Description wehavethecandidates http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/16th-may-2013/may-2013-top-candidates-part-2/ Take a look at our lastest Top Candidates! If you wish to receive any further information on these particular candidates, please do not hesitate to get in touch or click the links below to request further information. Display Account Executive In this candidate's current role he plans and buys display campaigns for a number of high profile clients, handling budgets that vary from £5k/£10k through to £100k+. He has experience of planning and buying display space for branding and direct response purposes on a tenancy, CPC, CPM and CPA basis on niche B2B websites through to mainstream sites and networks.  Based on the brief, he is responsible for recommending which creative format(s) to run on which sections of which sites and for how long. If available he also considers targeted options such as geographical, behavioural, contextual and demographic. Other responsibilities include monitoring all activity to ensure it is live and tracking and then reporting back to clients detailing click through rates, cost per click and cost per acquisition - using Atlas or Google analytics data - and refine plans to improve metrics accordingly. His salary expectations are £27k. Click here to email us about this candidate...   Affiliate Executive This candidate currently works agency side in an Affiliate Executive position. She is looking for a new opportunity where she can further develop her marketing career. This experienced candidate has a good understanding of all digital channels such as PPC, SEO and Display even though her current role is heavily Affiliate focussed. Her salary expectations are £26k and she is available for interview at short notice. Click here to email us about this candidate...   Search Specialist This experienced digital marketer is re-locating to Manchester and is looking for a Search marketing vacancy where she can further develop her career. This candidate is an all-round digital marketer with extensive experience of running search campaigns. She is a Search marketing specialist with a skill set including PPC and SEO which she will happily apply to an agency or client side role. Her salary expectations are £27k and she is available for internet at short notice. Click here to email us about this candidate... http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/16th-may-2013/may-2013-top-candidates-part-2/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/16th-may-2013/may-2013-top-candidates-part-2/ Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/16th-may-2013/on-the-edge-digital-marketing-conference/ What? On The Edge is a one day event that brings together the most inspirational and successful speakers from the digital industry. There will be hundreds of business professionals attending the event to learn the secrets of digital success from the world's most influential brands.  This is a great networking and learning opportunity, topics that will be covered at the conference are PPC, SEO, Mobile, Social Media, Digital Content and Email Marketing. When and Where? One The Edge will take place on Thursday 23 rd May 2013 @ The Renaissance Manchester City Centre Hotel, Blackfriars Street, Manchester, England M3 2EQ Who? If you work in marketing, then this is the event for you! There will be some of the greatest marketing minds in the UK speaking, so don't miss out on informative conference. Why? This 1 day, sit down conference has been devised to make the maximum use of your time. Each session delivers key insights and actions from world-class speakers that can be immediately implemented. On The Edge guarantee that you will walk away with the knowledge and tools necessary to develop an effective Digital Marketing Strategy. Want to know more? To buy tickets and for more information click here… http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/16th-may-2013/on-the-edge-digital-marketing-conference/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/16th-may-2013/on-the-edge-digital-marketing-conference/ Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/2nd-may-2013/may-2013-top-candidates/ Take a look at our lastest Top Candidates! If you wish to receive any further information on these particular candidates, please do not hesitate to get in touch or click the links below to request further information. Digital Marketer This candidate has a variety of digital skills; in his most recent role he was responsible for a range of digital activity. Responsibilities included planning and implementing digital campaigns including SEO, PPC and Social Media. He is looking for a new role where he can further develop his career. This candidate is available for interview at short notice and has salary expectations of £25k.   Click here to email us about the candidate... Digital Marketing Executive This experienced candidate is currently working as a Digital Marketing Executive. In his current role his duties include planning and executing digital marketing campaigns through the use of Social Media, PPC and SEO. This candidate is ready to take the next step in their digital career and take on a new challenge. His salary expectations are £26k and he is available for interview at short notice.  Click here to email us about the candidate... http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/2nd-may-2013/may-2013-top-candidates/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/2nd-may-2013/may-2013-top-candidates/ Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/2nd-may-2013/prolific-north-awards-2013/ What? The Prolific North Awards celebrate excellence and recognise outstanding campaigns and exceptional talent in the creative and media industries across the North. When and Where? The awards will take place on Thursday 16 May 2013 at The Point, Lancashire County Cricket Club. Who? The awards recognise a massive 19 categories; there will be awards for 'Best Newcomer', 'Digital Agency', 'App of the Year' and many more. Why? The event consists of welcome drinks, dinner, an awards ceremony and a DJ set from Xfm's Clint Boon. Want to know more? To view the shortlist for the awards and for more information click here… http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/2nd-may-2013/prolific-north-awards-2013/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/2nd-may-2013/prolific-north-awards-2013/ Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/1st-may-2013/northwest-is-best-buzzfeed-style/ 1. Rush hour looks like this... ... not like this    Less suits...  More cool.    3. A taxi across the city will cost you £5 Not £50...     4. £700pcm in Manchester gets you this...  £700 pcm in London gets you this...   5. After work drinks. You'll get TWICE as many for your money    6. And a beer will cost you less than £4.00 a pint...    7. The best music has been created in the north... "All the kids in Manchester have the best record collections" Tony Wilson Beatles gig in the 60's   8. Music culture that's here to stay... Not faddy trends...   9. Northerners are friendlier...   Not as grumpy...   10. Down south - everything is a rush...   11. Men are men...   and don't need more beauty products than you...     12. We're home to the friendly soap!    Not the miserable one...   13. Effortlessly cool in the North...   Not too try hard...   14. After living expenses you are left with cash...   Not small change... Tweet us!  Don't forget to add your reasons why the Northwest is best to our 100 reasons blog - by tweeting @thecandidateuk, your reason, and #GoNorth.  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/1st-may-2013/northwest-is-best-buzzfeed-style/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/1st-may-2013/northwest-is-best-buzzfeed-style/ Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/1st-may-2013/mediacityuk-social-media-surgery/ What is it? Social media surgeries are informal drop-in sessions where you can go and pick the brains of the 'surgeons' (helpful volunteers who understand the world of Facebook, Twitter and the rest). Speak to experts and get tips and practical advice about how social media could help your organisation. This event is hosted at the BBC and facilitated by BBC Outreach. When and where? The surgery will take place on Tuesday 7 th May from 2pm - 4pm @ Digi-Den,Ground Floor BBC Bridge House MediaCityUK Salford Quays Salford, M50 2EQ For who? This event is for individuals who need a little help and guidance with Twitter, Facebook and blogs. The 'surgeons' are there to explain things and show you how to get started. Why? This is a great opportunity to get advice for social media experts! It's a completely free event, open to all. More details? For more details on the event or if you want to volunteer at the surgery click here… http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/1st-may-2013/mediacityuk-social-media-surgery/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/may/1st-may-2013/mediacityuk-social-media-surgery/ Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/24th-april-2013/geekup-liverpool/   What is it? GeekUp is a knowledge sharing and networking social event for folks who are interested or involved in all forms of technology and creative media. It takes place on the last Tuesday of every month and this month it's the 6 th anniversary, so expect something a little different! GeekUp are asking for as many people as possible to attend and give a 5 minute talk on a project they have worked on in the last year. It could be the best, worst, fun or most stressful! But don't worry if you don't want to get up and talk, GeekUp believe the more the merrier!   When and where? The event will take place at 6.30pm on Tuesday 30 th April 2013 @ DoES Liverpool, Gostins Building, Hanover Street, Liverpool L1 4LN For who? This event is for anyone who wants to meet likeminded people in a friendly, informal environment. GeekUp is a community of web designers, web developers and technology enthusiasts! Why? Why not? If you have a story to share or you just want to listen and network with other tech enthusiasts, then this is the event for you! Add yourself to the Lanyrd page if you are attending here More details? For more details on the event and the GeekUp community click here  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/24th-april-2013/geekup-liverpool/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/24th-april-2013/geekup-liverpool/ Wed, 24 April 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/11th-april-2013/pr-agency-one-digital-agency-showcase/ It is now time to turn the spotlight onto a Manchester based PR Agency. PR Agency One was only launched a mere 18 months ago, but is now a flourishing B2B and consumer PR consultancy in the heart of Chorlton.     The business was created to tackle the issue of exactly how to integrate digital into the traditional PR agency offering. In many respects PR Agency One has been built from the ground up, free of legacy clients, staff and commitments. Attracting the sort of clients that want a clear ROI, as demonstrated by best-in-class measurement and evaluation processes.    In particular, PR Agency One is one of the few PR agencies in Manchester (arguably the UK) to develop an SEO PR proposition which proves to clients how PR can deliver online visibility by impacting upon Google's search engine result pages.    In recent months, PR Agency One has won clients such as medical negligence law firm Fletchers Solicitors  and internationally renowned SEO expert Yoast . The agency has also been shortlisted for Best Newcomer at the Prolific North Awards in May.      Representing PR Agency One is managing director, James Crawford.      Having worked for some of the biggest and best PR Agencies in the UK (Grayling, Havas and Citypress), James made the bold decision to go alone and launch PR Agency One. It is safe to say, he has never looked back.    James is a refreshing PR personality and has a strong understanding of how traditional PR and digital can merge powerfully as one joint proposition.   Through, PR Agency One, James has developed arguably one of the stronger propositions on the market, which is well placed to take advantage of how the media  is changing. James has spoken at a number of conferences regarding SEO PR. You can read his presentation from SAScon here on Slideshare.       1. Hello James, and thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility at PR Agency One?   As founder and managing director of PR Agency One, my main responsibilities are concerned with business development. However, I maintain a very hands-on approach at the agency and I oversee the strategic counsel of all accounts, and provide my team with direct support to ensure they reach their award-winning potential. I am also chief champagne buyer for team nights out. We can be found at Chorlton's Electrik Bar most Friday evenings.   2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent PR Agency One's work? I have chosen to represent our work for multi-store gift card company, One4all. The campaign represents the full service offering we provide with a combination of traditional and digital PR. In addition, our PR campaign resulted in fantastic sales over the Christmas period.   The One4all offering is a multi store gift card, which can be spent online, and nationwide in the Post Office.  The Irish gift card company has over 1,000 retail partners including Argos, Boots, Topshop, Debenhams and House of Fraser.      3. What brief were you initially supplied with, and what objectives did the PR Agency One team devise when briefed? The brief supplied by One4all was to support on-going PR efforts and to help raise brand awareness through a consumer PR campaign. More specifically, to take full promotional advantage of One4all's partnership with ITV's "Text Santa" charity initiative.      Our objectives were to support the "Text Santa" limited edition Christmas gift card by ensuring that consumers were aware of where they were being sold, it was important that people knew that One4all was a "Text Santa" partner and the great lengths it was going to, in order to help raise funds for important charities. With 1,000 retail partners across the UK and Ireland offering 17,000 retail outlets it was important that people clearly understood the huge range of spending opportunities.   4. What campaign strategy did PR Agency One devise to answer the brief and objectives that were set?   The campaign was centred on a number of search enhancing and engaging consumer stories. The consumer stories were based on detailed customer survey analysis, and this insight was used to inform a series of targeted press releases, which were sold into the media with good traction on and offline. There was also targeted product placement through a number of special promotions and competitions with local, national press and online. Blogger outreach and engagement focused on relationship building, competitions on key blogs and last minute gift ideas.  In addition, social media also played a key role in consumer interaction. The campaign involved both Twitter and Facebook interaction including; profile building, relationship building and content management: consisting of surveys, competitions and regular interactions.    5. Could you tell us what results were derived from the campaign strategy, and any positive feedback that you received from the campaign? The client was extremely happy with the campaign. The Christmas period resulted in a strong sales performance, and this was due to increased on and offline visibility driving sales. Yet another happy customer.   6.Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital marketing candidates who would like to work in an agency like yours? My 'top tip' for potential PRs striving to work in an agency like PR Agency One, would be to not lose sight of the importance of traditional Public Relations, such as classic press office and storytelling.  The key is how this can work hand in hand with digital knowhow and measurement. The focus and emphasis should not be placed on social media outreach alone. Far from it in fact.     The Candidate's Summary:   We would like to congratulate PR Agency One on its continued growth and success. The combination of traditional and digital PR makes for a truly unique offering and one that is not mirrored by many. The One4all campaign represents this offering and the strengths of implementing both traditional and digital PR methods. Here at The Candidate we wish PR Agency One all the best for the rest of the year, and good luck at the Prolific North Awards in May. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/11th-april-2013/pr-agency-one-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/11th-april-2013/pr-agency-one-digital-agency-showcase/ Fri, 12 April 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/11th-april-2013/twitfaced/ What is it? #TwitFaced is an event for Mancunian allsorts, adopted or otherwise, to take the tweet to a meet. This is a great get together created by Studio North, where you can networking with likeminded people who love to play hard at the end of the week. This is the sixth instalment of the popular event, don't miss out on the latest instalment!   When and where? The event will take place on Friday 26 th April from 6pm - 2am @ The Avalanche Bar and Restaurant, 2 Booth Street, Manchester M2 4AT. For who? This event is for anyone who likes to unwind at the end of the week and wants to network with like-minded people in an informal fun environment. Twitfaced is completely FREE, there's no membership or entrance fee needed! However you will have to register via the Eventbrite website here… Why? There will be great music from local DJ's, Fun and Games including awards for 'Most TwitFaced' and 'Best Dressed'! If your heading out on Friday night then The Avalanche Bar is the place to be! More details? For more details on the event and photos from previous #Twitfaced events check out the website here…   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/11th-april-2013/twitfaced/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/11th-april-2013/twitfaced/ Thu, 11 April 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/the-northwest-is-best/ Fancy a creative culture and community spirit to go with your brand new job? Then think Manchester… with its thriving digital 'scene', friendly people and fantastic opportunities.  Often job hunters are attracted to the bright lights of London. However, the cost of living in the capital can be very expensive, and many people are now looking for different places to experience all that city life has to offer.   A great option to consider is Manchester and the Northwest.      Gone are the days of the industrial and grim north. The Northwest and its capital, Manchester, is a fantastic place to work and play for professionals of any age. It's definitely not grim up north - in fact in many ways the standard of living is much better.  A recent study found that people in the North are happier than their Southern counterparts. Stockport was awarded second place in the recent 'happiest places to live' study, whilst London boroughs were found to be the unhappiest.     It is a well-known fact that London's housing prices are already ridiculously expensive, and the figures are always increasing. This means that starting out on the housing ladder can prove difficult or virtually impossible, and you may feel that your salary goes on pricey rent costs in an area that is far from ideal.  In Manchester and the Northwest, the housing situation is very different. The rental market is easily affordable both inside and out of the city.  The Northwest has been praised  as a great place for first time buyers with the average house price under £160,000.  The most popular areas, close to Manchester city centre, are Chorlton  and Didsbury . Both suburban places are popular for cosmopolitan, café like culture and traditional housing on offer.  If you wish to live further afield, then Lancashire and Cheshire  are perfect places for country living. There are plenty of quaint villages and towns, perfect for getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life.    So, does Manchester have the same job security as London and the South?    Well, Manchester is a growing economy, and its surrounding areas such as Cheshire West and Chester are viewed as emerging communities to watch for 2013.  Manchester has big ambitions, with an amazing 40,000 new jobs forecast by 2015. In particular, its digital and creative scenes are thriving - so much so, the industry has a skills shortage  and urgently requires talented professionals to fill the gap.  In addition, MediaCityUK has put Manchester firmly on the map as a leading international hub for the creative and digital sectors, and a vibrant destination to live, work and play. The BBC's decision to relocate a number of departments to Salford's MediaCityUK  was one of the most famous 'Go North' moves to date, and has been a great success. MediaCityUK is the new home to the BBC, ITV, SIS, University of Salford, Lowry Outlet Shopping and over 80 small businesses. Manchester is a force to be reckoned with.   Convinced you yet...   Well, it is of course important to maintain a work life balance, and Manchester and the Northwest has much on offer to keep you busy outside of the office.  There are a fantastic array of restaurants, cafes and sophisticated bars to appeal to any palette. Enjoy fine dining at Michelin star restaurants or some tasty pub grub at a child friendly gastro pub.   Shopping in Manchester is second to none; there is so much fantastic choice available. There are the sophisticated department stores; Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser, to the independent boutiques of the Northern Quarter.   The city is also a hub for Arts and culture. Manchester is home to the Halle and Philharmonic orchestras and the city is also host to a number of art galleries and museums.    There's always an event or festival  going on in Manchester, and something to suit all, from the Manchester International Festival  in June to Manchester Food & Drink Festival  in October.    If you are a fan of watching sport there are of course two global football teams that include Manchester in their name, Manchester United  and Manchester City . The city enjoys an influx of visitors from all over the world when there's a major game being played and everyone loves the derby.   In addition, the Fylde coast, Lake and Peak  Districts are a mere stone's throw away and are perfect for a weekend away or day trip. The Fylde Coast includes the seaside gem of Lytham St. Anne's where you can enjoy the beach, boutiques and cafes of this glorious Victorian seaside town. The Lake and Peak District's have the most spectacular scenery and you can revel in many outdoor activities, and sample the delights of scenic villages and towns.      So if you're looking for a friendly place to live, that's full of culture and opportunity, then look no further than the Northwest and the effortlessly cool atmosphere of Manchester. Go North.   Have a browse of some current jobs available here in the area.   Also, take a look at some of the top reasons why agency professionals recommend Manchester and our #GoNorth twitter campaign  @thecandidateuk .  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/the-northwest-is-best/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/the-northwest-is-best/ Tue, 09 April 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/reasons-to-go-north/ Here at The Candidate we have compiled a list of reasons why we think that Manchester and the Northwest area is a great place to work and live. Below are the 38 reasons we have already gathered… …However, we would like to know what YOU love about your city and the region. Perhaps you have a favourite restaurant, a certain event you like to attend or you simply think Manchester and the Northwest is a friendly place. Have a read of the 38 reasons we have already included to 'Go North' and tweet us at @thecandidateUK with your own, and we will add them to the blog. We look forward to reading them. Get on board with #GoNorth and celebrate the northwest!    Manchester invented the modern economy and is the original modern city. The Manchester city economy is continuously growing and at a fast pace. Salford is home to  MediaCityUK which houses the BBC, ITV, Coronation Street, SIS, University of Salford, Lowry Outlet Shopping and over 80 small businesses. MediaCityUK has placed Manchester and Salford even further ahead as a leading international hub for the creative and digital sectors, and a vibrant destination to live, work and play. The Northwest of England is seeking to position itself at the forefront of the digital media market. In March 2012 Manchester City Council unveiled a 10 point plan to place the city on the worldwide digital map by 2020. The City of Manchester gave birth to the first computer and is renowned for digital innovation. There is no glass ceiling in Manchester and no old boys network tradition that may adversely affect your career path. 16% of the region's economic output is attributed to the creative/digital sector. In London cost of living is so expensive that you may be 30 years old and living in a tiny studio apartment, but in Manchester you may be lucky enough to acquire a palatial abode with most salaries. There are an amazing 40,000 new jobs forecast in Manchester by 2015. Creative Manchester has the largest cluster of creative companies outside of London. The drink (alcohol) is cheaper than London. You can get a pint of beer for under £4.00 in a decent pub. Belong to a professional community that works hard and plays hard. The gorgeous Peak and Lake District 's only an hour away - fantastic for day trips and weekends away. Manchester is situated centrally in the UK and it is not far to travel to other cities and international connections. As Ian Brown says 'Manchester's got everything except a beach.' Manchester is home to fantastic Universities:  University of Manchester ,  Manchester Metropolitan University  and University of Salford .  The city has great transport links - with an international airport and two main train stations (Piccadilly and Victoria). The city's evolving tram network means that getting around the city and surrounding areas is cheap, easy and fast. The city is big enough to enjoy city living but not too vast that you spend massive amounts on transport. A typical walk to work in Manchester is around 10 minutes, and a tube ride is not necessary. Professional city living such as: Deansgate Locks, Castlefield and The Ropeworks is available at an affordable cost. The city has many on-going developments, and this suggests that city living is always in demand. Manchester's 'Northern Quarter' is home to quirky bars, eateries and independent shops. Outside of the city, areas such as Chorlton and Didsbury are popular with professionals due to the cosmopolitan, café like cultures and traditional housing on offer. Companies choose Manchester. The city is home to the most company headquarters outside of London. Manchester is steeped in musical heritage. As the infamous Mr Manchester, Tony Wilson said: 'All the kids in Manchester have the best record collections.' Manchester has a vibrant nightlife and there is something for all.  The shopping in Manchester is certainly the best outside of London. There is such a big choice from; independent shops, high street shops and well-known designer brands. Manchester is also home to The Trafford Centre one of the biggest malls in the UK. There is an abundance of fantastic eateries in Manchester serving cuisine from all over the world. From fantastic Michelin starred restaurants to tasty pub grub. Manchester has a large amount of music venues ( Manchester Arena , Manchester Apollo , Manchester Academy , Bridgewater to name a few) and these are for all tastes and support a thriving live music scene. Every day of the week is filled with live concerts of every music genre. Manchester has a thriving dance, opera and scene . These include: The Manchester Opera House, Palace Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre feature large touring west-end style productions.  Manchester museums celebrate the city's heritage. The Museum of Science and Industry , Imperial War Museum North and The Manchester museum. Manchester also houses a vast amount of art at the two art galleries in the city. The Whitworth Art Gallery and the Manchester Art Gallery.  Manchester is known as the city of sport. Two world famous football clubs bear the city's name: Manchester City and Manchester United . This enables the city to be globally recognised and brings in an influx of visitors from all around the world throughout the football season. The city is home to fantastic fitness facilities and gyms such as Bannatyne's, David Lloyd and the sporting venues from the Manchester Commonwealth Games. Manchester is home to a variety of architecture, ranging from Victorian to contemporary styles. Here are a few examples of reasons Northwest professionals are providing in our social media campaign #GoNorth. Tweet us with your own, and it could be added to our blog!  39. "I love the North because the beer is cheaper and the people are friendly. Follow @thecandidateuk #GoNorth." @SaskiaMurphy  40. "We love the North for the people! Straight talking, no nonsense, genuine & friendly Northerners! Maybe the good grub too!" @NorthernLife  41. "Why Manchester? Great city, great people, great fun." @ukcopywriter 42. "Why would I be anywhere else? The people, the food, the drink, the vintage scene, the liquid sunshine… " @ The_Lady_Sybil  43. "Working in the #NorthWest is great because the media industry in Manchester is at the top of the game. Boom. #GoNorth" @TheBozDog 44. "One for the blog: Manchester had the 1st free public library in the world, one for you: The sense of community #gonorth" @HuddledNW 45. "I love working in #NorthWest for the quirky and weird people and love living here because of the food! #GoNorth" @MattAguilera  46. "It's the home of Man City!!!! #GoNorth" @venndigital 47. "It's a city big enough to have diversity, but small enough to explore it all #gonorth" @robweatherhead 48. "For me, it's all about the community. Professional, social and cultural. #GoNorth" @jonstutfield 49. "I've loved dicovering Manchester's cultural side. independents like @CornerhouseMcr make this city! #GoNorth" @MirandaAnimated 50. "Ditch the house share for your own place- my reason to #gonorth" @JamesCrawford  51. "Key selling point is that we have yoghurt sauce for kebabs not garlic mayo #Manchester #nowetdownlondon" @rionnewilliams  52. "Love working in the #NorthWest for it's diverse culture and endless opportunities #GoNorth" @ryymurph 53. "Because we have Daleks in Post Offices!! yfrog.com/h7t57ekj #gonorth" @coffeepotdgtl  54. "#GoNorth difficult to say 140 characters but I wouldn't rather be anywhere else! #Manchester" @marsh80 55. "I love working in #NorthWest because its not the south and full of southerners! #GoNorth" @JamesWelchSEO 56. "Manchester is big enough to be inspired every day and small enough to feel a sense of community. Super cosmopolitan #gonorth" @DavidJameson 57. "#GoNorth for Manchester's creative culture and of course, @thecastlehotel in the Northern Quarter!" @theurbanmagpie 58. "I like how compact the shops are! All in walking distance!" @Harri_hat  59. "New Order & The Stone Roses #gonorth" @spclarkey  60. "My reason is that #Manchester is a great place to socialise & there's always plenty of events to attend!"  @emilylucy  61. "My reason Two world famous football clubs bear the city's name Manchester City and Manchester United aka Champions 2013 #manchester" @BrianMazzy   62. "The best digital community in the UK - my reason to #gonorth" @telfordian 63. "Noel Gallagher legend!! And the weather" @mnc0001 64. "We love the excellent bus network and the easy access to fine ales. The simple things." @ThugsOnWolves 65. "Atomic Kitten!" @timalbert79 66. "Love working in Manchester for the passionate working atmosphere and community" @AdmStevens 67. "Interesting chat - why Manchester's such a great place to live and work #GoNorth - gotta be the architecture - loving my lunchtime walks!" @juliedigital 68. "Manchester is a family, the digital sector is vibrant and we have the best weather #GoNorth" @pushonltd 69. "Everyone knows each other up North! Walk through Manch on the way home & you're guaranteed to see someone you know #GoNorth" @PedUK 70. "#GoNorth Manchester international festival." @peeweeontour 71. "Here at Bubble HQ we love living in the North - you can have gravy with every meal and not get looked at funny ;) #GoNorth " @bubblejobs 72. "Love the #Northwest It's the creative air, forward thinking and innovation that happens daily #GoNorth " @neomammalian 73. "I love Manchester for its rock 'n' roll history, attitude and future #GoNorth" @tomkingkartel 74. "It's the home of the coolest music has a fantastic cultural energy and you can still find great vibes in dirty basements." @wearekms 75. "Asides from the weather & the dulcet tones of the northern accent… great uni's producing fantastic graduates #GoNorth" @searchlabs  76. "Great idea @thecandidateuk. We reckon #MCR is set to overtake London as the #digital capital of the UK, and the beer is cheaper too! #GoNorth" @add_people 77. "Love working in the #Northwest as we're friendly folk… and also the Northern Quarter #GoNorth" @emmamartindale 78. "Great balance of the concrete jungle and the tranquil nature parks - in the #Northwest you're a name, not a number #GoNorth" @marielnorton 79. "Because it is the creative hub of the North :D" @TBWAManchester 80. "We <3 Mcr because there's creativity on every street corner. It's yours for the taking. Live it, love it, #proudtobenorther" @BlueChipMrkting  81. "Awesome people, awesome culture, awesome places above all abundance of awesome talent, basically #GoNorth or go home!" @johnnnson 82. "One reason is great new bands like @ThugsOnWolves thugsonwolves.com"  @spclarkey 83. "We don't have a fast lane at our train stations. All people stand on escalators like equals #GoNorth " @rionnewilliams 84. "Thank goodness that I chose to move up to Manchester and not down to London, the North is fabulous #GoNorth @thecandidateuk" @wseabrook 85. "Beautiful places to play out in all directions - Peak District, Lake District, Snowdonia & The Dales for starters! #GoNorth " @vivslackcode 86.  " Being able to ride up hills and down dales instead of round and round Richmond Park!! #GoNorth " @vivslackcode   87. "We work and play in #Manchester 's eclectic independent cafés. Great coffee lives outside of London too! #GoNorth ." @chorltoncoffee 88. "Manchester has great people and talent combined with excellent quality of life #GoNorth"  @RepConsultancy 89. "Manchester has a unique character; confident, innovative and inclusive #GoNorth" @steveleigh 90. "Manchester is cheap and cheerful #GoNorth" @kyrabaltazar 91. "The humour, people, women, accent, socialising, culture, heritage, and architecture, scenery, transport. #Northwest #GoNorth" @retrocedric 92. "I love working in the Northwest - so much creative work going on. #GoNorth" @katrina_suzanne 93. "The north is the best place to work because it's so friendly and loving!! #GoNorth." @MelbourneHost  94. "Here at @fluid_digital we love working in the Northwest because Manchester is the centre of the universe! #GoNorth" @fluid_digital  95. "Things are more affordable up here #GoNorth" @AveryJames91 96."#GoNorth I love Manchester because the people are friendly, gorgeous and hella funny! +cheaper homes" @ladyjaydiamond 97. " I think Mark Radcliffe sums it up pretty well: " #Manchester , A city that thinks tables are for dancing on." #GoNorth " @fayscho 98. Amazing culture, cool places to visit, cheaper than 'darn sarrrf' and most of all it's full of friendly, interesting people! @Gemmaeccleston 99. "Move North so you don't need to live in an awful bedsit an hour outside of London's city centre. Walk to work, earn more in real terms, spend more of your disposable income on fun things rather than living costs." - James Crawford, PR Agency One  100. "Not everyone is willing to sell their soul to London for a few extra £'s as to some folk, it's about the quality of life and not the pace. Having an affordable house with Liverpool One on your doorstep for shopping, a good selection of local theatres and music venues, and the mountains of Wales only 30 minutes drive, why would I want to swap? For the same money I could have a small bedsit, travel on public transport where people don't talk, have man made gardens, and suffer from the tubes black bogey sydrome. No thanks! I'll keep London as a great place to visit for an occasional weekend trip, knowing that 2hrs later I will be back in the beautiful and peaceful NW!" - Christ Frost, www.chrisefrost.com      We love all the reasons so far - keep them coming! Tweet @thecandidateuk with YOUR reason to #GoNorth.    