Comment posted Two bright marketing initiatives for Argyll and the Isles by Paul Graham.
I think the majority of us in Argyll are glad to see a cohesive approach to marketing Argyll instead of the divide and conquer approach that you seem to be advocating. Your “position i digital marketing” may well be commendable but what else is your digital position doing to actively market Argyll?
Recent comments by Paul Graham
- No Serco backup for breakdown of Hamnavoe on Northern Isles ferry service
The Northen Isles boats are owned by RBS. There may have been more urgency to get a replacement vessel if CMAL owned the vessel. That said Pentland Ferries is proof that competition is healthy so don’t see why the government gets hung up on defending “lifeline services” when clearly the existing CalMac Ferries do anything BUT run “lifeline” services. It is just a means to justify subsidy. - No Serco backup for breakdown of Hamnavoe on Northern Isles ferry service
There are many of us in Islay waiting with baited breath…….will they remove one of the service vessels on this route? (as they usually do in summer season). News report said that Serco were “scouring the market for a temporary vessel”. Now that the Ayrshire Campbeltown has effectively removed the “spare boat” from the government fleet…..as I say…with baited breath. - Final tally for Argyll and the Isles Tourism at Expo 2013
Well done all…..I know how hard work it is on your feet for 2 days but the easy bit is selling the wonders Argyll & The Isles. - ‘Unanswerable’ now an understatement on Port Askaig ferry share case
OK Douglas…..I was a bit harsh but as a group of volunteers we (The Islay & Jura Tourism & Marketing Group) spend many many UNPAID hours promoting Islay and Jura. So please disregard my comment.Paul
- ‘Unanswerable’ now an understatement on Port Askaig ferry share case
Quote-It is a pity that Islay & Jura Marketing Group have not practiced what they had been preaching.Douglas, get a grip. As a matter of principal I and many others book the “new” timetabled ferry…..the timing may not suit everybody so to make such a stupid statement only demonstrates your lack of understanding.
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Having been in Kinytre to assist in setting up a new marketing group, I was blown away with the enthusiasm of the local business folks. Kintyre is heart achingly beautiful, has a world class distillery, a world famous brand in “Mull of Kintyre” and a range of hotels old and new that would stand up anywhere.
Bruichladdich is one of my favourite setups, the visitor centre is superb and the product amazing. I stayed next door to the distillery at An Taigh Osda with Paul and Joan Graham and really got the best of both worlds.
Sometimes my job is really rather good!
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Why is Kintyre setting up a new marketing group, must you persist to contnually avoid what already exists…. i have to laugh at everyone moaning about having no business, yet its normally the ones that dont contribute to what exists, how many marketing groups does kintyre and argyll need, its getting ******* ridiculous.
Do you know what, im going to sit back and watch people makes a complete pigs backside of marketing and branding and wasting money.
Mr Story, you and your colleagues are proving there is so much prejudice in Argyll and you cant be bothered to acknowledge existing professional businesses, or answer questions posed to you.
Its amazing how many businesses come forward when times are hard, yet when plenty of money is being made they are nowhere to be seen, and we are still waiting for the results of the expo, where is all this wonderful new business and new economy for sustaining small business.
Were are not carpets you wipe your dirty feet on as you walk all over us, disgusting !!!
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I think you need to change your name to Jesus, Mr Story, you seem to be Argylls self appointed saviour, congratulations, im sure you and your misled disciples will find out shortcomings eventually.
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Oh and my job is marketing, who is paying you to destroy local businesses? You have no idea Mr Story, none whatsoever, you have touched the rawest of nerves, i want to know who youre employer is because i wish to make a formal complaint, this is BEYOND A JOKE.
Ive told you, and i will tell you and your colleagues once again, DO NOT ignore local businesses now or in the future, im absolutely livid, furious and sick and tired of Argylls commercial bullying environment, livid, livid, livid.
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On top of that, despite my position in terms of digital marketing i have deliberately not been invited to Portavadie’s Tourism Summit, not been invited to this latest ‘marketing group’, i have businesses in Kintyre and Argyll, if there is a new group its not marketing itself very well is it, or is it just selected businesses, are you avoiding local businesses, is AISTP avoinding local businesses, seriously you need to explain yourself in detail.
