From our new US home in Boston, MA, we are assisting leading clients to enhance their customer engagement, by creating and delivering insight based, multi-channel communications programs and solutions. This expansion builds on our strong track record in the UK for delivering innovative and award winning marketing and technology solutions and also leverages a number of existing assets of our parent company DST Systems (NYSE: DST).

We are seeking the following roles within our growing team: 

Account Director 

Account Manager 

Senior Presales Consultant

If this sounds like you and you have extensive analysis, direct/interactive marketing or marketing technology experience then please drop us a line for more information.

You can contact us here.

Heading up Lateral’s creative team, Cavers will play a key role in linking Lateral’s data and insight teams with the creative process; to ensure an exceptional standard of highly targeted, consistent, creative execution across all relevant media channels.

Cavers brings with him over 25 years experience in building and developing some of the most awarded creative departments in the UK from BBH’s Limbo and TBWA\Payne Stracey to Publicis Dialog and Chemistry.

He joins from The Marketing Store, where he was Executive Creative Director Europe – working across accounts including McDonald’s, Britvic, Shell and Vodafone.

Jason Cromack, CEO at Lateral Group, comments:

“Mike is arguably one of the most experienced and awarded creatives in the marketplace. We are delighted to have him on board in a move that demonstrates our commitment to becoming a leading integrated marketing communications agency.

“His appointment reinforces our commitment to delivering highly creative and targeted multi-channel campaigns that works seamlessly with our successful insight and data offering.

“With Mike on board we hope to build a recognised, award winning multi-channel creative agency, delivering inspired and very relevant creative messages to our clients.”

Mike Cavers says: 

“I’m really excited to be able to have the opportunity to build a creative offering around one of the strongest data offerings in the market, especially with the ability to have data and digital at the heart of everything we do either in the on or off line arenas.”

When Microsoft released Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) in 2001, further development of the browser was not in the pipeline at all. It was released together with Windows XP, Microsoft’s highly popular operating system that was soon to become the world’s most widely used. With IE6 pre-installed on all computers operating Windows XP and an absence of any major competition – the ‘Netscape’ browser had been on the decline since the late 90’s – IE6 had a monopoly and Microsoft were able to lean back and relax.

In 2003 however, competition began to raise its head. With the launch of open source browsers such as Firefox, and shortly afterwards Opera, IE6’s steady climb slowed down and eventually came to a halt. Firefox’s introduction of tabbed browsing and its ever growing list of custom add-ons and version upgrades showed a new generation of browser – with a refreshing approach to the usability and the ability to respond to the constantly evolving web coding techniques, digital technology and visual trends. Microsoft was being left behind – they had underestimated the ambitions and inventiveness of web developers and designers who wanted to provide content for browser platforms that were as forward thinking as they were.

IE7 – small step but no recovery

It was not until October 2006, over 5 years since the last major release, that Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) in an attempt to win back those users they had lost to Firefox and its open source friends. While the rendering in this new release had only improved marginally – now supporting .png transparency, more consistent z-index logic, and a adjusted interpretations of margins and paddings – the main focus had been put on an improved user interface with tabbed browser window and reduced toolbar height. There was however a fundamental flaw in their plan. The Windows XP operating system (which had become more popular and deep-rooted than ever due to the failure of new operating system, Windows Vista, in early 2007) formed the IT infrastructure of many large organisations, meaning that their internal web apps relied on IE6. Internal Firewalls negated the need to worry about IE6’s growing number of security flaws and these organisations were unable to easily upgrade to IE7 without substantial internal investment. These companies were, quite literally, stuck with IE6.

Overstaying its welcome

Now, after almost 10 years of IE6, its problems still remain. Usage has declined – currently IE6 sits at approximately 1.3% worldwide, with the majority of these users in Asia and developing countries due to their less advanced computer infrastructure. In Europe, the user cut is closer to 0.9%. In addition, the fact that most IE6 browsers remain installed on computers used in a business/office environment with limited Internet access freedom in general, the usage of IE6 on consumer computers is likely to be a little as 0.5% in the UK and the rest of Europe.

