CMAGICS

Prestigious Venues launches new venue ‘Albergo Villa Casanova’

2011-07-17T17:49:00.000+01:00

Prestigious Venues announces an addition to its collection of the world’s finest venues with luxury Tuscan hotel ‘Albergo Villa Casanova.’

Albergo is a distinctive and relaxed, luxury boutique hotel featuring 14 incredibly spacious suites, magnificent terraces, an infinity swimming pool, a restaurant and tennis court. The stunning 18th century Tuscan farmhouse is set in 360 acres of mixed woodland close to the ancient walled city of Lucca.

A stunning venue for weddings and events, the in house chef will on request prepare a bespoke menu for alfresco dining in the extensive grounds. The villa’s private chapel features a vaulted roof as well as many original paintings and can be used for ceremonies or celebrations.

Villa Albergo Casanova is the first Prestigious Venue in Italy of what is fast becoming a collection of all the best places to see and be seen across the world.

For more information please contact:

Parisa Valentine

Events Coordinator – Prestigious venues

0203 402 2045 or email parisa@prestigiousvenues.com

Prestigious Venues launches new venue ‘Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam’

2011-07-17T17:40:00.000+01:00

Prestigous venues announces an addition to its collection of the world’s finest venues in the Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam.

Set between two quiet canals in the heart of Amsterdam, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, boasts a rich history which has seen it house a 15th-century convent as well as the City Hall. Beautifully renovated, this central Amsterdam hotel blends sleek design with 5 star facilities, including 52 luxury suites and an indulgent spa.

Since 1578 The Grand has welcomed celebrated authors, actors, ambassadors and heads of state. The hotel boasts no fewer than 17 meeting rooms and banqueting halls while a total of 5 of these are listed as historical monuments.

The Grand is the first Prestigious Venue in Amsterdam of what is fast becoming a list of all the best places to see and be seen across the world.

For more information please contact:

Parisa Valentine
Events Coordinator – Prestigious venues
Tel: 0203 402 2045
Email: parisa@prestigiousvenues.com

Best Luxury Hotel

2011-03-26T19:05:00.000Z

Video produced by CMAGICS.

To speak with CMAGICS about your next HD Video production, get in touch at hello@cmagics.com

Best Luxury Hotel

2011-03-20T01:05:00.000Z

The digital luxury specialist, CMAGICS delivers another interactive masterpiece that connects luxury hotel brands with their consumers.

"Best Luxury Hotel". The world’s finest luxury hotel announced every month.
10 Hotels are nominated every month. Only one hotel wins the title.

Download the Best Luxury Hotel Guide Watch the Best Luxury Hotel Video

Best Luxury Hotel is the digital platform that allows you to nominate your favourite luxury hotel. This global title can only belong to one hotel every month. So you can nominate any of the world’s leading hotels or resorts for the monthly award. Whether it’s a luxury beach paradise, a spa retreat, an urban business hotel or your favourite location to hold events, nominate now via twitter or email.

How to nominate
Via Email: Nominate@BestLuxuryHotel.net
Via Twitter: Tweet Hotel Name followed by @BestLuxuryHotel

Say hello
To speak with CMAGICS about your next digital project, get in touch at hello@cmagics.com

Heading Innovation in Digital Magazine Publishing

2011-01-27T18:08:00.001Z

The manner in which consumers expect to engage with luxury brands is changing. Rapidly.

Consumers now expect to experience brands outside of traditional retail environments and static print advertising. They expect more sophisticated platforms, presented in a more dynamic fashion, accessible from their home, work and mobile devices – anywhere in the world. Responding to these expectations effectively and at the right time will determine a brand’s global positioning. It will determine the strength of their relationship with existing and potential customers; essentially a survival criteria for premium brands. However, any new platforms must must relate to their vintage predecessors, inherit the exclusive nature of the brand image and foster niche communities. Digital Interactive Magazines can be a vital platform for luxury brands to connect with their consumers, but only if implemented in the right way.

Download the full piece:
Heading Innovation in Digital Magazine Publishing

Authored by:

Habib Amir

Head of Innovation, CMAGICS

Email: Habib@cmagics.com

Luxury Brands and Digital Interactive Magazines - The New Partnership

2011-01-04T09:13:00.003Z

From Telegrams to Emails. From Glossy Print Magazines to Digital Interactive Magazines.

