Thinking differently and challenging the status quo are key beliefs here at Laidlaw Group. Not only do we share OUR inspiration with our clients but, we listen to what inspires and drives them as well–not just as business partners but as individuals. Recently, a friend and client, Greg Lombardi, shared with us, an inspirational TedTalk given by Simon Sinek, on how true leaders inspire action by asking one simple question that every business, organization and individual should ask themselves: “Why?”

Sinek starts out by begging the questions: “What’s your purpose?” “What’s your cause?” and “Why does your organization exist?” Above all, “Why should anyone care?” Successful businesses and truly inspirational leaders thoroughly ponder this existential paradigm before any attempt to communicate an idea to the masses. Sinek reiterates one key point throughout; people don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it and the main objective is to do business with the people who believe what you believe. Also, what you do should simply prove why you do it. He states that communicating from the inside out rather than from the outside in, is the most direct way to reach and inspire people.

Sinek cites the Wright Brothers as one example among many who have used their beliefs to validate their goals and capture the whole of society.

In the early 20th century, the pursuit for man-powered flight was equivalent to the social media boom of today–a pursuit expected to result in fame and profit. Sinek speaks of Samuel Pierpont Langley, a well-funded, well-educated and well-connected, competitor in the race for man-made flight. He had all the latest tools and top minds at his disposal yet he lost the race to two working-class, undereducated brothers who ran a bike shop in Dayton, Ohio.

In his talk, Sinek reveals the one key difference between the Wright brothers and Samuel Pierpont Langley to prove his point; the Wright brothers were driven by the core belief that building a fully functioning flying machine would change and benefit the course of humanity. On the other hand, Samuel Pierpont Langley was simply driven by the result, or in other words, the paycheck, not the belief. The Wright brothers surrounded themselves with people who shared the same dream, and through support and collaboration with those people–not just hired hands–they changed the world.

Sinek again reiterates that people don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it and that is what truly inspires and motivates.

“If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.”

Pins. Boards. Repins. Attachments to your toolbar. To the uninitiated, and to those less tech or trend savvy than others, these words might sound like we’re setting up some sort of kitchen installation. But to the Laidlaw Group, LLC, to avid members of new social media platform Pinterest, and to cunning marketers, these four words make eyes light up and brains start buzzing. That’s because Pinterest, the Little Social Network That Could, burst onto the Web and rocketed its way to the top of everyone’s conversation. It blew past Foursquare, Tumblr, Google+ and even YouTube to become the number 3 social network on the planet, surpassed only by Twitter and Facebook. And that’s not even the most extraordinary part of the story — it did it all in only 12 months.

Pinterest was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Evan Sharp. The development began at the very end of 2009 and into the next year, with the site launching in a limited, invitation-only beta form in March of 2010. From there, it was a runaway train to success. In December 2010 they had 100,000 users, and the founders were still operating out of a small apartment. A mobile app was created in March 2011, receiving shocking amounts of downloads. By December 2011, the website was receiving 11 million visits a week. In January of 2012, it was reported that Pinterest was driving more referrals to retailers and businesses than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn. Numerous awards followed, and by the end of that same month, Pinterest was declared the fastest website in the history of the internet to accumulate 10 million users.

That was eight months ago. Now, the two year old website is worth at least $1 billion. And it’s still growing. The primary demographics of Pinterest are the subject of most… interest. The site users skew heavily female. The breakdown is 80% female, 20% male. Half of the user base, male and female, are parents. Here are the age demographics.

And thanks to this infographic by Buzz Referrals, some very enticing information has been made available:

1)      Pinterest referrals spend 70% more money than visitors from non-social channels. This means people who reach retailer websites through Pinterest are willing to spend much more cash on their products than anyone else. This includes social media — Pinterest users are 10% likelier to shop than Facebook and Twitter users, and will spend 10% more, too.

2)      Tutorials, DIY (do-it-yourself) and recipe pins receive 42% more clicks than other pins. This means companies focused on food, health, arts and crafts and fashion can benefit greatly from using Pinterest.