IE6 support dropped by big players

In March 2010, Google – now well established with its own fast and simplistically modern Chrome browser – joined the growing list of Internet giants who publically announced their discontinuation of support for IE6, meaning that visual rendering and front end functionality would no longer be tested on this application and usability and security problems would not be addressed. Google was joined by Amazon ,Yahoo, Salesoforce, Atlassian, Facebook and many popular Content Management Systems such as Drupal and WordPress.
As the web’s offering and  web-user expectations in functionality, speed and usability steadily grow and web design and development techniques continue to make huge jumps forward – html and css-markup and styling languages that are responsible for the visual content experience on the web have just introduced versions 5.0 and 3.0 respectively – IE6 has turned into a lame duck. Problems with the system mean that digital designers can spend up to 80% of their time on projects fixing, compromising and hacking perfectly compliant code to render in IE6. More often than not is an exciting web concept grounded by the ball and chain that is the requirement for IE6 compatibility.

Microsoft have recently announced that they will continue to support Internet Explorer 6 until at least March 2014. They are not hiding their dismay about this decision and within the same breath informed the technology media that plans to force software upgrades are being introduced. Microsoft developers are anything but enthusiastic about their rather frail web browser, but owe it to the corporate sector who bought into the broader product at a time when there was no alternative.

What this means for web designers and developers

As for the community of digital designers and web application developers, whilst they are left with the IE6 compatibility problem, they need to ask themselves ‘Who is my target audience?’, ‘What do the majority of my users expect’ and perhaps most importantly ‘Is the client willing to increase their budget for the additional time spent on building an IE6 compatible website?”. Many others go the route of education “the longer we are willing to accommodate an entirely outdated piece of software, the longer it will take to eradicate it.”
IE6 will be around for as long as we allow it to be. And while we cannot ignore its persistence in some niche industry sectors or specific global regions, and find ways to allow its users to benefit from commonly accessible web content, we must not compromise on the exciting progress within digital communication for the sake of a free web application that is still towing a sinking ship of a 10 year old outdated version in its wake.

Seven Lateral Group staffers have been ‘facing up’ to the Movember challenge, demonstrating a degree of masculinity and in the process raising £440 for prostate cancer research. Our ‘tache- team included Jason Cromack, Ruaraidh Thomas, Nick Barbeary, Daniel Cross, Stuart Hamilton, Chris Pannel and Dritani Myftiu.

It’s just one of the community events Lateral Group employees have put themselves up for this year.

CEO Jason Cromack and a team-mate spent Easter completing the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon, raising over £2,300 for the Children’s Hospice South West. And a few months earlier, Dialogue Solutions MD Jeremy Walters led six Lateral Group employees through the ‘Tough Guy’ challenge raising around £2,600 for the Fund for Heroes.

Team Jason’s 125 mile canoe marathon includes 77 porterages, which made their choice of a 40 kilo sea kayak a head-turner.

“We chose stability over speed,” says Jason. “Given most kayaks were only 18 kilos, we looked complete nutters. People were taking bets on when we’d pull out.”

Despite beautiful weather, competitors got no help from one of the lowest river flows in recent years and a building headwind. “After so many miles paddling the day before, it was demoralising to hit the Thames again each day with no flow,” Jason recalls. “We felt we were going backwards. However, thanks to our support crew and a drip-feed of jelly babies and Jaffa cakes fed to us as we jogged around the locks, we made it.”

Jeremy Walters’ team competed in what is described as ‘the world’s most demanding one-day survival race’.

“You have to sign a ‘death warrant’ waiver before you start,” recalls Bid Consultant James Reilly. “Typically, a third of the 6,000 starters fail to finish – there have even been two fatalities in previous years.

“It started with a six mile cross country run with all sorts of hills and water obstacles. Temperatures were well below zero so the front runners quite literally had to break the ice. That section finished with a slalom sprint up a series of hills, which separated the group.
“Next was the obstacle course which included totally flooded tunnels, miles of freezing water to wade through, walls to clamber over, bridges with barbs that electrocuted you and cargo nets which you had to climb and then dive off into the water.”

