The site will hopefully provide news on Newcastle lawyers and publish the latest information on family law, property law, commercial law and contesting wills. 

Here’s the Herald’s announcement:

THE Hunter is set to go head-to-head with major growth regions like south-eastern Queensland to market itself as an economic powerhouse.

A new venture with private sector backing will be launched in Newcastle on Friday to send the message that the Hunter is open for business.

Called Hunter Advantage, the marketing project will combine a national advertising campaign with an internet site to build a strong case for business and industry to invest in or relocate to the Hunter and stimulate growth.

Among the backers are business heavyweights Jeff McCloy, Hilton Grugeon, Richard Owens, Bill Saddington, Mark Fitzgibbon and Phil Gardner and a host of Hunter corporations and business groups.

“This is about everyone working together to attract economic prosperity and jobs to our region,” developer Jeff McCloy said yesterday.

“We’ve got so much more to offer here in the Hunter and we’ve got to promote it as a great place to do business.”

The campaign follows Hunter Business Chamber warnings that the region is not immune to the deepening effects of global recession and that a growing number of local businesses will be forced to reduce staff in the next three months.

Figures the chamber released yesterday said 22 per cent of businesses surveyed expected to sack staff in that period.

But some of the region’s most influential business people say the Hunter could reap long-term prosperity, and jobs, by promoting its advantages.

An advertising campaign titled “A Sound Business Case”, will go national from Friday and an internet site will provide information on all aspects of the region, including education and lifestyle.

It will also contain case studies of businesses that have successfully relocated premises and staff to the Hunter.

Mr McCloy said the project, set up with seed-funding from the private sector, was working in conjunction with the State Government through the Hunter Development Corporation.

Advantages the Hunter had over other regions included availability of commercial land, a skilled workforce, affordable residential prices and a good lifestyle.

“Put that together with our educational facilities, airport, access to roads, rail, the port, water and power and I can’t see any restraints to locating business here,” Mr McCloy said.

Wests Group chief executive Philip Gardner said many businesses hit hard by the financial downturn and struggling with the high costs of larger metropolitan areas would look at the Hunter as an ideal place to re-locate.

Hunter development Corporation chairman Paul Broad said the project would help to streamline development activity.

Come join in the fun every Friday at Baristaba Cafe at The Boardwalk, Honeysuckle.

The Federal Government and private sector will invest up to $43 billion over eight years in a super-fast national broadband network, in the “single biggest infrastructure decision in Australia’s history”.

The significance of this announcement reaches far beyond the actual construction implications. The proposed National Broadband Network will affect how Australian’s do business, communicate, consume media and compete internationally.

There will also be an immediate effect, despite the projected 8 year roll-out, as companies begin positioning for what will be a very different future.

The fibre-to-the-premise network will run to 90% of homes and businesses offering speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. The remaining homes and businesses will be reached via wireless and satellite technologies offering speeds of 12 megabits per second.

Companies with strong online businesses should do well now as their future now seems so much brighter.

Superfast broadband will accelerate the move of content online and media companies with strong online strategies will be the best positioned in this exciting future.

Futurist and digital media commentator Mark Pesce wrote in SMH:

Very high-speed broadband of the kind the Government promises will completely change our expectations for the internet. It’s not simply that pages will load faster (and they may not, as that’s more to do with the computers serving those pages than the computer displaying them), it’s the new things that become possible…..

The next-generation broadband network (NBN) opens up possibilities we can’t even dream of today, because we don’t yet live in the world of super high-speed broadband….

Next-generation smartphones will tie into the network to become our points of presence within a “cloud” of information about ourselves, created by ourselves, and shared with those we love and trust.

Having just returned from two digital media conferences in the USA, and observing media consumption habits there, the National Broadband Network announcement seems very timely. Australia has been lagging behind much of the Western world with our slower Internet speeds, and our current network will clearly not cope with, or accept the demands of emerging media.

Whilst in the US I posted about how web technology is changing the face of television there. Privately, I was lamenting the fact that the existing Australian network probably wouldn’t foster such innovation. Suddenly, that is all about to change.

If traditional media in Australia wasn’t already worried (and they are), then they will be terrified now. Most haven’t positioned themselves well for a digital future. Radio has been avoiding the issue and delaying a digital launch. Television is reluctantly launching this year with half-hearted digital stations. Press has been seeing ad-sales drop rapidly as online eats into their readership and influence. Only Kerry Stokes and his Seven Network seem remotely prepared for change.

Australian businesses must begin taking their digital presence seriously. The game is about to change dramatically and those companies that are prepared will be in a position to make a quantum leap.

Social networks will explode. Web video will be fast and effective and ever-present. Advertising and marketing will change forever. New businesses will be launched at a rapid rate, betting on every aspect of a high speed digital future.