3)      On average, Pinterest users are on site for one hour and 17 minutes. In a world full of advertising noise, where customers are extremely wary of ads and exasperated with salespeople and pitches, it’s getting more and more difficult to brand your products without customers quickly ignoring or leaving the area. Pinterest is a unique, almost miraculous exception to the rule. It’s literally a website where the people who always spend the most money (women and mothers aged 18-34) spend hours of their precious time making lists of products they wish to have or places they want to visit. Then they share these lists and interests with everyone around them.

We at Laidlaw Group, LLC, like many others, realize the unique marketing potential of a platform like this. That’s why we encourage the use of Pinterest with incoming clients. It’s all part of our ongoing, strategic efforts to maximize the exposure our customers receive and ensure that their businesses are always part of ongoing conversations, wherever the conversation is taking place. Social networking is here to stay. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the other trend-setting websites are not going anywhere, and the user count for each service grows every single day. It won’t be long before everyone who can type is on a social network. Pinterest is just the latest, possibly even greatest, to enter the arena.

Check out the latest ABC NEWS Segment on Pinterest!

Social Media Integration at Boston’s Laidlaw Group

For the last three years, we have focused on integrating social media platforms into our clients marketing communications programs. The social media channels have produced a substantial increase in brand awareness for our clients. This recent article from Ad Age Digital is worth a read.

Facebook is prepping for a massive IPO, Twitter is focusing its business exclusively on advertising and nearly three-fifths of digital decision-makers polled last fall said they plan to boost their social media ad spend over the next 12 months.

In an Advertiser Perceptions semiannual survey of nearly 1,200 people involved in deciding how ad dollars are spent digitally, 59% of respondents said they would increase social-media-ad spending in the next 12 months, compared with just 4% who said they would decrease spending on social platforms.

The survey also found that, on average, social media advertising will make up about 27% of digital budgets over the next 12 months, compared with 22% in the previous 12 months. No other digital category — including ad networks/exchanges, media companies, demand-side platforms, portals and agency-trading desks — expect to see in-budget share gains over the next 12 months.

About 60% of respondents work for agencies and 40% for brands, covering the Ad Age Top 100 advertisers in the process.

“The one area that marketers were more bullish on than agencies is social,” said Randy Cohen, co-founder and president of Advertiser Perceptions, which is expected to release the full results Tuesday afternoon.

Agency-trading desks, which handle bulk-audience buying on behalf of clients, was the only digital category in which respondents said they would decrease rather than increase spending over the next 12 months. Sixteen percent of respondents said they plan to reduce trading-desk outlays; 15% said they would raise them.

One strong caveat: The results indicate what decision-makers intend to do about allocating ad dollars. Results and other factors will ultimately determine what they actually spend, and Mr. Cohen said that while marketers feel they should be spending on social platforms, they are doing so without clear insights as to why. “From a results perspective … I think the jury is still out,” he said.

But what it does mean, if you’re in the business of selling social, is that the doors are open and, in many cases, the checkbooks are out.

The leading digital advertisers believe that half of their budgets in the next 12 months will be spent on brand-focused advertising. That number was just 25% or 30% three or four years ago, Mr. Cohen said.

Celebrities have been a vital part of creating and influencing the tidal wave that is Social Media. Social Media has created the opportunity for events like the Oscars to rise above traditional broadcast outreach and be personalized through social channels. This Sunday, People Magazine goes social, and we think it’s very exciting!

People Magazine Rolls Out the Red Carpet
Partnerships with Gilt, Redbox Promote Oscars Coverage
By Emma Bazilian

“This Sunday night, millions of viewers will tune into the Academy Awards to find out who takes home film’s top honors—and see who makes the ‘Best Dressed’ lists. To capitalize on the red carpet obsession, the People franchise is rolling out e-commerce and social media initiatives to put readers in the middle of the sartorial whirlwind that is the Oscars.

“‘Red carpet is the most anticipated coverage of the year among our readers,’ People publisher Karen Kovacs told Adweek.

To capitalize on that buzz, the magazine is sending subscribers an Awards Show Special issue spotlighting the season’s best red carpet fashions. To boost newsstand sales, People struck a partnership with Redbox to give single-copy buyers a free one-night movie rental.

