Legendary day at the inaugural MSB Summit

Following a packed 48 hours in London at the CBI and Lloyds Bank MSB Summit Shari Bryan and Andy Wilkinson have; observed great content, made great contacts, shaped great ideas and helped fuel the ambition for business growth.

"We thoroughly enjoyed talking to over 278 mid-sized businesses in two workshop seminars" comments Shari Bryan "our piece was around digital marketing supporting Sean Gilchrist of Lloyds who was leading a major talk around the wider digital opportunity for business growth. We were looking specifically at how business should be developing their digital marketing strategy and ideas to set their brand apart".

Andy Wilkinson comments "it was extremely lively with insightful questions and shared experiences from delegates which I feel added to the overall day...plus I got the chance to take a selfie with the audience which got everyone thinking digital marketing!"

The day included seminars on key business issues such as business planning and export with keynotes from the CEO of Lloyds Banking Group and the DG of the CBI.

"We were thrilled to be be invited to talk, it's a privilege to stand beside major brands and have the opportunity to talk with so many great business leaders".

OWB to support Lloyds Bank at inaugural MSB Summit

OWB are joining forces with Lloyds Bank and the CBI as part of the first ever MSB Summit.

The success of medium-sized businesses (MSBs) are seen to be a leading driver of economic strength and critical to the UK’s future prosperity.

The MSB Summit which is complimentary for medium-sized businesses will provide a platform for business owners to network with peers, exchange ideas, learn new skills and develop new opportunities.

• Topical matters will include:
• Getting to the next level
• Change Management
• Getting new skills into the business
• Securing growth finance, and
• Exporting with confidence

These are topics that business leaders believe to be vital in helping organisations reach their true potential.

CBI Director-General John Cridland and Group CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, António Horta-Osório will be on hand to discuss the strategies medium-size businesses employ and how they will play a crucial role in the UK’s economic recovery.

Delegates will also have the opportunities to attend a high-quality workshop entitled ‘Seizing the Digital opportunity’ where OWB’s Managing Director Andy Wilkinson will be giving an overview on how digital media has impacted on marketing strategies.

“We are delighted to be involved with this project. Not only are we proud to be working with Lloyds Bank and the CBI, but we are also able to demonstrate our Digital Marketing expertise to a number of leading MSBs.”

“The advice will undoubtedly provide these businesses with a number of ways to grow business in 2015 and beyond,” Andy said. “This is an amazing opportunity.”

The MSB Summit takes place on Monday 1 December at the ETC venue, St Pauls, London. For more information, visit: http://www.cbi.org.uk/events/msb-summit/

Google Go Local

When you think of Google you think Global right? You think big brand, and big scale?

Well I certainly do – that was until I attended a Google focus group to see what new thinking was on their horizon.

So it was with real interest that I listened to their potential plans to launch regional hubs across the UK to deliver innovative training, new thinking and help forums, all delivered in an urban coffee hub style format to the digital industries and SME’s of the world north of London. This is something I’m really interested in, and if their plans take off, will deliver real insight to creative businesses like ours to keep our clients one step ahead of the game.

As a marketing agency, Google can sometimes feel like a powerful, faceless brand giant with little regard for agencies trying to deal with its ever moving goal posts – so I for one would be delighted to embrace a more human element of Google to help businesses understand and plan their strategies better.

Here’s hoping their ideas come to fruition and don’t get lost in the latest Penguin pedantics.

AT A GLANCE

• Google to set up regional HUBS
• Deliver Incisive insight 
• Will support us to help you 
• Will help keep you ahead of the search game

OWB's resident Google expert, Graham Large, added: "Earlier this year, I visited one of Google's London offices to sit my Advanced AdWords exam. There was a real buzz about the place, and if that type of atmosphere can be replicated in Birmingham it will only be a good thing for local agencies like us."

Something to Hoot About

Over 100 giant owls will be taking up perch across Birmingham for 10 weeks next summer as part of a fundraising initiative.

The Big Hoot, launched last Wednesday night at the Ikon Gallery, will see more than 100 individually-designed 165cm-tall owl statues appear across the city – local artists will then customise the owls.

The initiative is being organised by public art specialists Wild in Art, in conjunction with Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and funded by a host of corporate sponsors from across the West Midlands.

Since 2008, Wild in Art has become the UK’s leading producer of mass participation public art events. They have launched similar exhibitions across the globe, including the highly successful Gromit Unleashed initiative – where sculptures representing Gromit of “Wallace and Gromit” appeared on the streets of Bristol throughout 2013.

OWB have been involved with the creative element of the project since its inception. Wild in Art were looking for inspiration for the Birmingham character that could be considered both representative of the region and educational too.