Good news though my website for Argyll is now at number 3 in Google for ‘Argyll’ above Visit Scotlands site for the same area, where is the AISTP website? I think that says enough about the difference between one man vs the largest tourism organisation in Scotland… And outperforms it pound for pound…. Good luck!
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Well its now almost Saturday lunch time and yet no response from Mr Story, the job of a maketeer and representative of a tourism body, particularly who is pointing themselves out to be engaging and working with the public and businesses hasnt bothered or got the time to reply.
Let me tell you something Mr Story, this is Argyll, and I am an entreprenur, I am growing businesses, it doesnt matter to me whether its Saturday, The Jubilee, The Olympics, or Christmas, i do my job, where are you, we havnt got ******* time to wait for people like you and the AISTP to provide business and income. You have just demonstrated that your method and ‘job’ are a complete waste of time.
The Argyll Enterprise network, the Argyll Tourism Body, the funding methodology for tourism and business in Argyll is SHAM. Growth, business success and tourism are a 24/7 operation.
Do you know why Argyll will never be successful? Because other counties, cities and towns are working 48/14, thats right working twice as hard because their livelyhoods depend on the right decision, the quick decision and advancing business and development.
Yours and the AISTPs lazy, unresponsive and selective approach of businesses, combined with ignorance and the understanding of technology has just killed Argylls future, the brands are laughable, the funding mechanism is laughable.
You have no idea how much you have ****** me off, im going to see that the AISTP goes no further, its a complee waste of time, and in 3 years its been going i havnt received one email newsletter, one copy of minutes, one invitation, NOTHING.
THATS not marketing, thats apalling, lazy, apathetical awful unprofessional business.
Let me know when you’re coming to Kintyre next time Mr Story to the next ‘marketing group’ meeting because ive got questions, and if you arent prepared to do the job properly, and if enterprise organisations dont start to get in line and stop wasting time and money both Mr Salmond, Mr Cameron and the public will be educated in the lacklustre and restrictive application of work, money and opportunities to people.
ABSOLUTE DISGUST, no wonder Argyll, Campbeltown and Dunoon faces so many employment, tourism and social problems, people like you and the organisations dont help, no wonder so many people turn to drink and drugs, no one has the time to wait around for you, thats 3 years of AISTP, 3 years!!!!!! And nohing, nothing, norhing……disgraceful.
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And people should be aware you have only come to Kintyre to sniff out money from Machrihanish Dunes and Springbank for the AISTP, taking more money from out of Kintyre to support Oban and Inverarays tourism. Despite a marketing group existing in Kintyre since October 2011 and Machrihanish Dunes already being approached, although from initial communication with Machrihanish Dunes their knowledge of rural marketing, professionalism and intentions in being a part of Kintyre are not entirely acceptable.
I think its time to look to move businesses to another county where more business support and less prejudice operations exist, just a long line of lying, deceitful and unhelpful organisations, Tarbert & Skipness Community Trust, Tarbert Harbour, Tarbert Enterprise Company, Midargyllandkintyrenews run by an ex-copper, and now AISTP.
A county run by the masons, by underhand handshakes, unofficial meetings and more, welcome to Argyll, what a great place indeed……
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Calm down dear – Calm down !
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Would you be calm after investing 10 years in a platform and business that is not welcome due to anti-competitive third sector organisations, and do you know why….. Because people in Argyll want everything for free….
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No……that website belongs to Webcraft aka ScotsRenewables
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What website belongs to Webcraft??
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I think the majority of us in Argyll are glad to see a cohesive approach to marketing Argyll instead of the divide and conquer approach that you seem to be advocating. Your “position i digital marketing” may well be commendable but what else is your digital position doing to actively market Argyll?
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It is only possible to deliver marketing in relation to the investment made in the companies or organisatiions undertaking work. There are fundamental flaws in the cohesive marketing strategy, as much as there are flaws in the new Campbeltown Federation Of Small Businesses featured in the newspaper.
There is a common theme across Argyll where businesses buy the cheapest, whether the business pays tax, regardless or ROI, and in the case of Ardshiel which is sniping that noone is doing marketing, on the contrary the Ardshiel has missed out on reaching in excess of 120,000 people by not featuring on Kintyre.org for 3years – if that is the best marketing and business minds Argyll can offer there is very little hope.
There are too many selfish businesses that operate with closed eyes.
