Halloween fun!

It's nearly Halloween and so the printing.com office have used their creative skills in other ways... namely decorating gingerbread ghosts. Some were too rude to post but here's one for Oliver, our resident Sheffield Wednesday supporter.

Happy Halloween everyone!

More than just knowing which buttons to press....

There is much talk, especially amongst those in the creative world, about the videos circulating titled 'Graphic Designer versus Client' and 'Graphic Designer versus Client - The Sequel'. For those of you not familiar with these videos, click below - but be warned... the language is colourful to say the least! (click back to come back to this blog)

Graphic designer versus client 

Graphic designer versus client - the sequel

Graphic designer versus client - make my website for free

I won't deny that there was a fair amount of knowing sniggering in the printing.com office when we first saw the clips, not least because of the 'creative' swearing!

The overwhelming response, both in conversation and on message boards, has been 'Wow, so it's not just me then?!!' and it raises the question "Why is design so undervalued?"

In my business we spend a lot of time seeking to educate our audience on the benefits of good design: providing 'befores and afters'; getting feedback from clients on the results of their campaigns; gathering evidence of the positive impact of good design.

Despite all of this it still proves to be, for many businesses, a sticking point when it comes to making that investment. And, an investment it should be considered. 

The Design Council, the national strategic body for design, carries out regular studies and surveys and their site (http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/) is stuffed full of enlightening information that is useful to both the creative industry and it's clients.

Did you know that for every £100 that a 'design alert' business spends on design, turnover increases by £225? Even more attractive is the fact that companies that invest in design can avoid competing on price alone. Certainly in my business I have found this to be the case.

And when they talk about making an investment, they mean with a professional designer!

Today's graphics software (or at least the poor man's versions of them) are so easy to lay your hands on these days that it can be tempting for businesses to try and cut corners by cutting out the professional design process. 

But design is so much more than just knowing which buttons to press and cutting corners could well end up costing your business much more than the corner you cut in the first place!

Graphic design is a skill which is honed and developed over time but which requires an eye and instinct for; it is a skill in which professional designers train to perfect their art and the learning process never stops.

There will be thought, creativity and expertise applied to producing the best possible design for the job. What's more, it is a considered process - you wouldn't teach your granny how to suck eggs... would you?!!

In my opinion, the creative industry is being undermined by 'design' packages such as Publisher and online companies which allow you to 'design' your own business card, creating at times a friction between creative and client. The recent videos to circulate certainly reflect this!

So, enough of my opinions. The 'proof is in the eating', as they say. You'll find on this blog examples of how we've added value to our clients marketing and the results of that investment.

Good design sells. Could we be doing the same for you?

Win a Marketing Make-Over with printing.com

Image is everything. You only get one chance to make a first impression and if that first impression says 'I don't take my business seriously' you may struggle to get anyone to take you seriously. 

Is your image betraying you? Are you frightened to hand over your Business Card for fear of ridicule? Is your Stationery making potential customers run for the hills? Do people recoil in horror at your flyers?!!

During October, to celebrate the launch of my new marketing blog, I'm giving you the chance to change all that with the opportunity to win a Marketing Make-Over.

All you need to do to be in with a chance is download the application form below, fill it in and return it to me.

And don't forget to subscribe to my blog to qualify! Simply click on the link to the right and choose the method your prefer. If you'd like further help with this, just drop me a line for instructions.

Of course, if you know someone who could do with a make-over, why not forward this blog on?

We look forward to helping to transform the lucky winner, who will be drawn on Monday 2nd November so we need your entries no later than 31st October. 

Get entering and good luck!

Recent move hits the news!

We like to practice what we preach and use a variety of methods to promote our business, including PR. We are therefore very pleased to have made the local business news with our recent move to new and improved premises.

 

We are just about settled and I hope that you will pop along at some point for a coffee and to tell us what you think. I'm sure you'll be very impressed!

Our aim has always been to deliver much, much more than a typical printing company and our new studio projects just the image we want - professional, creative and friendly.

With the introduction of our new Creative Suite, designed especially for creative brain-storming, marketing consultations and brief-taking, we have already begun attracting and impressing our clients who are looking for that extra value from our involvement.
 
I will of course be updating my blog with case studies which demonstrate the type of work we love to get involved with and if you think we can add value to our existing relationship, why not book your free marketing consultation with me, when we can spend some time looking at how your marketing materials might be improved.
 
Here's the feedback off the back of one client's marketing consultation, which led to a copywriting and design project for their flyer:

“In three paragraphs Sarah encompassed the ethos of our business and managed to pre-empt the negatives associated with using a wedding planner – for example the cost. The feedback we have had on the flyers is fantastic, it seems Sarah has fulfilled our brief – to stand out from the crowd and appeal to our target market – and we would like to thank her for her guidance and the obvious effort she made in ensuring we have a strong brand image.”
Ellie Crawford, Harelle, Sheffield

 
 If you think your own marketing materials could do with a bit of fine tuning, be sure to give me a shout!

We love to design... Helping 'The Essential Fly' to promote themselves more effectively

This is really a tale of why DIY design just doesn't cut it when it comes to getting the most from your marketing. 

The Essential Fly http://www.theessentialfly.com/, an extremely reputable online supplier of fishing flies who use one of the most talented fly tyers in the UK, was recommended to us by a previous client.

As with many business owners these days, they had hoped to save a few pennies by putting together their own leaflet design. 

Now, being so much more than a printing company, we're happy to challenge our clients if we feel that what they're asking for will undersell their business. It's not always what people want to hear but it certainly the reason why people come back to us!

So, following some discussion about what they wanted to do with the leaflets (insert them in a national magazine) and what they were looking to achieve from the leaflets (traffic through to the site) we agreed a very reasonable design cost and set about re-vamping what they had initially supplied.

They already had a logo and a brand-style, they understood the importance of using testimonials and including an offer and they knew what sort of information was important to their potential customer. The problem was that all of these messages were lost in the cramped and crowded layout.

So, with some clean layout, emphasis on the key points and USP's, use of some beautifully colourful images of flies and that all important 'white space', we created a simple but to-the-point leaflet which conveys a professional and reliable company image.

There's no doubt that bad design could end up costing your business far more than good design and I hope you'll agree that our re-vamp represents a worthwhile investment for The Essential Fly.