The link is obvious and yet it hasn’t been fully exploited by publishers or their advertisers. Luxury brands have been appearing in glossy magazines, since the 1930’s when photographic magazines really came to the fore. Digital magazines or e-zines have attempted to replicate that existing relationship over the last decade but haven’t received much interest from the reputable brands. This is because digital magazines alone are simply the print content in a page-turner, which quite frankly doesn’t offer the reader any more than print magazines, and arguably less. This clearly affects the brand image and the brand’s ability to reach its target readers. So then, where is this new partnership coming from?

A new breed – the Digital ‘Interactive’ Magazines

The difference between Digital Magazines and Digital Interactive Magazines is that Interactive Magazines actually replicate the experience of browsing a glossy print magazine whilst offering more than the typical digital-only or print magazine. As a result, both the advertiser and consumer feel the advantages, equally. Interactive magazine content is specifically developed for digital browsing as opposed to the former approach of static PDFs loaded within a Page-turner. So Digital Interactive Magazines have laid the foundation for a future where print magazines will be remembered as the more primitive channel. But why is this particular partnership between Digital Interactive Magazines and Luxury Brands now occurring on a more frequent basis?

High-calibre readership and exclusive communities

In the luxury industry customers are more likely to come from targeted and exclusive communities that have been built up over a period of time rather than from less targeted or sporadic campaigns. Hence, some channels of digital advertising have their limitations for this sector. Taking banner advertising as an example, luxury brands have tended to steer clear of widespread use because they often can’t control exactly where their ads will appear. Social media is of course another channel many brands are keen to harness, but at what cost? ‘Pages’ and games on social media sites may not increase brand value and could even harm brand identity. Swiss watchmaker Zenith promotes a game on their Facebook page where users have to click ‘like’ before participating in the game. Although Zenith already have over 8000 ‘likes’ how many of those individuals are actually their target customers? So while ‘interactivity’ is the future, it has to be implemented in targeted channels to achieve the right ROI.

The consumer experience must be right and the strategy must remain in line with the brand values enhancing rather than altering the existing identity. To be sure, consumers expect an intelligent digital offering in 2011 from brands particularly those they see as leading or prestigious. This is why any digital representation must be of high quality, it must be innovative and it should allow for brand experience. How then do you go about creating exclusive communities of target consumers through digital? Exactly how glossy magazines built the subscription models – streaming quality content through quality channels – and this didn’t include Facebook or Twitter. This relied on readers being genuinely interested in the magazine content and committed to getting more of the same on a regular basis. Exactly the same is true of Digital Interactive Magazines – they offer readers a worthwhile exclusive experience, provide instant subscription facilities, and keep the readers in charge of what content they want to view in a page. That is ‘interactive’. This is what builds exclusive communities.

The difference

Let us take a step back and examine the differences between a typical page from a glossy print magazine and a digital interactive magazine.

Glossy Print Magazine – A typical Hotel advertisement would appear with a title, block of text, an image and finally the contact details for booking the Hotel. Let’s assume the reader is convinced they want to book the Hotel, which is unlikely in most cases, but what next? The reader has to call the Hotel? Find out more? Find out availability? Is it likely for them to pursue this?

Digital Interactive Magazine – An interactive page constantly transforms with reader interaction. This gives publishers the power to present readers with every bit of information they need to book the Hotel, but in bite-size and only when the reader demands. So it is more informative, more compelling and hence more convincing. What next? Well, once convinced, the reader can book the Hotel, instantly. This is the difference.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London double page spread in the
Prestigious Venues Magazine

The reader can view a compelling video about the Hotel.

Readers remain in control of what content they choose to view.

The experience is intuitive as every interactive item is naturally explored.

Other parts of the magazine can be explored at all times.

Readers can also contact the Hotel efficiently with any inquiries.

Social Media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are
only accessed on demand.

Finally, the reader can instantly click through to the Hotel website
and complete the booking.

Luxury brands are set to embrace digital interactive magazines in 2011.