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/reasons-to-go-north/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/reasons-to-go-north/ Tue, 02 April 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/april-2013-top-candidates/   Take a look at our lastest Top Candidates! If you wish to receive any further information on these particular candidates, please do not hesitate to get in touch or click the links below to request further information.   Digital Marketing Executive   This experience digital marker currently works as an Online Marketing Co-ordinator for a leading leisure travel company. He has experience planning and implementing PPC, SEO, affiliate, display and emailing marketing campaigns. In his current role he is responsible for managing budgets and strategies, as well as managing agency relationships. Over the last 12 months this candidates role has been primarily PPC focused therefore he has a good knowledge of PPC practices. He is a talented digital marketer looking for a new challenge, his notice period is 4 weeks and salary expectations are £27k. Click here to email us about candidate...   Account Director   This candidate has relocated from London and is now looking for an exciting role in the North West. He gained his expertise working for one of Europe's largest marketing agencies, and is now looking for a new challenge. This candidate has a thorough knowledge of all digital marketing channels especially search marketing. The ideal role for him will be a position where he can further develop his skills. If you are looking for a forward thinking, experienced Account Director, don't miss out! Salary expectations are £40k and he is available at short notice. Click here to email us about candidate...   Account Manager   This ambitious Account Manager is looking to take the next step in their digital career. He currently works for a digital agency where he manages a portfolio of 12 clients across different sectors including travel and retail. This candidate's current role involves building and maintaining relationships with clients, as well as planning and implementing a range of digital campaigns. He has a good understanding of all digital marketing channels and has used this knowledge to create excellent campaigns. His salary expectations are £35k and he is available at short notice. Click here to email us about candidate...   SEO Specialist   This candidate is a digital enthusiast with a passion for search marketing. In his current role he is responsible for managing and implementing a range of digital campaigns for a number of the agencies largest accounts. He has in-depth experience of running email marketing, affiliate and display campaigns; however he wants to now focus on a career in search marketing. He is available at short notice and his salary expectations are £28k. Click here to email us about candidate...     http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/april-2013-top-candidates/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/april-2013-top-candidates/ Tue, 02 April 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/manchester-digibowl/ What is it? The Manchester DigiBowl is nearly here! There will be 25 teams competing in a knock out tournament to find the champion of champions! There will be a cash bar running all night, nibbles and the opportunity to network and compete against fellow digital professionals.   When and where? The event will be held on Tuesday 16 th April from 5pm - 10pm @ Black Dog Bowl, 57 Whitworth Street West, Manchester, M1 5WW   For who? The sell-out event is back by popular demand, bringing together digital, creative, marketing, search, social media and PR types under one roof to compete for the bowling champion title! Both in-house teams and agencies are welcome to join in!   Why? Why not? Everyone loves some friendly competition! The event is being held at the recently opened Black Dog Bowl, there will be drinks, food, music and of course bowling! Book now!     More details? For a team of 6 this event will cost £120 + VAT. All teams must be booked and paid for in advance, booking early is recommended to avoid disappointment.   For more details and to sign up click here!   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/manchester-digibowl/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/april/2nd-april-2013/manchester-digibowl/ Tue, 02 April 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/27th-march-2013/creative-process-2/ What is it? Creative Process is an informal monthly meet up for creatives in the North West. There will be some fantastic speakers, music, food and spot of shopping. This event put together by Creative Liverpool offers a casual vibe where like minder creative can meet, chat and network.   When and where? The event will take place from 6pm on Thursday 4 th April @ Elevator Bar, 25 Parliament Street, Liverpool, L8 5RN   Who for? This is a completely free event for creatives, students and professionals are welcome! If you want to meet likeminded individuals and hear from industry greats then don't miss out on this cool event! Why? The purpose of this event is to make better connections between the different creative disciplines in Liverpool and the North West. You will hear from special guests Elliot Jay Stocks (8 Faces, co-founder Viewport Industries), Mike Alderson (co-founder of Man vs. Machine), Gemma Germains (Graphic Designer @ Wellmade Studio) and Will Daw (Illustrater, Designer and Joker). There will also be music from Ukulele band Uke Hunters!      More Details? For more details and to book tickets for this event  click here.    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/27th-march-2013/creative-process-2/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/27th-march-2013/creative-process-2/ Wed, 27 March 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/22nd-march-2013/dad-presidents-lecture-the-digital-revolution-revisited/ What is it? After a successful debate in 2012, the D&AD are returning for a second round, bringing together a leading group of creatives from around the country to discuss the 'Digital Revolution'. D&AD events are intended to inspire, stimulate discussion and fuel debate by representing the best in their creative fields. When and where? The event will take place on Wednesday 27th March 2013 from 7pm onwards at The Renold Theatre, Renold Building, Manchester University. Who for? Quite simply, this event is ideal for all those who are interested in all things digital and creative! It doesn't matter whether you're a student interested in a creative career or a professional already in the industry, you will gain a great insight into the topics at hand and get a chance to share your opinion with like-minded people. Why? What is the Digital Revolution and what does it mean for the future? Join Laura Jordan Bambach (Creative Director of Dare), Tomas Roope (Digital Director of The Rumpus Room), Drew Hemment (Founder of FutureEverything) and three new associates as they return to the stage to delve deeper into what the future will look like. More Details? For more details and to book tickets for this event click here . http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/22nd-march-2013/dad-presidents-lecture-the-digital-revolution-revisited/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/22nd-march-2013/dad-presidents-lecture-the-digital-revolution-revisited/ Fri, 22 March 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/19th-march-2013/march-2013-top-candidates/ This is our second bi-monthly blog post in which we profile some of our top candidates. If you wish to receive any further information on these particular candidates, please do not hesitate to get in touch or click the links below to request further information.   Digital Marketing Executive (PPC) This Digital Marketing Executive is relocating from London to the North West to pursue a career in PPC. In his current role he is solely responsible for campaign rollout, traffic quality optimisation + keyword quality score optimisation, keyword research, ad text copywriting and testing.  He is familiar with Adwords Editor, Google Keyword & Traffic Estimator and has recently passed the advanced search advertising Google exam. This candidate has fantastic organisational skills; he currently manages the biggest client as well as 3-4 smaller PPC accounts in his current role. He is passionate about PPC and wants to specialise in this area, his target salary is £23,000. Click here to email us about candidate...   Digital Media Manager This ambitious candidate wants to be considered for a Digital Media Manager role. She is currently working as an Account Manager, where is responsible for planning and implementing a range of online and offline campaigns. Her current role is 80% digital, and she is responsible for strategies for email marketing, social marketing, SEO and PPC campaigns. The ideal role for this candidate would be within an agency where she can further developer her skills in a client facing position. Her target salary is £28,000 and she is available for interview at short notice. Click here to email us about candidate...   Digital Marketer (SEO) This forward thinking Digital Marketer has a wealth of experience in SEO. His strengths lie within his commercial ability across B2B and B2C SEO campaigns and a good technical understanding which would make him an ideal candidate for any SEO position. Our candidate is now looking to take the next step in his digital career, ideally within an agency environment. His detailed analytical focus on ROI allows him to effectively manage suppliers to drive company goals. This candidate's salary expectations are £35,000 and he is available for interview at short notice. Click here to email us about candidate...   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/19th-march-2013/march-2013-top-candidates/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/19th-march-2013/march-2013-top-candidates/ Tue, 19 March 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/18th-march-2013/to-relocate-or-not-to-relocate/ Relocating is a challenge many of us have to face, whether you are taking the next step in your career or just fancy a change in location, we are here to make finding the right job easier. One of our successful candidates shares his experience and gives an insight into the reality of relocating with a family.   To relocate or not to relocate... That was the decision my wife and I spent most of 2012 talking about and with so much to organise and think about from work to schools, we needed that much time to make the decision. At the beginning of 2013 we made the decision that the move to the North West was the best thing all round. I think the fact that there seemed so many opportunities in and around the North West, particularly Manchester, coupled with the fact that we do have some family for support made the decision to move easier in the end. Ok, so the decision to move had been made and immediate family told...now what! The move was completely reliant on myself finding a job. As with any job hunter I dusted down my CV, re-read my current job description and began the arduous task of updating it. The question then was 'now what'... I've got an updated CV.... I know where I want to move to....but where is the best place to upload my CV (there are what seems like a million online recruitment websites all offering the same jobs). After a day scrolling through the various sites and applying for numerous positions I went to bed, prepared for what I thought would be a gruelling 3-6 months of job interviews. The very next day I was surprised to receive a text from Maz at The Candidate, a recruitment company based in Manchester. The text introduced the company and asked if we could speak that day during lunch.....now what stood out to me was the fact the text was different...it wasn't an email or voicemail....the text seem un-intrusive and seem to 'get' the fact that people find it difficult to speak during working hours. I agreed to speak to The Candidate later that day...unaware but slightly excited at the anticipation of what might be available. During the call it was apparent that there were a number of opportunities that matched my skill set and The Candidate asked my permission to put my CV to a few of these employers...to which I agreed. To my amazement most came back eager for an interview that week; however a stumbling block was working out the logistics of getting to Manchester for the interviews but trying to get as many in one day as possible...Manchester is a 6 hour round trip! Enter Maz from The Candidate and her organisational skills. The Candidate organised a full day or interviews starting at 8am through to 3pm the same day. Each interview had a description of who I would be meeting and at what time. In the morning they arranged for secure parking and offered me coffee and a pastry prior to the first interview. But most importantly they gave me a full briefing for the day ahead which not only added to the research I had already done on each company I would be meeting but as they were so accommodating meant I was more relaxed. I was even handed a printed map....just in case! The day was very successful with 4 very positive interviews and some encouraging initial feedback. The next day I received news that 2 companies wanted to see me asap for a second interview...and after a quick re-jog of the calendar... interviews were set up for the very next week. A similar welcome was made by The Candidate and another very positive day leaving me in a position of hoping that both companies would offer me a role as both were equally appealing. After a few days I received an offer from both the second interviews and after a lot of thought I had made my decision and accepted one.  Moving your whole life to the other end of the country is both daunting and exciting but it's made easier by a recruitment company that understand this and go out of their way to ensure that interviews and meetings are organised, you feel relaxed and informed so that just one piece of a very big jigsaw is helped. ..........now I just need to find somewhere to live! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/18th-march-2013/to-relocate-or-not-to-relocate/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/18th-march-2013/to-relocate-or-not-to-relocate/ Mon, 18 March 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/15-march-2013/mediacom-digital-agency-showcase/ It is now time to turn the spotlight onto global media agency MediaCom , an agency which has five offices across the UK, including Manchester's MediaCom North.   MediaCom UK plan and buy media for some of the country's biggest advertisers, such as Sky, Volkswagen, DFS, GlaxoSmithKline, Procter and Gamble and Universal. They work across all traditional, new and emerging media, from TV, to Digital, Print to Content, Out of Home to Mobile and Sponsorship to Search.          Representing MediaCom North is Digital Operations Director, Rob Weatherhead . Rob has been working with MediaCom for over 2 years, having previously worked at Latitude Digital Marketing. Rob was named in Media Week's '30 under 30' in 2011. Rob is a contributing author for the Guardian Media Network, Econsultancy and Haymarket Publications. In addition, he has a passion for all things digital and is a regular speaker at events such as Fresh Business Thinking, Business North West and SAScon .      Hello Rob, and thank you for letting us interview you for our Digital Agency Showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility within MediaCom? I am the Digital Operations Director for the MediaCom iLab function based out of Manchester. It is a centralised digital department which services MediaCom offices in Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin delivering strategies for our clients across PPC (pay per click), SEO (search engine optimisation), Affiliate, Display and Technology. As Operations Director, my role is to ensure the teams are delivering digital strategies for our clients, which not only meet the brief, but are also at the forefront of the market in terms of thinking and innovation. Aside from client strategies, I am also responsible for ensuring our technology solutions set us apart from our competitors and deliver real added value to our clients and staff.    2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent MediaCom's work? I have chosen to highlight the work we completed for National Tyres on their local strategy. This case study stands out as it won an award at the 2012 UK Search Awards. It is also a great example of where superb results can be achieved without the need for huge budgets and where, with a little bit of innovative thinking, search can deliver in different ways based on a client's needs.   3. What brief were you initially supplied with, and what objectives did the MediaCom team devise when briefed? The brief provided by the client was deliberately open ended, 'how can we use search to support our local branch network.' National Tyres historical media strategy had centred predominantly around regional press to generate branch awareness. Whilst successful in some areas it came with a reasonably high cost per customer. In addition, advances such as mobile Internet has provided consumers access to information wherever they are, and if a consumer needs a tyre urgently they would look to find a local provider on their mobile. Mediacom was challenged with putting together a strategy, which made the most of this changing consumer behaviour.   4. What campaign strategy did the agency devise to answer the brief and objectives that were set? The objectives of the campaign were four fold: capitalise on the growing use of local search to find tyre providers, provide a greater performance than regional press activity, drive calls from mobile sites directly to the local branch network and reach people that are in need of a tyre urgently at the right time, in the right place, with the right message.  MediaCom put together a strategy consisting of: a local search campaign based around the branch network, effective planning around key times of tyre purchases, and an effective localised user journey which allows for direct contact with the branch and local level offers which could be redeemed in branch.   5. How did MediaCom implement the campaign strategy? In order to reach people in the right location, we set up geo-targeted campaigns around the catchment area of each branch involved, and this supported the regional press activity using complementary messages. Advertisements were targeted to the location of the searcher and ad extensions in the form of maps further enhanced the local appeal. This also enabled distressed users to get directions to their nearest National Tyres, and further helping those that may find themselves in distress in an unfamiliar area.     Ad-scheduling was implemented on all of the geo-targeted campaigns to take into account a number of factors: Typically National Tyres would see an influx of interest at lunchtime and after 7pm during the week so increased bids were put in place at these times to make best use of a relatively limited budget. Monday and Tuesday were the two high-volume days were we typically saw a 40% uplift in conversion to customer calls. Advertisement bids were significantly higher on these days to capitalise on this trend. Working alongside our print team we were able to co-ordinate tactical increases in CPCs (cost per click) in line with our press activity being distributed to capitalise on any potential brand awareness benefit. In addition, click to call extensions - which enable customers to directly call from the numbers on mobile sites - allowed for a direct call through to National branch from mobile devices further playing to the needs of the mobile searcher.  This saw a huge impact with over 100 direct calls per month generated through click to call alone representing over 7% of overall call volumes.  Bespoke, mobile friendly, landing pages, were created to specifically target branch location, gave customers the details they needed including maps and directions.  In addition unique 0800 numbers directed them straight to the relevant branch should they wish to follow up by phone.  As a final incentive to use National Tyres over a competitor and in support of National Press activity, bespoke offers based on branch locations were displayed in both the PPC (pay per click) advertisements copy and the landing pages.  Specific offers for individual branches such as "20% off Exhausts in Portsmouth" or "50% off MOTs in Kingston" could all be followed through in branch and tailored to an individual branch managers' needs and pricing strategy.   These offers could be redeemed in branch simply by displaying the offer coupon on the mobile phone.   6. Could you tell us what results were derived from the campaign strategy, and any positive feedback that MediaCom received from the campaign? The PPC (pay per click) advertisement activity was a success from launch, driving calls at a cost 70% cheaper than regional press across the five initial test branches. Due to this positive performance the activity was expanded to include a further 13 branches, and this generated over 1,300 calls per month direct into branch. Local PPC (pay per click) advertisements now forms part of the launch strategy for any new branches introduced by National Tyres as the client considers location based advertising key to the success of their branch network.   7.Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital marketing candidates who would like to work in an agency like MediaCom? Love digital, and keep learning.  The people who do well within an agency environment love what they do, and keep looking for ways to learn and do things better.  If you are looking for an easy life, then an agency probably isn't for you.  But if you are looking for an environment where you can learn quickly, have variety in your work and be rewarded based on performance then an agency can be a great place to work.   The Candidate's Summary: Here at The Candidate we are extremely impressed by the great use of local within this campaign. MediaCom took a challenging task, and overcame it with great results. It definitely deserved the award at the UK Search Awards. We would like to thank MediaCom North and Rob for taking part in the Digital Agency Showcase, and we hope they continue to win at what they do. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/15-march-2013/mediacom-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/15-march-2013/mediacom-digital-agency-showcase/ Fri, 15 March 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/14th-march-2013-(1)/futureeverything-conference/ What is it? The 2013 conference will focus on three core themes that will be instrumental in shaping the digital future: Creative Code, Future Cities and The Data Society. There will be a series of speakers from around the world, including sessions with Google, Vimeo & the BBC, the 2013 FutureEverything conference is set to be one of the most exciting and inspirational we have hosted in recent years. When and where? The FutureEverything conference will take place from 21 st - 22 nd March 2013 @ Piccadily Place, Manchester, M1 3BN. For who? The conference which is taking place during the Summit of Ideas & Digital Invention in March 2013, is a meeting ground for the digital and creative communities. This event is an opportunity for artists, technologists and future thinkers to share, innovate and interact. Why? FutureEverything was recently hailed by the Guardian as one of the top ten international ideas festivals, alongside TEDx, 99% and South by South West. It is focused on the trends and innovations in the digital sphere. It combines keynotes, critical debates, demos and experiences with open space and participatory sessions.  Don't miss out on this fantastic even which is set to be one of the best yet! More details? Want to find out more on the FutureEverything conference and the Summit of Ideas & Digital Invention event click here ! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/14th-march-2013-(1)/futureeverything-conference/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/14th-march-2013-(1)/futureeverything-conference/ Thu, 14 March 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/14th-march-2013/mmu-agency-life-v20-launch-and-mixer/ What is it? MMU Agency Life V2.0 Launch and Mixer is an opportunity for employers to find out more and sign up for the second Agency Life programme. The Agency Life is a 2nd Year unit for students studying in the Department of Marketing, Operations and Digital Business at MMU Business School. This unit is designed to introduce undergraduates to the experience of working in a busy advertising, marketing, PR or digital agency, or a busy advertising, marketing, PR or digital department within a large organisation as part of a structured programme of learning.   When and where? The event will take place on Wednesday 20th March 2013 @ 5.45pm to 8.00pm & will take place in Lecture Theatre G.36, New Business School, All Saints Campus, Oxford Road, Manchester Metropolitan University, M15 6BH   For who? Agency heads and managers, company directors, managers of client-side comms departments. Public, private or 3rd sector. Anyone who wants to give a student a chance! Why?  At this event, you'll hear how you can contribute to the MMU Agency Life programme. There will be information on the V2.0 arrangements (and there are some significant differences to the pilot year), looking at some of the lessons from the first year and discussing individual and group issues and questions about your organisation. You will hear from the programme managers David and Ben, and there will be some example of the success of the programme that ran this year. There will be a glass of wine or two for attendees and nibbles. More details? What to find out more about the Agency Life programme? Check out the blog here ! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/14th-march-2013/mmu-agency-life-v20-launch-and-mixer/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/14th-march-2013/mmu-agency-life-v20-launch-and-mixer/ Thu, 14 March 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/12th-march-2013/the-second-motion-north-showcase-@-2022nq/   What is it? This event is a chance for you to see and experience some of the North West's greatest motion graphic design talent. Motion North TM  have put together a selection of the best of the North West's Motion Design, Animation, 3D, Advertising and short films to show on the night.   When and where? The event will take place Wednesday 13 th March 2013, 6:00pm @ 2022NQ 20/22 Dale Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M1 1EZ   For who? The event is for those who have an interest and appreciation of the art of motion and graphic design - whether you are a designer yourself, or a creative professional with an interest in motion design.   Why? Meet like-minded creative professionals, network and enjoy an evening of motion design and animations from the best talent in the North West region.   More details? For more details on this event  here!   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/12th-march-2013/the-second-motion-north-showcase-@-2022nq/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/12th-march-2013/the-second-motion-north-showcase-@-2022nq/ Tue, 12 March 2013 00:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/march-2013-top-candidates/ In this bi-monthly blog post we'll profile some of our top candidates. If you wish to receive any further information on these particular candidates, please do not hesitate to get in touch or click the links below to request further information. eCommerce Professional We have been briefed exclusively by a top flight eCommerce Professional who is relocating to the Northwest to find a new role either agency or client side. This outstanding candidate has worked with the most successful retailers in the UK. His track record speaks for itself, with experience across the entire online marketing mix. Successes include launching and building online businesses, managing & developing teams along with driving and influencing change. He is available to interview at short notice with a negotiable start date. Target salary is £65k, depending on role. Click here to email us about this candidate. Digital Account Manager This search based agency account manager has worked in the digital department of his current agency for over 2 years. He has the ability to manage multiple clients across a range of sectors and is heavily involved in deploying strategy. Social media has become a larger part of the role recently and would envy a role which has this element within it. Ideally looking for an agency side role, he'll also consider any client side opportunities.  Ideal salary is £25k for the right opportunity. Click here to email us about this candidate. Head of Mobile This candidate was previously the Head of Online for a Mobile Division agency side which covered UK prestigious client accounts. He focussed on digital strategy for these clients such Asda and Tesco. He is searching for a role in the Northwest and his availability is short notice. He is looking for a client side role and his persona would suit well to a professional environment in which he can apply his specialist digital skills. This is an impressive candidate who won't be on the market for a long time. Guideline salary is £60k package. Click here to email us about this candidate. Digital Media Planner/Buyer This candidate has relocated to the area and is a digital media planner and buyer agency side. She is obsessed with Google and analysing campaigns on behalf of her client base. Her main focus is digital but has also worked across press, TV and radio at Executive level. Her DR driven background makes her very appealing to NW agencies but is also open to looking at some brand advertising activity and has some experience in this area. This candidate is available soon as she is currently working through her notice period after relocating and temporarily working from her current employers Northern office. This candidate is looking for around £26k for the right role. Click here to email us about this candidate.   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/march-2013-top-candidates/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/march-2013-top-candidates/ Fri, 01 March 2013 00:00:00 Paige Nunu http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/professional-services-marketing-an-insight-from-weightmans-llp/ What is it? An award winning legal firm, Weightmans LLP, will share some of the secrets of its growth and how the evolving organisation plans to achieve its future growth ambitions. When and where? Date: Tuesday 12 th March 2013 Time: Registration is from 18:00; the event starts at 18:30 and finishes at 20:00. Venue: The Seminar Suite Weightmans 100 Old Hall Street Liverpool L3 9QJ For who? This event is a must for professional service marketers, legal marketers and those in B2B marketing. Students and graduates are also welcome as it will be a great insight! Why? To gain a useful insight into the professional service marketing sector, and furthermore discover how this continuously growing firm achieved its strong market positioning. More details? Costs: This event is free for members and studying members, £5.00 for students, and £15.00 for non-members. The price includes snack refreshments. (If you have any special requirements please contact the CIM events team). Please book online for this event. If you cannot do so, please call The Chartered Institute of Marketing on +44 (0)1628 427340. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/professional-services-marketing-an-insight-from-weightmans-llp/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/professional-services-marketing-an-insight-from-weightmans-llp/ Fri, 01 March 2013 00:00:00 Paige Nunu http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/media-city-uk-social-media-surgery/ What is it? The Social Media Surgery is an informal drop-in session where experts are on hand to provide tips and practical advice about how social media could help your organisation and how to make the best out of social media to boost your business prospects. When and where? Date: 8th March 2013 Time: 2:00pm - 4:00pm Venue: Ground Floor BBC Bridge House               Media City UK               Salford Quays               Salford               M50 2EQ For who? Anyone from the voluntary and community sector can come and pick the brains of our 'surgeons' (helpful volunteers who understand the world of Twitter, Facebook and the rest). Why? Whether you're baffled by Facebook, can't work out what everyone's Twittering about, or have fallen off a blog, there'll be someone at the Social Media Surgery who can explain everything! There will be experts present to show you how to get started, get yourself out of those sticky situations, or just simply help you think through why you might use any of these social media tools in the first place, to assist your organisation. The BBC is kindly hosting the event. BBC Outreach volunteers are facilitating the event, whom is a small team within the Operations Division of the BBC that build links with the community. (Other volunteers are also welcome - please sign up and we'll be in contact.) More details? It's completely free, there's tea and coffee on tap! The surgery is creative atmosphere where you can have a conversation rather than being stuck in a classroom. As all of the social media surgeons are volunteers giving up their time for nothing, most are unable to offer further unpaid support outside of the surgeries. BUT, that's exactly why the surgeries are held every month! You're most welcome to revisit the surgery, as often as you need to - or to bring along colleagues if you need to spread the social media goodness around your organisation... Find out more about Social Media Surgery here http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/media-city-uk-social-media-surgery/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/march/1st-march-2013/media-city-uk-social-media-surgery/ Fri, 01 March 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/digital-agency-showcase/media-agency-group-digital-agency-showcase/ It is time to shine the spotlight onto independent media planning and buying specialist, Media Agency Group , in The Candidate's Digital Agency Showcase.  The main aim of the Digital Agency Showcase is to feature the great work of agencies in the Northwest from the last year. Managing Director John Kehoe founded Media Agency Group in 2010 at the age of 28. Prior to Media Agency group, John's first company was a small outdoor media business named Transport Media which gave him strong understanding of media buying. He later applied his learnings to launch Media Agency Group, which broadened his offering to include a wider range of media channels, rather than specialising just on outdoor.  Through great service and a hunger for high impact campaigns, John and his small team at Media Agency Group quickly gained a strong bank of clients including Beefeater Gin, Agent Provocateur, and Etihad Airways. It was a winning formula. The business has grown rapidly, moving to MediaCityUK, employing over fifty members of staff and boasting billings of £5million in 2011. Media Agency Group now boasts an even larger clientbase adding to their roster well known organisations such as the NHS, Ernst & Young and Pernod Ricard.        1. Hello John, thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility within Media Agency Group?   I'd describe my role as spearheading Media Agency Group to success by developing and growing the business according to our clients' needs. My day to day involves strategic oversight of pitches and campaign planning, meeting clients and working with my team to discuss ideas for their most recent client appointments and campaigns, and plans for new briefs and pitches.   2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent Media Agency Group's work? Media Agency Group offers advertising solutions across multiple formats including online , outdoor, transport, press, radio, and television. As this is a digital showcase I am choosing an online campaign for the Korea Tourism Organisation - a twist on traditional sun, sea and sand approach usually taken by tourist boards - and instead choosing to capitalise on the popularity of chart hit 'Gangnam Style' by Korea's K-Pop start Psy.   3. What brief were you initially supplied with, and what objectives did the agency team devise when briefed? Our original brief was to find a way online to piggy back on the hype around Gangnam Styleand drive traffic to the Go Korea website, as well as enticing fans of Psy to enter their own Gangnam Style  dance video with the chance of winning a trip to Seoul, Korea.   4. What campaign strategy did the agency devise to answer the brief and objectives that were set? The success of Psy's 'Gangnam Style' has catapulted K-Pop onto the world stage, and Media Agency Group used this interest to raise the profile of the destination with a Google Adwords campaign and a Gangnam Style video competition via YouTube. Entrants are asked to video themselves and friends stamping out the Gangnam Style moves and upload the video to YouTube/ The winner and a friend will be flown to Seoul courtesy of the Korea Tourism Organisation and Korean Air for a three night stay in Seoul including a tour of Gangnam.   