Posts Tagged ‘agency’
March 12th, 2010 By greg Filed Under: Masher of the Month
Stephanie McWilliams came on board with Mash during the recruitment and selection process for a top whisky brand sampling campaign at the end of last Summer and she really hasn’t looked back.
Hailing from Belfast – her natural charm and professionalism has seen her build a really solid relationship with fellow Brand Ambassadors, Managers and Clients alike.
Well done Stephanie – Happy Spending!!
January 20th, 2010 By greg Filed Under: Uncategorized
We are often asked why we pay our Brand Ambassadors on a P.A.Y.E (employed) basis and we understand that it is a grey area for many as different agencies have varying approaches to the legislation.
The below guidelines are taken from the Inland Revenue website and will help you (The Mashers) to understand your employment status with us.
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In most cases your employment status will be straightforward. In general terms, you are employed if you work for someone and don’t have the risks of running the business.
You are self-employed if you are in business for yourself and are responsible for the success or failure of that business. To help you check your employment status, answer the following questions.
These also apply if you are a casual or part-time worker. If you have more than one job the same questions apply for each job.
Employed – if you answer yes to most of the questions you are likely to be employed:
• Do you have to do the work yourself?
• Can someone tell you where to work, when to work, how to work or what to do?
• Can someone move you from task to task?
• Do you have to work a set number of hours?
• Are you paid a regular wage or salary?
• Can you get overtime pay or bonus payments?
• Are you responsible for managing anyone else engaged by the person or company that you are working for?
Self-employed – if you answer yes to one or more of the questions you are likely to be self-employed.
• Can you hire someone to do the work, or take on he
lpers at your own expense?
• Can you decide where to provide the services of the job, when to work, how to work
and what to do?
• Can you make a loss as well as a profit?
• Do you agree to do a job for a fixed price regardless of how long the job may take?
If you can’t answer yes to any of the above questions, you are still likely to be self-employed if you can answer yes to most of the following questions.
• Do you risk your own money?
• Do you provide the main items of equipment (not the tools that many employees
provide for themselves) needed to do the job?
• Do you regularly work for a number of different people and require business set up
in order to do so?
• Do you have to correct unsatisfactory work in your own time and at your own expense?
For more information please go to:
November 3rd, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Masher of the Month
Is none other than the mighty Paul Hanson a.k.a. Frog.
Frog has delivered to the highest level all year round and consistently goes that extra mile for us. Not least when recently he stepped in last minute to help avert a bit of a van and stock crisis at some very unsociable hour on the M6.
It really is appreciated by us all here at Mash and this award is in recognition of someone who truly appreciates the teamwork and partnership focus we need throughout our campaigns.
Frog informs us that he has already started work on building a trophy cabinet.
We love a confident Masher…
October 9th, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Mash in the Media
Mash were out in force at the Annual Field Marketing and Brand Experience Awards at the Marriot Mayfair last night.
We received a ‘highly recommended’ Silver Award once again. We felt we were in with a really strong chance of Gold but no matter, it was still an awesome night and we’re over the moon at the success of this year.
We have delivered over 235 projects this year alone, working with some of the coolest brands on the planet at gigs, festivals and events all over the UK and Europe. We have a lot of work in the pipeline for 2010 already, some of which we will start planning and booking very soon. We’ve also got an awesome new development on the database front and hugely improved interactivity in the new phase of the website.
Lots to come, and lots to celebrate.
Not least our Mashers themselves. Without them nothing would be possible and as if to prove this very point – a team of our girls and guys did us immensely proud at the awards last night effortlessly hosting the guests and presenting the awards – with class and professionalism that only Mash can offer!
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead.
July 2nd, 2009 By greg Filed Under: sMashing News
As part of our ‘Understanding the Challenge’ initiative, all of the internal team have committed to working on a number of our live campaigns over the course of this summer. The ambition for the project is to gain greater understanding and empathy for the challenges faced by our Mashers in the field and as a result of this new experience, gain greater insight which we hope will further fuel the innovation aspirations of the business for 2009.
We are continuously hunting for ways to improve and refine the staffing process and believe that this initiative will effectively aid us in this endeavour.
Understanding the Challenge 1 > Our first person to jump at the challenge was our very own Talent Manager, Gregorious the Gentle.
We conducted a quick interview with him post activity;
What was it like being down in the trenches?
I really enjoyed it. I think I got lucky in a way with the job I was given. Being in a positive environment like John Lewis in Kingston certainly beats leafletting in the rain on a dodgy street corner!