The question Mr Graham perhaps is what are you doing to invest in marketing organisations and businesses for the future of Argyll, if you think that Visit Scotland is going to continue to part fund AISTP then i think people need to open their eyes.
Did you know ive been working in rural tourism for 12 years, chaired tarbert seafood festival for 8 years until 2010, been involved with organising the Scottish Series shoreside a number of years previously, operate in excess of 60 tourism websites, am college educated in business, advertising and marketing, and grown a rural business in Argyll from scratch, yet i didnt even get any interview for the Visit Arran contract advertised recently.
You get no recognition, everything you do in Argyll is valueless unless it is voluntary, with that in mind you cannot possibly earn money and have a third sector ethic.
What t do to market and support my customers i will discuss with them, those who continue to put faith in AISTP and ignore the fundamentals of modern consumer conversion will just need to watch their businesses decline, i think ive wasted enough time on this and come to the realisation that Argyll has no commercial future, nor (from an Englishman and visitor for 10 years) that it has no future in tourism, i have nothing good to report today.
Third sector is your friend just now because they get grant money, will they still be your friend when you cant get grant money, if it needs grant money its not sustainable. With much previously funded by the Euro , which is on th brink of being no more, that grant money tank will also dry up, everyone really needs to think collectively and cohesively, these poeople arent interested in your business doing well, they all have money, jobs, they dont care.
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You say cohesive but the announcement that Kintyre & Gigha marketing group excludes towns and villages that already have marketing groups, so thats Carradale and Tarbert not allowed in by their own policy and admission on this website. That is exclusive not cohesive.
So it becomes Campbeltown and Gigha marketing group. Marketing groups and organisations that operate an anti competitive and unfair policy are not at all welcome.
And so the final piece falls in to Argylls Euro, if Argyll is pinning their hopes on West Scotlands answer to Europe, i think they should look at whats happening in Europe just now, sure there are winners, but big losers, its fundamentally floored, its hilarious, perhaps Mr Story fancies himself as the new First Minister, or perhaps hes all going to get us cheap wives from abroad from his Thai business, who knows….
Peoples CVs rarely translate to action, im fortnate enough to smell rats and bull from many miles away, corrupion, prejudice, corruption, prejudice, welcome to Argyll folks.
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This is a recurring theme across the board, openness and transparency. In the past communication was very slow. A theory has been put forward that the high death rates in WW1 battles were so high was because the High Command could not react quickly to the events, and that the Arab Spring was driven by social media.
In my view public bodies are very slow to adapt to this new age and are running scared of the public hunger for transparency.
Look how forargyll.com are allowing biodiversity of views to be debated, many times I do disagree with other posters, but in my opinion this makes this forum dynamic and powerful.
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I agree, it seems that there is too much clinging on to power, my belief is because they are runnng business and organisations in an antiquated methodology and if they do relinquish any grip that people will see that actually people like you, i, and everyday people could do a significantly better job.
The WW1 note is really interesting, it just shows how far we havnt really come in a 100 years.
What i would love to know is why people in responsible posts are unable to act honestly, with trust, use businesses that provide professional services, or actively invite everyone for participation.
I have a theory… Man creates opportunity, those that have the opportunity restrict opportunity, those who do not have opportunity create crime, man creates police to stop crime, man gets praise for stopping the crime that society creates…. A philosophical view that actually the results at the bottom of the social ladder are caused by those at the top. Do you know, i dont know one person on any committee that has a small house, it seems those that are on committees seem to have large houses, good jobs, money to spare, holiday homes and more…. And Argyll thinks that the AISTP will solve its problems, look at the European Union, isnt that the same thing…. Look how that turned out, i predict Oban And Inveraray will be the France and Germany of Argylls Europe, with Kintyre and Cowal being the Greece and Spain… It wont work, it never can.
I appreciate For Argyll allowing me my ‘rant’ , and knowing that there are many views to one subject is very interesting, third sector always tries to isolate people and businesses making them reliant and no different from the slave trade….good wholesome discussion to address these issues is therapeutic.
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“actively invite everyone for participation” the only time this is allowed is every time there is a election and then it is only opened to people who are register to vote. Surely if we work on a 50% plus model, then with 50% plus not voting then how does a minority then get to rule. By “actively invite everyone for participation” then the 50% plus of people who did not cast their vote for the minority rulers then get a say. I too thank For Argyll allowing me my ‘rant’.
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