5. How did you implement the campaign strategy?   Click Tap Media - the digital division of Media Agency Group built a strategy was focused on building Google AdWord campaigns to increase the volume of visitors to the Go Korea website, and entrants to the competition focusing on key searches around 'Gangnam Style', Psy, Gangnam; running around a traditional campaign focusing on Korean holidays.  Click Tap Media's strategy was focused on building campaign groups specific to both advertising messages, and refining bids and budget to improve conversion rate and maintain the quality of traffic to the website.     6. Could you tell us what results were derived from the campaign strategy, and any positive feedback that you received? Go Korea had great results from the campaign with an increase of traffic from both campaign groups and core search terms in Google. In addition, the campaign got the UK to dance and upload their videos of the Gangnam Style dance - the lucky winner of the holiday will be announced soon. Go Korea have been a long term client of Media Agency Group buying other formats of advertising including digital spots on the famous Piccadilly Lite in Piccadilly Circus, London.   7.Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital marketing candidates who would like to work in an agency like yours? My top tip is to be passionate and believe in the media you represent. If you want to work in a digital agency you have to be up to date on the latest trends and developments - staying one step ahead will allow you to plan the most forward thinking campaigns for your client. When applying for jobs your online persona is important - make sure you're visible for when directors want to search you not just on professional networks, but also on Twitter and via a Blog.   The Candidate's Summary: Here at The Candidate we are impressed that Media Agency Group used the successful viral video of Gangnam style to develop a campaign for Go Korea. It is evidence of using a popular search trend alongside your agency's skills can provide a very effective campaign.   We wish Media Agency Group all the best for their future campaigns, and we hope they continue to expand even further.    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/digital-agency-showcase/media-agency-group-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/digital-agency-showcase/media-agency-group-digital-agency-showcase/ Thu, 28 February 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/22nd-february-2013/manchester-digital-talent-day/ The annual Manchester Talent Day 2013 finally arrived and what a success it was! With over 50 exhibitors form the North West out scouting for the newest digital and creative talent the atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation and enthusiasm. The digital event aimed at students and graduates, was set up to bring together employers and digital enthusiasts who want to kick start a career. It was also a great opportunity for students to find out what kind of digital jobs they could to go into after graduation and we were there to advise them on what employers look for when recruiting graduates. Students had the chance to network with the region's biggest and best digital companies. What did the students think? MMUBS Advertising and Brand Management Student David Jameson -"The event was massively helpful to me in researching future job prospects. I got to network with people I wouldn't ordinarily get the chance to in the space of a few hours. I now feel inspired to forge a career for myself in the digital sector." Digital Media Communications student Jessica Walton -"I didn't realise how many well established companies have opportunities in the North West. I got some great advice off graduates that are currently in graduate scheme positions. I'd definitely recommend this event for any students or graduates who want to work in digital."   Look its Simon and Maz - Checking out the talent and offering advice! Digital Marketing Communications graduate Nick Riley-"Since graduating I've found it hard to know exactly what career path to take. By attending the Manchester Talent Day I've found a number of companies that offer short internships for people like to me gain some hands on experience. Without this event I wouldn't have heard of some great opportunities." Let's do it again! Don't just take it from us; the above statements are just a snippet of the positive feedback we got from people at the event. It was great to see students eager to have successful careers after university, who knows we could have met the future leaders in digital! We will definitely be attending next year, and so should you if you missed out this year! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/22nd-february-2013/manchester-digital-talent-day/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/22nd-february-2013/manchester-digital-talent-day/ Fri, 22 February 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/22nd-february-2013/the-official-launch-of-manchester-digitals-cartologie-network/ What is it? This event is the official launch of Manchester Digitals Cartologie Network. The Cartologie Network is a learning forum for ebusiness professional's to share their knowledge, best practice and encourage the expansion of the ecommerce industry in the UK. The digital network will promote news and updates on the latest industry innovations giving access and insights into successful, leading brands from the UK.   When and where? This event was postponed from 29th January and will now take place on Tuesday 26th February, doors open at 6pm and the event finishes at 8.30pm.   The event will take place at the original venue: RBS Spinningfields, 3 Hardman Boulevard, Manchester M3 3AQ.   For who? The Cartologie Network is aimed at those working in ebusiness, providing an opportunity for experienced practitioners, employees within larger businesses or those just starting up to meet like-minded people. This event is free for Manchester Digital members, general admission is £5.   Why? This is an opportunity to share and learn ebusiness teachings, as well as hearing about all the latest trends and predications for 2013. Cartologie will also showcase the most recent industry innovations, revealing insights into successful leading brands from the UK. There will be talks from leading industry professionals Jonathan Wall, Ecommerce Director at Shop Direct and Rob Smith, Director of Strategy at Blue Leaf.     Schedule:   6:00pm - Registration 6:15pm - Welcome and overview of the groups aims 6:30pm - Transforming a Catalogue Retailer into a World Leading Digital Retailer 7:30pm - Top 5 Ecommerce Trends for 2013 8:00pm - Networking & Drinks 8:30pm - Close     What to know more? http://www.manchesterdigital.com/events/launch-cartologie-network http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/22nd-february-2013/the-official-launch-of-manchester-digitals-cartologie-network/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/22nd-february-2013/the-official-launch-of-manchester-digitals-cartologie-network/ Fri, 22 February 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/15th-february-2013/manchester-digital-talent-day-skills-summit/ What is it? The Manchester Digital Talent Day is an opportunity for digital businesses to connect with the next generation of of digital talent and a chance for aspiring students to gain a better insight into the digital industry and meet potential future employers. The talent day will be followed by the Manchester Digital Skills Summit event which will be covering several topics of interest and answering your questions at the largest digital skills conference in the North.   When and where? The Manchester Digital Talent Day will take place on Wednesday 20th Februrary, with company exhibits available from 11:30 to 04:30pm at Manchester Town Hall. If you're interested in attending please click here to register for free tickets. Following this, the Manchester Digital Skills Summit will be held on Thursday 21st February 2013 from 1:30pm to 6:30pm, also at Manchester Town Hall. This is a free event but you will need to book a place. Click here to book your free conference tickets.   For who? The Talent Day is a chance for digital businesses to network with future talent and an opportunity for students and aspiring digital gurus to learn more about the digital world. The following event, the Manchester Digital Skills Summit is intended for digital companies, who may or may not have attended the Manchester Digital Talent Day to follow up and discuss insights.    Why? Talent Day A chance for aspiring digital professionals and students to network with over forty cutting edge digital businesses in the North West region. The day will include a range of surgeries to improve your CV and give you a chance to find out what skills businesses are looking. Skills Summit The follow-up summit will present findings from the Manchester Digital Skills Audit and look at where skills shortages are and where talent is going. The conference will discuss the development of the regional talent pool and how digital businesses can we work together more effectively in the future to grow the North West talent base. In addition there will be talks about apprenticeships and how to get the right apprentices for your business.   This event is a great opportunity for you to network and discuss ideas with like-minded people. You will also have a chance to have your say on what colleges and universities should be doing to produce the best talent in our region.   More Details For more details about the Manchester Digital Talent Day and to book tickets click here. For more details on the Manchester Digital Skills Summit click here . Click here to book your free conference tickets. Look Out for The Candidate! The Candidate team will be attending the Manchester Digital Talent Day, giving you tips on how to boost your CV and how to make the most of your time at university to land your dream job after graduation. So, if you're attending, drop by and say hello! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/15th-february-2013/manchester-digital-talent-day-skills-summit/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/15th-february-2013/manchester-digital-talent-day-skills-summit/ Fri, 15 February 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/8th-february-2013/graduate-employment-how-to-boost-your-employability/ Here at The Candidate, many of our clients are increasingly seeking out fresh talent from new graduates. With the graduate job market so competitive today, it's vital you do all you can to help yourself stand out from the crowd. With this in mind, this week's blog will look at what you can do to boost your career prospects during your time at university and how The Candidate can help you to find your first job after graduating. What do employers look for in new graduates? References from academics: Remember, your future employer will need to gain references from academics who you worked with during your time at university, particularly if you have not yet had any industry experience. They will look at the modules you studied, the breakdown of your grades, your attendance and whether your performance was consistent. Work ready candidates: As discussed in last month's graduate blog post , work experience and placements during your time at university can be greatly beneficial in enhancing your opportunities after graduation. If you have the chance to take a sandwich year, look into the benefits and consider how the experience could help you to gain a job after graduation. If a sandwich year isn't an option on your course, try to arrange volunteer work or placements in your area of interest between study days or out of term time. Get Networking: Make sure you take up any opportunities to network with people in your field of interest. Look out for conferences and events that invite students to meet with local companies or other potential future employers. You can even network from home, online, using social media such as Twitter and Linkedin. In addition, career workshops organised by your university are a great chance to network with potential employers as well as get help with your CV. The Candidate has taken part in a number of successful CV Workshops at local universities, which have helped students just like you.   Show interest in the industry: employers will look for an interest and background knowledge of the industry. Ensure that you keep up to date with industry news, and follow companies you admire on social media platforms. Take any opportunities you are given to gain skills and knowledge in your subject area. For example, your university may offer your free courses and training with companies such as E-consultancy and alike. Any extra training on top of your university studies shows initiative, motivation and a desire to learn.   A Global perspective: Studying abroad can be a great CV booster. If you do not have the chance to take a sandwich year on your course or decide against it, studying abroad for an academic semester or even a full year could enhance your chances of getting a job after graduation. Presenting employers with your multi-cultural learning and experience is a bonus on any CV, and at the very least it often allows for interesting conversation during interviews, which will make you a memorable candidate.   How can The Candidate can help you find your first job? Looking for your first job after university can be a daunting notion but The Candidate could be your lifeline throughout the whole process. Unlike some other digital recruitment agencies, we speak to you on a one-to-one basis to get to know you as a person and to identify your unique skillset to see what role will be best for you. Our specialism in the digital sector puts our candidates at an advantage against those of other recruitment agencies as we have a greater insight and understanding of this unique marketplace. We know exactly what our clients are looking for in a candidate so we can match you to the most suitable company and help you prepare for the best outcome. Our team will be there to support you every step of the way, and are a point of call for any questions you may have throughout the recruitment process as well as helping to boost your confidence before interviews.   Attend Manchester Digital Talent Day Wednesday 20 th February, Manchester Town Hall, 11:00am - 04:00pm Networking Opportunity Organise work experience/placements Talk to some of the most respected names in the digital industry Click here for more information on this event and to book your place. If you're a new graduate, looking to find your first job in the industry, please don't hesitate to contact any of The Candidate recruitment team on info@wehavethecandidate.co.uk or call 07718190271. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/8th-february-2013/graduate-employment-how-to-boost-your-employability/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/8th-february-2013/graduate-employment-how-to-boost-your-employability/ Fri, 08 February 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/8th-february-2013/big-chip-2013-roadshow-manchester/ What is it? Established by Manchester Digital in 1997, Big Chip is the UK's biggest digital awards events outside of London.  The roadshow events are a chance for prospective entrants learn how to enter the awards, how to choose categories and tips on what judges want to see and hear.   When and where? The event will take place at Kosmonaut in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Wednesday 13 th February. The event will start at 6:30pm. The event is free entry but you will need to book a place. Click here to book tickets for this event.   For who? Big Chip Awards was created to recognise outstanding work by people in the digital industry.  The awards range from 'Best E-business project' to 'Best Digital Marketing Campaign' and 'Best Use of Social Media'. The roadshow events, like this one in Manchester are a chance for anyone who is looking to enter Big Chip 2013, and would like tips on how to go about entering and choosing categories.   Why? As well as learning more about the Big Chip Awards, this event gives you the chance to meet and network with other people in the digital industry.   More details For more details on this event click here to visit the official Big Chip website or click here to book tickets for this event. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/8th-february-2013/big-chip-2013-roadshow-manchester/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/8th-february-2013/big-chip-2013-roadshow-manchester/ Fri, 08 February 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/digital-agency-showcase/studio-north-digital-agency-showcase/ The Digital Agency Showcase has already featured some fantastic examples of work from agencies across the northwest. It is now the turn of integrated brand communications agency, Studio North . Studio North is based in Manchester and specialise in branding, marketing and digital. The agency is known for creating compelling brand experiences, which spark genuine stand out interest and advocacy for brands of all shapes and sizes.     Over the years the team at Studio North  have built a strong and supportive working culture which has maintained a team of like-minded people who deliver campaigns that create real business value for their clients. They are a down-to-earth and friendly bunch of people, who are always ready for a new challenge.  Studio North are also creators of the popular TwitFaced events in Manchester, offering a very informal networking opportunity with like-minded people, who love to play hard at the end of the week.      We talk to head of strategy and co-founder from Studio North , Nick Wright .    Nick has 16 years' experience in the creative sector and is well-known as a problem solver who thrives on creating brand and digital strategies that deliver tangible benefits and results. Nick's experience spans both digital and offline, and he has worked with some great brands, which include; Sage, NHS, Stagecoach, The Co-operative Group, AMEC and Sodexo.      1. Hello, and thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility within Studio North? I'm the Strategy Director and Co-founder here at Studio North . I'm an ex-Creative Director who has made the natural progression into strategy. I see myself as a problem solver, helping our clients to develop brand and digital strategies.       2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent Studio North's work?   I have chosen our work for Brio Leisure ( www.brioleisure.org ) as I feel it's a good example of how you can build a brand from the ground up and accurately represent it online. We developed the project under both time and budget constraints, yet it has become a resounding success for our client and has really helped make a difference to their organisation.     3. What brief were you intitially supplied with, and what objectives did the Studio North team devise when briefed?    Our challenge was to create a new sports and leisure brand for Cheshire West and Chester Council, with a key objective to change people's perceptions of the public leisure centre experience. Our aim was to capture the essence of the offer, and win the hearts and minds of the public. The strategy was to separate Brio Leisure from the Council and create a whole new brand. Our job was to develop everything, from the name upwards, accumulating into a new website that would include the integration of a leisure membership portal and events ticket booking system.     4. What strategy did Studio North devise to answer the brief and objectives that were set? As this was a leisure organisation that consisted of many parts including sports, fitness, swimming, events and theatre, right through to corporate entertainment and weddings, we had two key challenges to overcome. Firstly, we had to find the best way to structure these services into a logical and evenly balanced offering. Our target audience was diverse, so whether you were wanting to book tickets for tonight's show or book a badminton court, the same three-click rule applied in our strategy.  Our second challenge was to change people's negative perception of council owned leisure centres. This was a multi-site community leisure organisation that needed to reflect a private health club. We began by developing a brand positioning of 'At the heart of life', which unpinned everything that followed. The sentiment was to let people know they had a new centre at the heart of their community, which offered them everything they needed in terms of leisure and entertainment. 5. How did Studio North implement the strategy? We developed the name 'Brio Leisure' (meaning vitality & energy), which gave them an identity, then went on to develop sub-brands in order to package the groups of leisure facilities. Once the identity had been developed we rolled it out across all of the organisation's marketing communications both on and offline. We designed and developed a new website on the Joomla CMS framework and worked alongside a third party software vendor to integrate a members bookings system and events ticket purchasing.       6. Could you tell us what results were derived from the strategy, and any positive feedback that Studio North received from the campaign? Feedback from the community and leisure facility users has been excellent. People have been voting with their feet as membership numbers have increased month on month since the launch. The website was at 18,000 visits by the three month mark and now consistently gets around 30,000 visits per month with low bounce rates and excellent conversions.     7.Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital marketing candidates who would like to work in an agency like yours? We're an integrated agency so we're always keen on candidates who live and breathe digital but have a solid understanding of branding. Digital in itself has an ever-growing amount of channels, but what's key for us is finding a candidate who understands brand communications well enough to know exactly which channels are most appropriate for the brand they're working with. And finally, keep abreast of technology and trends. Never stop learning.     The Candidate's Summary:  We would like to congratulate Studio North on an excellent campaign with a well thought out and effective strategy despite budget and time constraints. A great agency with a great culture and we would like to take this opportunity to wish Studio North the same success for 2013.     http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/digital-agency-showcase/studio-north-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/digital-agency-showcase/studio-north-digital-agency-showcase/ Tue, 05 February 2013 00:00:00 http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/4th-february-2013/drinksdigitaleedscom-(previously-snzero)/ What is it? It's a great event for digital people in Leeds to come out from behind their laptops and PC's and meet around a table over a beer and talk about the industry they work in. They have been doing this for around 3 years now and it's been a success. When and Where? This rejuvenated meet-up will be taking place at The Adelphi in Hunslet Road in Leeds. The full address for The Adelphi is here: The Adelphi, 1-3 Hunslet Road , LS10 1JQ Leeds. For who? This is for those who live in West Yorkshire and Leeds who work in or have an interest in digital marketing. If you are in this bracket and fancy talking to like minded people about what you are up to or ideas you'd like to roll out then it is for you. Some good old networking principals at play here so get yourself along. Why? Taking your career or interest to that next level through networking is essential and as Leeds is booming in the digital space it would be well worth popping along. More details? There is loads more detail here and the background on getting tickets here . Enjoy! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/4th-february-2013/drinksdigitaleedscom-(previously-snzero)/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/february/4th-february-2013/drinksdigitaleedscom-(previously-snzero)/ Mon, 04 February 2013 10:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/bliss-digital-agency-showcase/ It is time to shine the spotlight on digital agency, Bliss in The Candidate's Digital Agency Showcase. The aim of the showcase is to highlight the great work completed by agencies in the northwest last year.    Bliss is a friendly digital agency that succeeds at being approachable, transparent and relentlessly passionate. Bliss is comprised of both creative and technical experts who design beautiful websites, build innovative mobile applications and craft ingenious online marketing campaigns, which routinely surpass their client's expectations.  The agency has expertise in Creative Services, Website Development, Online Marketing, Mobile Applications and Search Marketing. Their engaging digital marketing campaigns solve problems and provide demonstrable return on investment. Bliss has delivered successful campaigns for clients such as: Anglican Garden and Building Supplies and sister company Paving Superstore, Boohoo, Schwarzkopf, Legal & General and many more.   We talk to Managing Director of  Bliss ,   Jon Stutfield .   Jon Stutfield started out his working career as a sculptor. However, he found his way into the burgeoning Internet Industry 15 years ago when he saw an opportunity to combine his creative nature with his passion for technology and communication. Jon has been the Managing Director at Bliss for just over 3 years and is a council member of Manchester Digital.    1. Hello, and thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility within Bliss? As Managing Director my job role is largely concerned with the commercial growth of the agency. It is my responsibility to make sure that the business is growing, making a profit and the accounts are managed properly. I also like to make sure that the ethos of Bliss is being maintained, and I oversee recruitment ensuring that the right candidates are being chosen.   2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent your agency's work? This is difficult because we are currently finishing a number of projects from the previous year, which will be released soon. However, I will mention the work we completed for well-known clothing site, Boohoo.com . I have chosen Boohoo.com because we built a mobile site for them, which is one of our main lines of work for clients. In addition, it is an established brand with a loyal customer base.    3. How do you discuss the brief with the client, and what brief did Boohoo set for you? We sit down with every client and discuss the proposed project at length. However, we like to provide a friendly approach, so the discussions usually involve numerous cups of tea and we chat about the objectives. Boohoo required a brand new mobile site ahead of the Christmas sales rush. They are an entirely online business so they were keen to ensure their collections were accessible on mobiles. The difficulty of the project was that they had an established base of loyal mobile site users, so a brand new website was a bold decision for them as it would be a transition from the previous mobile site.    5. How did the campaign strategy perform and what were the results?  We successfully launched the mobile site before the Christmas rush, with great feedback from Boohoo and their mobile site users. The campaign was a resounding success, resulting in discussions with Boohoo to complete more work for them.         6. What makes Bliss different from other agencies? We decided on the name Bliss for the agency as we are an agency that is blissful to work with and for. We aim to make Bliss a great place to work, all of our team have different skills but maintain the same ethos and attitude to take pride in the quality of work they produce. In addition, we aim to achieve results by pushing boundaries using new technology, and we are not afraid to use new methods.    7. Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital candidates who would like to work in an agency like yours? My advice to perspective candidates is that it would be great if you had a portfolio of your work and skills. However, this is not essential as it can be replaced by having a personal portfolio showing an avid interest in the relevant skills you would require. If you demonstrate a keen attitude for the industry, you would be the kind of candidate I would like to employ.   The Candidate's Summary The Candidate is impressed with the technical skill that Bliss implements on campaigns and the ease with which it takes on difficult projects. In addition, the great attitude Bliss upholds, to be such a friendly place to work and maintain a good working relationship with clients. We congratulate Bliss on their successful projects and wish them the best for 2013. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/bliss-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/bliss-digital-agency-showcase/ Fri, 01 February 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/pushon-digital-agency-showcase/ The Digital Agency Showcase has already presented some fantastic pieces of work from talented agencies in the Northwest. The agencies taking part so far have been: Venn Digital , Online Ventures Group , R.O.EYE and Seabrook . The aim of the Digital Showcase is to highlight the great work of agencies in the Northwest from the past year.  It is time to shine the spotlight on online marketing agency, PushON . PushON is an award-winning online marketing company based in Manchester, with an honest, dedicated and highly professional team. PushON specialise in Online Public Relations, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimisation, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Blog Marketing. PushON aim to listen to client's requirements and deploy a wide range of online techniques to drive sales through and achieve clear return on investment.  Over the years they have worked with many prestigious clients, and their work spans a vast number of industries.   Examples of PushON's work The representative from PushON is Managing Director, Simon Wharton .  Simon moved into the digital sector in the 90s, and joined forces with Roy Wilding in 2002 to form web development and internet services agency VirtuAffinity, which expanded to eventually become PushON in 2006. Today, Simon provides strategic direction for the company, and beyond that is seen as a prominent figure in the Northwest digital sector. Simon founded SAScon , the premier digital marketing conference in Europe, and regularly delivers lectures at Manchester Metropolitan University and Salford University, as well as CIPR and Pro Manchester business events. Simon is also a massive fan of Nottingham Forrest.    1. Hello, and thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility within PushON?  I would describe my main role as mainly responsible for business development and business growth. Although I do not actively implement campaigns, I maintain a strategic oversight of delivery. 2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent PushON's work?  I have chosen to represent the work PushON completed for sportswear and sports clothing brand, Umbro . The task was spectacularly difficult, and it was vital to devise a creative solution for Umbro extremely quickly. The work required a mix of technical skill and creative marketing. In particular, a large amount of SEO expertise was required.  3. What brief were you initially supplied with, and what objectives did the PushON team devise when briefed?   Umbro approached PushON in 2011 with a problem they were facing with traffic to their current website. The website was built in Flash and it was awful in terms of search, difficult to use and did not convert into good results. We initially thought the solution would be a brand new website. However, Umbro was owned by Nike, and already had a New York based agency ready to design and launch a new website by July 2012. However, the website launch would be too late for EURO 2012 when Umbro expected a surge in Football shirt sales, so there needed to be a quick solution before July. PushON were enlisted to improve search rankings to drive traffic, progress the existing website and build it in multi languages.  4. How did PushON implement the campaign strategy? We realised we had to improve the website in a very short space of time. The greatest insight was that the current website was built in LAMP stack, a solution stack of free, open source software, and we then realised we would be able to crowbar unique Word press installations within it, and create subfolders for all the different languages.  5. Could you tell us what results were derived from the campaign strategy  The results were great and Umbro successfully saw an increase in traffic through core search terms, and they were very impressed with our work.  Additionally, we provided a smooth transition for the New York agency to take over and continue with the web build for Umbro .  6. Could you provide a top tip to any perspective digital candidates who would like to work in an agency like PushON?  It is imperative to be visible on social media and have a meaningful blog, whether it is on Tumblr or WordPress. This demonstrates to me that the candidate is passionate about the industry. I actively search for these types of candidates. In addition, I would ask candidates applying for senior positions to be realistic about their SEO skills, as we are able to check and identify the standard that you are up to.    The Candidate's Summary  The Candidate is very impressed with PushON's professionalism when dealing with such a complex brief. PushON quickly discovered the cause of the issue, and resolved it in an effective approach. This case study clearly involved a vast amount of creative and technical skill, and PushON performed well for an extremely recognised brand such as Umbro . The Candidate would like to congratulate PushON for such successful campaign, and wish them the best for 2013.     http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/pushon-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/pushon-digital-agency-showcase/ Wed, 30 January 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/25th-january-2013/northern-digital-winter-party-2013/ What is it? The Northern Digital bi-annual party is a great opportunity for like-minded digital marketers from in and around Manchester to get away from their desks, have a few drinks and blow off some steam.   When and where? The party will take place at Lock91 on 31st January 2013 and  kicks off at 6:30pm until late. Make sure you get there on time - there's free welcome drinks for early birds! Full Address: Lock91, 9 Century Street, Manchester, M3 4QL   For who? For all those in the digital business in Manchester and surrounding areas, this is a chance for you to meet with fellow digital gurus and have some fun. RSVP by 29th January to be put on the guestlist and get a wristband that entitles you to sponsored shots.   Why? At this year's party you will be able to enjoy Xbox Gaming, prizes and pizza provided by Xbox in association with Agenda Media as well as the chance to get papped in a ValueClick Media Photobooth!  More details? Click here for more details on the Northern Digitals Winter Party 2013 and join the Facebook group. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/25th-january-2013/northern-digital-winter-party-2013/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/25th-january-2013/northern-digital-winter-party-2013/ Fri, 25 January 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/seabrook-digital-agency-showcase/   This is the fourth post in The Candidate's Digital Agency Showcase. There have already been great examples of work from Venn Digital , Online Ventures Group and R.O.EYE . The aim of the Digital Showcase is to represent digital agencies in the North, and highlight the wonderful work they have achieved from the past year. It is now the turn of digital marketing agency, Seabrook to be featured in our showcase. Seabrook is based in leafy Chorlton, and was established in 2006. Since Seabrook's establishment it has worked with over 150 businesses. Seabrook are proficient in strategy, branding, website design, SEO, content, PR, social media, lead generation and analytics. They also completed Eric Bristow's website for his ITV appearance in I'm A Celeb!  Recently Seabrook has undergone revised branding and they are in the process of completing a new and improved website.   Seabrook's team are quietly ambitious, and aim to become part of the top 5 digital marketing agencies In Manchester by 2014.    Seabrook's representative is Managing Director, William Seabrook .   