What was the biggest surprise for you?
Many ‘Mashers’ feed back to me that working alone is the kind of job they would rather avoid and I can completely understand after this experience. I’m the kind of person who thrives on being around people; be it colleagues, peers etc so working alone was a whole new concept for me. I suppose the biggest surprise to me was how easy it was to speak to people and how many responses I got and yet how few sales I was able to conclude on! (am not bitter…honest!!)
What was the hardest part of the job?
This was a Sales Job – no question. I couldn’t have had more conversations with consumers or demonstrated the coffee machine more in the time but it was such a complex challenge convincing the shoppers to buy a machine there and then.
What insight have you gained as a result of this?
I suppose I’ve realised the importance of practicing what we preach. The need to be on-brand in terms of appearance, punctuality, product knowledge, demeanour and attitude really couldn’t be more apparent in an environment like John Lewis where ALL the employees are employed on their ability to retain absolute standards on all these alements too.
Would you do it again!?
Absolutely. I honestly got a real buzz from it and was intrigued to see and sense the various consumer responses to what was an amazing brand and coffee machine. Consumer behaviour and psychologies have always interested me and this provided great insight into the various behaviours. Who knows, next time I might actually sell a few more…
June 16th, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Mash in the Media
This is a great week down at Mash Towers. After 4 years of hard endeavour, thousands of hours of hard graft and a lot of standing on soap boxes and talking about how our industry needed to change, we have won our first GOLD award for excellence. The ISP Award for Service Partner of the Year 2009 is in recognition of our added value partnership with our client BMT and all of the dedication and focus that has gone in to delivering the hugely successful School Foods Trust campaign.
We are passionate advocates of great promotional staffing, disciples of excellence and real supporters of change through innovation in our sector. We are immensely proud to have been recognised with this award and want to thank all of our fantastic clients, partners who have had the foresite to allocate their staffing fulfilment to us as their specialists and work with us as partners rather than clients, thereby providing the dynamic that has enabled us to innovate and perpetually improve our product and service offering. We would also like to send a huge thanks to our wonderful book of brand ambassadors, our Mashers. Through their dedication and commitment to our business, they have enabled us to over deliver on our campaigns, raising the bar in staffing fulfilment and adding substance and credibility to our ‘excellence in staffing’ mantra.
Thank you one and all!
June 12th, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Our Thoughts
Legend has it that Pablo Picasso was sketching in the park when a woman approached him. After studying her for a moment, he used a single pencil stroke to create her portrait. He handed the women his work of art. When asked how much he was owed, Picasso asked for five thousand dollars. The woman questioned why did the portrait cost so much given it took him less than one minute to draw it. To which Picasso responded, “Madame, it took me my entire life.”
The legend of Picasso is at the heart of a contemporary challenge in the advertising industry – the value and cost of ideas. There lies the problem. As an industry we are obsessed with ideas. We complain when these ideas are not accepted. We feel cheated by having to put a price tag on the enterprise of our ideas – how can I be asked to price passion and the selfless pursuit of an idea?
When we recognize we are in the business of “value creation” can we begin to shift our thinking from “‘What does it cost us to generate work and ideas a client wants?” to “What is the value of the services and materials we are creating for the client?”
Value creation forces us to decentralize the idea creation process. Instead, everyone’s job must become value creation. Value creation forces us to establish a strong personal and commercial relationship with our clients; truly understand their business as opposed to their latest brief. Value creation demands we measure and place more value on the outcome of our work.
Our latest idea is more than a campaign concept; it is value creation. Was the agency responsible for creating the Staples’ plastic Easy Button, a $4.99 gadget (that’s sold more than 1 million units since its launch in 2005) aware of that? Apparently not because they received no financial reward beyond their original fees.
Financial advisors are paid on the basis of value creation. This is accepted given their decisions have a direct and measurable impact on wealth. Digital marketing, like no other channel allows us to directly measure the value created for a brand, be it revenue or perception. This is part of the problem with digital marketing, value creation has been completely tied to quantitative metrics – sales, revenue, ROI.
If value creation is proven and measured every day, the degree of compensation then becomes a question of positioning. If clients regard an agency as just another operator on their marketing conveyor belt, value creation is not possible. Value creation requires partnership. Unfortunately most clients regard their agencies as just operators in a large conveyor belt. In response, and to extend their control and influence, agencies try to be the “jack of all trades”, operators in all realms of digital marketing. The focus is then on depth of offering as opposed to value creation. These new services are generally sold to clients at a discount – lowering overall compensation levels.