James turned in Team Lateral’s best time of 2hrs 30m with the rest – Jeremy, Mike Cox, Mitch Cornelia, Daniel Cross, Nikolay Ferdinandov and Vinny Gidley – all finishing within 4hrs, which was quite an achievement.

Would he do it again? “Yes!”

It’s one of three new Little Books recently released by Lateral Group. This latest batch also includes the Little Book of Trigger Marketing and an updated version of the first in the series, the Little Book of Integrated Communications Marketing.

While print is basically about control, digital design is about behaviour.
A print design is statically ‘baked in’. But online design is at the mercy of the device it’s going to be seen on, that device’s Operating System, the browser being used and even the version of browser.

Uncertainty rules, so when they’re working in the online media, designers need to think more like architects. They must create planes and grids that facilitate the dynamic ways people are likely to behave, then relinquish control. As one observer puts it, “digital media is as different from print as a speech is different from a conversation.”

For marketers strong in traditional offline media skills but less comfortable in the online world. This Little Book provides valuable insight into creating effective design for today’s multi-channel world. Order your copy of Little Book of Multi-channel Design here.

These are the sort of results that event-based ‘trigger’ marketing is achieving for Epson, JetBlue and many other smart marketers. How trigger marketing works, and why it’s so successful, are the subjects of our recently released Little Book of Trigger Marketing.
It’s one of three new Little Books recently released by Lateral Group. This latest batch also includes the Little Book of Multi-channel Design and an updated version of the first in the series, the Little Book of Integrated Communications Marketing.

Trigger marketing is about setting up automated systems that deliver marketing communications in response to something that’s happened. The range of events is potentially enormous – including events in customers’ lives like birthdays, events in the marketing relationship like purchase anniversaries, or even ‘non-events’ like uncharacteristic account inactivity for an extended period.

It’s not necessarily new – marketers have been responding to events a good while now. What’s different today is the technology and analytical software that can automate the process and make it even more intelligent and responsive.

Lateral Group is highly experienced in setting up and deploying trigger marketing campaigns. Share our extensive knowledge and see how Trigger marketing could work for you by ordering a copy of the Little Book of Trigger Marketing here.

The ‘MarketPower for Retail’ solution allows marketing collateral to be created and implemented at a local store level. It enables marketers and local retailers to log on and create and order online customised, location specific, marketing material, in keeping with the overall style and messaging of the brand.

MarketPower is an innovative new tool that responds to increasing demand for marketing efficiency. It provides a central platform for every aspect of communications and marketing resource management, with the simplicity of its application working across all channels, protecting branding, cutting costs and boosting RoI.

Jason Cromack, CEO of Lateral Group, comments:
“MarketPower is the marketing resource management tool for the next generation. As marketing becomes more and more targeted, companies are sending out more materials across a range of channels. This is a flexible, web-based software application that slashes admin time and boots efficiency. Visitors to mediaPro can test it themselves, and see how it can simplify the task of getting customised materials to their direct sales force, sales partners, local marketing teams, stores and outlets.”

IOS (www.i-os.com) is one of the largest direct communications manufacturers within its sector in the UK. It is also one of Europe’s largest variable colour digital printers, specialising in innovative one-to-one communication solutions for various sectors including financial services, retail, utilities, travel, charities and local government.

The addition of Lateral Group is viewed as a complementary fit with existing IOS operations both in terms of services offered and business outlook. “This is an excellent strategic development for IOS,” commented IOS chief executive Mark Felstead. “Lateral Group has a strong presence in the industry and we are pleased to be able to provide further solutions such as data insight and online marketing to our client base through this acquisition.”

Commented Nick Dixon, the principal founder of the Lateral Group: “We have found a great home for the business, and I am absolutely confident that it will go from strength to strength. We look forward to taking advantage of new technologies and resources through this transaction and achieve further scale as a marketing services provider.”