William worked in the fashion industry for 6 seasons as a fashion illustrator. During his commute from Manchester to Birmingham he read a lot of business books, and following his creativity he decided that he needed a change of direction. He took the plunge to start up his own design company, in 2006 Seabrook  was founded, and he has never looked back.     1. Hello, and thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibilty within Seabrook? As Managing Director my main responsibility is ensuring that Seabrook  wins and retains clients, and therefore the business grows. The development of client relations is also a key concern of mine. I also make sure I have adequately researched the market to make sure that we provide clients with a service that is up to date, as digital marketing moves so quickly. In addition, I tend to oversee projects, but just to make sure the quality and standard is up to Seabrook standards.  2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have chosen this work to represent Seabrook?  I have chosen to present HEaTED , which is a membership organisation dedicated to supporting Professional Development of Technical staff from all disciplines and specialisms in Higher Education and related fields. I have selected HEaTED because they are an essential service for higher education, and are an enterprise level client. The responsibility was very high, as their website is key to their business so it needed to be reliable, dependable and look professional. The project also featured some of the latest digital technologies, such as the responsive web design, and therefore highlights our work well.    3. What brief were you initially supplied with, and what objectives did the Seabrook team devise when briefed? The brief required us to bring the HEaTED website up to date, as it was three years old, and provide the site design with a refresh. We were also requested to take it to an open source platform i.e. Wordpress. There were some challenges to overcome, and these were managing data, as there was a lot of data in place on the old site and we needed to explain to the client the how the new website operated.    4. How did Seabrook implement the campaign strategy?   As a team, we had a group discussion and spoke of the challenges, optimum ideas and how a new system could work. We then developed designs, and provided the client with two designs, that were distinctly different and they confirmed which one they preferred. We then implemented the front coding, which was HTML, CSS and PHP, built the coding into word press, and then added the bespoke coding required by HEaTED .  The website then went live in a test server so that the client could learn how to use the system. Finally, we added the content from the old website and added new content as well. When everything as signed off, and we continued to support HEaTED and they are now signed up to a maintenance contract.    5. Could you tell us what ressults were derived from the campaign strategy, and any positive feedback that Seabrook recieved from the campaign?  The feedback was very positive. HEaTED were impressed that we have easily overcome the challenges presented by this project. The clients particularly enjoyed the look and feel of the site, and were able to manage the content much more efficiently. They were also impressed with the working relationship we maintained with them. The website users also gave positive feedback stating that the design was very strong and the site was easier to use.        6. Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital marketing Candidates who would like to work in an agency like Seabrook?  My top tip would be to always have a thirst for knowledge, as this industry is constantly evolving, and you need to be a step ahead. In addition, even though you may be talented in this field, do not rely on your ego to make you successful.   Thanks to William for taking part in our Digital Agency Showcase.    The Candidate's Summary   The Candidate is impressed by Seabrook's close working relationship with HEaTED . They were able to understand the need for a reliable website that users could work relatively easily, but to also make the design look revitalised. The Candidate would like to congratulate Seabrook on a successful year, and wish the team the best for 2013.  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/seabrook-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/seabrook-digital-agency-showcase/ Fri, 25 January 2013 00:00:00 Harriet Wright http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/24th-january-2013/manchester-digitals-cartologie-network/ What is it? This event is the official launch of Manchester Digitals Cartologie Network. The Cartologie Network is a learning forum for ebusiness professional's to share their knowledge, best practice and encourage the expansion of the ecommerce industry in the UK. When and where? This event was postponed from 30th January and will now take place on 26th February from 1800 to 2030 at Royal Bank of Scotland, 1 Spinningfields Square, Manchester, M3 3AP For who? The Cartologie Network is aimed at those working in ebusiness, providing an opportunity for experienced practitioners, employees within larger businesses or those just starting up to meet like-minded people. Why? This is an opportunity to share and learn ebusiness teachings, as well as hearing about all the latest trends and predications for 2013. Cartologie will also showcase the most recent industry innovations, revealing insights into successful leading brands from the UK. More details? What to know more? http://www.manchesterdigital.com/events/launch-cartologie-network       http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/24th-january-2013/manchester-digitals-cartologie-network/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/24th-january-2013/manchester-digitals-cartologie-network/ Thu, 24 January 2013 14:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/roeye-digital-agency-showcase/     This is the third post in The Candidate's Digital Agency Showcase. The digital showcase aims to highlight the great work of digital agencies from the past year. We have had two great posts already, which have showcased the work of Venn Digital and Online Ventures Group . It is now the turn of performance marketing agency, R.O.EYE to be in the spotlight. R.O.EYE was founded in 2004, and it was established upon the focus of results ethic, hence the name R.O.EYE (a play on the term ROI, "return on investment"). R.O.EYE is built around using digital performance to drive top line revenue growth, alongside bottom line savings.    R.O.EYE are recognised as the UK's foremost Independent Affiliate Management Agency. However, they also provide comprehensive digital performance services in Social Media, Email Marketing, Mobile and Lead Generation.  The company has continued to grow and expand since their establishment in 2004, with offices now in London and Berlin as well as their headquarters in Manchester. R.O.EYE works with some of the most well known brands, which include eBay, Virgin Holidays, Google, Blackwell's and Scholl.  Representing R.O.EYE in our Digital Agency Showcase is Managing Director, Gavin Male .       Gavin Male joined R.O.EYE as Managing Director in September last year. With a wealth of experience in building and growing digital marketing agencies in the UK and Europe, Gavin decided to move to R.O.EYE because of the huge potential he feels the company has, to make a major impact in the UK and European performance-marketing sector.  Thank you Gavin for taking part in The Candidate's Digital Agency Showcase.    1. Hello, and thank you for letting us interview you for our digital agency showcase. What is your main job role and responsibility at R.O.EYE? As Managing Director at R.O.EYE I have a responsibility for all elements of running the strategy, product design and services of the agency. I don't have specific client responsibilities myself, but I get involved and help out with a number of areas. I help out with current client reviews and optimisation through to new business pitches and sales promotions.    2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012 and explain why you have chosen it to represent R.O.EYE's work? I have chosen to demonstrate the work that R.O.EYE completed for Blackwell's Books , a leading academic book retailer and a recognised brand. Blackwell's are a longstanding client with R.O.EYE and upon our recommendations, have recently implemented a number of alternative technologies to improve affiliate sales.     3. What brief were you initially supplied with and what objectives did the R.O.EYE team devise when briefed? To provide background, R.O.EYE started working on an affiliate programme for Blackwell's in August 2009. The programme had continued to grow, but a change in company objectives required more dynamic approaches to be made. Looking into the core programme and seasonality, one area that needed to change was the reliance on new terms and the academic year for affiliate sales.  Essentially, the brief was to ensure the programme grows without cannibalising the current one.   4. What campaign strategy did R.O.EYE devise to answer the brief and objectives that were set? It was decided to create new technology implementations on the Blackwell's website with a focus on Basket Abandonment, Voucher codes, which had previously not been done exclusively, but mainly focusing on retargeting. In addition, there was going to be attention given to providing a greater product range through the affiliate programme, such as e-readers. This would be key to ensuring affiliate programme growth from Blackwell's .   5. How did R.O.EYE implement the campaign strategy? R.O.EYE had previously worked with the industry's foremost retargeting partner, we already had a good relationship in place, and we built on this to secure a smooth implementation of new technologies.    Additionally, we also picked partners, tested, monitored the new technology for the new affiliate programme, and then launched it.   We worked closely with Blackwell's to ensure the implementation was effective. The creative was made to Blackwell's specification, and R.O.EYE provided full technical support and testing for implementation client side.    6. Could you tell us what results were derived from the campaign strategy, and any positive feedback that you received from the campaign? R.O.EYE doubled the percentage of affiliate web sales within six months, plus 193 per cent uplift from same time period last year.  The successful client-agency relationship has been instrumental to the great results. Blackwell's are a great client to work with as they are very open to new ideas and approaches. They listen to our advice and make decisions based upon our recommendations. We are a specialist digital performance-marketing agency, and if we are allowed to utilise the best technologies and different methods available, then we can really impact a client's online advertising where it counts - the bottom line.     7.Could you give a top tip to any perspective digital marketing candidates who would like to work in an agency like R.O.EYE's?   My advice would be to keep on top of the industry.  Read the industry press and blogs, and immerse yourself in what you want to do.  No amount of qualifications or experience make up for a lack of business acumen and the more you monitor and involve yourself in this fast moving industry the better placed you will be to succeed for yourself and your clients.   Thanks to R.O.EYE and Gavin Male for taking part in our Digital Agency Showcase.   The Candidate's Summary: We would like to congratulate R.O.EYE for their successful affiliate programme for Blackwell's . The Candidate believes that this case study highlights the importance of demonstrating return on investment and the  close relationship between client and agency. Blackwell's clearly listened carefully to the advice given by experts, and R.O.EYE understood the brief required.   The Candidate wishes both R.O.EYE and Blackwell's all the best for 2013.  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/roeye-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/roeye-digital-agency-showcase/ Wed, 23 January 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/18th-january-2013/minetwork-chapter-meeting/ What is it? Chapter Meetings is a chance for MiNetwork members to meet up every other month to hear experiences from inspirational business speakers and agency owners. Attendees will also get the opportunity to talk with like-minded agency owners about overcoming challenges and exploring the best ways to maximise profits.   When and where? This event will take place on Tuesday 22 nd January at BJL, Sunlight House, Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3JZ and kicks off at 6pm.   For who? This event is ideal for agency owners, both time-served and start-up businesses.   Why? This is a great networking opportunity for local agencies as well as the opportunity to hear experiences from agency owners and other business speakers. This month's speaker will be delivered by consultant, Dan Egerton from Results International who will discuss 'Goal Setting with a Difference'. More details? The Chapter Meetings will begin at 6pm with coffees, teas and a buffet. Speakers will begin at around 6.30pm and speakers sessions, discussions and Q&A activities will run until around 8.30pm. From 8.30pm onwards attendees will have the chance to network and talk further over drinks. For more details and to book tickets email Richard Draycott . http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/18th-january-2013/minetwork-chapter-meeting/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/18th-january-2013/minetwork-chapter-meeting/ Fri, 18 January 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/online-ventures-group-digital-agency-showcase/ Our second blog post, as part of our Digital Agency Showcase , - which highlights the great work of digital agencies in the North West, puts the spotlight on Online Ventures Group .                                                  Online Ventures Group was established by CEO Paul Yates  to culminate 4 existing Manchester based digital agencies in 2011.  Online Ventures Group has grown from strength to strength, and prides itself on developing effective marketing strategies for companies that succeed in Google. Here are 4 facts about Online Ventures Group .    1. They are not a full service agency. They simply build great sites, rank great sites and get people to purchase from them.   2. Online Ventures Group are a small team, but this makes them able to maintain close relationships with clients and have fast turnaround with projects. 3. They excel in Data and they collect more UK 'SEO' related data than any other online marketing company. 4. Online Ventures Group take great pride in the great relationship they build with their clients.   Online Ventures Group kindly agreed to take part in our Digital Agency Showcase, and their representative is Head of Social, Matt Aguilera .                                          Hi Matt ,   Thank you for taking part in our Digital Agency Showcase.   1. What is your main job role within Online Ventures Group As Head of social media  at Online Ventures Group  I develop social media strategies and liaise with the clients to make sure their brief is being fulfilled and they are happy with the social media service we are providing.                              In addition, I often get roped into dressing up when we pull our great marketing stunts. Last week I was dressed as a Polar Bear for #PolarWarming  when the Green Economy event was held in Manchester. I always seem to pull the short straw!    2. Please could you pick a piece of work from 2012, and explain why you have chosen it to represent Online Venture's work? I have chosen to represent a service we offer, one that is solely unique to Online Ventures Group . We offer insight data reports, which are completed in house, and provide specialist online data analysis and reporting. The team are very knowledgeable in all areas of SEO, PPC and content strategies, and this enables us to provide a client with insightful reports on many online industry sectors within the United Kingdom. This service is one that is unique to us and that is why I have chosen to discuss it.   3. What does Insight reporting entail?  The insight reporting provides data visualisation for our clients. It is a comprehensive 50-page report completed by the Insight Team. They are proficient in collecting this data and fully knowledgeable in all things online. The Insight Report can provide any kind of research from exotic pet manufacturers, to food manufacturers. How we conduct it is a secret to Online Ventures Group though.                     4. How is Insight Reporting effective and has there been any positive feedback?  The Insight Reporting is effective as it is individual to the client and it is bespoke and tailored to their competitors. This means our client can visualise KPI's and we can provide an extensive intelligence report explaining all aspects of each online marketing strategy. As this service is unique to us, potential clients have turned into wins, as they have and will not receive this kind of data anywhere else...and we are a friendly bunch to work with of course.    5. Could you give a tip to a perspective Digital Marketing candidate when applying to an agency like Online Ventures Group? My one tip would be if you enjoy media and enjoy digital marketing as a hobby then you would be the right candidate for an agency like ours.   Thanks Matt!   The Candidate's Summary:  The Insights Data document that Online Ventures Group provides is a unique and specialist service for their clients. Here at The Candidate, we believe that this is a distinctive feature and one that sets Online Ventures Group apart from other agencies. Big congratulations to Online Ventures Group for a successful 2012 from The Candidate. Here's to another great year!     http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/online-ventures-group-digital-agency-showcase/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/online-ventures-group-digital-agency-showcase/ Thu, 17 January 2013 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/digital-agency-showcase-venn-digital/ Welcome to the very first post in our Digital Agency Showcase. Here at The Candidate we are aiming to showcase the North West agency talent by highlighting the great work completed in 2012.   The first agency in our showcase is Venn Digital and their representative is Managing Director, Brian Whigham . Brian Whigham - Managing Director at Venn Digital Brian Whigham is managing director of Venn Digital , a full service digital marketing agency, which was founded two years ago. Venn has grown from strength to strength and now has offices in both Manchester and London. Brian began his own journey into digital marketing when he worked for a recruitment agency in 2005. He became aware of the growing significance of digital within the recruitment process. He took the initiative to recommend to his Director that they cut budgets to traditional methods of marketing such as recruitment fairs, and increased budget for online marketing. He quickly progressed to the position of Sales Manager and this is where he furthered his skills in organic search and PPC. Excited by developments in all things digital he decided to make a career into digital marketing. When in his new digital marketing role, he felt that he could take the plunge and go alone with his newfound skills and enthusiasm. Brian founded Venn Digital two years after he observed a gap in the market. There were plenty of creative agencies in Manchester and London; however, he felt there was a lack of results-driven marketing agencies. Venn Digital is based on the premise of providing clients with a digital campaign that can provide clear return on investment. Brian kindly took part in an interview with us to explain what his role entails, and providing us with examples of Venn Digital's best work over the past 12 months.   Hi Brian, Thank you for taking part in our Digital Agency Showcase .   1.What is your main job role and responsibility within the agency? As Managing Director of Venn Digital I oversee all main departments. Which include: web design, PPC, SEO, Social Media, email marketing and Sales. I also spend a lot of time working within commercial business growth to expand the business, but I am ultimately responsible for all aspects of Venn.    2. Please could you pick a case study from 2012, and explain why you have   chosen it to represent Venn Digital's work? I have chosen to showcase The Reel Fish Co. campaign for 2012. The campaign demonstrates the full service we provide: web design, e-mail marketing, SEO and PPC, the campaign provided great results and the brand had a great ethical message which lent itself perfectly to online marketing. The Reel Fish Co. was founded as a brand that supports sustainable fishing. Their tuna product is caught by using traditional pole and line methods, and is never caught by using trawlers and nets. This prevents dolphins, sharks and other threatened species from being mistakenly caught. They sourced a credible fishery in the Maldives, and they discovered the benefits not only to eco system, but also to the community at large.  The Reel Fish Co. makes sure that the fishermen are paid a living wage, and that the tuna is processed and packaged in the Maldives, helping to support the local economy. Their message is simple 'Better for everyone' , as their product is better for the Aquarian eco-system, better for the coastal communities, better for fish stocks, and better for children and future generations.   3. What brief were you initially supplied with by The Reel Fish Co., and what objectives did Venn Digital devise when briefed? We were essentially supplied with a brief to develop the brand, create a website and launch the company. The Reel Fish Co.  did not just want to simply push for sales, they believed in supporting sustainable fishing, which is better for the eco system, the fisherman and their families.  Additionally, they required the key message of responsible fishing to educate and inform children and parents who would view this information and take action to buy ethical produce. They wanted the website to be informative, educational and be shared amongst ages young and old.  The Reel Fish Co. wanted to communicate that you can have a great quality product, at the same price, but which is sustainably caught and packaged. 4. What campaign strategy did Venn Digital devise to answer the brief and objectives that were set? We decided that the key to the campaign would be to make sure we delivered a clear message of ethical fishing awareness for The Reel Fish Co. However, we also wanted to deliver the message of The Reel Fish Co. in a fun way that would appeal to all ages. The website design for  The Reel Fish Co. was produced in a bold, colourful, clear and bespoke scheme. We felt the message would be better received if it could be viewed through an engaging and content rich website.   We also made some videos that educated in a fun and light-hearted manner, and the message is provided in a subtle way.  One of the videos used in the campaign.  The videos were also part of an advertising campaign that was shown on primetime television in Yorkshire and London.  We raised  The Reel Fish Co. awareness through the use of social media, and asked Facebook and Twitter users with their thoughts on sustainable fishing rather than pushing for sales to social media users. We wanted to aid this new brand to gain extensive growth and to engage with the lovely message that the company had to offer.   6. Could you tell us what results were derived from the campaign strategy, and any positive feedback that you received from the campaign?  The campaign was a big success and I am very proud of the Venn Team for working so hard to deliver such results. The campaign message worked so effectively that it resonated with consumers and buyers alike. The Reel Fish Co. tuna is now being stocked in ASDA, Booths, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Ocado. In addition, in a number of these stores the Reel Fish tuna was a sell out with consumers. One tweet from Reel Fish Co. using the hashtag #sustainable during a TV programme with Kevin McCloud caused a Morrison's buyer to notice The Reel Fish Co. and consequently place a large order with the brand. Thanks, Brian. You can also follow Venn Digital on Twitter for any more updates from the agency.   The Candidate's summary: This campaign shows a great relationship between the client and agency. Brian and his team clearly understood that message was key, and this was the key unique selling point for The Reel Fish Co. The web design is stylish and clear, and the message is conveyed in a fun but educating way. The success is illustrated clearly by the results, and The Reel Fish Co. seems to have grown from a grass roots company to a fully-fledged national brand, helping reinvigorate the product category. The Candidate would like to congratulate Venn Digital for their hard work, and wish both them and The Reel Fish Co. continued success. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/digital-agency-showcase-venn-digital/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/digital-showcase/digital-agency-showcase-venn-digital/ Tue, 15 January 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/11th-january-2013/graduate-employment-the-advantages-of-sandwich-degrees/ In recent months here at The Candidate, we have noticed a greater number of clients requesting graduate candidates who already have experience in the industry, straight out of university.  So, this week's blog will take a look at how a placement year during your time at university can make the road to obtaining your dream job a little easier.   When asked why they are going to university, the majority of students would tell you to increase the chance of obtaining a fulfilling and better-paid career in the future. So, when given the opportunity to boost your chances with a year in the industry whilst studying, there's no doubt a sandwich year is an appealing option for many undergraduates.   Taking up the opportunity of a sandwich year whilst studying for your degree could be a huge benefit to you when it comes to job-hunting after graduating from university. A 'sandwich' degree refers to a course whereby you have the opportunity to spend time with a company in the industry of your field of study. In most cases, your university careers service will offer support in applying for industry placements and offer further support throughout your placement.   When it comes to graduate recruitment, statistics show that employers specifically seek out graduates who have had industry experience. A survey of one hundred recognized companies conducted in 2011 1 found that a third of graduate vacancies will be filled by candidates who already have industry experience or who have worked for their new employer as an undergraduate.   An article from the Guardian in November (2012) 2 , stated that graduates should be set to face 'tougher times' as the graduate job market becomes more competitive and many companies struggle to accommodate new graduates in an unsteady economy. In this competitive graduate job market, it is almost vital to have industry experience as employers are looking for candidates who can hit the ground running, with minimal support, which is an extra cost to them.   Experience with a large, recognized company on your CV, straight out of university, can set you out from the rest of the crowd and give you a real advantage against other candidates. Also, in many cases, the company you spend your sandwich year with may offer you a permanent position with them after graduation if you show commitment and willingness to learn on the job.   As well as improving your career prospects after university, a placement can also develop you professionally and prepare you for the real world of work. Taking a year in the industry shows potential employers that you are serious obtaining a long term career in your field of interest and desire to improve yourself professionally.     In addition to the long term benefits of spending a year in the industry before leaving university,  your placement year will be paid work which gives you the chance to start saving money and even paying off some of your student debts.   Sandwich courses are specifically designed to introduce students to the industry as well as give undergrads, who may never have had a job before, into the world of work. Taking up an opportunity of a placement year whilst at university is undoubtedly the 'Pay now, play later' option in terms of getting a head start to your ideal career after graduating. You are less likely to have to settle for an unpaid internship after graduation and experience gained on your placement year will take away many anxieties that graduates without experience in the industry can face when taking their first job.  If you need advice on enhancing your employability or updating your CV get in touch with us here at The Candidate. Email: info@wehavethecandidate.co.uk      References:  1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20237664  2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jan/18/third-graduate-jobs-work-experience ,   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/11th-january-2013/graduate-employment-the-advantages-of-sandwich-degrees/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/11th-january-2013/graduate-employment-the-advantages-of-sandwich-degrees/ Fri, 11 January 2013 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/11th-january-2013/motion-north-showcase-@-2022nq/ What is it? This event is a chance for you to see and experience some of the North West's greatest motion graphic design talent. Motion North TM have put together a selection of the best of the North West's Motion Design, Animation, 3D, Advertising and short films to show on the night.   When and where? The event will take place Wednesday, January 16 th 2013, 6:00pm @ 2022NQ 20/22 Dale Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M1 1EZ   For who? The event is for those who have an interest and appreciation of the art of motion and graphic design - whether you are a designer yourself, or a creative professional with an interest in motion design.   Why? Meet like-minded creative professionals, network and enjoy an evening of motion design and animations from the best talent in the North West region.   More details? For more details on this event click here .   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/11th-january-2013/motion-north-showcase-@-2022nq/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/11th-january-2013/motion-north-showcase-@-2022nq/ Fri, 11 January 2013 00:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/3rd-january-2013/new-year-job-hunting/ Firstly, Happy New Year to all our clients and candidates, old and new! We're raring to go in 2013 and looking forward to helping fulfil so many of our candidate's New Year Resolutions - finding a new job - at last! We work with some of the best employers in the region and genuinely pride ourselves in connecting candidates and clients for long term employment opportunities. As a growing company with a great reputation, we want to preserve this so we will ensure that 2013 is 100% in the interests of the candidates and clients we service. So as a candidate, what is the best way of approaching the daunting task of a new job? Take these top tips into consideration: 1 - Get your CV up to date! Make sure it is up to date and is in a format which best sells you and your experience! Check out some of these blogs for more information. /latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/cv-tips-from-the-candidate/ /latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/are-you-a-star/ 2 - Is your digital profile up to date? You can bet that one of the first things a potential employer will do is search on Linked In or Facebook for you once they have seen your CV and are interested. Take into consideration your Digital Profile and make sure that all accessible digital platforms with your profile on them are presentable! 3 - Use a respected recruitment agency Unfortunately good media recruitment agencies are in the minority. Regularly The Candidate has been described as "one of the good guys" - suggesting unfortunately that there are many who don't have YOUR interests at heart. Choose wisely, it is your career at play here so ensure that you do research on the company and agent who is representing you! 4 - Be clear Be clear on reasons for leaving your current employer. By knowing this yourself, you can be confident that you are making the right decision and know the nest steps and direction you should be moving in. 5 - Start looking! There are loads of channels to explore in finding a new role. Adopt as many as you can and take your time in finding the right role. Try to avoid leaving your current role before new employment; this doesn't look good at all to prospective employers. We can help with the job searching and help make sure that the time you do set aside for this is preparing for interviews rather than sending CV's without any response. Get in touch now for a coffee or informal chat on possibly making that move. You never know, moving might not actually be the right move for you right now and believe it or not we can help you make that decision.  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/3rd-january-2013/new-year-job-hunting/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2013/january/3rd-january-2013/new-year-job-hunting/ Thu, 03 January 2013 14:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-25-december/ This is the last post in our agency advent calendar prize draw, and we hope you have had as much fun following our festive campaign as we have implementing it.   After this blog post we will have an agency for each of the 25 days of advent and we very much hope we have spread Christmas cheer when we delivered our festive treats every day of our campaign. Have a browse of our blog to see all of the agency winners!     We would like this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from The Candidate.    The final winner in our agency advent calendar prize draw is: Media Buying Agency, MEC Manchester .  A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from The Candidate!      MEC Manchester is part of the wider MEC global brand. However, this does not stop them being a big presence within the brand. MEC Manchester has had a successful 2012, and has acquired some big account wins.     Their ambition is "To be our clients most valued business partner, famous for inspiring people and exceptional results" and they certainly deliver.   MEC Manchester took part in the mobile campaign  for Radio 1's new breakfast show with Nick Grimshaw and shows what a creative agency they are.   MEC Manchester helped to create a mobile campaign, which was visually arresting, intuitive and fun. Well after finding this out we are certainly #TEAMGRIMMY.     Congratulations to MEC Manchester for another great year!   Wishing you a Merry Christmas from all at The Candidate,   THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateUK    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-25-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-25-december/ Fri, 21 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-24-december/ This is the second to last post in our agency advent calendar prize draw. We are feeling very festive today at The Candidate - Christmas is only days away! The winning agency for 24 December and Christmas day winners are: specialist web design and digital marketing agency, Venn Digital    Congratulations! We are so pleased you enjoyed your Christmas treat!                 Never a dull moment at The Candidate HQ  Venn Digital has grown again this year, and most recently opened a new London office, and expanded in the Southern digital market. People who are passionate about marketing and business founded Venn Digital, and their work ethos is centred on getting the best results.   Whilst browsing Venn's Twitter we came across this beauty, and apparently it is an early Christmas present for Sarah who works at Venn. We would not complain if that was our early Christmas present!    Hopefully you will all appreciate our festive treat as you had your Christmas do last night. Merry Christmas!   THE CANDIDATE  @thecandidateUK  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-24-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-24-december/ Fri, 21 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-23-december/ It's so close to Christmas we hope you are all enjoying a cheerful, festive Friday before you pack up for the Christmas break.  We are about to announce the winning agency for the 23 December, and we are now half way through our special Friday bonanza.  Throughout the advent period we have been picking agencies out of our Christmas hat. We will have 25 winning agencies by the end of the day. We have three more to pick by the end of bonanza Friday.   The winning agency for 23 December is: digital performance agency, R.O.Eye   Congratulations folks! We will delivering a festive treat to your Manchester office shortly.     R.O.Eye has offices in Manchester, London and Berlin - they are truly international. They are named R.O. Eye as their ultimate goal is to deliver R.O.I (Return On Investment), and they are determined to deliver the best results possible.   