Then, just days ago, the world watched on in anticipation as the biggest cyclone system in Australia’s history beared down on the North Queensland coast, crossing just after midnight on February 3. Communities woke to flattened properties, a complete loss of crops and at least one associated loss of life.

In both situations, those of us in the firing line were left feeling helpless. People prepared properties and supplies as best as they could, but when Mother Nature is this angry, there is nothing that can be done to be TRULY prepared.

As we all braced for the worst, there was one calming influence that brought us together. And for Queenslanders who follow politics, comfort came in the most unexpected form – honest, up-to-date and ultimately life-saving words from Premier Anna Bligh. A lot of people have questioned the Bligh government’s political and management credentials in the past. But, here at Sensory HQ, we can’t question or fault Bligh’s communications efforts during these tragedies.

And this morning we stumbled upon this opinion piece from journalist David Penberthy. His words have woken the armchair critics who are weighing in with their comments. You be the judge.

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/No-bullshit-Bligh-sets-a-new-standard-for-politicians/

This is the year we encourage our clients to take a stand and be brave, because things are going to get better … if you make them.

There are two ways you can approach your marketing in 2011.

The first way is to do all the things you did last year. The problem is that for most businesses, last year was quite challenging. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result.

So how will you make this year better? We know we said not to look back, but for the purpose of this rant do a quick summary of your marketing efforts of the past 12 months. That means the good, the bad and the ugly. Take into consideration spending and your return on investment. Classify your marketing efforts into categories of traditional (ie same old techniques) and creative or direct methods.

This year we want you to double those efforts. This doesn’t have to mean doubling costs, but doubling the effort and time allocated to brainstorming and also research. The corporate communications world is evolving and you have to adapt with it or be left behind.

Expand the mind to new ideas, work up a dose of courage and stand tall as the leader in your industry in 2011. This is a real opportunity to make the right people notice you before your competitors jump in first. Go on, be brave!

Clive Palmer made us hate our bosses just that little bit more

Qantas discovered that kangaroos probably weren’t meant to fly

Warney was caught out yet again trying to spin one down the leg side

Red-headed females around the country became cool again  

Oprah toured Australia on a budget … of $46 million

Townsvillians packed their boogie-board bags for Bali on Strategic Airlines.

Cowboys’ fans breathed a sigh of relief when the Storm secured the wooden spoon

Premier Bligh headed north to find out what this ‘Townsville thingy’ was all about

Tony Abbott discovered a rare budgie species

The Commonwealth Games fell apart before they began … but who cares, we won all the medals.

Ok, you knew about those things already. So we’ve used our collective powers to predict the Top Moments for 2011.

Joel Monaghan will release a new line of dog food consisting of meat and potatoes

In the interest of humankind, world leaders will move swiftly to ban “WikiLeaks the Musical” starring Susan Boyle.

The Aussie dollar will hit $1.20 USD, forcing Las Vegas officials to relocate their casinos down under

Bob Katter will become Premier of a new North Queensland state and mandate cowboy hats for all

Australia will discover rich oil reserves and firm as the favourite to host the 2026 Soccer World Cup

People will name their children Twitter, Facebook and iPad.

It will be cheaper to water our yards with Mount Franklin bottles

Oil giant BP will fund the third instalment of 1990s hit movie City Slickers

From the team at Sensory Group, we hope you create headlines for all of the right reasons in 2011 and wish you and your family much happiness over the holidays. We look forward to working with you next year.

Never mind the fact that Australia has dominated world cricket for the past decade or so. Or even that the first Ashes test in Brisbane was actually a draw, not a loss.

The global media and public are absolutely smashing the side’s credibility for six. Mobs of pitch fork-wielding maniacs are getting ready to chase this team out of town.

But it wasn’t always this way. Not so many years ago the Aussies were on top of the world and it made for the love-in of all love-ins.

The Aussies were winners, and that’s all that anyone cared about. The boys were up to their eyeballs in positive press, huge endorsements and celebrity WAG’s.

They rode the highs and took major advantage of the kudos, like anyone would. But Cricket Australia wasn’t really prepared for the downside, which was sure to follow.

You see, when you’re propped up on a pedestal and you leverage the hell out of the good times, you’d better be ready to cop the wrath when your luck runs out.

That time is now. While we’d love to talk cricket all day, we’re doing our best to segway into a business analogy.

A 101 of public relations suggests that when things are good, you should let the world know. Heck, get your face in the papers as much as possible. But be prepared, for the slightest fall will be magnified and your credibility will get hammered.

Sometimes the best strategy to minimising future damage is to be modest in your current feats. That way the fall is much shorter.

But in the age of shareholder expectations and board pressures, the heat is on to make the most of the good times. So if your organisation fits into that category, how will you respond in a time of crisis?