“We loved the fact that the bird represented flight and migration – perfectly aligned with our diverse culture in Birmingham” stated OWB Director Shari Bryan, so from then on there was only one choice.

In 2008 a BBC News article reported that the world’s largest owl – the Eagle Owl – had taken up residence in Birmingham. Since then, a number of sightings of European Eagle Owls in and around the Birmingham area have been reported.

Once the owl had been chosen OWB worked alongside Wild in Art to create the perfect identity for the initiative. And thus, The Big Hoot was born.

Speaking at the launch event, Sarah-Jane Marsh, chief executive of Birmingham Children's Hospital, said: "The Big Hoot is a hugely exciting venture for Birmingham as a city and we at Birmingham Children's Hospital are honoured to have been selected to benefit from the half a million pounds we hope to raise as a result.

"This donation will help to support the ground-breaking work we carry out at the hospital, but more than that, the Big Hoot will also inspire pride in our much loved city and offer families a fun and free day out exploring everything that greater Birmingham has to offer."

Sally-Ann Wilkinson, director of Wild in Art, added: "Our public art projects have a proven track record of increasing tourism and heightening the profile of our host cities, and we're confident that this will continue in Birmingham, as visitors and residents alike discover the city through this unique and visually stunning artistic trail."

The Big Hoot has already attracted national media coverage with the BBC News website reporting on its launch: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-29722659

OWB have developed The Big Hoot’s website – www.thebighoot.co.uk – and created sponsorship packs for people who want to get involved with this initiative. An online pack can be found here: http://thebighoot.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-Big-Hoot-Sponsor-Pack-23-October-2014.pdf

You can follow The Big Hoot on Twitter @thebighoot2015, like The Big Hoot on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebighoot2015 and follow The Big Hoot’s Instagram activity http://instagram.com/bighoot2015. 

Windsor Academy Trust Open Evening

The latest client to join the OWB roster, Windsor Academy Trust, held an open evening Thursday night for prospective students at their High School and Sixth Form College.

Attended by over 500 students looking to make the jump from high school to college education, the Windsor Academy Trust Sixth Form stands out in the Halesowen area for its wide choice of courses and small, personal classes consisting of a student, teacher ratio of 11:1.

OWB looks forward to working alongside Windsor Academy Trust in the future and maybe teaching them a thing or two about marketing.

The Penguin is back – where’s Batman when you need him?

This past weekend, Google unleashed Penguin 3.0 – the latest update to its algorithm – AKA a blooming big headache for SEO specialists worldwide.

Penguin 3.0 is the sixth (releases only go up in whole numbers when they have a significant impact on queries) in a series of changes made to Google’s algorithm, the first of which was launched in 2012, in order to combat webspam and black hat SEO tactics.

SEO professionals have been anxiously waiting for the release of Penguin 3.0 due to the major impact caused by the previous updates. When you’re hit by Penguin, you usually have to wait until the next release cycle to see if your changes have resulted in a positive impact on your search engine performance, and many will have been waiting since the previous release back in October 2013.

If their clean-up methods have been successful, they’re likely to start seeing some improvement in traffic over the next few weeks. If not, they will need to make further more changes and wait until the next Penguin update. Now you can see why this causes such a headache!

It is important to bear in mind that whilst some websites may experience declining search rankings they may not have been penalised by Penguin. The Penguin update causes a huge amount of links to be discounted, so the value that these links may have once had will no longer pass over.

So any websites that have received value from these links may suffer a decline in visibility, even though the website has not been penalised itself.

Confusing, hey? Welcome to our world!

Fortunately OWB’s team of caped crusaders are well versed in tackling Penguin and the problems that arise from it. Who needs Bruce Wayne?

If you notice a drop in traffic and/or search engine visibility, please call us immediately on 0121 766 6571.

We will perform a free analysis to see if you have been hit by a Penguin penalty and advise you on what you should do next.

The OWB team is greatly saddened to hear of Jules Bianchi's horrific accident last weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix.

In 2013 we were immensely proud to have the opportunity to sponsor Jules and feature on his helmet for several grand prix. We also had the pleasure of joining him at a race weekend in Monza and a track day at the Jonathan Palmer motorsport facility where he scared the pants off us during a track drive. He is a great guy, happy to share his passion for motorsport and we wish him all the best and hope for a speedy recovery.

What a week of rugby coming up...

...with a ripper tonight at Rybrook Rolls Royce and Specialist Cars I'm looking forward to meeting Martin Johnson CBE and Neil Back MBE...more details will follow in this mege egg-chaser of a week..

A few Princess goodies - this year's Southampton Boat Show..