Whether through hype or education, Digital Interactive Magazines are experiencing a global boom and are increasingly being seen as a valuable investment for brands. In the recent report by The Luxury Society titled ‘The Digital Agenda,’ it is stated that 87% of luxury brand executives would recommend online luxury lifestyle magazines as an effective digital strategy. Those in the luxury industry see that these magazines can maintain brand identity and exclusivity, whilst having visual impact and engaging with readers. They are more cost effective than print magazines and can reach many times more consumers. The fact that Richard Branson himself was at the recent launch of digital interactive magazine ‘Project,’ by his own company Virgin Digital Publishing, speaks volumes. Although Virgin is not a ‘Luxury brand’ and the magazine can only be accessed on the Ipad device, this shows that companies that have traditionally invested in older forms of media such as TV and print are not only keen to be seen as visionary but they also see an inevitable shift – from Glossy Print Magazines to Digital Interactive Magazines.

Credits: The above snap shots are taken from the Prestigious Venues Magazine developed by the digital agency, CMAGICS. The Magazine can be accessed at - www.PrestigiousVenuesMagazine.com

Jessamie Dunton-Rose
Luxury & Digital Correspondent at CMAGICS
& Events Director at Prestigious Venues

'Prestigious Venues Magazine' - Press Release: December, 2010

2010-12-14T01:14:00.007Z

“A glimpse into the future of luxury publications”

The luxury venue brand ‘Prestigious Venues’ has launched the first issue of its dedicated publication, Prestigious Venues Magazine. Released virally on the 9th of December and distributed globally through an interactive Christmas card, the magazine marks the start of a digitally driven era for the luxury industry.

Interactive Seasons Greeting

Creative agency and digital powerhouse CMAGICS is behind the innovative project that has been 3 months in the making. The magazine’s user centred design, visual impact and interactivity provides a 21st century alternative to glossy print magazines and caters to an intelligent and modern audience. The magazine features historic UK venues such as The Langham London and The Royal Albert Hall as well as a stunning luxury villa in Bali. Profiling 7 international venues in total, the magazine allows readers to explore their exquisite detail and create a unique user journey through rich media. Readers can book a range of services directly from the magazine including a stay at a luxury London Hotel, a dinner at a countryside mansion or a romantic weekend away.

Click to open the Prestigious Venues Magazine

The magazine is expected to reach over 2 million readers worldwide; creating an estimated 5.5 million opens and producing extraordinary viral traffic over the web.

Company Director Habib Amir said, “The magazine is geared both for a modern audience and the luxury sector in challenging times. It presents some of the world’s most prestigious venues and it does so with elegance and style. It empowers the reader to view the specific information they’re interested in, rather than being bombarded with irrelevant content all at once. The magazine provides high calibre event planners and the social elite the tools to make the best choices for their next luxury event. It is a glimpse in to the future of luxury publications.”

The Magazine is currently available online for anyone to experience anywhere in the world.

About Prestigious Venues

Prestigious Venues offers privileged access to many of the world’s most exquisite and exclusive venues. The company showcases a selection of the world’s finest venues, suitable for luxury private and corporate occasions. Through elite events and original digital platforms, it places venues from flagship hotels, halls and villas to award winning bars, clubs and restaurants in a genre of their own. Prestigious Venues is creating a network that encompasses the most desirable locations across the globe.

Contact:

Jessamie Dunton-Rose
Prestigious Venues Limited
83 Baker Street, London, W1U 6AG, United Kingdom

T: 020 3402 2045
F: 020 7034 7100
E: jessamie@prestigiousvenues.com
Twitter: @PrestigiousVns
W: www.prestigiousvenues.com

Top hotels lose sales due to poor websites

2010-09-06T13:28:00.000+01:00

Top-end hotels are missing out on sales due to badly designed websites, according to the latest Online Hotel Marketing Report from Halpern Cowan. The research also found economy hotels, including Best Western and Holiday Inn Express, have better sites than the premium hotel brands like Le Meridian and Radisson. The latter “must upgrade their online marketing” if they’re to remain competitive with their mid-market and economy rivals, it said. – NMA, 03/09/2010.

Prestigious Venues (www.prestigiousvenues.com) is an organisation who launched the first global initiative to select, promote and reward the most impeccable venues worldwide - including boutique hotels and resorts.

