We love to design... a logo revamp and shiny new brochure for StairSteady

I first saw Ruth Amos of StairSteady (www.stairsteady.net) present at an E3 Event a couple of years ago and was blown away by her. 

Coupled with her fascinating story of how she'd got into business, having invented her product at 16 as part of a GCSE project, she also has an impressive demeanor - intelligent, driven and a true ambassador for entrepreneurialism. Having won the prestigious 'Young Engineer for Great Britain' award for her invention, her abilities speak for themselves.

Without getting too gushy, I was therefore extremely chuffed to be approached by Ruth to design her brochure. 

Testament to the power of Twitter, Ruth had been encouraged to contact me by some of my Twitter followers, who are also clients and friends.

Ruth was very focused about what she wanted from her brochure, what it needed to do for the company, who it was targeted at and what values it needed to communicate. This worked well alongside her willingness to take our advice and input and we were able to run with the project.

Oliver began with a simple re-vamp of the existing logo, which we were concerned looked dated and therefore not representative of her innovative product:

Next, I took Ruth's supplied text and spent some time re-working it into compelling copy which focused on the company's core values and USP's. We were able to pull out key phrases which would create 'buy-in' from Ruth's market, and focus on these throughout the design. Ruth supplied us with some great images to work with and Oliver put these to good use to create a visual story of the product:

"I found working with printing.com to be a stress free and very pleasant experience. All the staff were helpful and went out of their way to make sure that we ended up with something that we are very proud of. It has given us a leaflet that embodies the company at this time and a logo that has given our brand a whole new feel. We are so happy with the work they have done and will be using them again as they went above and beyond what was expected of them." Ruth Amos, StairSteady Ltd

You can probably tell that this is yet another project that we've really enjoyed being involved in and we're looking forward to watching Ruth's business prosper.

Finally, if you're interested in networking with my colleagues and I, there will be an E3 Event at Sheffield College on 2nd November - 'Future Faces: The Future for Entrepreneurs'.

And guess what.... I'm one of the panel members sharing my stories, theories and opinions so please come along to support me and you may even meet some great new contacts into the bargain! You can book at: www.wearee3.com

See you there!

Sarah

Are you making a lasting impression?

I am often asked about what kinds of marketing activities go on in my business and what works best. 

I'm a big believer in doing the whole mix - direct mail, telemarketing, email marketing, PR, social media, networking - to win new business but what we are also very good at is retaining clients.

Whilst this is clearly something that will be affected by standard of service and price (both of which I'd say we're damn good on!) I also believe that finding ways of being in front of your clients on a monthly and yearly basis is extremely important.

Don't underestimate the power of marketing tools which last throughout the year. I'm talking about pens, calendars, notepads, pen pots, rulers, trolley coins, cloth bags and so on.

Here's a few stats from recent research carried out by the Promotional Products Association International (P.P.A.I.):

• Out of 800 business travellers researched, 71% had received a promotional product in the last 12 months
• Out of these 800, 33% had the product on them!
• 76% could recall the name of the advertiser on the product
• 52% conducted business with the advertiser after receiving the product
• Of those who hadn't ordered, half said they expected to and half said they had a more favourable impression of the advertiser

So, why do these items work? Very simply because the frequency of exposure is inordinately higher than, for example, a magazine advert.

Every time your prospect or client uses the item, they are exposed to your brand, logo and message. Each impression lowers the cost per impression for the advertiser, making these products some of the most cost-effective marketing methods available.

I'm always pleased when I turn up at a networking event to see someone using a printing.com pen to make notes in their printing.com pad or when I visit a client and they have our calendar on their desk. I'm willing to bet that they won't forget us in a hurry!

So, if you need advice on how to become more memorable to your clients and prospects, give us a shout here in Sheffield. It's what we're great at.

Sarah

printing.com product range

We love to design... Shaping up for maximum impact

As many of you will know, we're a creative lot at printing.com Sheffield. And if there's a more interesting way to use a piece of print, we'll use it.

We're never content with producing just an A5 leaflet or a basic business card. We like to zap it with more personality and impact using unusual shapes or finishes. The beauty of this is that it makes you stand out from the crowd, creates a talking point and - crucially - make people remember you.

A fantastic case in point is a project we've recently completed for the fabulous and talented photographer, Katy Thomson of Serendipity Photography.

Katy specialises in wedding, portrait and event photography, and very good she is at it too! She also has Shutterbugs, where Katy will capture the precious moments of your child's life, from bump onwards! 

Check out Katy's website because she really does come highly recommended from anyone who has used her services: www.serendipityphotography.co.uk 

So, take a look at the work we've designed and printed for Katy. We've gone for a cut-out matt laminated flyer with glossy highlights (StarMarque). The shape lends itself to Katy's fab idea for a polaroid design and the glossy highlights not only create a very beautiful design feature, but they also grab the eye, almost jumping off the page!

 

 And finally, check out the amazing feedback that Katy gave us:

We are always on the lookout for interesting and creative projects to get involved in and as you can see, the final results not only look pretty but they generate interest in your business. A job well done!

If you'd like to arrange a free marketing consultation with me to discuss how we can make your marketing materials more effective, simply drop me an email at sarah.simpkins@printing.com.
 

I look forward to meeting with you soon!

Sarah