Client and agency must be willing to invest in value creation. When this occurs, the conversion of two intangibles – time and ideas – translates into a tangible and sustainable compensation model.
June 1st, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Brand Champions
Brand Champion for Scotland :: Nikki Lindsay
Unbelievable as it may seem, a whole world of experiential marketing exists North of Watford in a far off ‘county’ called ‘Scotland’ and we can’t ask for a stronger ambassador for the Mash brand than Nikki Lindsay.
One of the many reasons Mash set up the Regional Recruitment model was to bring Mash closer to the people rather than existing purely in ‘far away London’ with regional campaigns being something of an after-thought. We are very proud of our local links to regional areas – Mash Campaign Managers have no option but to embrace Scotland – as they have a Talent Manager who is very proud of his homeland – to put it mildly.
Nikki has been working within the industry for many years and has completed plentiful Event Management projects for Mash and other agencies and always delivers with a real sense of dedication to the detail and cause.
Look out for her next Mash day coming soon!
May 14th, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Mash Showcase
Whether you are an aspiring model or just keen to break in to promotions and make the absolute most of the opportunity – there is one standard necessity to ensuring as strong a footing in the industry as possible – a solid and versatile photo portfolio.
The promotional marketing and modelling industries are certainly aesthetic but, as has always been our mantra at Mash, the key is combining this great ‘look’ with a fantastically vivacious and engaging personality. One simply does not work without the other……a bit like fish without chips…….salt without vinegar…..the rock without the roll!!
We thought we would impart a few tips as to how to make the most of your photos and maximise their impact when you send in a fresh application for promotional/modelling work or even just update your details with us.
“You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression”
There are distinctly different areas of specialism within promotions and here we’ll explore how a photo can support your application or profile with the different jobs in mind.
General Promotional Work
This is a fantastic photograph as it encapsulates energy and charisma and in such a natural and effusive way. A client would be more than interested in this as a profile as it indicates the kind of smiling energy that makes all the difference within promotions.
Fashion/Costume Work
Again, the photographer has captured a natural energy and look that combine well to really help emphasise the importance of the clothes in this photograph. If fashion modelling is a route you want to explore then the key to the photographs in your profile is to clearly show how comfortable you are in different varieties of clothing and surroundings.
Modelling Work
Some campaigns require a distinctly ‘professional’ model look and if this is a route you want to go down then you need to ensure the photograph really captures your look and energy but retains that ‘natural’ element that is so key.
Keen to take the next step?
Special Discount for Mashers..
The photographs above were kindly provided by Elizabeth Corps (pictured) and Richard Allen who have combined forces to launch a company called Declare. The aim of Declare is to hold regular ‘tailor-made’ photo and make-up portfolio sessions with new and existing promotional staff.
Elizabeth is a qualified hair and make-up artist and works alongside Richard Allen (photographer) to look and style to cater for each individual client – promising knowledge, flair and expertise from both sides of the camera.
They are currently booking up 3 hour portfolio sessions in Central London initially and have offered a 20% discount to all registered Mashers for an upcoming session. The reduced rate of £200.00 per person covers a full hair and make-up session, detailed consultation with Richard the photographer, and a tailor-made photo session. You will be able to take all photos away with you on disc.
Please contact Elizabeth Corps on 07813 040 290 or Greg in the Mash office on 0207 939 7670 for more information.
Please remember to quote Promotional Code: MASH09 when calling.
Please have a look at the following link for an idea of the kind of work they have done and could do for you….
May 13th, 2009 By greg Filed Under: Brand Champions
Yorkshire Brand Champion :: Rowena Finn
We often talk of the opportunity to grow with Mash and Rowena is a classic example of someone who has forged a successful path with Mash.
Rowena responded to a Mash job advert on her University Careers Job Site, attended a group interview in Sheffield and went on to complete a variety of Brand Ambassador assignments. Her attention to detail and ability to take the lead were quickly spotted and she naturally fell into some challenging Team-Lead/Event Management roles which she completed with aplomb and professionalism.
Rowena is now our Brand Champion for Yorkshire and someone who completely understands the values associated with working for Mash and we’re delighted she is flying our flag.
Rowena herself sees the role’s imporance as “to assist MASH in reaching out to top class guys n gals and to get them to believe and deliver”
She’s not a politician but if she was, she’s confident that we would not be experiencing the current credit crunch…….
It’s positivity like that that sets our Brand Champions apart.
Look out for Rowena running a Yorkshire Recruitment Day near you soon