Event Postponed

Unfortunately this event has been postponed until later in 2008 because of client commitments.  We hope to announce a new date shortly - likely to be October 2008.   You can, however, pre-register your interest.  Just drop an email to jeff@NOSPAMquadco.co.uk (removing the words NOSPAM from the address) and we’ll ensure you’re first in the queue for a place. 

Quadriga Consulting has been providing B2B marketing consulting services for the last 6 years with clients including some of the leading B2B brands in the world as well as early to mid-stage firms.  We are one of the leading proponents of B2B digital marketing strategy development in the UK and our Managing Consultant, Jeff Peel, has spoken at events all over the world on the Web 2.0 revolution.

Jeff is the author of a book on CRM and has advised government departments, technology firms and B2B marketers on digital marketing strategy. 

Supported by a line-up of speakers with specialist Web 2.0 marketing and market research expertise, he will present the massive opportunities for B2B marketers to create huge competitive advantage through adoption of best practice strategies.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Confirmed speakers include:

Jeffrey Peel
Managing Consultant
Quadriga Consulting (Seminar Leader)
Web 2.0 Marketing Techniques, Tools and Strategy Development

Marek Vaygelt
Head of Technology and Telecoms Consulting
YouGov plc
Research 2.0 and the B2B Marketing Process

Adam Parker
CEO
WebITPR
Newswires, SEO and Social Bookmarking

Jeremy Brown
CEO
Sense Worldwide
Social Networking the Business

By Jeffrey Peel - At last week’s Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco there was, as expected, lots of discussion about social networking.  The discussions didn’t just focus on the usual suspect social networking sites either.  There was a lot of discussion about how so-called “micro-blogging” sites are becoming increasingly influential.  Micro-blogging sites like Twitter allow for much more rapid one-to-many interactions and are now considered a key component of the social networking/blogosphere.  In fact, I’d go even further and say that by the end of the conference on Friday I was all twittered out.  And this morning I read that Twitter may just have closed a round of funding. 

All this means that social networking is becoming more and more granular but it also means that the distinction between b2b networks and consumer networks is blurring.  Twitter, in particular, is becoming a day to day interaction tool for the celebrity tech bloggers who were there in abundance last week (like Robert Scoble and Stowe Boyd).  In fact Boyd has now come up with the idea of the Twitchpitch that mandates PR types who want to pitch a story to him have to use Twitter.  When I ran into him at a drinks party last week he made clear that he didn’t care much for Facebook pitches either. 

Therefore if you thought that all you had to do to get your B2B social networking strategy together was to have a Linked-In profile, I’m going to have to tell you that you need to think again.  Complex social networking ecosystems allow people to pick and choose - and people will define themselves in the ecosystem according to their favourite tools (and none of us has time to use them all). 

This, of course, means that there is an increasing role for marketing services companies.  Social networking elements in the marketing mix are essential in order to elicit information on how markets are evolving.  B2B networks are becoming the definitive communications media for channel owners, consultants, journalists and other ‘influencers’ in the tech space - not just celeb bloggers. 

As Stowe Boyd said in a panel session last week, social networking is about people talking.  And, when people talk, marketing people should always be interested. 

By Jeffrey Peel - Often I’m asked how it is that as a company that started in research we ended up doing so much more. 

The conclusion  I have come to is that research and analysis firms have more interesting things to say because our thoughts, and perspectives, are based on market knowledge and understanding.  While much of the work is client-confidential we, at the same time, build tacit knowledge that gives us some right to take a stand on issues.  Admittedly we have to operate within a frame of reference - and in our case that ‘frame’ would be heavily influenced by information technology.

But, think about it for a minute, the fact is that just about every business these days is becoming a technology business.  Even David Cameron in his latest election broadcast - just last week - made overt reference to the Internet as one of the most fundamental reasons for social change in the UK.  After all, entire swathes of our population no longer watch television.  Internet advertising is set to overtake TV advertising in the next two years.  And where the web used to be the domain and stomping ground for big business, suddenly - with Web 2.0 technologies - it has become democratised.  Even my own 11 year old daughter can now design her own Bebo ’skin’. 

The Internet is a super-medium.  In the past all advertising was a tell-sell.  Now it’s an interactive sell and it has become much more complex, interconnected and, obviously, viral.  If brands offend they will be pilloried online in seconds. 

The impact on marketing services is massive.  Frankly, unless one is immersed in the world of interactive web technologies one will quickly lose touch.  Indeed I recently went on an Internet-free, one week, beach holiday and felt I had lost touch a bit when I returned. 