On another note, R.O.Eye are certainly in the Christmas spirit. Here is there tech team looking very festive:  They should be celebrating - they have just launched their new website just in time for Christmas, and we think it looks fantastic!      A very Merry Christmas to all at R.O.Eye from The Candidate,   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-23-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-23-december/ Fri, 21 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-22-december/ So, one down today and only another four to go…for today's Friday Bonanza agency advent calendar prize draw, and which agency will be next?   We have been drawing agencies out of our Christmas hat since the 1 December for our agency advent calendar campaign. By the end of today we will have an agency for each day of advent. You will have to keep your eyes peeled to see which agencies are left to win.    The winner for 22 December is: multi-channel shopper marketing specialists, Blue Chip Marketing    Well done to you all - expect a tasty festive treat from us soon!    Merry Christmas to you all - from The Candidate (Maz our recruitment manager)      Blue Chip Marketing has offices in Manchester and London, and work with many well-known clients such as O2, Kellogg's, Irn Bru and Muller.   As a company since 1991 they have won 95 awards for the various campaigns they have implemented. We would like to send them our congratulations in their achievements.   Blue Chip scooped an impressive award this year, their third IPM Award for their O2 Campaign. The 'O2 - Simply The Best' promotion took bronze in the Sales Incentive Programmes category.   Here at The Candidate HQ we congratulate everyone at Blue Chip Marketing for another successful year.   Wishing you a Merry Christmas!   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-22-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-22-december/ Fri, 21 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-21-december/ Today is the last day of our agency advent calendar campaign…and we are having a Friday Bonanza day to announce the remaining winners.   We will be announcing the winners of the 21,22,23,24 and 25 December. As much as this is exciting, it is also tinged with sadness. We have thoroughly enjoyed spreading our Christmas cheer to agencies in the North, and will be sad to deliver the last treat today.   Every day since the 1 December we have been pulling agencies in the North out of our Christmas hat, and we will have by the end of the day an agency for every day of advent.     The winner for today's advent calendar prize draw is: award-winning Manchester marketing agency, PushON .     Congratulations to you all, our very own Santa Claus will be dropping off some tasty treats for you.    PushON have had a good year. They recently won Best use of Search at the UK Search Awards and they've acquired new business hand over fist. And, so we hear, they are expanding which is great news for the Manchester digital scene.   We had a good read of PushON 's blog and we found the "Manchester: The city of Social Media" blog post particularly interesting. In fact, we found it surprising that Manchester City Football Club takes the lead with social media, and has a presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare and Instagram, with its counterpart United only present on Facebook.   Do you think Manchester United needs to catch up?       Merry Christmas Simon, Roy and the team from everyone at The Candidate. THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateUK    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-21-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-21-december/ Fri, 21 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-20-december/ Well done to Lakestar McCann who won our agency advent calendar prize draw yesterday, we are glad you enjoyed your specially delivered treat! We are now onto the 20th day of our agency advent calendar prize draw and we are pleased to announce that today's winner is; full service agency, Amaze ! Congratulations to all at Amaze - we will be delivering a lovely festive treat to you very soon.  Tomorrow is our Friday Bonanza Day, when we will be announcing the rest of our agency winners up until the 25December. Keep your eyes peeled, as we will be making announcements of the agency winners from 9.30am and then every half an hour until 11.00am.   The Candidate Team - perhaps we could invest in some Christmas jumpers?   This year alone Amaze were ranked 12th in the UK in the Marketing Magazine Digital League Table for 2012. We want to say a huge congratulations to everyone at Amaze for this great achievement.   This Christmas, Amaze offices across the country got into the Christmas Spirit and celebrated Save the Children's 'Christmas Jumper Day' .   Christmas Jumper Day called upon the public to take part in a time-honoured Christmas tradition of wearing a Christmas jumper in exchange for a £1 donation to 'make the world better with a sweater.' Well done to all at Amaze for their great effort. You would not look out of place in the Northern Quarter, in Manchester, wearing those!        Amaze -Christmas jumper galore.   Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from The Candidate,   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK                       http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-20-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-20-december/ Thu, 20 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-19-december/ Big congratulations to yesterday's winner: Media Agency Group . We are so pleased you enjoyed your Christmas treat from us.    We are now on the nineteenth day of our agency advent calendar campaign and we are feeling more and more festive each day.   Every day since the 1 December we have been pulling agencies out of our Christmas hat at random, and we will have an agency for every day of advent by the end of our advent calendar campaign.    The winner for the 19 December is: digital marketing agency,  Lakestar McCann .   Congratulations! Look out for us, as we will be delivering a festive treat to you later on today.     At The Candidate HQ - catching up on some 'Gangnam Style'   Lakestar McCann  digital marketing agency offers a creative mix of online solutions, and their clients definitely get a great service. In fact,  Lakestar McCann  won the highly coveted Best use of Search (travel) award at the UK Search Awards 2012. They were awarded the prize for their work with their client, Warner Leisure. Warner Leisure were extremely pleased with the hard work that  Lakestar McCann  undertook in dramatically improving their online presence.   Well done to  Lakestar McCann  for their many achievements this year!   In addition, we particularly enjoyed reading one of the blogs  on the Lake Star site. The blog was about the most popular YouTube videos of all time. We recognised most of them from 'Charlie Bit Me' to the more recent 'Gangnam Style.'   Which is your favourite viral YouTube video? Do you agree with them?     Merry Christmas to everyone at  Lakestar McCann  from The Candidate   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK               http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-19-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-19-december/ Wed, 19 December 2012 09:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-18-december/ Officially a week until Christmas! The countdown is on…only 6 more chances after this post to win in our agency advent campaign. By the end of our agency advent campaign we hope to have an agency for every day of advent! We have been drawing an agency out of our Christmas hat since the 1 December.    So far there have been some great responses, and yesterday was no exception. We are so pleased that Just Search , Madhouse and Access Advertising enjoyed their Christmas treat from us.   The winning agency for Tuesday 18 December is: advertising agency, Media Agency Group . Congratulations! Expect a treat from us very soon, and you might even catch a glimpse of Santa when he delivers your festive treat.    The Candidate Logo - looking splendidly festive!      Media Agency Group have tapped into the Manchester digital marketing scene recently, and expanded their Manchester base . They see great potential in the digital marketing arena in Manchester. They are impressed with the vast amount of talent in the North West, and they also want to provide small businesses and brands in the North West with the full agency service without travelling to London. We wish them the best of luck in Manchester!   Whilst browsing Media Agency Group's blog we came across an interesting blog post about social media campaign and sweets! Well, we do love both these things…so of course we read on.   In fact, we learnt the three finalists for 'Bring Back a Brand' campaign (a Facebook challenge to bring back the nation's most adored edible childhood sweethearts) were: Unilever's 'Funny Feet', Nestlé's 'Toffo' and United Biscuit's 'Trio.'      Here at The Candidate HQ we would pick the Texan Bar to have a comeback.      Do you agree? What branded sweet would you like to see make a come back?   Wishing all at Media Agency Group a Merry Christmas from The Candidate.   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK    http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-18-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-18-december/ Tue, 18 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-17-december/ We have now caught up with the weekend's dates, and we are on to Monday 17 December. Our advent campaign has been such a success so far, and every day we have picked a winning agency from our Christmas hat., and we will have an agency for all the 25 days of Advent by the end of our festive campaign.    We are excited to say that the winning agency for 17 December is: Integrated Digital agency,  Access Advertising .    Well done to you all at Access Advertising , and expect a treat from Santa our founding partner Colin soon.  Access Advertising is a respected name in the industry, but according to our sources they are also very creative and fun too. Wishing you a Merry Christmas from The Candidate. No expense is spared with our office Christmas decorations…    We love their Christmas themed home page on their website. When you visit their site you are greeted with 'A good Christmas feed'  which is their novel way of presenting Christmas Tweets and Pinterest pictures.  It is a gorgeous array of festive treats that has been tweeted and added to Pinterest with the hash tag #christmasfeed. Anyone who adds to initiative has a chance of winning a Christmas Delights hamper from Hamper Heaven worth £50. We might give that a go when we tweet this blog post! Here are a few of our favourites which we have lifted from their website and put on our shopping list: chestnuts, a Christmas log and what looks like mince pies. Nom nom nom.         However, this for us is the winning picture so far:  We tried to order this on Sainsburys Online but we couldn't find it when we searched for bacon. Very impressive - Three wise men came bearing gifts of sausage and bacon.   We congratulate Access Advertising for yet another successful 2012, and all the best for 2013!     Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,   THE CANDIDATE, @thecandidateUK  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-17-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-17-december/ Mon, 17 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-16-december/ We are now on the sixteenth day of our agency advent calendar campaign. Every day since the 1 December we have been picking agencies from the North out of our Christmas hat, and we intend to pick an agency for every day up until the 25 December.  The winning agency for the 16 December: is leading integrated marketing agency,  Madhouse .    Catching up on some Christmas films in the office, like you do   Madhouse  is a leading integrated marketing agency, and they have the same enthusiasm about Christmas as we do.   They have been blogging about their  favourite Christmas films this week , and we have to say what brilliant taste you all have. Reading your daily blog has made us want to put the television on, and catch up on all our Christmas favourites.    Here is  Madhouse 's are the top ten Christmas films (in no particular order) do you agree?  1. The Nightmare Before Christmas 2. Jingle All the Way  3. Bad Santa  4. Elf 5. Jack Frost  6. Gremlins 7. Grinch Stole Christmas  8. The Muppet Christmas Carol  9. Home Alone  10. Die Hard      We wish all at Madhouse a very Merry Christmas!  THE CANDIDATE  @thecandidateUK          http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-16-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-16-december/ Mon, 17 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-15-december/ We hope everyone has had a lovely weekend, and you are all getting organised for Christmas, which of course is fast approaching!   We are coming up to the final week of our agency advent calendar campaign. However, do not despair - there is still plenty of opportunity left for your agency to win in our advent prize draw. So keep your eyes peeled because it may well be you that is the next winning agency.    The winning agency for the 15 December: is natural Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) & Internet Marketing specialists, Just Search. Expect a delivery from our very own Santa Colin soon!    Merry Christmas from The Candidate     This year has been a pivotal one for Just Search  , as they have opened a number of new offices. In February, they opened new premises in Manchester..   They clearly think that the throbbing digital metropolis of Manchester is the place for them. They have expanded their presence here and  are tapping into into talented pool of digital experts here in the city.   We are glad to see they share the same enthusiasm for the Digital scene in Manchester as we do.   In addition, they have opened offices in Milan and Miami. Wow - what a glamorous firm.   I bet Crocket's Theme is on loop in the office and everything. [That's a Miami Vice 80s reference kids)     We are certain that Just Search   will continue to expand in 2013, and we congratulate them for such a successful 2012.     Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK        http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-15-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-15-december/ Mon, 17 December 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/14th-december-2012/qwertyquiz-christmas-special/ What is it? Over the past year the QwertyQuiz organizers has raised a lot of money for a great local charity, Forever Manchester. This event is a Christmas special taking place at the huge Comedy Store on Deansgate Locks. When and Where? The quiz will be held on 17th December 2012 from 19:00 PM at Comedy Store on Deansgate Locks. Ticket Prices: Individual £4 | Team of 6 £24   For who? QwertyQuiz is a Special Pub Quiz specifically for designers, web developers and digital marketing people but this one off Christmas Special will be general knowledge so that anyone and everyone can put a team together. Team sizes are six in total - you can buy single or team tickets for this event.   Why? The QwertyQuiz Christmas special will be a great night out before winding down before a Christmas break. All the proceeds from ticket sales will go to local charity Forever Manchester. More details? For further information visit: www.qwertymanchester.co.uk For tickets follow this link: Eventbrite QwertyQuiz page http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/14th-december-2012/qwertyquiz-christmas-special/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/14th-december-2012/qwertyquiz-christmas-special/ Fri, 14 December 2012 09:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-14-december/ It's the fourteenth day of our advent calendar prize draw, and we will soon reveal which agency is today's winner.   Everyday we have drawn an agency out of our Christmas hat from a list of agencies in the North. At the end of the Christmas campaign we will have an agency for every day from the 1 to 25 December. We will be having a bonanza on Friday 21 December, as we will be revealing the winning agencies for the 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 December. What a festive day that will be!   Today's winning agency for 14 December is: direct response and marketing services agency, Artavia Advertising .     Seasons greetings to you all. Expect a visit from us with treats in hand!  Santa Claus!    Artavia Advertising is part of the Accord group, and is part of a group that has been around for over 24 years.   They work with clients in travel, education, finance, property, recruitment, automotive and other sectors. Artavia Advertising has a very experienced team and is pretty much the only agency we know that has an office in Barnstaple (alongside Mcr and London of course). We do fancy a trip to the Barnstaple office at some point so we can pick up some lovely farm cider that we picked up on our last trip down there...  Delicious.   Festive congratulations to Artavia Advertising for another successful year, and we wish you the best for 2013!   Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK             http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-14-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-14-december/ Fri, 14 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-13-december/ Are you getting into the Christmas spirit yet? The weather definitely has a festive feel about it. Here at The Candidate HQ we are wondering whether it will be a white Christmas this year?   It is the thirteenth day of our agency advent calendar campaign.   Yesterday's winner was  Fluid Creativity ,  and we received a lovely response from them thanking us for their festive treat. We also had an interesting surprise as we approached their offices and saw a rocket outside. The reason why the rocket is there appears to be a secret (NASA? the Russians? Aliens?) but we think that it is the most unique curiosity that we have ever seen outside an agency - clearly  Fluid Creativity  are set for the stars!   Don't believe us? Here's a picture:     But now onto the serious business, and who has won today's agency advent calendar prize draw… the winner for 13 December is: full service digital agency, Bite Digital   Congratulations! You should expect a delivery soon, and we hope it brings you some festive cheer. Maz - Our lovely Recruitment Manager       Bite Digital has been established since 1994, and they have been building and designing websites - ecommerce sites and bespoke online marketing strategies ever since. This had enabled their clients to expand their businesses and generate profits. Bite Digital has a wealth of in-house experience -with their abundance of experience we have no doubt that Bite Digital will continue to succeed in 2013.     Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,   THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateUK            http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-13-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-13-december/ Thu, 13 December 2012 09:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-12-december/ Good morning to you all - hope you are all well. We are now on the 12 th day of our agency advent calendar prize draw, and that means we are nearly half way through - where has the time gone? Christmas is approaching very fast.  We absolutely love all the feedback from the agencies, and it is providing even more fun for the campaign. So keep the pictures and comments coming!   The winner for the 12 December is: Web Design Company, Fluid Creativity .   Congratulations folks, and have a look out for our very own Santa - Colin Telford!                         A little festive spirit goes a long way    Fluid Creativity  is an award-winning agency based in Manchester. They are a talented and specialised group of people, and this is proven by the vast array of awards they have received - from best business-to-business agency to the winner of the web standards awards. Fluid Creativity  has worked with a large amount of well-known large companies such as: Brother, Christy, NHS, RBS, University of Salford and Panasonic. However, they also have worked with a large amount of small businesses that were looking to raise their profile. Indeed, for Fluid Creativity no project is too large, and no brief too small. We wish Fluid Creativity the best for 2013.     Wishing you a very merry Christmas,   THE CANDIDATE. @thecandidateUK          http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-12-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-12-december/ Wed, 12 December 2012 09:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-11-december/ We are day 11 into our Christmas agency advent calendar campaign. It is going from strength to strength, and we must say we love the responses we are getting - keep them coming.   The plan is working, and The Candidate has appeared to spread some warm Christmas cheer to Digital Agencies in the North West.   But we still have many more agencies to be revealed, and your agency may be next so keep your eyes peeled.   An agency will be pulled out of the hat for every day up until and including the 25 December. There will be a Friday bonanza which will reveal the winners of 21, 22, 23,24 and 25 December - what an exciting Friday that will be!   So now to reveal which agency has won the coveted prize of 11 December.   The winner is…full service marketing agency, Delineo .   Well done to all at Delineo - expect a tasty treat from The Candidate soon!          The Candidate - Spreading Christmas cheer everywhere!   Delineo is one of the top 10% of the North West's marketing agencies - according to both Crains and Business Link. It is also widely supported by clients for their marketing and advertising services, and they have been rated 5 out of 5 by them. For the last three years they have delivered inspired results and supported clients with a passionate can do approach. They have most recently completed a National Campaign for The Co-Operative Bank. We wish Delineo continued success for 2013!   Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK                   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-11-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-11-december/ Tue, 11 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-10-december/ Well done to all our winners today: Epiphany Search and Sticky Eyes. We are now up to date, and this post will reveal which agency has won for Monday 10 December.   As you have probably gathered we are collating an agency advent calendar, and doing so by a prize draw of agencies in the North.We are then spreading some Christmas cheer by delivering a festive gift to the winning agency. There have been some fantastic responses on Twitter, and we are happy to say our agency prize draw is going down a treat!       The Candidate HQ - Festive fun all round! (Maz, Brian and Colin)   The winning agency for 10 December is: full service digital agency, Home James . Congratulations - Maz our Recruitment Manager will be delivering a treat to you soon!     Home James  are a full service digital agency, and they strive to constantly improve and better their performance. Over the past few years they have being making a big difference digitally. Examples are: Home James  delivered a microsite that propelled ASDA's Extra Special range into the consumer's conscious, and propelled the launch of Vodafone's Blackberry Storm  to page one of listings. Well Done to  Home James  for these achievements!    Merry Christmas from us all at The Candidate,   THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateUK   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-10-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-10-december/ Mon, 10 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-9-december/ So we have one agency drawn from the hat and two to go for today - who will be next...The next agency to be drawn out of our festive hat will be for Sunday the 9 December.   We have been drawing agencies out of our festive hat from the 1 December, and we will be continuing up until the 25 December. We then will have an agency for each day of advent.   Thanks to social media we have already had a response from Epiphany Search. They tweeted this picture of the treat they received. We hope they enjoyed their cupcakes.                         Epiphany Search   -Tweeting about their delivered cupcakes     The agency that has been drawn out of the hat for Saturday the 9 December is: Integrated marketing agency,  Sticky Eyes .   Congratulations to you all. Look out for our lovely Maz who will be delivering some treats.     Sticky Eyes  are both technical and creative, and they pride themselves with keeping pace in the ever-changing world of digital marketing. They provide the full marketing package, and are a very successful digital marketing agency. This is proven by the amount of great awards they have won recently. In 2012 alone - Sticky Eyes  were shortlisted in the Innovation Awards and had a  double win  at the UK Search Awards. They won the prestigious accolade of Best Agency, and won the Best use of Search for Finance. Well done to you all!   We wish everyone a  Sticky Eyes  a very Merry Christmas, and the best for 2013!   THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateUK      http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-9-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-9-december/ Mon, 10 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-8-december/ Happy Monday to you all! We hope you have had a lovely and relaxing weekend. We have three agencies to pick out of the hat today for 8, 9 and 10 December.   Last week we had great success as we began our agency advent calendar campaign, and we had some fantastic responses. In particular on Friday we recieved a great picture from MediaCom North:       The team at MediaCom North enjoying their festive treat!  We have been drawing agencies out of our Christmas hat every day since the 1 December to appear in our agency advent calendar, and we shall be doing this right up until the 25 December. Each winning agency will receive a tasty treat from The Candidate as a festive surprise.   The winning agency for Saturday 8 December: Search Marketing (SEO & PPC) Agency,  Epiphany Search .   Congratulations! We will be paying you a visit today with a festive surprise. We hope you enjoy it, and send us an even better picture than the other agencies!   Epiphany Search  works with companies to improve their organic and paid search. Situated in Leeds, and established in 2006 - they have grown from strength to strength. As a team they are constantly reinvigorating the  Epiphany Search  brand. They are a successful agency and have won many awards and Google accreditations since they were formed. Their best award to date is Digital Agency of the Year at the Minetwork 2012 Awards! Congratulations to you!    We wish  Epiphany Search  all the best for 2013, and hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!     THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK           http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-8-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-8-december/ Sun, 09 December 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/7th-december-2012/ludaxmas-–-the-manchester-digital-christmas-party/ What is it? For one night of festivities, drinks and dancing, Manchester Digital will be taking over the basement at Soup Kitchen for their Christmas party. The event intends to bring 'digital democracy to the dance floor' by letting you, the guests, choose the music! Just turn up with your ticket, and your phone or MP3 player - when your number shows up on the screen, it's your turn to be the DJ, choosing three songs in a tune-off against an opposing MP3-J!  When and where? The Ludaxmas event will take place on 13th December 2012 starting at 19:00 pm through until 01:00am at Soup Kitchen on Spear Street, Manchester.   For who? This event is ideal for those who have been active in Manchester's digital community over the past year, particularly people who have attended other Manchester Digital events throughout the year.   Why? A great chance for Manchester's digital community to celebrate a fantastic year and look forward to 2013. Don't miss out - you'll be the office Scrooge!   More details? For more details on this event and to book tickets click here . http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/7th-december-2012/ludaxmas-–-the-manchester-digital-christmas-party/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/7th-december-2012/ludaxmas-–-the-manchester-digital-christmas-party/ Fri, 07 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-–-7-december/ Have you got that Friday feeling? We certainly have here at The Candidate HQ, and it's helping us get even more in the festive spirit!   December is really flying by and we are now one week into our agency advent calendar campaign. Christmas will be here in no time!   Every day we have been delivering a festive Christmas treat to the lucky agency pulled out of our Christmas hat, as part of our agency advent calendar 2012.   We've had some great responses already this week, and are so pleased to have been able to spread some Christmas cheer to our winning agencies.   Here are a couple of agencies with their winning treat:  Latitude Group - Thursday's winners  Online Ventures Group - Monday's winners      The winning agency on Friday, 7 December is: media planning and buying agency, MediaCom North Congratulations! Have a look out for us, as we will be delivering a festive treat to you soon!     MediaCom North is an integral part of one of the world's leading media agency groups - MediaCom. Responsible for planning and buying advertising for some of the UK's biggest companies - among them The Co-operative, Iceland, Mitchell & Butlers and moneysupermarket.com.   MediaCom North make a great impact in the wider agency, and they are active participants in many of the group initiatives designed to encourage fresh thinking, curiosity and innovation. Their entry in this years 'If I Ran the Company' competition won the overall UK prize and was shortlisted globally.    Merry Christmas, to Pete and his team from The Candidate and we wish you the best for 2013!     THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateuk   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-–-7-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-–-7-december/ Fri, 07 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-6-december/ We must say - how quickly is December going? It's nearly a week since we launched our advent calendar prize draw - time does fly when you're having fun doesn't it?!   Each day in the run up to Christmas we are picking an agency out of our Christmas hat and delivering a festive treat straight to their office door!   Today's winner for Thursday, 6 December is… digital marketing agency,  Latitude !   Well done to all at  Latitude ! We will be delivering a festive gift to your Warrington office very shortly. The Candidate HQ: Maz - our lovely Recruitment Manager    Latitude  was founded in 2001 in Warrington, Cheshire. They formed just as the search engine marketing industry took off and are now considered to be one of the longest and largest established digital marketing agencies in the UK.  Latitude  has gone from achieving a turnover of £100,000 in its 1 st year to an annual turnover of £58 million and has opened further offices in London and Dubai.   This year, the award-winning group have been nominated for several awards and most recently won the  best PPC and SEO agency  the How-Do Awards.   We wish the  Latitude  group all the best for 2013, and continued growth and success.   Merry Christmas, from all at The Candidate!    THE CANDIDATE   @thecandidateUK  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-6-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidates-advent-calendar-6-december/ Thu, 06 December 2012 00:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/5th-december-2012/nominated-for-the-made-in-manchester-awards!!/ The Candidate's success continues as they have this morning received confirmation of another award nomination, this time for the inaugural Made in Manchester Awards. Brought to us by pro-Manchester, the awards help recognise and celebrate the best of Manchester's young talent. The aim is to reward excellence in innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, training, development and leadership. Managing Partner Colin Telford has been nominated for Talent & Recruitment professional of the year. The Candidate was co-launched with Brian Matthews by Colin, whose career in online marketing spans more than 12 years. He significantly contributed to Starcom MediaVest Manchester's online offering from its beginning in May 2000 and then co-launched the UK's largest and most successful Affiliate Management Agency, R.O.EYE Ltd in October 2004. Now in turning his hand to recruitment they have dramatically entered the market and work with major agencies and clients in the region on behalf of the best in UK's talent. Their new approach is refreshing and innovative, offering trust and full transparency. After it's Highly Commended Award at last week's MARA Awards for Best Newcomer Recruitment Agency in the UK, the whole company are delighted at this latest recognition. The winners will be announced on Thursday 7 th  February at the glittering awards ceremony. More details can be found here  http://madeinmanchesterawards.co.uk/shortlist.htm .  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/5th-december-2012/nominated-for-the-made-in-manchester-awards!!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/5th-december-2012/nominated-for-the-made-in-manchester-awards!!/ Wed, 05 December 2012 12:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-5-december/ Here at The Candidate HQ we are full of Christmas spirit, and our agency advent calendar prize draw is going from strength to strength!   It's the 5 December and we are on day 3 of our deliveries. It has been a massive success so far. Each day we have drawn an agency out of the hat that will appear behind our agency advent calendar. We hope you are excited to see who has won today's, and will therefore be 5 December on our advent calendar?    The winner for the 5 December window is…performance planning, buying specialist and digital centre of excellence, Carat Manchester! Well done folks - we will be delivering a Christmas gift to you all today - so look out for us! The Candidate HQ: Finalists and awarded Highly commended at the Mara Awards 2012.   Carat Manchester is part of the global Carat agency, and they are a team of 200, with the whole brand employing 5,000 people worldwide. They make a big difference to the brand and win big. Carat Manchester won 'Media Agency of the Year'  at the 2012 Fresh Awards. What an achievement! Well done to all!   The agency is also benevolent, and they support a charity each year. In addition, they make a difference within their field. They recognised that some of their blogger contacts were unusable. Therefore, they held a bloggers day that benefited bloggers, and taught them how to increase their page authority. This then improved the platforms that represent their clients. We feel initiatives such as this make Carat stand out from the rest. We wish Carat all the best for 2013, and continued success.     A Merry Christmas to Elliot and his team, from The Candidate.     THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateUK   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-5-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-5-december/ Wed, 05 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-4-december/ After the huge success of our first advent calendar prize draw yesterday, we are eagerly anticipating delivering today's winners with their festive treats! The Candidate are compiling an advent calendar of agencies up until Christmas day. We are collating the calendar by drawing names from a hat made up of agencies in the North.   The lucky winners yesterday were: Ripple Effect , Rocket Fish and Online Ventures Group , - we hope you enjoyed your surprise.   Now for the big reveal of the 4 December advent prize draw winner…Drum roll…. Behind the window today is:   Integrated marketing agency, McCann Manchester Congratulations from The Candidate HQ!   We will be on our way soon bearing a Christmas treat for you all. We aim to spread some festive cheer in the  McCann Manchester office.                           The Candidate HQ: A very festive logo   McCann Manchester , part of the McCann world group, are viewed as one of the largest and most successful integrated marketing communication agencies in the UK.   