Said Felstead: “This move represents the execution of IOS’s strategy to extend and develop our product offering—particularly integrating communications through print, data and e-solutions—as well as helping to ensure that we continue to develop a market-leading position in our traditional services. At a time when there is much structural change taking place in the industry, it is important for IOS to lead the market. This acquisition helps us to achieve that. We are now in an even stronger position to support larger contracts across the entire spectrum of output solutions in the UK.”

In Gartner’s report on Cool Vendors in Business Process Services 2011 ‘forward thinking’ Lateral Group are listed as ‘one to watch’ as we take advantage of innovative and interesting offerings.

Why Cool:

1. Lateral Group can address areas that would otherwise typically have to be addressed by a range of BPS providers.
2. Lateral Group’s 12-step program provides a straightforward road map for managing and using customer data. Instead of offering a complex web of services, Lateral Group’s approach is simplified and allows enterprises to more easily self-identify their needs with relevant marketing offerings.
3. It is this range of marketing services — across four marketing disciplines … and with an integrated, simplified approach to achieving integrated marketing communications — that helps Lateral Group stand apart.
4. Although scores of vendors are making similar claims for marketing services, Lateral Group’s approach and message to market makes it easier for buyers to understand what they are getting and what it will do. Rather than leading with deep explanation of how things work, Lateral Group emphasizes what objectives it can solve.”

Click here to visit Gartner’s website.

In Forrester’s Where To Find Help for Interactive Design Projects In Europe 2011 ShiftClick – the digital division of Lateral Group – are one of only 57 companies across the whole of Europe that have been profiled.

Of all those profiled we are 1 of only 5 who deliver database management services, 1 of 11 who deliver data analysis/segmentation, but we are 1 of only 2 who deliver both of these areas AS WELL as the digital creative services all the vendors do.”

Click here to go to Forresters website.

The group’s approach to Integrated Communications Management (ICM) has delivered continued success for all areas of the company and ensured that it outperforms the market during a tough economic period. A focus on cross-selling within the group has generated positive increases for each individual business, with 47% of clients working with more than one Lateral Group company.

The fastest growing company within Lateral Group was Data Lateral, which grew EBITDA by 90.5% through a focus on channel optimisation and data driven communications. Dialogue Solutions achieved an equally impressive 71.8% year-on-year growth, achieved through improvements to supply chain efficiency and software innovations for its MarketPower® suite of procurement and communication management solutions. In 2009, Howitt held steady against a market that declined an average -12% in 2009, as recorded by IPA Bellwether Report, and maintained its positive performance with a 1% increase in EBITDA.

“This has been an incredibly tough period for the whole industry and to have continued to deliver growth in one of the harshest economic environments ever experienced is an achievement that cannot be under estimated,” commented Nick Dixon, group executive chairman of Lateral Group.

Rick Taylor, finance director of Lateral Group, added: “Our focus is on sustainability, both in terms of our growth as a business and the solutions we create for clients. Our strategy of cost containment as a business coupled with a proposition focused on measurable returns has ensured that Lateral Group has effectively met the economic challenges presented in the past twelve months. It will be this sustainable approach to running our business and working with brands that will secure the future wellbeing of the group.”

Jason Cromack, CEO of Lateral Group adds: “Throughout 2009, Lateral Group was working to unite individual companies and encourage cross-selling throughout the group. The 2009 results make it patently clear this approach has been successful and allowed Lateral Group to emerge from the financial storm in a strong position. As we look to the future there will be a clear focus on innovation to secure similarly positive financial performance in 2010 and beyond.”

In 2009, Lateral Group extended its client portfolio bringing onboard new brands across the group including Hobbs at Data Lateral, Centre Parcs for Dialogue Solutions and new business from Carphone Warehouse and B&Q at Howitt. The group has bolstered its capabilities through investments in market leading technologies, initiatives and software, as well as best practice certification including ISO 27001 for information security and the DMA’s DataSeal standard.