MediaMix: Cartologie Network, Made in Manchester, Studio North
MANCHESTER Digital, the trade body for digital businesses, has launched a network to support online commerce in the region.
The Cartologie Network will aim to make Manchester the UK capital of online trading which it believes could eventually add 100,000 jobs to the region’s economy.
The projection is based on the growing inportance of online transactions, forecast to account for 20% of all retail by 2016.
Manchester Digital said the network will promote the region, lobby government and provide “real world and online resources” for ebusiness. There will also be a monthly networking event and various seminars.
An official launch next week will include talks from Jonathon Wall, eCommerce director at Shop Direct, Rob Smith from Blueleaf and James Beard, head of sales and business development at Sage Pay.
Richard Hudson, chair of the network said: “eCommerce can be a driving force behind the regional economy, but the sector needs nurturing. Currently, there is very little support for those running an eBusiness. With turnover from online retail in the UK set to reach £140bn by 2016, it’s essential that online retailers are prepared and have the right tools and information in order to keep up.”
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RADIO production company Made in Manchester has made a programme for Radio 1 examining the pitfalls of social networking.
Broadcast on Monday as part of the network’s Stories strand, Twitfalls: When Social Media Gets Nasty, is presented by DJ Annie Mac.
The programme looks at instances where social media has gone wrong for young people – from Paul Chambers who was arrested after jokingly tweeting he wanted to blow up Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, or soap stars who have received racist and even death threats over social networks.
MIM creative director Ashley Byrne said: “Young people from all over the UK talk about their own experiences and discuss whether there is now a sort of social media etiquette.
“The programme also looks at cyber-bullying and hears staggering statistics about the amount of homophobic remarks to be found on social media every day.”
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MANCHESTER-based design agency Studio North has launched a new website for Fylde Borough Council.
The project follows a major piece of work the agency delivered for Fylde Coast YMCA when it created an interactive site for the charity back in 2011.
Studio North was asked to create a central information hub covering everything from bin collections and benefits to tourism and transport.
Nick Wright, strategy director at Studio North, said: “This was a challenging brief mainly down to the amount of content and the wide target audiences the site has to engage with.
“However, we knew that our challenge was simple and that was to provide an easy-to-use online resource for residents. I feel that we have done that and at the same time we’ve proved that council websites don’t have to be cluttered or tough to navigate.”