“People also is jumping on the e-commerce bandwagon this year. People.com Stylewatch editors will curate items inspired by the evening for a ‘Get the Look: Red Carpet’ sale on Gilt Groupe. If the content-only partnership is successful (the magazine isn’t getting any cut of sales), it could lead to further e-commerce collaborations, Kovacs said.

“That red carpet frenzy is also evidenced on People.com, which gets its biggest traffic boost of the year on the day after the Oscars, according to People.com managing editor Janice Morris. In addition to covering the event’s fashion moments, People.com is encouraging readers to interact with the site through a live blog on the site and social media.

“Last year’s live trivia competition will return to People.com, but it will feature a new Facebook tie-in that lets participants play with their friends. Pinterest boards focusing on Oscars and red carpet fashion will be updated with photos from the evening. And People’s Twitter account will promote People.com content and encourage people to make their own best-dressed lists.”

Yesterday, we came across this article on Digiday discussing the impact of the smartphone era on consumer purchasing that we wanted to share. Working daily with clients to create mobile websites and proprietary mobile apps, we understand the growing importance and prominence of smartphones in consumers’ everyday lives.

How Smart Phones Influence Buying
by Jack Marshall

“Does mobile drive shopping? Well, it depends.

“According to research Google and Ipsos conducted over the 2011 holiday period, smartphone devices play a role at different parts of consumers’ paths to purchase, but they do so in different ways for different people.

“For example, 41 percent of those who used their mobile phones to help with shopping said they purchase directly from the device itself, while 37 percent claimed to have researched on a phone before purchasing on a desktop. Meanwhile, 46 percent of respondents said they’ve researched items on a smartphone before going in the store to buy, and, interestingly, 19 percent have researched products both on a smartphone and in-store before purchasing online.

“An interesting point to note from the 600-person survey is the number of users that went in-store to research but opted to purchase online instead. This likely reflects the cheaper price-points often offered online, but it suggests consumers still like to see products in person before committing to a purchase.”

by Cindy Laidlaw

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to work with many great clients. They have included Fortune 500 CEO’s, passionate entrepreneurs, successful retailers, up and coming manufacturers, government agencies, high-powered executives, sports icons and charitable organizations who have each, in their own way, left an indelible mark on us.

As often as I talk about the impact these relationships have had on our careers and how they have influenced the culture of Laidlaw Group, I don’t think I have ever actually defined what we consider to be a great client.

A great client allows us to take them out of their comfort zone and believes in us. They believe that with our guidance, their brand will soar to new heights. They trust that we bring our experience, expertise, commitment and creativity to their project, and they know that we judge our success by results. We realize that we will never know their business as well as they do, but great clients know that our experience and objectivity often lead to new discoveries and unearthed opportunities that would never have been found without their willingness to trust us and be open to change. More importantly there comes a point when they join us on our journey to define them, and we truly work together. Walls come down and communication channels open up. It is a very rewarding moment for us.

So we thank them for believing in us and respecting us over the years and allowing us to fulfill our passion which is to do great work that we are truly proud of.

As 2011 draws to an end, Laidlaw Group takes time to reflect on the milestones of the past year and is poised to move onward into 2012. The year was filled with growth for Laidlaw. Our concentration on branding integration has allowed us to rise to the next level of integrated communications in social and mobile.

Our ability to create great work goes hand in hand with the company we keep. The Laidlaw team thrives on the ability to work together toward a common vision and we understand that teamwork directs individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It fuels ordinary people to attain extraordinary results and sits at the core of Laidlaw’s work ethic.

The story reads the same for our clients who surround us. The freedom our clients give us allows the creation of exceptional work and results in the reward of mutual respect and trust. We are lucky to have clients that are as passionate about what they do as we are about what we do. We would like to thank all of our clients for their continued respect and teamwork!

With 2012 in our sights we are eager to move forward and flourish as a fully integrated marketing communications company. With the latest introduction of our web based mobile app we have expanded the scope of our business and now offer our clients the ability to provide access to their customers 24/7. Full integration of our client’s brand and vision, across all platforms and media, has been the drive at Laidlaw Group from the very beginning. It is the fuel that heats up the excitement of achievement and 2012 looks like a hot one.