Nobody should under-estimate the implications of the National Broadband Network. We were already at a turning point in history, but it just received a kick-along.

Will you be ready or will you be left behind?

Companion have $20,000 available to be donated to the local community and are asking for members and the community for suggestions.

If you know of a not for profit club, group or charity, that could use a helping hand, why not nominate them to share in the grant scheme? Applications are open from 15 April to 15 May and nomination forms can be found here or you can pick one up at your local Companion branch.

This is Companion’s way of saying ‘Thank You’ to their members and the local communities serviced by their branches, and as a member you have a say in who gets the funds by getting involved.

So if you know of a sporting club, charitable organisation or community group that could use some extra funds, let Companion know.

Julian Cole’s second appraisal of Australia’s Top 50 Marketing blogs has been published in B&T Magazine and we are proud to say that Sticky Advertising has figured prominently.

The 10 October issue of B&T lists the Top 50 Marketing blogs and a feature article Welcome to Australia’s Marketing Blogosphere.

Craig’s Media Hunter
blog came in at #13 (up several spots from the original ranking) and
was closely followed by fellow Sticky blogger Gordon Whitehead’s The Marketer at #14.

The most pleasant surprise though was seeing our new agency website being ranked #32 in Australia.

Having three sites from the one agency figuring so highly in social
media and blogging circles is quite an honour and something that we
will endeavour to maintain.

Once again congratulations to Julian Cole for taking the time to
trawl the Aussie blogosphere. And congrats to B&T for embracing
this new strand of the marketing world. It’s further proof that
blogging and social media are gaining relevance in Australia.

The international economic crisis has been devastating in the US and
European financial and housing sectors and all indications are that
Australia will also feel some of the pain. Already several large
advertisers both here and overseas
have indicated they will be cutting back on their marketing investment
over the next year, and as the fear of recession spreads its likely
that local advertisers will consider following suit.

Traditionally advertising budgets are amongst the first things cut
when times get tough, but what should you really be doing for your
brand and business to ensure you survive and even prosper during an
economic downturn?

Interestingly, this crisis comes at a potential turning point in marketing and media history.
Traditional media has been declining over the past decade whilst new
media options have been on the rise. This situation could be
exacerbated by the economic squeeze as marketers spend less on broad
brushstroke measures and focus more on measurable results. (For further
explanation of this scenario click here).

Despite the mounting fear I believe that
the next few years could present smart marketers and their clients with
excellent opportunities for growth and increased market share. Here’s
how:

Focus on your brand. Consumers stick with brands
they know and love, especially when it matters most. Downturns are the
best time to build on your brand, not ignore it. While many of your
competitors will instinctively batten down the hatches and hope for the
best, you should be investing in a stronger brand recognition. Its a
time to really focus on what your brand stands for and to communicate
that very clearly.  Consumers will be drawn to confident brands.

Better mainstream media value, less clutter. The traditional media were already feeling the pinch
and now they are rapidly warning of much lower expected earnings. As
nervous advertisers walk away, the media will be increasingly desperate
for your dollars. Its a time to negotiate well and maintain a strong
media presence. There will be less clutter and more opportunity for
frequency. Perfect for your re-focused brand.

Cut back on non-essentials. One area you should be
looking to cut back on is peripheral marketing spends. These are the
local sponsorships, calenders, random press call for advertorials and
supplier funded campaigns and all those other little things that add up
to a big waste of money at the end of the year. Just focus on the
essentials.

Stand out where consumers are searching. Google is the new Yellow Pages.
Most consumers are now researching or even shopping online. They decide
what they want, then they start Googling it to find the company who
will sell it to them. Will they find you when they do? If you are not
on the first few pages of Google then your chances of winning their
business are very slim. Good search engine optimisation is absolutely essential for the modern business.

If you haven’t invested in a strong online presence
then now is the time. Experts are predicting that marketers will be
rushing online to achieve more measurable results during the downturn.
If you haven’t established a presence there then your competitors will
be winning the business while you twiddle your thumbs.

Build stronger relationships with your customers and prospects.
You can do this easily in your day-to-day transactions with existing
customers, but online presents another opportunity to steadily build
your brand awareness and relationships with potential customers. It can
start with your website and the amount of information you are willing to provide, and then continue with regular e-Newsletters and updates.

Social networking sites and tools allow you to monitor, communicate with and assist customers in various ways. Progressive companies like Zappos (USA), Masi Bicycles (USA) and Common Wealth Credit Union
(Canada) have employed social media technique to grow their businesses
and improve customer relations, with spectacular success.
Significantly, this doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise and can be
very measurable.