This comes as no surprise when you see what they have achieved in 2012 alone. Their trophy cabinet is well and truly full. They have had great wins this year including top prize at the Grocer Magazine's Advertising, Marketing and PR awards, and took home the prestigious IPA Gold Award for the excellent work they do for ALDI.     Their success does not stop there; they also won Social Media Agency of the Year at the Somecomms Awards. We would like to send our congratulations to McCann for their successes, and we hope you continue to win big in 2013!   Wishing Sue and the whole team a very Merry Christmas,   THE CANDIDATE @thecandidateuk             http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-4-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-4-december/ Tue, 04 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-3-december/   So far, at The Candidate HQ we have two lucky winners for our advent calendar prize draw, and now we will be up to speed with today's date for the 3 rd December advent calendar winner.   The third winner for the 3 December advent calendar window is: digital marketing agency Online Ventures Group     We are going to come and pay you  a festive visit and bestow upon you and your office a lovely Christmas treat for you all to enjoy. You'll know when we park our sleigh on your office roof because you'll hear the jingle jangle of our Christmas bells.     The Candidate HQ: Getting into the festive spirit at The Candidate HQ (Mara Finalists 2012)   Online Ventures Group is undoubtedly a digital agency with a reputation for not doing things by halves. We wish them continued success and congratulations for a great 2012.     Merry Christmas to Paul  & your hard working team, from everyone at The Candidate       THE CANDIDATE @TheCandidateUK  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-3-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-3-december/ Mon, 03 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-2-december/ Congratulations to Ripple Effect for being the 1 st Agency to win in our coveted Agency Advent Calendar. Hope you enjoyed your gifts!   So, it is onto the 2 nd December now, and the second lucky agency out of the hat, chosen at random, and due to receive a festive gift from us at The Candidate HQ is: search engine marketing agency Rocket Fish   Congratulations on being the second agency to be part of our agency advent calendar. A festive surprise for your office shall be on its way. Keep a look out for us. Please give Santa some mince pies and milk.   The Candidate HQ: The Candidate's laptops are even getting into the Christmas spirit!     Rocket Fish has grown from strength to strength after securing an office in Manchester City Centre in June 2011. They hope to become one of the leading SEM agencies in the UK, and they are certainly on their way. The Candidate wishes you the best of luck in your continued success and expansion.     Merry Christmas Paul and the rest of the team, from everyone at The Candidate !       THE CANDIDATE - @TheCandidateUK  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-2-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/christmas/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-2-december/ Mon, 03 December 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-ripple-effect-1-december/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-1-december/ It is the first day of December, and this means here at The Candidate HQ we have opened the first door on our agency advent calendar.   That's right, each day between now and Christmas, one lucky agency chosen at random is going to get a visit from Santa Claus and receive a little gift from us.   The first agency out of the hat and the behind the 1 December window is digital agency Ripple Effect .    Congratulations on being the first agency to receive the prestigious accolade of making our advent calendar. As a festive treat we shall deliver a present to your office today. Keep a look out for us. We'll be coming on our sleigh…    The Candidate HQ -getting into the festive spirit!    Ripple Effect has had another truly successful year. After winning the Digital Agency of the Year at the How Do awards in 2011, this year they added to their growing trophy cabinet winning Northwest Business Services to Football , at the prestigious Northwest Football awards. A big well done from The Candidate HQ!   Merry Christmas Ben and your dedicated team from everyone at The Candidate     THE CANDIDATE -@TheCandidateUK       http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-ripple-effect-1-december/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-1-december/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/december/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-ripple-effect-1-december/the-candidate’s-advent-calendar-–-1-december/ Mon, 03 December 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/30th-november-2012/sascon-mini-conference/ What is it? SAScon Mini Conference is an offshoot event from the SAScon Conference, showcasing the latest thinking and technologies in Digital Marketing. The theme for this year's event is 'Mobile & Local'. Speakers lined up for this event include: Claire Valoti, Media Director, WEVE Morgan McKeagney, MD, iQ Content Andy Headington, Marketing Director & Co Founder, Adido   When and Where? The event will take place on Friday 7 th December 2012 at 1:30pm, at The Studio in the heart of Manchester. The mini conference will run through until 5:00pm. Need to book tickets? Click here.   For who? The main SAScon Conference attracts over two hundred Digital Marketing Professionals every year. The purpose of this spinoff event is to inspire, educate and enthuse those in the digital industry. The low cost of £20.00 ensures the SAScon Mini Conference is accessible to all who wish to attend.   Why? Meet fellow creative minds in Digital Marketing - network, hear from the leaders in the industry and share best practice.   More details? Click here for more details on this event and to book tickets.     http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/30th-november-2012/sascon-mini-conference/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/30th-november-2012/sascon-mini-conference/ Fri, 30 November 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/23rd-november-2012/manchester-digital-harder,-better,-faster,-stronger/ What is it? Brought to you by Manchester Digital, this event will be the first in a series in which a range of experts from the digital industry will join to share their knowledge and insights into the world of digital.   For who? The event invites people of all backgrounds with an interest in everything digital. Whether you're a keen student seeking knowledge of how things work in the business or a professional interested in hearing stories from other experts in the industry.   Why? This is an exclusive opportunity for you to gain insights from industry experts. In the first in the series of events will be: Andy Budd - founder of one of the best design agencies in the UK, Clearleft, Hugh Garry -  Digital Strategist and Media Consultant and Tony Fogget - CEO & Founder of award winning digital communications agency, Code Computerlove.   When and where? Eversheds House, 70-76 Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester, M1 5ES November 29 th 2012 (Thursday) from 6pm-9pm   More details Titcket Details : Manchester Digital Member £5.78 Non-Member £21.15 Manchester Digital Student Member Free   For more details on this event click here . http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/23rd-november-2012/manchester-digital-harder,-better,-faster,-stronger/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/23rd-november-2012/manchester-digital-harder,-better,-faster,-stronger/ Fri, 23 November 2012 00:00:00 Rob Weatherhead http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/23rd-november-2012/the-future-of-digital-data,-personalisation-and-permission/ Everybody likes to pontificate on what the future of digital media is, some of the usual suspects for inclusion being mobile, tablets and augmented reality. But platforms aside, the future of digital will actually be driven by topics of a much less interesting or 'sexy' nature, data and how it is used. Its not big data, its just data The phrase 'big data' seems to have entered the vocabulary of marketers but the suggestion that there is something new about what we are doing with data is misleading.  All that has changed is the availability of data and the volume that is available.  Marketers and companies have been collecting data for years for use in direct mail, in store profiling and personalised communications.  Now, that data is just collected through page impressions, clicks and website visits rather than surveys. The fact we are now collecting it virtually without interrupting the customer experience means the sheer volume of data available has grown exponentially. And with the intelligence and rapid development of digital media software we are able to process it and use it to improve our campaign performance in real time. In addition you to this you have the growing opportunity of tying this all together with offline customer data which means the company starts to get an integrated, single view of every customer interaction and can use that to influence marketing decisions in real time. From a digital perspective this data allows us to deliver tailored digital communications, to the right person, at the right time, with the right message.  Which brings me on to my second prediction. Messages tailored to you The larger, more advanced companies are already doing this, but it will become standard and more advanced, as data starts to drive the digital communications messages you receive.  The ads you see will be personalised not just to you as a cookie profile, but to you as an individual.  Not just via assumptions based on your browsing history, but based on specific on site and off site actions which tell the company exactly what will interest you.  This will also then be overlaid with data on how you have previously interacted with them as a brand meaning you get the right message, at the right time, in the right place, completely tailored to you. And this is not just about advertising on other peoples websites. The same rules apply for your own properties.  Personalising the whole website experience based on what you know about a user and their previous interactions with you as a brand and what they want from you as a customer.  This again is something which is currently done by the more advanced companies on the web, but will start to become a standard and more importantly will be expected by website visitors. This isn't the Minority Report Start having conversations about personalisation and the inevitable comparisons get brought up with the Minority Report and privacy concerns start to be raised.  The difference between where we are heading and what you see depicted by Hollywood's favourite midget Tom Cruise is permission.  All of the above will be driven by permission settings, either at a browser or website level, which will dictate how far these technologies can go. Users will demand, and will therefore get, the capability to say exactly what can and cannot be used to tailor the messages they see.  Developments are needed into where these permissions lie and how they are accessed but they will need to be in place to give the user the control they will demand. Its not sexy, but it drives results So it may not be the sexy topics of mobile (device will become irrelevant but that's one for another post), html 5 or rich media which will drive the future of digital but it is the availability of data and the opportunity to use it in real time to influence decisions which will mean the results driven through digital marketing continue to build and sustain businesses. And it is the companies who know how to gather, interpret, and make sense of the data which will thrive in the digital world of the future. Rob Weatherhead is Head of Digital for MediaCom and a veteran of the digital industry in the UK.  He has his own blog at http://www.robweatherhead.co.uk  and can also be found ranting on twitter at @robweatherhead http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/23rd-november-2012/the-future-of-digital-data,-personalisation-and-permission/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/23rd-november-2012/the-future-of-digital-data,-personalisation-and-permission/ Fri, 23 November 2012 00:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/16th-november-2012/designival/ What is Designival? It's a design festival based in Liverpool and is the North's biggest. It is held at some of the coolest venues in the city, and has loads of great events to attend. When and Where? It is being held at a range of venues across the beautiful city of Liverpool. Get to experience some of Liverpool's coolest design studios. Included in the event is a tour of the city, lead by RIBA (  Royal Institute of British Architects )who will go to the most inspiring areas of the city. Included in the event is  BLABMini , the Manchester creative event, and details of that can be foundherewhich is separate to the ticket price. 22nd - 23rd November 2012. For who? Creative people from a range of backgrounds and professions should attend, whether you are new to the game or an out and out professional. The key to enjoying this event is to appreciate all of the different types of design that exist, be it digital or print and the balance between the beginning of production and the development of it through to the final stages. Why? Liverpool  is an inspiring creative environment with a diverse range of people in this sector who will all come together and you could be part of it! More details? Check out all of the details for this role right  here .  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/16th-november-2012/designival/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/16th-november-2012/designival/ Fri, 16 November 2012 12:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/digital-marketing-salaries-risingbut-how-fast/     Our new Digital Marketing report has highlighted some interesting variations in salary expectations amongst respondents - expectations largely based on their current position. On one hand the majority of the senior management felt that salaries would only increase in line with inflation. This contrasted with the majority of junior digital marketers who felt salaries would increase by 5-10% over the next twelve months. Wishful thinking on either side perhaps with management seeking to keep costs under control and junior staff, recognising current recruitment challenges and placing a premium value on technical skills, expecting improved rates. Clearly there are implications should either prove to be wholly correct. A low single digit %age salary increase might well see current recruitment and retention difficulties exacerbated as fewer graduates choose to enter digital marketing. This in itself would likely force salaries to rise to meet an even greater subsequent skills shortage. Large %age salary increases at the outset though could lead to wages spiralling out of control especially if talent continues to remain scarce. It's a delicate balance. As is usually the case reality is likely to be found somewhere between the two extremes. Would you like to find out more about our Digital Marketing report? Click here for the blog post:  North West Digital Sector Survey http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/digital-marketing-salaries-risingbut-how-fast/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/digital-marketing-salaries-risingbut-how-fast/ Fri, 16 November 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/is-building-a-network-more-important-than-building-a-skill-set/ In a previous post we referred to the retention difficulties faced by agencies and the need to factor in a range of creative tactics, especially the provision of training to prevent high and disruptive churn rates. Here are two more important considerations, particularly important to junior marketers that came through loud and clear in our new survey: Location Social considerations Put simply, graduate respondents are keen to focus their energies on building strong networks in the more vibrant locations. In fact they prioritised the importance of establishing a reputation alongside developing their skill set. After all, digital marketing, like traditional marketing, is very much a 'people business'. In such a new and dynamic industry with the right 'book', a proven track record and healthy contacts list, the salary and career path are trusted to take care of themselves. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/is-building-a-network-more-important-than-building-a-skill-set/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/is-building-a-network-more-important-than-building-a-skill-set/ Thu, 15 November 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/training-the-retention-solution/    Wherever they see themselves, teaching English in Tai Pei or hiking in Honduras, nearly a third of graduates expect to be out of the industry in 2 years. Ouch! What can agencies do to strengthen retention? While attracting educated, inquisitive, adventure seeking marketers into the industry in the first place has got to be a good thing, what's not so good is that such a high proportion don't intend to hang around. It's a significant wanderlust driven churn rate that needs to be addressed. Sabbaticals? Extended leaveoptions? Job sharing? Directorship fast-tracking? Here's one clear answer - training. In fact training and development was cited as the main reason why most digital marketers left their first role. Technological developments, best practices and industry 'thinking' move fast and it's essential that marketers workhard to ensure their skills are at the bleeding edge. It's a knowledge race. It's clear that agencies offering an educational environment and putting a premium on ongoing knowledge refresh find it much easier to retain talent. Those who don't, don't. Do you? To find out more about our research: Click Here   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/training-the-retention-solution/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/training-the-retention-solution/ Wed, 14 November 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/customer-handling-trumps-coding/    Counterintuitive perhaps in a technical environment, technologically driven and technically delivered but it would seem that good old fashioned, soft, client handling skills are THE key asset in the world of digital marketing. Well that's certainly what respondents to our new survey indicated. Without doubt technical skills are practically and tactically essential. That's a given. But whilst technology is essentially transient (platforms come, platforms go) it's the age old imperative of strong and clear communication that seems to be the deal breaker. From requirements analysis to project scoping to management to review, effective relationship management came out as the premium digital marketing skill. Surprised? Or is that your experience too? Want to find out more about the results we found? Read our North West Digital Sector Survey blog here: North West Digital Sector Survey http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/customer-handling-trumps-coding/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/customer-handling-trumps-coding/ Tue, 13 November 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/a-redbrick-wall/ Here's an interesting (though not altogether unpredictable) conclusion of our new research: 'Not only does educational background seem to influence seniority it also influences perspective'. Seniority wise - Two thirds of senior positions are filled by graduates from red brick universities. And their priorities? Strong interpersonal and negotiation ability over technical computer and internet related skills. Compare this to junior respondents, half of whom have a more vocational or former polytechnic university background. For them it's creative and technical skills that are the most important attributes of a digital marketer. Healthy? Well a range of perspectives has got to be a good thing. How good is it though for those perspectives to be so polarised? What do you think? Does educational background and technical aptitude tend to typecast marketers? Wouldn't an appreciation and blend of technical and more traditional business skills across both senior and junior positions serve the industry (and individuals within it) better? Find out more: Click Here   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/a-redbrick-wall/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/a-redbrick-wall/ Mon, 12 November 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/manchester-hackathon/ What is it? Experiment and create applications with the city's unlimited sets of open data. Partakers are welcome to produce anything they wish from applications to help people find their way around, to stay safe, or discover new experiences and everything in between.   When and Where? Date : Friday 16th November - Saturday 17th November Time : 18:30 pm - 20:30pm (Friday) | 9:00am - 19:00pm (Saturday) Venue : MADLAB, 36-40 EDGE STREET, M4 1HN Price : Free For who? FutureEverything, Open Data Manchester and Manchester City Council are looking for experts and innovators to take part in Manchester Hackathon. The event welcomes hackers, coders and creative collaborators alike - pretty much anyone who has an interest in any aspect of creating applications.   Why? This event gives you a chance to make a name for yourself in digital Manchester. There are also cash prizes to be won for the best product at the end of the session, including; Grand Prize - £4,600* Best Under 21's Creation - £600 Best Visualisation - £600 Best Locative Application - £600 Developer's Prize - £600 Best Solution for an Identified Problem - £600 * £1000 prize & £3,600 development funding   More details? For more details on this event click here and to book tickets click here .         http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/manchester-hackathon/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/9th-november-2012/manchester-hackathon/ Fri, 09 November 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/are-you-an-accidental-marketer/ So how did you land your digital marketing role? A carefully executed career plan? An expertly applied employment strategy? Or did it just happen? Are you an accidental marketer?  One of the most revealing insights of our new digital marketing survey is the revelation that most digital marketers, instead of pursuing a tried and tested graduate employment path, simply fell into their role. More than half in fact, developing and sharpening their digital marketing skills 'on the job'. Until now it's often been the case that an aptitude for, and interest in digital marketing has been enough to lead people into their current position. Why? Supply - for one, there are insufficient numbers of suitably qualified graduates out there. Also agencies' inability to develop talent. It would seem that many agencies could do much more to identify and nurture that talent. The 25% digital marketers who join the industry via work experience might offer a strong clue to digital agencies struggling to attract and retain talent. Looking at developing some of the concepts and best practices of work experience themselves perhaps.   Find about our research further: Click here http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/are-you-an-accidental-marketer/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/are-you-an-accidental-marketer/ Fri, 09 November 2012 00:00:00 Emily Wignall http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/1st-november-2012/north-west-digital-sector-survey/   In the first agency study of the North West's digital marketing sector, we quizzed dozens of industry professionals across a variety of positions and levels of seniority.  Our findings show that there is more to the skills shortage than just money as a series of structural factors linked to training, recruitment processes and higher education challenges play out to cause a major headache for agencies and candidates alike. At the heart of the problem lies the disconnect between many digital native marketers, often graduates of specialist vocational courses holding junior agency positions and senior staff, two-thirds of whom graduated from redbrick universities and without specialist digital marketing backgrounds. The research proved incredibly enlightening. Whilst we hoped it would help identify some of the reasons behind the skills shortage what we didn't expect to discover were essentially two separate cultures - one predominantly redbrick, the other, graduates of specialist digital marketing courses, both with their own sets of values and motivations and both failing to fully appreciate the needs of the other. The divide revealed itself in a variety of ways throughout the research. For instance 100% of senior respondents saw strong interpersonal, client handling and negotiation skills as more important than computing or internet related skills. By contrast more than a third of junior respondents believed creative and technical skills were the most important. Another example was the marked contrast in salary outlooks. 50% of junior digital marketers believing that salaries would increase by 5-10% over the next twelve months compared to the majority of senior management who see salaries increasing in line with inflation. The closer we looked at the data the more obvious the gap appeared. For example, junior graduates place such a high priority on training that it came out as the single biggest reason that they left their first role. Office location and social factors are also important again outweighing salary as priorities, issues that barely ranked for more senior staff, If agencies don't clearly understand candidates then how can they expect to appeal to them? On the other hand if candidates fail to appreciate how an agency thinks, how it prioritises then of course there will inevitably frustrations. What's clear from our research is that addressing the skills shortage requires a form of realignment - for agencies and candidates to sync better. Not only do agency management call the recruitment shots but it's clearly in their interests to start developing a better, more nuanced candidate understanding. Candidates too, particularly vocational graduates would be wise to put themselves in the shoes of potential employers and consider the kinds of non technical skills and that their prospective employer valuables. For the full survey presentation including current salary and projected salary findings and analysis click through The Candidate Slideshare above.   And don't forget to sign up to our Twitter account: @thecandidateuk http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/1st-november-2012/north-west-digital-sector-survey/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/1st-november-2012/north-west-digital-sector-survey/ Wed, 07 November 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/taking-the-next-step-in-your-digital-media-or-marketing-career/ Reading the recent unsettling headlines stating that unemployment is set to escalate over the coming months, it's no wonder that those looking to take the next step up the corporate ladder may have been disheartened. In actual fact, according to the Office for National Statistics, the UK employment rate has, this month, hit an all-time high since records began in 1971.   However, in the ever unpredictable job market, for many, the concept of leaving their job for a new role seems a daunting and too great a risk to take and so many chose to stay in the safe clutches of their familiar office cubicles, even in a job they have far outgrown. If you can relate to this situation, like thousands of others in your predicament, it's time for change!   "Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, should have." - Louis E Boone   So, how can The Candidate help?   It's all about YOU!   We are dedicated to finding each of our candidates a role that suits their skillset and previous experience. Unlike some other media and marketing recruitment agencies in Manchester, we don't just send your CV to every Tom, Dick and Harry looking to fill a role. We have strong relationships with all of our clients who are looking to fill positions in digital, media and marketing, and by communicating with them on a daily basis we know exactly the kind of employee they are looking for. We also take time to sit down and talk to our candidates one on one, getting to know their employment history and attributes we can use to make them stand out from competing applicants. The evidence is in the many happy candidates  we have placed in media and marketing roles in Manchester, and further afield.   From your first call to us, to celebrating the first day of your new job, The Candidate team is here to help you in every step of your journey. We can help you with updating your CV and portfolio, to giving you the best tips for a successful interview.   So if the same old routine is getting you down and you're ready for brand new chapter, what are you waiting for? Our team at The Candidate are waiting to help you in finding you're perfect new job, all you have to do is take the leap of faith and get in touch. Challenge accepted? http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/taking-the-next-step-in-your-digital-media-or-marketing-career/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/taking-the-next-step-in-your-digital-media-or-marketing-career/ Fri, 02 November 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/mediacityuk-social-media-surgery/ What is it? MediaCityUK Social Media Surgery is a chance for you to talk to knowledgeable people about resourceful ways to use the internet.   When and where? Tuesday 6 th November 2.00pm - 4.00pm Digi-Den , Ground Floor, BBC Bridge House, MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 2EQ   For who? The MediaCityUK Social Media Surgery is an informal gathering of people who want to learn how to use the web to communicate campaign or collaborate. Surgeries are purposely relaxed - there are no presentations, and no jargon, just straight-forward advice from the experts direct to you.   Why? The social media 'surgeons' will listen to what you do, and then show you free, useful tools to utilise to boost your business or organisation's web presence. They can also help you set up your blog, Facebook page or Twitter account.   More details? For more details, to register for this event and to book a place, click here . http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/mediacityuk-social-media-surgery/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/november/2nd-november-2012/mediacityuk-social-media-surgery/ Fri, 02 November 2012 00:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/26th-october-2012/getting-off-to-the-best-start/ Congratulations on securing the next step in your career, all that preparation, interview stress and decision making is now behind you so it's time to follow through on the commitment that you've made. The first period of your new employment will likely be a probationary 3 months (sometimes longer) and this is time for both you and your employer to ensure that the right decision has been made. Normally the notice period required for both parties is short so if it's not right then moving on is mutually agreeable with minimal hassle. However if like the majority of people it is right, then you'll want to make sure that you get off to the best start possible. It's your career so have a look at these 5 tips for getting off to the best start in your first 3 months. Treat your job spec like a WIP (Work In Progress) tick list Read your job specification thoroughly and understand the requirements from it. It can act as a set of guidelines for the role you are in and the areas which you need to work on, excel in and build upon. It's not the be all and end all but can keep you on course if referred to and discussed with your manager in the first few months. Working on areas outside of this could mean that you are getting distracted or that your employer has other ideas for you which you'll need to address ASAP in order to get beyond the initial 3 months. Don't run before you can walk Feedback from employers which isn't uncommon can relate to over ambitious candidates, who go into a role and try and reach the top before working on the foundation. Taking time to fully understand and appreciate the role you are in and the element of the company strategy you contribute to will pay dividends further down the line. Get involved in everything and impress at the level you are at first before setting the world on fire! Only take essential days off Taking time off in the first 3 weeks isn't forbidden but it doesn't do many favours for you when this is aimed at the period of time which you are putting everything into impressing your new employer. Unless holidays have been clarified at interview stage for the initial period, it isn't advised unless it can be avoided. Why not delay the time off and use it for after the 3 months to celebrate the success of being in the company for the foreseeable future? Socialise Generally jobs within media and marketing have a social element to them and it's wise to get involved in the first few, especially throughout your probationary period. It's a great way to break down barriers and understand what other people in other department's do which can help you understand the full picture. Just one tip, if there's alcohol involved, don't get drunk! Enjoy it! Research shows that those who enjoy their jobs tend to do best in them so if you've chosen this job then try and like what you're doing and the first 3 months will be a breeze! Well done for getting through all of the interview stages, now get stuck in and impress those who took you on! If you want any further advice on this subject or any others regarding employment then get in touch. We'll happily have an off the record chat with anyone about past, current or future roles so please don't hesitate to get in touch with us as the leading media recruitment agency in the North West.   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/26th-october-2012/getting-off-to-the-best-start/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/26th-october-2012/getting-off-to-the-best-start/ Fri, 26 October 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/26th-october-2012/northern-digitals-meet-up/ What is it? The Northern Digitals meet up is a monthly event whereby digital creatives from in and around Manchester can get away from their computer screens for a chance to talk to others in their field of work. When and where? This month, the meet up will take place in their new home at 2022NQ, a licensed creative venue in the heart of Manchester's Northern Quarter. The meet up will commence at 6:00pm on Thursday 1 st November. There's no need for a ticket, just turn up for this free event. Full Address: 20/22 Dale Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M1 1EZ For who? Quite simply, for all those who are digital and creative! It doesn't matter whether you're a student interested in a creative career or a professional already in the industry. Why? The Northern Digitals meet up is a great opportunity for like-minded creatives to gather together, share ideas and network. More details? Click here   for more details on the Northern Digitals meet up. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/26th-october-2012/northern-digitals-meet-up/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/26th-october-2012/northern-digitals-meet-up/ Fri, 26 October 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/19th-october-2012/the-future-of-digital-in-the-north-west/ After four years of delivering one of the UK's finest annual Search, Analytics and Social Conferences in the heart of Manchester, SAScon, which is organised by leaders in Manchester's digital community, is still going strong. After yet another successful and well-attended conference in June this year, the team have organised a mini event 'SAScon Mini' to be held in November. SAScon is supported by Manchester Digital and SEMPO (Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization). Their aim is to work closely with digital agencies within the city of Manchester and around the Northwest in order to make it a more effective environment for digital businesses to thrive in. Their annual SAScon event brings together digital professionals from all over the country to hear inspirational keynote speeches, stimulating panel sessions and opportunities to network. One of the founders of SAScon and member of Manchester digital, Richard Hudson, described the aims of SAScon as " to organise a world class conference in Manchester that brought together the best speakers, yet was affordable so that everyone could come along." SAScon has received masses of positive reviews from attendees over the years. It has been described as "an unmissable event for any Digital Professional". Some of the panellists and keynote speakers over the years have included: Bruce Daisley, the Director of YouTube in the UK Dom Burch, head of corporate communications & social media at ASDA Ben McKay, Head of SEO at Moneysupermarket.com For more information on SAScon and further details on their upcoming events, click here . Come back for information on the SAScon Mini Conference which is taking place in Manchester next month! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/19th-october-2012/the-future-of-digital-in-the-north-west/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/19th-october-2012/the-future-of-digital-in-the-north-west/ Fri, 19 October 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/19th-october-2012/blab-13/ What is it? Blab is a monthly event brought to you by Northern Digitals which gives the digital creatives from in and around Manchester a chance to get away from their computer screens and talk to other digital creatives. This month's speakers are illustrator and animator, Mr Bingo and illustrator Peter Crawley . When and Where? Blab 13 will take place at Band on The Wall in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Tuesday 30 th October from 6:00pm until 11:00pm. For who? This event is a chance for digital creatives from in and around Manchester to meet up and share ideas over a drink. Why? Attendees can be inspired by the talks of guest speakers, make new contacts and share ideas and best practice with others in their field. More details? Click here for more details and to book tickets for this event. Tickets cost £12.00. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/19th-october-2012/blab-13/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/19th-october-2012/blab-13/ Fri, 19 October 2012 00:00:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/12th-october-2012/leeds-digital-festival/ What is it? Leeds Digital Festival is series of events spread over a two week period for those in the digital industry. Events include a variety of seminars that celebrate the significant talent that the vibrant city of Leeds has to offer. When and Where? The festival kicks off with the Leeds Digital Conference on 12 th October at Leeds City Museum in Millennium Square and continues with other events taking place in a variety of iconic venues and workplaces in and around Leeds city centre. For who? The festival invites people of all backgrounds with an interest in digital media. Whether you're a keen student getting an idea of how things work in the digital world or a professional looking for networking opportunities, there's sure to be at least one event that suits you. Why? Leeds Digital Festival is a great opportunity for you to share your ideas and concepts with others in the industry as well as gain new ideas for your future projects in seminars and Q & A sessions. More details? Click here to visit the official site for more and more details, including the event locations and schedule. Have fun!   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/12th-october-2012/leeds-digital-festival/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/12th-october-2012/leeds-digital-festival/ Fri, 12 October 2012 12:59:00 Kathryn Whitelaw http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/12th-october-2012/media-recruitment-agency-fresh-talent/ My name is Kathryn Whitelaw. I'm a second year student studying Advertising & Brand Management at Manchester Metropolitan University 's brand new £75 million development, MMU Business School (known to Foursquare users as "The Death Star"!). For the next few months, myself and four of my fellow students have been given the amazing opportunity to work, for one day per week, at The Candidate . I am thrilled to have been given this opportunity at The Candidate as it will be interesting to see the development of this exciting and innovative agency within the next few months and also to be given the chance to be involved with the day-to-day workings of a marketing recruitment agency in the hustle and bustle of Manchester City centre. From our first meeting with the whole team it was clear that they all have their hearts set on making the company a huge success - their aim is to grow The Candidate to be the biggest digital recruitment agency in the whole of the UK and I think they'll do it! Their great aspirations are evident with their new business venture already being shortlisted to the finals for the 2012 MARA Awards as "Best Newcomer". They gave us an insight into their aims and the services that The Candidate has to offer recruits - from helping job seekers with CV development and improving interview techniques, right through to organising interviews with potential employers. They seek out job vacancies for a variety of skillsets, from graduates seeking media jobs in Manchester to senior executive roles for candidates looking to reach the next step in their marketing career. The Candidate utilise social media to seek out candidates searching for their dream jobs, updating their Twitter feed with new jobs posted on a daily basis, making it easy for followers to spot job roles that may be suited to their field of expertise. I was also surprised to find that such a new company had already built up a substantial network of clients in Manchester, across the North West and Yorkshire. The team have helped candidates land jobs with the top agencies and clients in the region. It was great to hear stories of candidates who have been successfully placed in new roles with companies in Manchester, and how The Candidate helped them in landing their jobs. Myself, and the rest of the team from MMU Business school are extremely grateful to The Candidate for giving us the chance to work with them over the coming months. We expect to gain some valuable experience whilst we're here and also have some input into upcoming projects, using skills from our university modules. We hope that one day in the near future, when we have completed our degrees and are thrown into the world of work and paying taxes, we too can use The Candidate's services to help us find our perfect jobs!   Welcome to the team! Great blog Kathryn! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/12th-october-2012/media-recruitment-agency-fresh-talent/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/12th-october-2012/media-recruitment-agency-fresh-talent/ Fri, 12 October 2012 12:05:00 Brian Matthews http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/are-you-a-star/ Are you a STAR? With the Manchester media scene becoming more and more competitive, it is vital that you stand out from the crowd.   Here is a technique to ensure that when you're listing your key achievements you showcase your talent. When our candidates are going through what they have achieved within their workplace they sometimes struggle to get it down on paper. We hear things like `I didn't want to waffle',` I don't think I achieved that much, I was just doing my job'.  We have a simple method to follow to ensure that you can identify your achievements and more importantly get your message across succinctly. This is the STARtechnique. By following the steps below, this will most certainly help you gain more interviews. S-Situation-In two lines describe the scenario/situation/job that you had to do. T-Task-What was your role within that job, again don't waffle be succinct, 1 line should be sufficient to describe it A-Actions-What two/three actions did you undertake in order to achieve the task at hand. These actions need to be tangible. The use of %, figures and timelines all help to highlight why and how you set about achieving your goal. The purpose of these actions is to paint the picture for your future employer. R-Result-Your result is the final piece of the jigsaw this should summarise your achievement. Again, should be no more than one line. This technique can be used at all levels from graduate level right to Director. Below is a STAR from one of our shining stars.   Maz Hussain - Recruitment Manager - Oct 2012 S-I had reached a ceiling in my last role and I was looking for a senior job opportunity within media recruitment in Manchester. T-I researched which media recruitment companies I would like to work for and identified the ones that met my criteria- 1. Growing Company 2. Candidate Focused 3. Good Bonus scheme. A- I contacted 5 companies directly and then shortlisted these to 3. I presented my skill-set and cv which highlighted that I was a top biller within my last role with billings in excess of £103k. I went through a 3 stage interview process with 2 of these growing media recruitment agents. R- It was then that I was offered the role of Recruitment Manager at The Candidate , ensuring I secured my dream job. For more advice on how to format your cv, or if your looking for your next move, please don't hesitate to contact one of the team on info@wehavethecandidate.co.uk or call 07718190721 http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/are-you-a-star/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/are-you-a-star/ Fri, 05 October 2012 11:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/nabs-music-quiz/ Who are NABS? NABS stands for National Advertising Benevolent Society and they exist to offer support to everyone that works in the media and advertising sector. They can offer you lots of support and advice of all kinds including crisis financial support. Along with fantastic channels for networking they offer a wide range of accessible services for everyone.  They are 100% funded by voluntary support from people like you as well as contributions from the industry. They do an awesome job in our opinion. For loads more information on NABS visit here: http://www.nabs.org.uk/what.html What is the event? This fundraiser is the annual Music Quiz and it is held in the country's music capital, Manchester. It's the 3 rd year running, underlining its success and appeal, so it is a must attend event. Last year's winners were TBWA and apparently its going to be really tough to beat them! The challenge has been set. When and Where? Its being held at the Photolink Creative Group HQ in Ardwick, Manchester. These really impressive studios and offices are a great venue for this event! It's on Thursday 11 th October starting at 6.30. So head straight over after work. For who? It's for everyone! Agencies, media recruitment agencies , individuals  and clients included are all invites (as it gets quite competitive) and as it is a fundraiser there is a charge of £125 per table which obviously goes to a great cause in the industry we all work in. Why? Fun, pizza , networking, check out great offices, meet like minded people and give a little back. More details? For this week's social event check out this site http://www.nabs.org.uk/fundraising/past-events/133-north-west-events-calendar-2011.html and email Kate to book a table: k.harris@nabs.org.uk Follow them on Twitter at @NABS_UK Enjoy and good luck!! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/nabs-music-quiz/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/october/5th-october-2012/nabs-music-quiz/ Fri, 05 October 2012 08:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/28th-september-2012/10-things-to-make-you-think-about-looking-for-a-new-job!/ Its Monday lunch time, you've made it through the morning and feeling just alright. But that's only because your footy team tanked the competition at the weekend. You can visibly see those whose team lost around the office, desperately trying to keep positive. Of course, being in England on a Monday, the rains battering against the window, it's barely light and the glow from Outlook is actually making you question whether you're staring directly at the sun. Then the worst happens, your mate Kieran get's in touch from Bali, on Facebook. He's not in an internet cafe, nope, he's walking around a beach with an iPad, filming the greatest sunset of all time and wants you to share in the experience. Then just as you lose yourself in that thought, the worst happens, your colleague goes home sick, again, and you're covering his client meeting, emails, presentation, in fact covering everything that he would have been doing should he actually have taken it easy over the weekend. How will you fit all of it in on top of your work? Looks like you're getting home just as the late night Granada News is finishing, again. Then when you get in tomorrow, your boss will inevitably grill you about why that project still isn't finished. Then you think, new job ! OK, that's a little extreme (I hope!) but you've really got to ask yourself that because you do actually spend the majority of your week day lifetime in the office then it must actually give you a certain level of satisfaction. You have choices, so explore them! Keep an eye out for these warning signs and important areas which may just mean that you need to look elsewhere! Money You're working like mad, you're taking home less than you're spending and you're hardly even able to afford pay per view TV, never mind being able to upgrade to Sports or Movies. Get a handle on the average salaries for your role; weigh it up against where you will be on that scale in the next 6 or 12 months and aim for that, otherwise start looking! Career What are the opportunities like where you are? If you're media career orientated then talk openly about the potential plans in your appraisal. Where can you go and how can you get there? Get a plan together and aim for it. That way if you can't progress then you'll know at least what your next step should be then start looking elsewhere! Developing your media career will see you reach amazing heights! Team You are who you are and John sitting across the way is who he is. Everyone needs to pull together to create a good working environment. Some of the most productive in marketing jobs are work hard, play hard. Others are more relaxed and individual whilst some are pure team efforts. Find out what you want and ensure you are in the right working environment. What's for sure is that not everywhere is the same as where you are right now! Boss Manage your boss right and you'll get the most from them. They have responsibilities to you and you should take advantage of them. There are some great managers and some awful ones (especially in the media industry as they get to where they are through media skills, not management skils.) Get what you need to achieve your goals from the workplace or start questioning why. Moving teams, or sitting it out are options, but so is looking elsewhere! Location City centre is great, but not when it's Christmas and traffic is hectic, or just as the students all come back to university and buses literally clog every road! Likewise the countryside has its issues, hard to get to after 3 inches of snow or too easy to get stuck behind a tractor on way to an important meeting. If you're on your way to the marketing department or media agency and the trams are getting to you or the drive last manure fields are driving you mad then start thinking, where would I actually like to work? Sector The sector you work in can become tedious. It's your life and skills are transferable so have a look at applying your valuable energy into something new. Speak to people you know in other jobs and industries and make the move before it is too late. Life is short. Country Working visa options vary by country but there are loads of opportunities for media and marketing jobs around the world. Fancy working in an advertising agency in Sydney, or crossing the Brooklyn Bridge each day? It's all possible and you can expand your media career globally! Media Agency or Client Side The big debate! Which side should I work for and when? Which best suits my lifestyle and which opens the greatest opportunities. There are loads of different reasons here so do your research! We talk to candidates almost daily about these choices, its your marketing career so understand it then decide if to move! DIY Ever thought of going alone and setting up for youself? The entrepreneurial spirit in England's NW and across the UK is rampant, especially in marketing and media in Manchester . Help create jobs and give clients the service they deserve! Bed Can't get out of bed in the morning? That's almost a sure sign that you need a change and soon. You're best looking elsewhere before you start underperforming and the spotlight gets put onto you. Do something about it before that happens! If you want a no strings chat to talk about options then come for a coffee. Believe it or not, moving isn't always right, but at least we can help set a plan and help you get the best from your role and career.  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/28th-september-2012/10-things-to-make-you-think-about-looking-for-a-new-job!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/28th-september-2012/10-things-to-make-you-think-about-looking-for-a-new-job!/ Fri, 28 September 2012 09:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/28th-september-2012/phpnw-–-php-northwest-conference/ What is it? It's an event which is attended by those involved in the PHP community. As you'll know, it is the most widely known and used programming language. It is used by over 5 million developers and proudly accounts for over 40% of all web applications. This is still an area of huge potential as it is still only the fourth most popular programming language overall. When and Where? This amazing community of PHP developers, guests, speakers and other contributors will be gathering on Friday 5 th October, but this goes through to Sunday lunch - loads of time to network and get your views and experiences across! It's at one of Manchester's best conference locations, Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel , Portland Street, M1 4PH. There are social events too surrounding the main events. For who? PHP developers and those within that circle only (unless you want to get into the circle and therefore we'd go if that was your plan.) It's a good crowd that go, so will be a genuinely enjoyable experience. Why? Come together and talk about PHP. The organisers have considered the need of every attendee so you will get a lot from this. They will be ensuring everyone is welcome and all opinions are respected. More details? For this week visit this site for more and more details, including the timetable for the 3 days of action: http://www.manchesterdigital.com/events/phpnw-2012 Tweet them now! @PHPNW12 or #PHPNW12 Please, enjoy! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/28th-september-2012/phpnw-–-php-northwest-conference/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/28th-september-2012/phpnw-–-php-northwest-conference/ Fri, 28 September 2012 08:00:00 Brian Matthews http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/21st-september-2012/the-evolution-of-the-regional-marketplace/ When I was asked to write my take on how the Regional Digital Marketplace has evolved over the last 15 years, I didn't know where to start! I appreciate that I have been around a 15 year old industry for just over 12 years and I am proud of being involved in an industry that has dramatically altered media consumption and equally as proud to have worked for companies that have aggressively tried to change the World! It's a bold statement, but one I believe and one thing is for sure it has not been easy! I remember the episode of Friends where everyone found out that Chandler worked in Advertising, and the running joke was that even after that episode, the "Friends" still didn't know what he did!  That has been my life for about 11 of my last 13 years! Constantly educating and justifying every penny of budget. Wrestling with Press Buyers that hold the purse strings for space on the Media Plan, and trying to explain that Email Issues and fixing the Printer are not part of my job description, I work in "New Media", not IT! But maybe that's my first point, New Media...well; it's not that new anymore!! We have all seen the stats about the number of advertising messages we see each and every day as we go about our increasingly busy lives and it seems that as a Society we have all become a bit blasé about marketing these days, but I for one still love it! From the Market Traders screaming for attention, to the latest developments in Audience Segmentation, it's all fascinating! To use those two examples, a Market Trader shouts to all within earshot (creative execution), to attract the right people to his stall (target audience), ensuring the best possible chance of success (a Sale), and the more popular this is, the greater the reward (ROI). In this situation, the best route to market is 'shouting at the top of your voice from the market stall.' Just because the latest ways of Advertising use Nectar Card Information, internet cookies and recorded touch-points across millions of data variants to indicate products we may be interested in, the fundamental principles are the same!    Since the dawn of commerce, there have been two distinct but interlinked disciplines, namely: creative and media. The number one rule always being that there is little benefit in making brilliant ads which your target audience does not see, and there is no point in getting in front of the right potential customers and conveying a message they won't engage with, or relate to.       Digital media has been around for about 15 years and in that time, we have seen many trends come and go, but they have had to as the medium has evolved incredibly quickly. It has evolved from moving what we already did offline - onto an online platform, to a point where we started to do things that were never possible offline, and are developing into a stage we are at now, where we just don't know what is possible in the future. At the turn of this Century, it was all about display. Largely due to the fact that nothing else was really possible! I remember the first booking I made was for a well known Finance Company, on AOL (when it was a walled garden) for £110 CPM (per thousand impressions). The creative was a flat digital image, containing a logo and a line of text as a call to action. It was just like a mini poster, but if you were interested in it, you could click on it and go through to another website for more information - it was mind-blowing at the time!  Although we had a new medium, we used it in an old way. Something needs to move this thing forward, and it came in the shape of that simple search engine with the plain white page! They moved the goalposts, and changed the World forever.    After AltaVista , Google filled the breach. They picked up the ball and ran with it - Forrest Gump style! By 2009, £6.50 of every £10 spent on digital advertising went to Google. Search became the starting point of most people's web experience, and has become a verb in its own right! A true barometer of success!   As site traffic increased, search algorithms changed to improve relevance. As a result websites content and quality improved marketers started to realise that as an interactive medium, the advertising could become well, interactive, actually engaging with audiences.   Social Media has had a meteoric rise in recent years, the prices recently paid for the likes of Instagram , the rise overnight success of sites like Pinterest indicate that it's not going away. Advertisers need to understand that Social Media strategy is not about the sales you make today, it's about the sales you will make in 5, 10, 15 year's time! The archetypal long game! Since around 2001, every year has been touted 'the year of the mobile' and we are still just nearly there! The advent of the IPhone sped things up a little, and while there is no denying the m-commerce age is upon us, until all the networks work together, in addition to the technology capabilities of the handset manufacturers, we will only see the tip of the mobile-potential iceberg!   In my first role within Digital Media (the early days), we had to persuade clients to build websites! Once that had been achieved and we had shown the benefits of a Digital Media strategy, came a tipping point where we had to beg them to stop building bad ones. Evolution is constant in media and as such we shouldn't be tied to any specific strand of the digital landscape. Within the Regions today as a Community we are producing some of the best creative work and nurturing some of the most exceptional talent in the country. We are extremely active within and influencing digital display, mobile, social media and video, and tomorrow - we will be at the forefront of connected TV, location-based services for mobiles/tablets, and whatever else comes up that might not already be on the horizon, and nothing proves that more than the investment into MediaCity , and Project Digital .      In truth, every media evolves. In many cases Digital Media has forced Offline mediums to change, however Digital Media has evolved quicker, more times, and to a greater extent than any other medium - and all in around 15 years, and it will continue to do so.   As marketers, we must understand: Where is our audience? Why are they there, and how can we keep our clients brands relevant? I may be biased, but in my opinion there is no better place to do that than the Regional Marketplace. Entry Level staff members get the same training, exposure to the day-to-day running of an Agency earlier, and have more stability due to the continuity as a result of less churn than their London based counterparts, and due to their smaller numbers of personnel regional agencies are able to adapt quicker to Client /Industry needs! They may not have the budgets, but that doesn't make the clients less demanding! Within the Regional Digital Marketplace, we are aware that if we don't evolve continuously, we will cease to be relevant, but we already house some of the best search and SEO Thought Leaders in the UK, are developing some of the best response based DSP /Exchange Management talent; and are geared up for the "year of mobile", and as a collective group we won't rest on our laurels. If Mark Zuckerberg says that their Facebook journey is only one per cent complete. I think he may be being a little pessimistic. Martin Roberts has worked at a variety of digital organisations throughout his career to date and continues to fly the digital flag in the UK's digital hub, Manchester for Tribal Fusion . Thanks for your contribution - we're as keen to see how it all pans out as you are Martin! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/21st-september-2012/the-evolution-of-the-regional-marketplace/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/21st-september-2012/the-evolution-of-the-regional-marketplace/ Fri, 21 September 2012 10:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/14th-september-2012/david-edmundson-bird-from-manchester-metropolitan-university-speaks-to-the-candidate/ In the last of our special blog postings this week, we've met with David Edmundson-Bird from Manchester Metropolitan University to compile a Q&A. We've really left the best until last this week as we speak to this experienced educator in corporate business. David is responsible for the education of a mass of marketing and digital talent active in the NW, across the UK and beyond. He tells us everything from his biggest dislikes through to what the MMU project "Agency Life" is all about. Enjoy! Name :David Edmundson-Bird Position : Principal Lecturer in Digital Marketing at MMU Biggest likes :Front 242, Taramasalata Biggest dislikes :Celebrity Culture What do you and MMU do that stands out which NW businesses should take note of? Agency Life: our initiative to create real work experienced graduates to meet the needs of employers who need work-ready staff with degrees.  It's going to mean companies give something they've never given. It also means we're committing the University towards ensuring the success of the local 'Comms' economy. It's a big task and it's at the start of some really big ventures between MMU and business. Have a look at http://mmuagencylife.com What are MMU doing digitally that students are really benefitting from? Within the courses at the Business School, there is a big push to put Digital at the heart of everything. Students often come to us with very poor careers advice from schools, colleges and (yes sadly) parents. It takes the time with us for students to really appreciate where the future of employment is going and where the success of this region lies. We have our Digital Innovation at MMU initiative: a great front-end to the University which means people don't have to try and negotiate their way through faculties. Check it out http://diginnmmu.com What more can businesses in the area do to appreciate the talent coming from MMU? I worry that some firms genuinely believe that students and graduates owe them a living. We're in a recession right now yet almost all of my digital marketing graduates walked straight into jobs this Summer. Sadly most of them were in London. Companies in the digital and traditional marcomms sector need o worry about this. If we're to get out of this mess, we need to get firms to engage with the students directly. I had graduates tell me at graduation,"No local company bothered with me during my studies, I didn't know the sector existed so why should I bother with them now." That might sound like arrogance but that's from students who walked into jobs in London. Companies here need to come together and demonstrate that there is a huge sector up here that will need them. That will mean involvement in courses, commitment to the students, work experience, sponsorships, paid placements, funded projects. Investing now means they will remember you in the future. We asked for a flexible and mobile workforce and these young people have shown that's what they are. Can you sum up your key responsibilities to the university? I'm the most senior academic within the digital marketing discipline so I'm responsible for the growth and development of that "subject" in terms of teaching, research and business enterprise. I also spend a lot of time working with firms in the digital sector looking at their future needs and thinking how we respond. I'm the Programme Director for our joint venture MSc Digital Marketing Communications, Internet Retailing and our Digital Certificates award. If I'm not teaching, I'm supervising postgraduate research, meeting people in the industry and presenting the discipline to outsiders in more general business. Can you sum up your key responsibilities to the students? I have to get them to pass. I also have to get them to be employable. Once they've got past the pass mark, I then need to get them to excel. Can you sum up your key responsibilities to the digital business sector? To make sure the University meets the needs of the sector in terms of employees, research, product development and sustainability. Of everything happening next term, what do you want to shout about? It's got to be Agency Life. If it works, you'll hear about it a lot more from many different people across the City and the region. And I don't have a remit that caters for it failing. Please give us a top tip for graduates trying to find their first role. Jobs don't come knocking on your door. It's not about what you (think) you know. It's who you know. Get to networking events. Have something to talk about. Be engaging. Be interesting. Be unique. And never wear brown shoes with  a black suit What would you recommend employers do to improve their graduate recruitment processes? Don't assume the best students know you exist. Get involved with students 24 months before they graduate in order to ensure they know about you. Make friends with their lecturers, get involved in their teaching, make some early investments to ensure a maximum return on your recruitment effort. What has made you chuckle this summer? Discovering that the Foursquare Location for our new Business School building is called "The Death Star". Above all, what do you look forward to most during term time? Getting up in front of the crowd and seeing their faces when they suddenly "get it." Thanks David for your contribution! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/14th-september-2012/david-edmundson-bird-from-manchester-metropolitan-university-speaks-to-the-candidate/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/14th-september-2012/david-edmundson-bird-from-manchester-metropolitan-university-speaks-to-the-candidate/ Fri, 14 September 2012 09:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/13th-september-2012/a-marketer-who-was-successfully-placed-by-the-candidate-talks-about-her-experience/ Katy Hughes recently left her job as Marketing Manager at a financial service organisation to make a change in career as an affiliate recruitment manager in a city centre agency. Changes like this happen every day and it's great to keep your options open with digital marketing allowing for so many transferable skills to be applied. Katy kindly put a few words together for us to let you know about her experience. There comes a time in your career where you think 'where am I going?', 'Is this me set for life', sound familiar? That's exactly what I experienced in my old marketing role; how was I going to progress further? What am I missing out on? 4 years of client side marketing and I made the ultimate decision to start looking for other marketing roles. My role being so vast and widespread I didn't necessarily have a niche skill which I believed would pop out of my CV. Originally I was worried thinking I wouldn't be able to get an agency role because I had mediocre experience in various marketing areas whereas there could be hundreds/thousands of potential candidates with far more advanced skills than me in a certain area. What to do? To overcome initial worries, the best advice from my experience would be to contact a recruitment specialist, such as The Candidate; talk through your CV and skills. With a recruitment specialist on board, help is provided for you to improve on your CV and interview techniques. Also it is a case with the marketing industry being so fast paced, in particular digital marketing, you may not necessarily feel up to speed with everything going on. But then again everyone else is probably in the same boat as you. Take time out for yourself and figure out which area you enjoy the most and would preferably like to focus on, talking about it with an industry professional can help drive you in the right direction. If you want a change in the industry that you've come to love, just come and chat to us. Development and change are key essentials of life to keep things interesting and we've become experts helping people across the UK make that move. Thanks Katy and good luck!   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/13th-september-2012/a-marketer-who-was-successfully-placed-by-the-candidate-talks-about-her-experience/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/13th-september-2012/a-marketer-who-was-successfully-placed-by-the-candidate-talks-about-her-experience/ Thu, 13 September 2012 08:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/13th-september-2012/manchesters-northern-soho-meet-up/ What is it? If you're involved in marketing or creative at any level then this event could be right up your little networking street. Along with the coffee and alcohol, there are mentors available who can help you with your business or even career! All you've got to do is become a member and the benefits of this could be outstanding for you or your business's development. When and Where? This cracker of a development event is at 1800 on Thursday 27 th September at 2012. All you have to do is to join as a member and you'll be given the location. For who? It's a long list but here goes:Art · Marketing · Art & Creativity · Business Strategy and Networking · Business Networking · Small Business · Personal Growth and Business Development · Meeting New People · Social Networking · Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing Why? If you haven't heard by now, digital is where it is at and by networking and developing your career you'll be right in the middle of this booming industry in no time. More details? More information, with a list of the kind organisers are listed here: http://www.meetup.com/NorthernSoho/events/78390652/ @northernsoho Enjoy! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/13th-september-2012/manchesters-northern-soho-meet-up/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/13th-september-2012/manchesters-northern-soho-meet-up/ Thu, 13 September 2012 07:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/12th-september-2012/the-candidate-has-been-shortlisted-for-best-newcomer-at-the-mara-awards!!/ Great news from MARA that we have been shortlisted as Best Newcomer in the Marketing And Advertising Recruitment Awards which are being held at the Park Plaza Hotel , Riverbank in London on 28 th November. We have shown financial stability, creativity and innovation, a business model which has been clearly detailed for the next 2 years and have experience along with insight into the sector upon which we operate in order to qualify for finalist. The Candidate Ltd, a marketing recruitment consultancy, was launched in March 2012. It was co-launched by Colin Telford, whose career in online marketing spans more than 10 years. Colin significantly contributed to Starcom MediaVest Manchester's online offering from its beginning in May 2000 and then co-launched the UK's largest and most successful Affiliate Management Agency, R.O.EYE Ltd in October 2004. Managing Partner Brian Matthews is highly established and well respected within the recruitment profession.  