In Classic Style, the luxury online magazine created by renowned restauranteur Carl Christian will soon be launching a web-based app for its members. The app is being designed and developed by Laidlaw Group. In Classic Style joins Boston’s Best Cruises and Water Taxi who are currently working with Laidlaw Group to reach their customers via mobile.

Laidlaw knows mobile is a must in today’s tech-savvy world. We offer three solutions to bring our clients directly to their customers’ fingertips. We can create a mobile app, a mobile website designed specifically for ease of use on mobile devices or we can rebuild websites not currently viewable on mobile devices or tablets. “With our suite of mobile services, we’re putting our clients’ brands directly into the hands of their clients and customers,” says Cindy Laidlaw, agency Principal. “The proprietary platform we’ve developed for apps is web-based, instantly updatable and can be customized to meet a range of client needs, from connecting customers to Google Maps for wayfinding, providing e-commerce purchasing capabilities, offering instant access to dinner reservations and launching promotions. Our clients have immediate access to their customers 24/7.”

In Classic Style will benefit from Laidlaw’s substantial experience integrating print, web, social and mobile platforms to define brand identity. “Today, information accessibility has to be immediate and available from multiple platforms,” says Cindy Laidlaw, agency Principal.

For the founders of Object Lust, it was destiny that brought them together. As interior designers, Susan Schaub and Scott Bell share a passion for design, art and classical architecture. They both love antiquing for hours, traveling and shopping at the Paris flea markets and restoring and renovating period homes. They have a harmonious business style with impeccable attention to detail and quite simply, they compliment each other.

Now, 13 years later, their stars have aligned once again when they chose Laidlaw Group to launch their newest venture Object Lust. Laidlaw created the Object Lust website as a destination for design savvy consumers to search “to the trade” items by category and browse designer furniture brands, unique fabrics and decorative objects from leading manufacturers. Once the customer finds what they’re looking for, they call or email Object Lust and request product & pricing information.

In addition to designing the website, Laidlaw Group has created social destinations where consumers can interact with the company on Twitter and Facebook and visit the Object Lust Blog to learn about the latest trends in color, design, architecture and interior design. It’s nothing but spectacular for the consumer who wants to immerse themselves in the world of interior design.

From Press Release distributed by UNIPOWER LLC, November 2011
Editorial Contact: Joe Merino

Coral Springs, Florida – UNIPOWER LLC proudly unveils the new corporate website. The state-of-the-art site offers customers fast and easy access to the complete family of UNIPOWER products and technical data.

The website architecture allows for fast navigation by engineers looking for power solutions. A broad overview of products for industries and markets served and detailed specifications for any product selected are just a click or two away. Whether our customer is looking for an off-the-shelf power solution or a customized power solution, the revolutionary UNIPOWER website offers sorting by specifications to make the selection process efficient.

For the first time, the new UNIPOWER website also brings together the complete line of products from a number of companies under the UNIPOWER umbrella, including: Technipower, Deltron, Power Solutions and Universal Voltronics.

The site also includes access to contact information for UNIPOWER offices worldwide, sales personnel and a complete list of Representatives and Authorized Distributors of UNIPOWER power solutions. As in previous websites, the “Chat” feature is also incorporated and available to customers for instant response by factory personnel. Additional features, including “shopping cart” and “special areas” for customers, representatives and suppliers will be added in the near future.

The site was designed by Laidlaw Group, an award winning integrated marketing communications firm in Boston, Massachusetts.

Editor’s Note
UNIPOWER LLC designs, manufactures and markets switching power supplies, high-voltage power supplies, sine wave inverters, front ends, rectifiers, dc power systems and dc distribution products for telecoms, datacoms, network equipment, servers, data storage, industrial, military and medical systems. Headquartered in Coral Springs, Florida, with manufacturing and technical facilities in Connecticut, the U.K., and dedicated high-volume manufacturing plants in China and Taiwan.

For reader information contact Joe Merino, UNIPOWER LLC, 3900 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, Florida, 954-346-2442.

Website: www.unipowercorp.com