Social Matters and Natters

So 2018 is coming to a close and what a year it has been! Definitely had some highs and lows this year, and I am feeling very determined to achieve a lot in 2019. 2018 has seen several holidays being enjoyed, organising a hen do, three weddings, weekends with family and friends… Oh and we bought a house! What a year. On reflection I’ve crammed a lot in! Now it’s time to look forward to 2019, which will be here before we know it. Each year I like to set myself a few goals to achieve, rather than setting New Years Resolutions. Alongside these I want to tick a few more things off my 30 before 30 list (time is running out!) 2019 Goals, hopes & dreams: Get fit – 2019 is definitely a fitness year, lose a bit of weight, run more and feel good about myself Get saving – Having bought a house in 2018 it’s time to get saving again Time to myself – Weekends are usually packed full of things whether it’s seeing friends or going here there and everywhere. Next year I nee...

If you've been following my blog for over 12 months you will know I love to do a little review of Christmas adverts each year. December is here, the ads are out. So here we go for 2018.... John Lewis Let's start with the biggie. Not going to lie, I was a little underwhelmed this year... For me, it's not the Coca-Cola lorry that starts off Christmas, its the much-awaited John Lewis advert! Don't get me wrong, the message is sweet and Elton John is amazing, but bring back Monty and Mable! Aldi Kevin the Carrot is back! I like that they've returned with Kevin, building on the story and appealing to the whole family. Plus with references to other retailer ads along the way! Iceland Now, either the marcomms team are super duper clever, or this was pure fluke... The 'banned' ad telling the story of an Orangutan has received more views and publicity than any other Christmas advert. Well played Iceland, well played. An emotional, current and powerful messag...

So I have got my degree and established my career, but there is always time to keep on investing in yourself more and more. This is all part of my 30 before 30 list, so it's pretty open to interpretation, but I have a small list of what I want to do and achieve, and how to do this. This is my focus for next year: Additional qualifications, training and skill building - at the moment I'm not too sure what this will be, but I am definitely going to get something organised for 2019. I absolutely love learning and expanding my knowledge.  Time to myself & time with my family, friends and partner - We spend more time at work than we do with those we love, so I am going to make more time to see everyone. Looking after my mental health - Technology plays a big part in this, spending time away from my laptop and phone to enjoy other things in life. Also not comparing myself to others. In a digital age it can be tricky! Doing more of what I enjoy - I love to read, blog and ...

This month I'm going to be another year older and another year wiser. It's been a very busy year for me, with a lot of changes and I've definitely learnt a lot! We're buying our first house together, which ticks one thing off my 30 before 30 list! But it's been the biggest learning curve for me. Coupled with that, I have also learnt a lot about myself, my capabilities and skills, my weaknesses, and expanded my marketing knowledge further. Anyway, with all of this going on it got me thinking about what advice I would now give to my younger self. Always easy with the benefit of hindsight... Learn more about mortgages and finance If I could do this all again I would have prepared myself slightly more so that the jargon wasn't so overwhelming! Save, save, save It's hard when you're younger to see the long term benefits of saving, instead wanting to go out, go on holidays etc. but it's 100% worth popping a little of your payday happiness into your ...

So I haven't blogged since March... where has the time gone?! Life is so busy, but so good, and sadly my blog has taken the backseat in it all! Hello again, if anyone is still there? I have just published a marketing blog, so thought I would follow it up with a personal one to catch you up with everything that's going on too. Life is good, life is busy. We are in the process of making some big decisions in the Chick-King household... watch this space. And what is with this heat? I LOVE IT. Summery nights, Gin, warmth. So good. Not enjoying the sleepless nights though, so we purchased a fan. Top notch choice. We've recently been to Sardinia for a week of sun, cocktails and to chill. Best week! Work hard, but definitely need a week/few days here and there to just switch off, relax and come back refreshed. It allows time to put everything into perspective and focus on family. Highly recommended. Whilst on my holibobs I read an incredible book called #GIRLBOSS by Sophia A...

