We love to design... a retro design for an accountancy firm near Sheffield

Opposite this post you'll see that I recommend my 'straight-talking accountant', Robert Tippett of Leesing Marrison Lee & Co.

I thought I'd write a quick post on a little project we've just completed for them to advertise their new referral scheme. Robert, like many of our clients, wanted us to 'just put something together' for them. So, we came up with a little concept which we think will help grab the attention of his clients.

So often I see the professional services opting for the same old, same old... pictures of people in suits, the stereotypical 'shaking hands', the boring 'we're serious about business' blue. I wanted Robert's promotion to look different because Robert isn't your stereotypical accountant (this being a good thing!).

So, we went for a retro, tongue-in-cheek approach. Retro is all the rage at the moment and I know that the theme isn't new but I think this is the best approach to getting the promotion noticed against the usual paperwork that you get through from your accountant. And I don't think it ever does any harm to inject some humour into your marketing, so long as it doesn't undermine the professionalism of the company.

So here's a couple of pictures of the flyer, produced on a high gloss finish for maximum impact. Simple but effective, I'm sure you'll agree:

I'm very pleased with how they look and I'm looking forward to finding out how the campaign works for Robert. And of course, if you decide to use Robert's services once you've read this post, make sure you tell me because I'll be onto Robert for my commission!

Sarah

The diary of a new brand... Part 1

 
I've committed a heinous crime. The crime of not updating my blog. I've neglected it for nearly 2 months and have come back to it to find it smelly, stale and in need of some tender loving care. But here's my excuse....

We are in the middle of launching a new brand... for ourselves. We have for some years now delivered a high standard of design and for many of our clients we also provide logo design services, copywriting, web design and marketing support but we do feel we're hiding our light under a bushel, so to speak!

We know that we're only delivering half of the solution when it comes to launching a successful brand for our clients but we also know that to attract the right projects and instill confidence in our abilities, we've got to re-position ourselves. Don't get me wrong, the printing.com side of our business will continue to run as it alway has but as with any good business, we also recognise the need to adapt and change.

And so, I think that there's value in me sharing with you our journey, in anticipation of our new brand's eventual launch.

So, what does it take to launch a new brand? Well, there are in my experience and opinion a number of steps to be taken:

1) Identify an opportunity or gap in the market - is there actually space for you or do you need to create that space?

2) Establish what your brand will represent - what are your core values, your core purpose and business model? Write this all down and share it with your team as your brand, crucially, starts from the inside.

3) Position yourself - who are your potential customers, your competitors and how will you differentiate yourself?

4) Identity - what will your brand name be? What will your logo look like? What will your corporate identity look like? Does the look, feel and colour palette convey the right message to the customers you wish to attract?

5) Communication - internally, how will you ensure that your company lives the brand? Externally, how will you market your brand?

6) Delivery - a brand only grows if the promise it makes is delivered on. How will you ensure this happens and how will you measure it?

I'm pleased to say that we are now at stage 4 of this process but boy, has it been a tricky journey so far!

So, what do you think so far of our plans? And what do you think it takes to launch a successful brand? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Keep  checking back to learn more about how we've approached each stage and for the final unveiling....