Brian has a wrath of experience in senior positions including a senior management position at RK Accountancy, Divisional Manager of Primetime Recruitment and Regional Consultant of Northern Regions for CIPFA.                                               Managing Partner Colin Telford said "This is a clear indication that we are making a difference to marketing recruitment services in Manchester. This is testament to the hard work, effort and professionalism we've applied over the best part of the last year." The Matthews and Telford combination allows The Candidate to offer a mature and enhanced service with these benefits: -              A strong offering for the digital marketing sector which is currently suffering from a huge skills shortage. Good client facing account managers and digital marketers, with expertise in search, affiliate and web development are particularly scarce, as are practitioners in PR, advertising, design and print. -              Due to the niche nature of many digital marketing services, The Candidate is in a better position to understand briefs and candidates. -              Through market knowledge and existing industry contacts, The Candidate has developed a track record in identifying transferable talent, thus growing the media and marketing skills base. -              Existing active media and marketing client base (e.g. including several top ten digital marketing agencies) based on successful results in previous roles. Managing Partner Brian Matthews said "It's all going to plan here at The Candidate. I knew the market was calling out for a business like ours and its being proven. We're looking forward to what the next 12 months brings to our business in light of the significant economic and business developments in Manchester." Watch this space for information on the results of the ceremony at the end of November!  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/12th-september-2012/the-candidate-has-been-shortlisted-for-best-newcomer-at-the-mara-awards!!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/12th-september-2012/the-candidate-has-been-shortlisted-for-best-newcomer-at-the-mara-awards!!/ Wed, 12 September 2012 12:00:00 Brian Matthews http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/11th-september-2012/brian-matthews-confirmed-as-managing-partner-in-manchester‘s-expanding-marketing-recruitment-agency-–-the-candidate-ltd/ In my early twenties I chose the path of a rewarding career in the recruitment industry and joined RK Accountancy, one of the North West's fastest growing financial recruitment companies. I progressed from Trainee Consultant to Branch Manager within 18 months which gave me the foundation and understanding of how to run a successful recruitment business.   Heading up its flagship branch in Manchester city centre, I successfully led it to an annual turnover of just short of £1,000,000 consistently for a 6 year period. I had the opportunity to relocate to Birmingham to launch and develop its new city centre branches, ensuring it was done my way. Through hard work and determination to become a major player in this market, we were soon building our reputation with candidates and clients alike.   I decided to relocate back to Manchester after a year in Birmingham after I had made my mark and was attracted to the challenge of working for Primetime Recruitment and having the responsibility of launching their new finance division. This gave me the unique experience of launching a brand that was known predominantly for high street recruitment and taking it into a highly competitive specialised market. I successfully grew this revenue stream, securing major clients such as Carphone Warehouse who we successfully placed a significant amount of candidates.   After two fantastic years, I was headhunted by CIPFA Recruitment services.  I accepted the challenge to do the same for this 125 year old institute; develop and grow a revenue stream in the North of the UK.  This was a great challenge and gave me extra insight into developing a recruitment business in a shrinking and challenging market- public sector interim recruitment. It was within this brand that I realised that I wanted to utilise my skill-set and launch The Candidate. I co-founded The Candidate with our focus to be the attraction and representation of the industry's leading candidates. We are looking to grow our business by supporting this ever evolving industry. By partnering with universities and relocation companies we aim to support the market by adding extra resource from grass roots and attracting talent to the North West. Throughout my career my mantra has been 'the candidate is key', and by standing by this belief it has ensured that I have been successful in each business that I have worked in. Hence why I believe my recruitment knowledge, coupled with Colin's media industry background, will allow us to reach our goal of becoming the North West's leading media/marketing recruitment agency.  Our nomination for Best Newcomer in this year's MARA awards indicates great things to come! Watch this space. Visit our website at www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk to keep an eye on our emerging business and feel free to take advantage of our services by getting in touch as either client or candidate.  Thanks, Brian Matthews . http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/11th-september-2012/brian-matthews-confirmed-as-managing-partner-in-manchester‘s-expanding-marketing-recruitment-agency-–-the-candidate-ltd/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/11th-september-2012/brian-matthews-confirmed-as-managing-partner-in-manchester‘s-expanding-marketing-recruitment-agency-–-the-candidate-ltd/ Tue, 11 September 2012 12:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/7th-september-2012/5-ways-to-keep-a-good-relationship-with-your-boss/ The recession continues to bite, but the appetite for companies to make profits and in some case excessive profits, continues. After all that's why they exist! But have you noticed further "tightening" of the belt recently? Free coffee and fruit been pulled? Your colleagues have left and no-one is brought in to replace them? Even worse, it seems as if someone's got it in for you? Have a look at these 5 ways to keep your boss happy in times like these!   -          Working from home on the occasional project without screaming for overtime can go down well. The service levels or product volumes which your company provides do fluctuate and when the demand is a little higher than what you can all put in working 9-5 then be flexible. In the long run, should things continue on the up whilst demand is rising, then you'll likely be part of the rewards. Stick to the 9-5 rigidly and you'll likely not see the excessive rewards further down the line.   -          Remember, they are stressed too! It is likely that they are in middle management (debatably the most challenging place to be) and they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. I know it is hard to sympathise, after all they are on a greater salary, but to justify that they must perform at a higher level! Sympathise with them, understand their pain and before too long you'll be helping them through this rough phase and be seen to be a solution, not the problem.   -          Don't get your back up at unreasonable requests. All things usually balance out and a little give and take goes a long way. Like a relationship, this needs to exist and as you're likely spend more time during the week with your boss than you're other half. The identification of middle ground can go a long way to help prevent fall outs in the long run. Just like you want a weekend away in Spain with your mates and you have to wine and dine your other half in advance (and afterwards) then you'll have to work late if you have the occasional Friday afternoon finish at 3pm!   -          Work as a team and don't squabble like children. Fact is, we are all different and some have better skills than others in different areas. So, it is likely that unfortunately some of your work mates will be better and more efficient at the job than you. Don't take this personally, just deal with it, work with them and avoid causing a headache for your boss. It is the last thing they need and it can isolate you!   -          Remember they are human. They have a family, maybe kids, holidays, desires and ambitions. Ask how things are and don't let day to day work be the be all and end all of your relationship. It can be a really simple way of breaking down any issues and helping build bridges. I know you don't really care and that way if it back fires and they tell you to mind your own business (which is highly unlikely) then you can simply walk away.   Or, if you've simply had enough, why not get in contact and send your CV to us at info@wehavethecandidate.co.uk . Good Luck! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/7th-september-2012/5-ways-to-keep-a-good-relationship-with-your-boss/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/7th-september-2012/5-ways-to-keep-a-good-relationship-with-your-boss/ Fri, 07 September 2012 09:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/7th-september-2012/twitfaced!/ What is it? A little more of a light hearted event than most that we post on here. You may have gathered that from the title! Getting twitfaced is the name of the game, so afterwork get out there and have some fun! If you like twitter and like having fun and dancing and chatting then there will be 250 of you at this event.. When and Where? This little stonker is at the Uber Lounge in Bohemia which is Arch 8 - 9 at Catalan Square, in Manchester. The postcode is M3 4RU. It's on Friday 14 th September at 6pm. For who? It is claimed that this is for everyone, Mancunians and adopted mancunians . They have about 250 tickets Why? Be social, come out from behind your twitter account... More details? More information, with pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/cb75xe8 Enjoy! http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/7th-september-2012/twitfaced!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/september/7th-september-2012/twitfaced!/ Fri, 07 September 2012 09:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/social-media-cafe-liverpool/ Social Media Cafe Liverpool What is it? This is all about Social Media and if you are involved in it or really want to be involved then come along to it. It's good fun and informative and previous meetings have been very successful with rave reviews afterwards. Social media really is the interesting end of online which is powering ahead and you should immerse yourself in it by going to events like this! When and Where? This beaut of an event is on Thursday 6 th September from 6pm. Its at Static Gallery Liverpool, 23 Roscoe Lane, Liverpool, L1 9JD. For who? Newbees and experienced social media peeps. Why? As the emerging leader in creative online media, this is a sector to get involved in. Whether you are agency side, client side or a budding entrepreneur, go along and see what you can get from it. More details? http://socialmediacafeliverpool.wordpress.com/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/social-media-cafe-liverpool/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/social-media-cafe-liverpool/ Fri, 31 August 2012 12:00:00 Brian Matthews http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/cv-tips-from-the-candidate/ Candidates are increasingly thinking of new ways of formulating CV's in order to "stand out from the crowd." However pushing creativity too far can be disastrous and they end up making a meal out of what should be a well documented career path. This set of guidelines will help you format your CV, increasing your chances of securing that all important interview: 1. Personal information - Name, address , notice period and salary expectation 2. Personal Profile - This should be a paragraph based on your softer skills. It should always be targeted to the role you are applying for. 3. Key achievements- There should be five or six maximum. These again should highlight your achievements within your roles to date. In order to ensure that you don't ramble and keep your achievement succinct, use the STAR Format a. Situation- this should be two lines outlining the project b. Task- what was your role c. Action- what three things did you do in order to achieve your goal a d. Result - ensure that you are tangible- give %, figures and timelines in order to help the employer visualise your success 4. Career history & skills- Your career should always be in chronological order starting with your most recent role. DO NOT - copy and paste your job specification in your current role - this is very easily picked up (as most are generic) - use it as a guide Technical skills- Ensure that you highlight, systems, projects or languages if these are relevant to any role that you have been in 5. Education- again in chronological order, starting with any relevant professional qualifications - i.e. CIM Highlight your dissertation if relevant to the role- although this tends to be more prevalent for graduates You are not required to list every grade for A levels and GCSEs - simply number of grades A-C 6. Interests? Yes- they should be on there - this sets you out from the crowd or when there is a shortlist scenario. Try and avoid saying socialising with friends, playing football, going to the cinema - tell them where you like going, what team you support or what the last film you watched was. Interesting interests - always stand out - i.e. - sword swallowing, log fluming, rock climbing. However, do not lie. This two dimensional document is to ensure you get over that first hurdle so it is vital that you take the time to think through how you can portray yourself in the best light. For any further career and cv advice please don't hesitate to contact any of The Candidate recruitment team on info@wehavethecandidate.co.uk or call 07718190271 http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/cv-tips-from-the-candidate/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/31st-august-2012/cv-tips-from-the-candidate/ Fri, 31 August 2012 11:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/24th-august-2012/10-things-you-should-never-ever-do-in-a-digital-job-interview/ Are you looking for a job in digital marketing? Wondered what mistakes people have made previousy that you want to avoid. Maybe it is your first step into the sector or you are taking a step up the career ladder on your way to being the next agency head or marketing director? Take this advice on board from us; it may just help you get there a little easier than some. Most of these are from experience across our team at interviews or pre screening with candidates! Enjoy! Just don't turn up not having a Facebook, Twitter AND Linked In Account! You're entering the world of digital; just make sure you're actually involved in it, not stuck in the 90's! Still describing PPC marketing as paperclips. Asking "What's all this Google paperclip strategy about?" will get you to one place - the front door, fast. Having a bizarrely named email account which is the one you set up at college and having it at the top of your CV in the interview won't help your maturing status. Iamalooser@hotmail.com , iwannabeaspicegirl@gmail.co.uk and imgaryglittersno1fan@email.com won't impress many. Speaking to the interviewee like they are one of your mates and dressing like you're about to hang out at the local diner isn't great either. Be confident, drop the street speak, don't chew gum and definitely don't turn up without a suit on (ever ever.) Always let your personality come out, but in little bits and at the right time. You may be the alpha male or leader of the gang, but we all have to start somewhere. Grilling the interviewee on their career progression and recommending how they should progress means no job. A ringing phone, twitter alert from Skysports.com, text message from your mum wishing you good luck, or a Facebook alert won't go down that well. Never be late. Just pretend the interview is an hour earlier than it is and get a coffee. But not a beer, no alcohol before the interview or you'll just make the interviewer jealous. BO, damp clothes, previously damp clothes, ripped clothes, no clothes, oversized clothes, a tie that you wouldn't wear in a black out, a beard that hasn't quite grown enough, make up in the wrong facial parts and a stare that would burn holes all are big no no's. Winking. Never do it. Sitting down before the interviewers have sat down, assess and make your own call. For interview help and advice contact us and we'll gladly go through things with you. We accept queries from clients and candidates alike. Just pick up the phone. Good luck y'all. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/24th-august-2012/10-things-you-should-never-ever-do-in-a-digital-job-interview/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/24th-august-2012/10-things-you-should-never-ever-do-in-a-digital-job-interview/ Fri, 24 August 2012 10:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/17th-august-2012/northern-soho-meet-up/ Northern Soho Meet-up What is it? As we all know, the north is becoming the creative hub! This event will allow everyone and anyone to get together and chat about what's going on creatively and digitally. The world continues to change and digital is right bang in the middle of it, be a part of it at this inspiring event! When and Where? This little nugget is on Thursday 30 th August so get it in your diary. Location is confirmed later, join up for more information here . For who? This one is for literally everyone in the creative industry and from a marketing services background. Why? It's a great opportunity to escape the office, meet people who do what you do and network. If you're looking to develop your career, do not under estimate the power of networking! More details? http://www.meetup.com/NorthernSoho/events/74712412/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/17th-august-2012/northern-soho-meet-up/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/17th-august-2012/northern-soho-meet-up/ Fri, 17 August 2012 10:41:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/17th-august-2012/digital-marketing-talent-resource-research/ "Research" - defined in the Oxford dictionary as "the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions." Conducting research within the digital age today is essential as it continues to develop, as commented on by Wikipedia "as technology develops more devices become able of internet browsing and the digital marketing potential that comes with it." So on our doorstep, in this very city and across the North West of England, we have a developing sector, inspiring investors, corporations, clients and importantly candidates to contribute to this growth and desire to benefit from the commercial reward of such a developing area. The need for an understanding of the attitudes and behaviour of the people involved within the sector will only allow us all to provide better employment solutions because, as we've consistently highlighted, it's the people and the attitudes they hold to it and the area that will determine the levels of growth moving forward. I've worked in the digital marketing sector for 12 years and have been lucky enough to witness and work with the evolution of the industry. From the days of Altavista and the bubble bursting at the turn of the century through to the phenomenal use of social media at the recent games in London, it's been a hell of a journey. And keeping up with it isn't easy, ask any agency account manager or marketing manager, deciding how best to allocate budget, maximise response and take share! My advice from all those years is to keep one eye on the developments and one eye on your employees and how they are adapting to the levels of change and innovation. How can you identify their strengths and benefit from them accordingly? Here are the top 5 things we'd say could be useful to assess in our changing world: How do your organisation and its individuals cope with change? What skills are transferable, how can you make the most of these? Who and what are you really competing with? E.g. Business, location, change, economy. How does your company structure look today and how might it look with the green shoots coming through in the economy in 1, 2 or 3 years time? What is acceptable turnover of staff (it will happen!) and how can you maximise value of inbound candidates? Understand where you sit and what you are working with by doing your homework on your company and marketplace. It's essential to know what's going on and how you can be prepared. Please help us to better understand the market by completing our NW Digital Survey here (and have the chance if winning £100 of Amazon Vouchers.) We're gathering as many responses as possible to release the findings next month, which can only impact how you deal with your employee retention strategy... http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/17th-august-2012/digital-marketing-talent-resource-research/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/17th-august-2012/digital-marketing-talent-resource-research/ Fri, 17 August 2012 10:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/14th-august-2012/nw-digital-marketing-survey-win-£100-amazon-vouchers/ We are running this short survey to better understand the needs and requirements of candidates in the region. Your insights will help create a report into the employment profile and motivations of digital marketers in the North West. We can send you the results and for the chance to win £100 of Amazon vouchers, please complete the survey and leave your details. Click here:   And don't forget to sign up to our Twitter account: @thecandidateuk http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/14th-august-2012/nw-digital-marketing-survey-win-£100-amazon-vouchers/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/14th-august-2012/nw-digital-marketing-survey-win-£100-amazon-vouchers/ Tue, 14 August 2012 14:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/10th-august-2012/oggcamp-12/ What is it? It is a conference which spans across 2 days where those people who are really enthusiastic about everything technological, group together on a wide range of subjects. This includes things like building systems to automate home building systems, software for open source and also Linux. When and Where? This year it is on Saturday, August 18 th and starts at 1000. The location is Liverpool School of Art and Design, 2 Duckinfield Street, Liverpool, L3 5RD. For who? Really for those who'd like to learn and listen about other people's experiences in this area and be passionate about technology. Why? Well, this event is now in its 4 th year and boasts great speakers from the UK, Europe and Unites States. It's really interactive and previous attendees have found it extremely useful. More details? http://www.manchesterdigital.com/events/oggcamp-12 http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/10th-august-2012/oggcamp-12/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/10th-august-2012/oggcamp-12/ Fri, 10 August 2012 11:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/10th-august-2012/5-ways-to-help-with-your-staff-retention-and-to-ensure-an-employee-feels-like-they-are-developing/ Given that today's digital marketing sector is very much candidate and employee driven, it goes without saying that that your most important focus should be your staff. By focusing on these key areas this should help you nurture the talent that you have. They are both areas that clients and candidates should be focussing on in order to develop staff and increase retention: PDP - to assist with a steady level of development, digital employees should have a Personal Development Plan, this will identify their strengths and shortfalls in their skill-set and ultimately gave you the direction you both need. Training - regular training sessions based around the role and `sharpening the sword' for your staff. It is so easy to put training on the back burner, but a little time devoted can pay huge dividends Know your competition - the reason that people tend to leave is that they feel that the grass is greener. Identify what sets you apart and shout develop that.   Identify their ideal role - as with the majority of people they will want to progress - show them steps that they have to take and deliver  Celebrate the wins - it is important that a team ethos is developed. This will come about if you celebrate any wins As a digital marketing recruitment agency based in Manchester we are keen to support our clients and candidates alike. For more consultative advice please don't hesitate to contact Brian, Colin or Maz on info@wehavethecandidate.co.uk . We do digital marketing recruitment in Manchester, the North West and beyond. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/10th-august-2012/5-ways-to-help-with-your-staff-retention-and-to-ensure-an-employee-feels-like-they-are-developing/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/10th-august-2012/5-ways-to-help-with-your-staff-retention-and-to-ensure-an-employee-feels-like-they-are-developing/ Fri, 10 August 2012 10:26:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/1st-august-2012/employer-free-resource!/ Do you work in an agency in any of the following sectors? Or maybe you have a department which specialises in the following for you? Manchester Metropolitan University's Business School can offer you free resource, yes free! Areas: -          Marketing Management -          Advertising & Brand Management -          PR & Digital -          Retail Marketing More and more, employers are looking for graduates with experience from work placements or sandwich years. The likelihood is that they are more likely to settle and understand the demands which will be put on them. It can reduce dropout rate and increase efficiency when recruiting at this level. But how can employers expect this without offering something back in return? Only as employers can you make the decision to offer work experience and placements. So that's where MMU's Agency life comes in. Acting as a host agency, employers will host 6 students, across the course of the week for a half day per student. So that's each student doing between ½ a day and a whole day per week learning real life working culture and helping in the meantime. Its real life work placement for them, they need to abide by the same rules as other employees and by giving them professional development they can help you! You could: -          Have the whole team in at once? -          Maybe you could have 1 student in per day (with 2 on one day making up the 6) -          They could work on some charity work you've promised -          Maybe you just need an extra pair of hands? -          Or maybe have individual tasks? -          Or have them come in pairs? Want to know more? David Edmundson-Bird is holding a "Parents Evening" at MMU on Thursday 9 th August at 18:00 for employers to attend and find out more information. http://mmuagencylife1.eventbrite.co.uk/ I'll be there too as an employer in need of a set of hands or 6! It would be great to catch up.  http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/1st-august-2012/employer-free-resource!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/august/1st-august-2012/employer-free-resource!/ Wed, 01 August 2012 15:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/27th-july-2012/digital-media-recruitment/ With the North West vying with London to be the Media hub of the UK, we ask ourselves how media recruitment specialists such as ourselves support the demands of this growing sector. It has become evident that within this digital age there is a lack of skilled media professionals. With the recruitment companies circling and at times creating a cannibalistic effect by assisting candidates move from competitor to competitor, we know that this can only lead to a limited marketplace. Thus it is necessary for both employers and recruitment agencies to create a partnership with their clients to enable them to be fully effective. When a consultancy understands your business they can with confidence relay the true benefits of joining your organisation onto prospective employees.  We can also be more selective in the filtering of unsuitable applicants, freeing up your interview time to focus on the candidate.   It is vital for a client with a specific requirement to deal with a company that understands exactly what they are looking for. This way new talent can be approached in complimentary sectors or approach those who are relocating therefore growing the marketplace for everyone. Our responsibility is to manage expectations on both sides to remove any concerns ensuring when a candidate becomes an employee the relationship is both professional and positive from the outset.  We as recruitment professionals need to support the growing pains of this vibrant sector by the following six key actions: 1) Assist with current market values to attract top candidates 2) Support the new generation with guided career paths 3) Provide a streamlined recruitment process (reducing on time spent studying applicants' CV's) 4) Manage a candidate's expectation for their next move 5) Provide a rebate system protecting your investment 6) Provide an open, honest and ethical service   Don't hesitate to get in touch with us whether you are an employer or a candidate for a deserved professional service. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/27th-july-2012/digital-media-recruitment/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/27th-july-2012/digital-media-recruitment/ Fri, 27 July 2012 12:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/27th-july-2012/northern-digitals-monthly-meet-up/ Event of the Week Northern Digitals Monthly Meet-up What is it? It's a chance for the very best in Northern creative people to leave their stations and group to discuss about all things innovatively, creative! When and Where? This corker is at 2022NQ which is a fully licensed space for creative thinking right bang in the middle of the Northern Quarter in sunny Manchester! For who? Creative thinkers and everyone in this industry (or anyone who wants to get into the industry!) Why? It's just great to get out of the office and the bubble that we all work in and chat about things to keep sane about the work your doing to better creative thinking! More details? http://www.2022nq.co.uk/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/27th-july-2012/northern-digitals-monthly-meet-up/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/27th-july-2012/northern-digitals-monthly-meet-up/ Fri, 27 July 2012 10:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/21st-july-2012/manchester-digital-conversion-thursday/ What is it? A networking and discussion event discussing the latest developments in online marketing. When and Where? This useful event is taking place at Purity Bar in Manchester. For who? Manchester Digital members & non-members who work in online business, like conversion experts, search gurus and web analysts. Why? With a brief round table event then a fun interactive quiz and then networking, it's a great way to meet like minded individuals in the area. More details? http://www.manchesterdigital.com/events/conversion-thursday-manchester http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/21st-july-2012/manchester-digital-conversion-thursday/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/21st-july-2012/manchester-digital-conversion-thursday/ Sat, 21 July 2012 09:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/20th-july-2012/that-time-of-the-year!/ That time of the year! It's that time of year again. Students have been working so hard within the walls of their respective universities and halls of residents and have hopefully all finally completed their courses and are anticipating their results and scores across the summer months. Congratulations to everyone who has worked hard over the last year or years, I'm sure to some it has seemed like an eternity but finally the hard graft is over and the future of paying taxes and putting all that learning to good use isn't that far away now! For some of you the step into work will have landed on your lap but for others it's a little more of a wait. There's no doubt that we are currently in one of the worst recessions which the country has ever seen but in digital marketing in Manchester there is (unbelievably) a shortage of skilled staff to fill the places going. For example on the planning and buying side of the agency world, PPC and SEO staff are in high demand, particularly at Senior Exec level / low level manager level. This goes for client facing people too. It's important that candidates push for as relevant much work experience as possible throughout their student days and pursue that afterwards in their relevant disciplines. It's more important that companies regionally invest in the graduate pool on their doorstep. There is so much to get involved with digitally on a work experience basis with loads of agencies and clients willing to bring people to complete some experience. We are working closely with some of the universities locally to help produce more opportunities around this, like MMU's £50 club and the opportunity to get involved in Salford Uni's SEMPO course. Don't hesitate to get in contact for more information, more details will follow. To show our appreciation for the talent coming out of the universities, The Candidate have sponsored The Award for Best Dissertation / Written work in the MSc Managing IT Course at Salford University. Congratulations to Maral Beik Mohammadi! We'll be presenting Maral with the prize at the Salford Business School's Prize giving event at The Lowry today (Friday 20 th June) at 1330. Well done to all the graduates from all of the universities locally and across the UK. Consider the North West for your next step!   http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/20th-july-2012/that-time-of-the-year!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/20th-july-2012/that-time-of-the-year!/ Fri, 20 July 2012 11:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/17th-july-2012/manchester-digital-bbq!/ What is it? A digital media sector networking event for anyone in the industry from Manchester. When and Where? Taking place at Atlas Bar on Deansgate on Thursday 19 th July at 1815, food at 1900. For who? This event is open to everyone, members and non-members. All levels of organisation should attend. Why? Network with the best digital people in Manchester, share ideas, shout about your successes, raise your profile, eat, drink, relax and have a good time. More details? http://www.manchesterdigital.com/events/manchester-digital-summer-barbecue http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/17th-july-2012/manchester-digital-bbq!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/17th-july-2012/manchester-digital-bbq!/ Tue, 17 July 2012 11:00:00 Colin Telford http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/17th-july-2012/welcome!/ Yes, welcome to the new blog here at The Candidate, thanks for taking a few moments to read through this. We're aiming to get as much info to you as possible moving forward, to keep in line with our policy of trust and transparency which is really setting us out from the competition. It really is all happening here at the moment. After launching The Candidate earlier this year, we've gone from strength to strength in a very short period of time, thanks to everyone for all your support. The demand for our refreshing service and approach to media and marketing recruitment is massively evident! We are here to stay and build on our foundation. So what's new this week, well have a look at this: New website homepage promoting the different elements of the site: Event of the week - the must attend event of the next few days. See you there! Check out our job of the week which will give the right candidate a huge step forward in their career! We're growing our Twitter following at a serious rate. Follow us now to keep up to the minute on things happening here, there and everywhere! The blog! You're reading it! Thank you. We're in the heart of Manchester City Centre, with offices at Quay Street between the Opera House and Granada Studios, so call by and have a coffee and a chat. Keep tuned. We've got loads of refreshing ideas, services, products, people, places, events, tweets, social media activity, things and general stuff lined up! We really want you to be part of it. So, what do you think? Feel free to comment below, tweet, email, call, drop in - whatever is easiest really. We're here to listen. http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/17th-july-2012/welcome!/ http://www.wehavethecandidate.co.uk/latest-blogs/posts/2012/july/17th-july-2012/welcome!/ Tue, 17 July 2012 11:00:00