Conclusion

• Focus your brand proposition

• Communicate it carefully but wisely in mainstream media

• Build a strong online presence

• Optimise your online presence for search

• Build relationships both off and online.

The businesses that follow this formula will be in a stronger
position to survive and thrive during the downturn. They will increase
their chances of growing market share and brand awareness against more
timid competitors. Sure, its not going to be a time for crazy spending,
but an investment in brand and your digital future should pay big
dividends.

"We have been closely observing the changes to the modern media
landscape and feel that emerging media trends are becoming too
significant to ignore," said Sticky managing director Craig Wilson

"We have seen the future and it’s digital."

"As a result we have evolved to include Digital and Social media in
our core services and have released some revolutionary new products to
coincide with the changes."

Amongst the new offerings is Newcastle’s most dedicated Search Engine Optimisation package, allowing businesses to dramatically improve their rankings with online search engines.

Wilson says…."What is the point of a website that nobody sees?”

"So many websites have been poorly designed and do not perform well,
or at all, in Google, Yahoo and other searches. That is severely
hindering the online success of those businesses. We can fix this
quickly and cost-effectively."

A Newcastle digital advertising agency is delivering search engine optimisation that guarantees clients substantially better search rankings in a matter of weeks.

Craig Wilson, managing director of Sticky explains:

As Sticky has evolved from a traditional media agency to a digital and social media agency
we have become more fascinated and excited by the possibilities of
Search Engine Optimisation. Eighteen months of research and testing has
resulted in the development of an SEO approach that is remarkably effective.

How effective? Well the agency’s new website ranks at the top or near the top of Google
searches for every category it targeted within a month. Most SEO ‘experts’ would tell
you that result wouldn’t be possible for 3 to 4 months.

In fact, Sticky Advertising offers arguably the most effective Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in Newcastle.

The proof is in the actual search
results. There are dozens of businesses claiming to offer SEO services
in Newcastle and the Hunter, yet if you do a Google (Australia) search
for ‘SEO Newcastle’, Sticky is on the first page
after less than a month. Not once, but twice. You would expect that
this would be a very difficult search to rank well on, given the large
number of experts vying for position on the first page.

The Sticky SEO System
is designed to get results quickly in multiple search categories. It
works best on sites they design ourselves, but can still be very
effective on existing sites.

They believe so strongly in the benefits of effective SEO, and their system in particular, that they now bundle it into all new websites they create. They refuse to create sites that are not fully optimised (and you might be pleasantly surprised by the price).

With Sticky’s search engine optimisation system now up and running
and achieving great results, they have begun working on numerous client
sites to similar effect.

The second Newcastle site published using the Sticky SEO system was for Dolphcom whale and swimming adventures. Dolphcom’s previous site never ranked better than page 4 on Google for any of its key search terms. Within 3 weeks of launching the Sticky optimised Dolphcom site thye were ranking on page 1 for relevent searches. Site traffic has doubled in this time as a result.

If your business relies on traffic, enquiries and sales from your
website, then you must rank on the first page of Google searches.
Ideally in the first 5 spots. If your site isn’t there, you are losing
sales.

Media Hunter

"It’s not going to happen," Gregory Boyce, chairman and chief executive of Peabody Energy Corp (BTU.N: Quote, Profile, Research) told Wall Street analysts.

During a conference call to discuss Peabody’s first-quarter financial results, Boyce was asked whether recent congestion at Australian ports would be fixed soon. "It depends on what you mean by ‘fixed,’" said Boyce.

"We’ll see some substantial increases in port capacity, but enough to satisfy demand? They will still be short."

With demand for coal soaring, especially in Asia, companies like Peabody are shipping more from Australia, where the U.S.-based company operates mines. It acquired Australia’s Excel Coal Ltd in 2006 for $1.5 billion.

But some seaborne exports have been delayed because of congestion at Australian ports.

Last April, Australia’s New South Wales state government approved plans for a new coal export terminal at the port of Newcastle, where severe congestion has hurt exports.

The terminal, planned to start operations in 2009, will add nearly two-thirds to the port’s current capacity of 102 million tonnes a year. The NSW government also approved a plan to expand an existing coal terminal at Newcastle.

The announcement came as queues at the port, the world’s biggest coal export terminal, reached a record level of 72 ships a month, with an average waiting time of 28 days.

The delays, caused by infrastructure constraints and maintenance work, have hurt exports of coal just as demand has soared on world markets. Australia is the world’s largest producer of thermal coal and the delays cost the industry more than A$1 million a day in compensation to shipping firms.

Further north, on the Queensland coast, the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal is also being expanded from around 59 million tonnes per year to 85 million tonnes capacity. (Reporting by Steve James, editing by Gerald E. McCormick).