And what a great show it was for Princess. If you're looking for more motor yacht luxury check princess.co.uk

Spreading some OWB lovin'

...if you ever wondered what we get up to to put a little back - take a look at our new Community Pages http://www.owb.uk.com/about.html#community

our new brochure in development....

Dinner with the Prime Minister

An incredible evening with the Rt Hon David Cameron MP thank you to Investors in Excellence. Heythrop Hall provided the backdrop to a magnificent evening with IiE clients and friends to share business chat, non-business chat, World Cup stories and get to chit-chat with the PM....wonderful event and great to hear a global leader talk about life in and around Westminster and share some great stories.

The Prime Minister shares some thoughts with Ian Nield, CEO, IiE

PM starts the auction! judging by the camera angle we've bid...

Wilko asks if it's OK to go on the OWB blog....

Great evening, thanks to Investors in Excellence

IoD Director of the Year Awards 2014

What an amazing morning. Andy Wilkinson picked up the Highly Commended Award in the SME Company Category of the 2014 Institute of Directors West Midlands Region Director of the Year Awards 2014

The champagne breakfast took place today at the wonderful Edgbaston Cricket Ground where over 120 businesses came to enjoy a sunshine and champagne fuelled start to the day and hear IoD Regional Chairman Jason Wouhra talk around building the West Midlands’ legacy of hard work and entrepreneurialism and a keynote delivered by Paul Thandi, Group CEO of the NEC Group celebrating the vision for the region’s finest events business and future ambitions.

The OWB team were joined by Ian Nield from Investors in Excellence and Matthew Chapman of Vocal Group for a superb full english, lashings of champers, quality early morning banter and a chance to network with the region’s finest business leaders.

"I am thrilled to have been Highly Commended" comments Andy Wilkinson "OWB grows year on year, we have a highly talented, energetic and imaginative team, wonderful Clients and being part of the Awards is testimony to the great business we continue to build here in the Midlands and overseas through our international network."

"On top of this Award 2014 continues to flourish with new Client wins, exciting new projects and two new members to the team. We will be continuing our drive for excellence and I hope my Award will spur me on later this month when I undertake the Walking with the Wounded Cumbria Challenge to raise money for this incredible charity.”

Andy soaking up the atmosphere and mingling with fellow nominees.

All of the winners from the IOD, Director of the Year Awards 2014.

They think it's all over... It isn't at OWB!

Team OWB was out in force Tuesday night for England’s last (and sadly final) group match of the 2014 Brazilian World Cup against Costa Rica. The game was a dull 0-0 draw but that didn’t slow down the lager or double burger consumption between every missed shot and sloppy tackle.

Another night well spent and hey, there’s always the Euro's in two years!

Norm and Bryony both can't keep their eyes off the prize

The Team OWB lineup

England's performance took it's toll on some harder than others

Selfie sums up The Cumbrian Challenge

Shaz, Me, Rob and Mart on top of a Mountain

Tarns, Crags, Knotts and Stickles....the Cumbrian Challenge

Our first attempt at The Cumbrian Challenge definitely lived up to its name. Challenge!!

Opting for the tougher course it was an immediate climb out of Grasmere up, up, up and up to the Langdale Pikes with the tougher course taking in ‘Bow Fell’ and ‘Crinkle Crags’. 13 hours, yes 13 sweaty, wet, painful hours later we descended back Into Grasmere and back to the event ground where we, that's all 800 competitors, had left full of bacon sarnies and apprehension at 8.00am...

Feeling rather battered it was certainly memorable. Rob, Team Captain, kept up a cracking pace and Martin 'suns out, guns out' Currie proved to be a very able second lieutenant, with Shari and myself providing vital support advice from the back ("is it up again..there can't be any more up")

Enjoyed fabulous company and camaraderie, thank you to the LDC team who organised our teams and everything to get us there and also to the WWTW team who were superb delivering outstanding logistics...plus we even got to see the England game at the Hostel. 

But the big news was delivered by Ed CEO of WWTW who reckoned the £250k raised in 2013 by this single event will be eclipsed this year and the charity will be able to get even more of our wounded back into work outside of the Military.

So thank you for your support. It was tough. Very tough. But well worth it. Get your name down for 2015.

Andy and Shari 

A whopping 13 hour Tougher challenge walk of some 35km...

Techy T-shirts and water bottles brought to us by a wee dram...

Tough and The Tougher Ready to tough it out....

grasmere event ground for the start and finish...every time we saw it it was dark...

The top of one of the crinkles for a few crinkle cut crisps

Top of a pike I think, what an amazing and breathtaking view (Martin takes time out to check the pools)