But, let’s face it, marketing services firms can’t have the luxury of being type-cast these days as one thing or the other.  The Internet will inevitably make us all chameleons - admittedly with our own specialisms.  Therefore as a researcher I will present my research - socialise it - using new communications media.  I will also collect it in new ways making use of social networking communities and online data collection techniques.  And my clients must be prepared to act on research by reaching out to these new global communities, search engines and news portals via more and more flexible and target-able media. 

We are delighted to announce that Ruth McNeil has joined the Board of Quadriga Consulting Ltd as a Non-Executive Director.  

Ruth McNeil is a highly respected market researcher with particular experience in the business to business sector.  She works for a range of private and public sector clients across a range of different subjects both in the UK and internationally. She is a non-Executive Director at Quadriga Consulting and works with us on international assignments based out of London.  She runs her own research practice based in London.

For fifteen years Ruth worked at Research International as deputy managing director of RI Specialist Units (where Jeff Peel was also a Director) and was a main board director of RI. Ruth left Research International in August 2000 and has since worked with clients on practical business and services issues, strategic planning, branding research, customer relationship management, concept development, market optimisation and other areas.

Ruth plays an active role in the wider research industry, for two years having been one of the Market Research Society Awards Judges for the annual MRS conference. Ruth is a member of the BIG Conference Committee and the conference Programme Committee (BIG is the annual specialist Business to Business researchers conference). She convenes the MRS “International Research” training course and is a frequent speaker on market research issues at conferences in the UK and USA.

Ruth has a degree in Languages from Durham University and is a Fellow of the Market Research Society.  She has also written an excellent book on B2B Market Research (see Books). 

Mobile Cohesion Selected in Most Innovative Supplier Category for Prestigious Award…

Quadriga Consulting client Mobile Cohesion announced today that it has been named a finalist in the TeleManagement Forum Excellence Awards. The TM Forum awards are given to member companies that are being recognized for distinguished contribution and innovation in the OSS and BSS industry. Winners will be announced in a formal awards dinner ceremony on May 21, 2007 at the TeleManagement World event in Nice, France.

“We congratulate Mobile Cohesion on their finalist status for the TM Forum Excellence Awards. This year’s competition was highly competitive, and as a finalist, they have stood out from their peers in outstanding contribution to Telecom OSS and BSS,” said Martin Creaner, President and Chief Technical Officer of the TeleManagement Forum.

Mobile Cohesion was named in the Most Innovative Supplier category which recognizes TM Forum member companies who have demonstrated exceptional thought leadership and innovation in the use of technology.

Per Lindblad, Mobile Cohesion’s CEO responded to the announcement:

“Being shortlisted for this award recognizes the dedication of our development team and the partner relationship management vision that is HYDRA.  We have defined profit and performance focused partner relationship management for the mobile industry and have won the endorsement of a growing list of leading operators worldwide.  Further recognition from the TeleManagement Forum is another great indicator of just how far we have come and how entrenched the product concept is in the market.  We’re delighted to be short-listed and look forward to the awards ceremony in May.”

Davy McDonald, our illustrious designer, has given us a new look.  Still featuring the Quadriga horse-head device the branding is now a tad cleaner.  We thought it was appropriate to celebrate our 5th anniversary.  The new Quadriga blue is now on our stationery, business cards, and even on our Wordpress masthead. 

We’re sometimes asked, “what’s with the horse?”.  Well Quadrigae were chariots used in ancient Rome.  Drawn by four horses they, apparently, went at quite a pace (think Ben Hur etc.).  The four idea is a play on the 4 Ps of marketing. 

Today is Quadriga Consulting’s 5th Anniversary.  On the 2nd of January 2002 we started trading and, since our first month, we’ve been profitable.  Nearly all the work we undertake is international, and our client list in pretty equally divided between mobile software/services and enterprise software. 

We hope to grow even more in 2007 and would like to thank our clients for their business over the last five years. 

Quadriga Consulting client Mobile Cohesion will be exhibiting at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona from February 12, 2007.  Mobile Cohesion provides a unique 3PRM solution called HYDRA that allows mobile operators to have better, more accountable relationships with third party content and applications providers.  HYDRA is also playing an increasingly important role as a core component in Service Delivery Platforms.

At 3GSM the company will be announcing exciting new customer references and product enhancements.  Media or Analysts interested in meeting the Mobile Cohesion management team should contact Jeffrey Peel at Quadriga Consulting in the first instance. 

Quadriga Consulting has been commissioned to write a report, for Microsoft Dynamics, on the current state of play regarding CRM in local and regional government. 

The report should be published in the New Year.  The White Paper will focus on the current state of play re. CRM in the sector, the regulatory environment and will refer to case studies across Europe and beyond where local authorities are redefining citizen relationships based on CRM initiatives.  If you are a local authority and would like to tell us your CRM story please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

We’ll be at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona from February 11, 2007.