This has cropped up in conversation several times over the past few months so I figured it was time to blog about it! The question of whether marketing is a marathon or a sprint is an age old question where the answer remains the same.  Certain elements of marketing fall into each of these.... with many factors having to be taken into account. The best results can be seen as a mixture of activities that deliver both quick and quality results. SEO is a marathon and requires attention, care and dedication. The climb up the pages can take a while, plus algorithms change. A so-called 'quick fix' would be to use PPC - higher cost but a quick result. Other elements to focus on include brand awareness, however this is dependant on how established the brand is. It can take time for brand awareness to come into fruition - again depending on the competition levels and industry etc. I could waffle on about all the varieties and what if scenarios, but I think you've got the gis...

What a hot topic! It's taken me a while to decide on the angle of this blog post - what to talk about, who to include etc. With the on-going media coverage on subjects like the MeToo campaign and pay equality, there's so much to talk about and focus on this International Women's Day 2018. Now for those of you who don't know me, I am a big believer in gender equality and supporting woman in business, especially working mothers and the stigma of pregnancy in the workplace. The theme of IWD 2018 is #pressforprogress - with gender equality at the heart of the campaign. Find out more here.  Anyway, back to today and this post... I've decided to take the opportunity to celebrate the women in my life. They inspire, encourage, support and drive me. Family - Mum, My sister, My Aunts, Second Family, In-laws. Everyone single one of these ladies have influenced me in one way or another. Friends - The girls. My therapists, holder of all the secrets. They've stuck wit...

GALENTINE'S DAY is here!  For those of you who are thinking "What....?" let me fill you in with the 411. February 13th is now known as Galentine's day - a concept born from the AMAZING Parks and Recreations (watch the clip here ) To quote Leslie Knope Galentine's Day is " ladies celebrating ladies " and it's "only the best day of the year". And you know what... I agree! I became aware of this concept last year and loved it... I spent 2017 with my best bud having dinner and drinks, a lovely chilled evening. And this year I've sent my Galentine's Day card to my gal pals. More and more companies are jumping on the trend and I've already seen so many posts from retailers such as Lush, Benefit, New Look and Miss Selfridge... Well done to their marketing teams for picking up on one of the hottest trends for February 2018. It's no lie that Valentine's Day has become more and more commercialised in recent years and...

It's getting to that time of year where students will be looking for a placement year as part of their degree. The pressure will be on, with the continual questions from everyone of "How's the job hunt going?" and "Have you got any interviews yet?". I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt. As if your second year at uni isn't hard enough without finding the time to do all of this too! The message here is twofold. To all students reading this: carry on with your search!! Don't give up looking... it's the best thing I ever did! My search carried on and I didn't secure a placement until the June to start in the July!! It's so worth it though and you can do it! Just set aside an hour or so each day to send those applications. And be open-minded about what you are applying for, you never know where it might lead! Then we come to employers - hello! Now some of you won't have entertained the thought of employing an int...

It's no surprise that digital marketing continues to develop each and every day. Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with the latest social consumer trends. One day we were all hanging out on MySpace with our emo photos and crazy profile pages... The next day everyone is suddenly on Facebook. 2007 was a social media rollercoaster! And over the past 11 years (ELEVEN YEARS!) this growth and overnight change has continued. Instagram, Snapchat and all sorts are now leading the way in social media. Email marketing continues to expand too, with more and more emails being sent each day from companies. However, with GDPR coming into effect in May, what's the future like for email marketing? Let's take a moment to remember this guy. If you don't know who he is, please just stop reading this blog and Google. Jess is one of my favourite cats... but I digress. Mail. Post. Letters. I LOVE ALL OF THESE. Now I am in my mid to late 20s and to me, receiving post is actually a ...

2018 is here! HAPPY NEW YEAR! How did everyone celebrate? I always get a bit bleugh about New Year, I feel like there is this huge social pressure to have a good time and party, but why?! I opted for a cosy night in and it was divine. A lovely M&S meal for two, in the warm and wearing my comfy PJs. Lush. Anyway, it's now time for the classic 'New Year, New Me' posts. So here is mine, I am joining in again (and I LOVE IT). This year I am grabbing January and making the most of it. Not going to lie, the January blues really get to me. All the excitement and merriment is over, lights are down and it's all very grey. (Although I do have two birthday celebrations to attend...) The other day I saw a post by the charity Mind and it has inspired me. This January is all about my health. Fresh new year, fresh start. Therefore every day in January - rain, shine or snow - I am going to go out on a run or walk after work and use the time to reflect on each day. Not only ...