographic numbers, non geographical numbers, number translation services.
Posted in 03 Numbers, 08 Number News, Freephone Numbers, Uncategorized | No Comments »
