Global lingerie brand La Senza has appointed Diffusion to develop and implement a new social media strategy in the UK and Ireland. The agency has been briefed to increase awareness and understanding of the La Senza brand and its 190 stores in the UK and Ireland. At the same time, Diffusion will look to drive traffic to boost online sales. Read More

Metro has become the first UK newspaper to feature editorial content on the social networking site, Foursquare. The publisher worked with Diffusion PR on the initiative as part of its strategy to have a multiplatform presence. Metro now offers Foursquare functionality so that users can view restaurant and film reviews when they ’check- in’ to relevant places. Read More

Viewers want more access to interactive TV in the future including the ability to influence plots in programmes, Diffusion’s Social TV Trends Report 2010 reveals. Viewers are increasingly likely to surf the internet or text as they watch TV. Using Facebook in front of the TV was popular with 87% of people saying they had posted comments while viewing. Almost half – 47% – said they would like to access the networking site through their television. Read More

Viewers want more interactive television with two-thirds saying they wanted to be able to influence the plot of their favourite shows, Diffusion’s Social TV Trends Report said today. It also showed viewers are increasingly multi-tasking – using the internet or their phones while watching television. Read More

Almost two-thirds (58%) of people regularly mix their television viewing with other types of media, according to new research. The data comes from online surveys of 2,086 people for Diffusion’s Social TV Trends Report. The habit, which Diffusion refers to as “media stacking”, describes the behaviour of consumers who use Facebook on their laptops, send text messages on their mobiles and listen to the radio, at the same time as watching TV. Read More

Today we launched our Social TV Trends Report 2010 showcasing interesting findings for the future of broadcasting, as covered by Broadcast Magazine, Media Week, BBC News, and The Independent.  Surveying over 2,000 British consumers with YouGov, the results show that a night in front of the television is not quite what it used to be. Many of us are multi-tasking as we surf the web, instant message and text whilst watching our favourite shows.

Women are leading this trend, as 40 per cent of women surveyed said they consume more than one type of media at any one time. Although men aren’t too far behind at 29 per cent, there looks to be some truth in the myth behind a woman’s ability to multi-task!

Consumers have indicated that they want to see a future of television and internet access joined together on their TV set. Keen for functions that will enable them to comment, vote and download information on the programmes they are watching. Viewers want instant commentary and recommendation by their family and friends, currently turning to social networks and text messaging to do this whilst watching.

With manufacturers already producing internet enabled television sets the next step lies with production companies and broadcasters. How long will it be before they are working in conjunction with retailers, music companies and social networks to elevate their product to the next level? In a time where technology and its accessibility are at a premium, will TV keep ahead of the curve and act on the predicted trends? The report is positive news for the broadcasting industry, but it is essential that broadcasters take notice, and don’t get left behind.

According to the Social TV Trends Report, commissioned by Diffusion, a third of all viewers want to use internet services to vote and see the result of polls on screen while watching talent shows and programmes such as Question Time. This rises to 44% of 18 to 24 year-olds. In addition, almost a third of younger viewers said they would like to cast a vote that would influence the plot or direction of the shows they followed, including dramas. Read More

As reported by PR Week, Mothercare has appointed Diffusion to an exciting, integrated brief to help develop the social media strategy for its iconic Mothercare and Early Learning Centre retail brands.  We have also been tasked to raise national awareness for Mothercare’s social networking site for new and expectant parents, Gurgle.com, through a high-impact mainstream print and broadcast campaign.

Mothers and young parents are an increasingly active group online, placing a huge amount of value on the opinions, advice and recommendations of their peers.  Figures from comScore reveal that over 4.6 million mothers in the UK go online every month, spending over 26 hours surfing the web with a high focus on retail sites.  We will be working with Mothercare and Early Learning Centre to develop an online engagement strategy based on actively listening to perceptions of the brand and its products online and then increasing participation on key parenting blogs, forums and social networking sites.

Key objectives will be to use social media to emphasise Mothercare’s expertise and heritage in the baby and parenting space, as well as promote key products and offers to drive both footfall on the High Street and sales via the brands’ ecommerce sites.

Our issues-based PR campaign for Gurgle.com will seek to make it a destination site for expectant and recent mothers looking for advice from both resident experts as well as the site’s extensive community of mothers. Core to the campaign will be to increase Gurgle’s profile in national and lifestyle press, positioning Nifa McLaughlin, editor of Gurgle.com as a recognisable media spokesperson on key social, lifestyle and health issues effecting new parents.

The Mothercare Group, which owns the Mothercare and Early Learning Centre brands, has charged Diffusion with developing a social media strategy to target parents on and offline. As part of the brief, Diffusion will also raise awareness of Mothercare’s social networking community for new parents, Gurgle.com, via mainstream print media and broadcast channels. Read More

Mothercare Group, the UK’s largest provider of baby and parenting products, has appointed Diffusion to an integrated brief to help develop the social media strategy for its iconic Mothercare and Early Learning Centre retail brands.  Diffusion has also been tasked to raise national awareness for Mothercare’s social networking site for new parents, Gurgle.com, through a high-impact campaign targeting young parents via mainstream print and broadcast media.

Mothers and young parents are an increasingly active group online, placing a huge amount of value on the opinions, advice and recommendations of their peers.  Figures from comScore reveal that over 4.6 million mothers in the UK go online every month, spending over 26 hours surfing the web with a high focus on retail sites.  Diffusion will be working with Mothercare and Early Learning Centre to develop an online engagement strategy based on actively listening to perceptions of the brand and its products online and then increasing participation on key parenting blogs, forums and social networking sites.

Key objectives will be to use social media to emphasise Mothercare’s expertise and heritage in the baby and parenting space, as well as promote key products and offers to drive both footfall on the High Street and sales via the brands’ ecommerce sites.

Diffusion’s issues-based PR campaign for Gurgle.com will seek to make it a destination site for expectant and recent mothers looking for advice from both resident experts as well as the site’s extensive community of mothers.  Core to the campaign will be to increase Gurgle’s profile in national and lifestyle press, positioning Nifa McLaughlin, editor of Gurgle.com as a recognisable media spokesperson on key social, lifestyle and health issues effecting new parents.

Brian Curran, Head of Group Direct Marketing for Mothercare commented, “Mothercare and the Early Learning Centre are brands which over many decades have built very strong reputations for quality, safety and innovation.  We recognise that today reputations are increasingly being shaped through online channels, and this is particularly true given the explosion we’ve seen in parenting forums and blogs in recent years and through our own site Gurgle.com.  We will be using Diffusion’s digital integration expertise to develop a social media approach which will allow us to enhance and safeguard our online reputation and increase our ability to listen to our consumers to deliver even better products and customer service in the future.”

Ivan Ristic, director and co-founder, Diffusion commented:  “The UK’s online community of parents is growing in both size and influence and is understandably becoming a major consideration for retail brands looking to reach UK mothers who control household budgets.  Developing relationships with key online influencers and working with Mothercare’s brands to make it an active and valued part of these online communities will be central to our strategic approach. Gurgle.com in particular provides a very active and vibrant platform for new mothers, which we will look to build through a proactive media relations campaign that brings a fresh and informed perspective.”