Do you have a suitable crisis management strategy? Is it flexible enough to be used in a range of situations? Have you nominated the right people to be in charge when the proverbial hits the fan?

We’ve seen enough crisis management fails this year (BP, David Jones, Qantas) to know that you don’t want to be the next.

So when it comes time to put your next promotional plan into place, make sure you put equal importance on your crisis management strategy. Because not all publicity is good publicity!

My beautiful fiancé is in Germany for work.  It’s freezing there, something like minus 2 degrees. She called me last night and said “I am blind” ….

Now, if you know my fiancé, there’s nothing too unusual about that except that she hadn’t had a thing to drink.

She tells me that’s she’s actually gone to a BLIND restaurant… A ‘blind’ restaurant, you ask?

Yes, it’s a restaurant that is completely dark. It’s in Berlin and called the Unsicht-Bar.  It is pitch black and you are escorted and served by blind waiters.  You order your food in the illuminated foyer and then you’re escorted to the dining room for a 2 hour dinner. That’s it … you are in pitch darkness for 2 hours.

It poses the question, doesn’t it – which of the five senses are the most important?  Which one would you miss the most -   sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste?

I’m not sure what I would pick.  I guess you can’t go past sight and hearing, so they are definitely keepers.  If I absolutely had to, I would go for smell out of the other three.  What about you?  It’s not that I wouldn’t miss smells.   The smell of a tasty lamb roast on a Sunday night, or the one you get just before a huge thunderstorm or after mowing the grass.

It’s just that the others I would miss more.  Regardless, we might just take all of them for granted and I think the blind restaurant is a great idea to remind us.

Apparently, the blind and visually impaired waiters use their remaining senses to do everything.  They use things as sensitive as different noises that vibrate from the ground … now that’s impressive.

Just think about having all of your senses working that efficiently all at one time.

Now, how the bloody hell does this relate to marketing? It wasn’t a mistake that we called our organisation Sensory Group.  These five senses are what we specialise in, but we call them strategic planning, public relations, event management, graphic design and advertising. When all five work together, it’s a beautiful (and sometimes essential) thing.  Some organisations are in the dark while others can see but also want to touch!  We tailor our services to get all of these working efficiently together so you are seen, heard, tasted, touched and even smelt (cue the pull-my-finger jokes) in a way that best fits you.  But enough of the blatant pitch.

The Unsicht-Bar website says that ‘By abandoning your visual impulses you will be able to experience what wonderful work your other senses are capable of. A genuine sensory rush!’

Sounds good to me. Enjoy getting blind at minus 2 degrees baby. And you won’t even get a hangover!

Cast your mind back over the year that was. Think about the bumpy moments as well as the times when you felt that things were on the up.

Then look into the crystal ball as you speculate about what might be in store if the economy does or doesn’t turn around in 2011. What sort of things will run through your head – how you address staffing issues, office requirements and product or service delivery?

We hope not, because those topics, while important, are boring as bat sh*t. We’re here to encourage you to think creatively.  Be warned, if you’re not looking at ways to engage and get cut through with your customers, your competitors just might be!

So, when the moment comes, down a handful of mumma’s famous rum balls and light a fire under the right side of your brain because the sooner you can get into a creative mindset, the better you will be prepared for next year.

We don’t expect you to script a strategic marketing plan in a post-Christmas haze. We just want your imagination to run wild with ideas. In fact, come up with a number of outlandish, over-the-top ideas that may or may not be possible (hey, Richard Branson is going into space, man!).

Go online and research successful and failed publicity stunts. Read up on how to engage with that scary bunch of no-hopers, Generation Y. Get some tips on how to throw the corporate party of the year or come up with an idea to make your clients feel more loved than John Holmes.

The more time and creativity you invest now, the better you’ll be prepared to put together a serious marketing strategy for next year. Just like the rich get richer, those people who continue to think way outside of the square will consistently come up with new insights.

Then, when you’re completely at odds about how to execute the plan, come and share your weird and wonderful ideas with us…. or if you get stuck, we might just have some to share with you!

But we had reason for the blog-vacation. While most of us were head down, bum up at work, one of us went on a research mission (cough) to experience the highs and lows of major events such as Derby Day, Melbourne Cup and an international one-day cricket match.

Thankfully, the trip was a success as we learnt three things:

1. Beer is painful to hold when it’s freezing outside and you don’t have a stubby cooler;
2. A wet racing track makes it really hard to back a winner; and
3. The business of networking is just as successful when staged on the largest of scales

We all talk about networking and its importance in building a business. Because in marketing, there’s the blanket (throw-a-dart-and-hope-it-hits) approach and then there’s the direct approach. We all know which works best.