Advertising Standards Authority gets online power

2010-09-01T13:21:00.002+01:00

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is extending its remit to cover the online realm. It means that online marketing and ads will, from 1 March 2011, be subject to the same strict advertising rules as traditional media. The ASA will also have the power to ban marketing statements on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Last year the body received over 3,500 complaints but over half of the adverts were outside of its remit. – BBC, 1st September 2010.

Google launches real-time search engine

2010-08-31T12:07:00.000+01:00

The search company has been integrating real-time information into the body of its main search results since last December, after signing deals with Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. This has meant that when somebody searches for a particular topic on Google they have received real-time updates from a variety of social media sites, as well as the usual list of search results. However, Google has now developed a standalone real-time search engine, which crawls the web for the most up-to-the moment search results, as well continuing to integrate real-time result into its main search results. – The Telegraph, 27 Aug 2010

Creation of the most impeccable venue portfolio

2010-08-27T17:02:00.001+01:00

Crystal Magic Studios has been appointed the digital agency to head the creation of Prestigious Venues official website. Within the first three weeks of launch, the website achieves No. 1 position on Google, ahead of 1.4 million search results.

Prestigious Venues is rapidly becoming “the definitive” visual directory of the most exquisite and exclusive venues around the world.

“Prestigious Venues is a unique platform that grants comprehensive access to an exclusive selection of the world's most exquisite locations. We only work with the best venues across the industry – from restaurants, bars, and clubs, to hotels, halls, palaces, villas, boats, planes, galleries, gardens and more - connecting clients directly with a uniquely memorable setting for their event. Prestigious Venues showcases an exclusive selection of the world’s most exquisite locations.”
Prestigious Venues Ambassador

Introducing www.prestigiousvenues.com

The Prestigious Venues Digital Interactive Magazine

2010-08-26T15:45:00.002+01:00

We are working on the Prestigious Venues Digital Interactive Magazine to be released in winter. The magazine will showcase all the venues featured in Prestigious Venues portfolio, highlighting 5 jewels in the collection.

SEO and SIM by CMAGICS

2010-01-11T18:13:00.006Z

CMAGICS has launched competitive prices in offering industry leading SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) used for improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via "natural" or un-paid ("organic" or "algorithmic") search results. The earlier (or higher) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.

We also carry out specialised SIM (Social Influence Marketing) campaigns that achieve outstanding results.

So where do you see your business next year? Why not launch your campaign today?

Interactive Publications | Digital Magazine Publishing

2010-01-11T18:04:00.006Z

As the use of the Internet continues to expand across the world and advertising budgets shrink; Digital Interactive Publications have proved to be the most cost effective solution both for publishers and readers. We work with industry leading platforms with proven record of success and ROI bringing your publication to live with interactive and multimedia content. Welcome to CMAGICS Digital Magazine Publishing.

To engage your readers fully, contact:

Digital Magazine Publishing Dept.
Crystal Magic Studio Ltd

DigitalMagazinePublishing.net
Email: magazines@cmagics.com

CMAGICS has launched!

2010-01-11T18:00:00.002Z

CMAGICS launched successfully at 00:00 on 01/01/2010. Feedback from users has been positive so far. However, as we plan to enhance your experience of engaging with the interactive content on the site, we would appreciate further feedback. We are helping shape the new digital world. Let us know your thoughts. It is your web.

Crystal Magic Studio to launch a brand new website

2009-12-27T19:35:00.008Z

CMAGICS.COM

We will be launching our new agency website in early 2010! The new site uses a number of real-time Web to Mobile digital data transferring techniques. While this all happens transparently in the background, we would love to know your experience of engaging with the interactive content on the site.

As we've built this technology in-house, your feedback will be highly valued. The way we engage with content is becoming more interactive. The web is changing. Help us shape it for you and your business needs.

Welcome to a world of creative digital solutions

2007-12-06T10:09:00.005Z

This blog will focus on bringing the internet users to the forefront of the web interface. Internet users will influence decisions on how they interact with websites. CMAGICS has always believed that users/consumers must come first when it comes to a balance between creative design and accessible interfaces.

We will now begin with the CMAGICS official site. Please let us know what you like and dislike about the site. The address is: http://www.cmagics.com/.

With Compliments

Crystal Magic Studio