There’s no better way to connect one-on-one with potential clients than at client parties or networking events. Lucky for you, the Christmas party season is in full swing.

Oh yes, it’s a glorious time of year. And while it’s ok to be social and fun and flirty and frivolous, there are many unwritten rules to follow when rubbing shoulders with current and prospective clients. Here’s our take.

It’s past 5pm – We realise that work may be a common interest point with others at the Christmas party, but this is your chance to really get to know one another. Sure, you’re going to ask “so, are you busy at the moment”. But the more you learn about what sports they love, how many kids they have and whether they used to have a mullet or a perm back in high school, the stronger your relationship will be down the track.

Keep it M15+ at worst – Politics, sex, toilet humour, religion, races… yes, these are possibly our favourite topics, but we’d never tell anyone that (er…). Before you open your mouth, remember that you will be remembered more for your bad comments than your ability to be the best architect or lawyer or doctor in the business.

Enjoy the perks – When a company lays on the free food and booze, by all means go to town. But remember, if you’re a Cadbury Kid who can only handle a ‘glass and a half’, take it easy and go one-for-one with alcohol and water. Try to find the happy medium between fun and charismatic and dancing on the table.

Work the room – It can be daunting walking into a packed room by yourself and not recognising a single face. If you feel that way, just imagine how others are feeling. Make sure you pack enough business cards (hand them out within reason) and introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Most people love meeting new friends at these events, otherwise they wouldn’t be there. You never know where new friendships might lead.

We’ve all learnt from DJ’s – Ok, so you’re out of work, you’ve had a few drinks and you’re getting along famously with an associate. That’s not an invitation to make a move. If there’s someone you really fancy and it’s within company protocol, call them the next day and outside of company time (or, you know, write to them on Facebook).

Boogie fever and microphones – Christmas parties can often lead to social faux pas, and none are more famous than bad dancing and karaoke. For the love of God, make sure you buddy up with someone you trust at the start of the night and swear to each other that the soberest person will make the call on this one.

Didn’t your mother tell you – In a nutshell: never hold a drink in your right hand as it should remain dry for greeting people; never complain about the food or service if you aren’t paying; always be attentive when people are speaking; and take the time to thank the host at the party (for a touch of class, send them a thankyou note a day or two after).

Enjoy the Christmas season and remember to invite the gents from Sensory Group if you want your party to be truly amazing.

The same goes in business, albeit the opportunities might not seem so obvious all the time. Provided you’re quick enough and smart enough to react, the results can be game-changing.

Most of the time, however, the really big opportunities are sparked by factors completely out of our control.

Take for example this week’s prediction that parts of Australia will be lashed by increased cyclone activity this summer. Already these reports have sparked widespread public fear. Yet for many businesses and their marketing departments, these reports have presented an opportunity to sell products by the truckload to a ready market.

Insurance providers are just the first that come to mind. While nobody in their right mind wants to see more property damage or even personal injuries, you can bet your bottom dollar that this industry will ride this horse all the way to the finish line … and then some.

If you think about it, these kinds of opportunities are everywhere and available to any business, no matter how big or small, provided they have the smarts and resources to act fast.

At the height of the GFC, businesses that sold household safes did extremely well by capitalising on global fear that the banks were unstable and untrustworthy.

And how many businesses benefited when K Rudd handed out billions of dollars in cash and told people to spend, or provided incentives to upgrade solar panels and roof insulation? Here’s just one of the brilliant ways one entrepreneur jumped on the opportunity and grabbed national news headlines:  http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/139019,rudd-stimulus-inspires-the-kevin37-a-tv-priced-at-900.aspx

What about those companies that dig and connect bore water lines? Surely the money must be pouring in now that council water bills are surging through the roof?

The list literally goes on. The bottom line is that where this is a problem, threat or change to our external business environments, there is always opportunity. Let the world know that you have a valid solution, and the rest will be history. So how will you react to the next opportunity that comes your way?

Today we welcomed into the world Sensory Group, a diversified marketing and public relations consultancy based in Townsville.

We don’t expect teething problems and we won’t be taking baby steps.

Instead, we’ve hit the ground running thanks in large part to our strong connections in the north’s business community.

While the expectation of producing results for our clients has us very excited, the extrovert in us is just as pumped about our entrance into the blogosphere (or maybe it’s just our egos?)

As often as possible we’re going to update this section with worldly observations, helpful industry tips and commentary about taboo topics.

We absolutely promise to never fill this space with boring stuff. In the very unlikely chance that it happens, our punishment will be a day of listening to Susan Boyle’s Greatest Hits on repeat. And we don’t want that. Nobody wants that.

If you couldn’t be bothered checking into this website from time to time you can follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Of course, we want to know your thoughts and would love to give our opinion on any topics you find interesting.

Sensory… out!