Category Archives: Find Your Voice

by | May 16, 2013 · 2:12 pm

Let’s get growing: Join us for our next Branding Workshop

Lets-get-growing-header

Date: Wednesday 3rd July
Time: 9.30am – 2.30pm
Cost: £169 plus VAT (£149 plus VAT if booked before 20th June)

Looking to launch a new business? Has your existing business plateau’d? Are you feeling threatened by increased levels of competition in your industry – or perhaps your business is growing rapidly and your brand needs to reflect where you’re at? Our workshop will allow you to reconnect with your business, giving you the tools and confidence that you need to grow your brand and win more customers

During our one day workshop, we’ll drill down into what makes your business tick, encouraging you to think beyond the day-to-day running of your business and pinpoint the parts of your business which make you truly special. I’ll show you how to defend against competition, build a brand that resonates with your target market and encourage you to think really big about the future of your business and what success means to you.

We’ll cover:

  • Defending against competition: Pinpointing your niche in the market
  • Understanding what your customers value about you, and how to attract more of your most profitable work
  • Brand equity: The ways in which your brand enables you to charge more and increase profitability
  • Thinking big: How to create a brand which supports your long term vision for your business
  • The anatomy of your visual brand: the fundamentals of colour and typography
  • What you can do immediately to boost your brand

About the day

Based on feedback, we’re moving our workshops to the intimate setting of our first floor studios at Ditto on London Road in Sevenoaks. You’ll be in the company of like-minded business owners who face the same challenges – and same ambition to succeed – as you. Our workshops are practical, informal and packed with insights and tips that you can take away to implement on straight away. You can expect to be put to work with a range of hands-on activities, plenty of lively debate and oodles of light-bulb moments. We’ll reward your hard work with a tasty home-cooked lunch and afternoon tea to finish the day.

Your brand workshop was superb.  Getting us to get involved and write down what we think our business offers, who our customers are, our long term goals etc and then discussing was excellent as I really feel like it all went in.  I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and you made it so much more interesting than just sitting and listening. I love Hannah’s friendly and informative attitude’ Laura Gilmour, Synapse Microcurrent

How to reserve your place

Our smaller venue allows much more hands-on interaction, but means places are more limited. To reserve your place, please email hannah@ditto.uk.com, or call 01732 456944.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Find Your Voice, Powerful Branding, Workshops

Tagged as , , ,

by | May 11, 2013 · 12:33 pm

5 easy ways to build your businesses brand

your brand, the promise, product, personality and perception, typographic printBranding is often perceived as a bit of a dark art by business owners. But it needn’t be; there are a number of small things you can tweak to improve the effectiveness of your brand. Grab a notepad and pen (and a glass of something nice, if it’s that sort of time), and jot down these 5 thing you can do right now to make your brand work harder for you:

1) Have a chat with your best customers 

We all have those favourite clients – they may be the ones that you work with the most, the people who’s values echo yours, the ones who shout about your business the loudest and those who truly value what you do. Wouldn’t it be lovely if all your clients were like them? Attracting more of those clients is easy – first, you need to understand what it is that they value the most about your business so you can steer your brand in a direction that resonates with those people.

2) Don’t be afraid to think big 

You may only be a team of 2 now, but what’s your game plan for next year? Or the year after? Your business deserves a brand you can grow into, so it pays to know where you’re heading.

3) Know your bestsellers 

If you offer several services, or a range of products, is there one element in particular that nets you the most profit? If so, you probably want to be known as the go-to provider for whatever that is. Jot down your bestsellers and ask yourself if your brand really reflects the things you want to be known for.

4) Make your moments of truth as good as they can be 

In brand speak, a moment of truth (or touch point, depending on your choice of words) relates to any interaction that a customer has with your business. This may be in the form of a phonecall, email enquiry, face to face conversation, visit to your website or blog or even an interaction on social media. Does every interaction reflect you in the best light? A while ago, I phoned a local high-end hairdresser to book an appointment. The phone was answered by a bored-sounding receptionist (who was chewing on gum while she spoke to me), who clearly didn’t want to know. Given the salon’s image, I would expect a polite, courteous and efficient service to back up their slick look. Needless to say, the reality rocked my view of the brand and I went elsewhere. Don’t let the same happen to you – your moments of truth are one of the easiest and cheapest things you can control.

5) Own your niche 

I say this so often, I feel as though I ought to have it tattooed on me somewhere. In a competitive marketplace, it’s essential to know what makes your business stand out from the rest. Do you offer a product which no-one else sells? Perhaps your customer experience is unique? Maybe the way you do business sets you apart? The things that make you unique are the golden elements of your business that mean customers buy from you and not your competitor. As a sense check, list your competitors to be sure that your niche is truly unique to you. And when you’ve hit upon your niche, you need to shout about it, as loud and as often as you can.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Find Your Voice, Marketing, Powerful Branding

Tagged as , ,

by | May 10, 2013 · 9:47 am

Inspired by: Superfilm’s beautiful promotional videos

I have to admit, there have been times where I’ve cringed inwardly at the thought of a corporate promotional video. Many that I’ve seen seem so insincere, cold and sales-y that I’m instantly turned off and have to watch through my fingers. I’m pleased to say that my thoughts have changed vastly since meeting with Juliette at Superfilm.

Superfilm are a local group of passionate film makers who work with businesses to produce the most beautiful, aspirational promotional videos you could dream of. With the focus very much on telling a story, their videos capture the essence and personality of the businesses they work with. I was amazed by the ways in which the videos portray a really honest, genuine feel – so different to many of the staged, scripted corporate videos I’ve seen before. Their relaxed, story-telling style and aspirational finish produces videos which companies can be incredibly proud of. I’m very excited (if a little nervous!) to announce that Superfilm will be working with us to create a video for Ditto – I look forward to sharing more on this with you in the next few weeks!

To give a taste of Superfilm’s work, do take a look at the video below which was produced to document The Savoy’s Jubilee celebrations.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Ditto News, Find Your Voice, Inspired by

Tagged as , , , ,

by | April 17, 2013 · 11:22 am

We’re delighted to be involved in the Start-Up Loan Scheme for young entrepreneurs

Set the world on fire, typographic print by Dan at Ditto, SevenoaksAt Ditto, we’re passionate about helping businesses grow. Lots of businesses lay claim to this, but we really mean it

And just to prove it, we’re delighted to be selected as a delivery partner for the Start-Up Loan Scheme, a government initiative headed by James Caan (from Dragon’s Den) to help 18-30 year olds in England secure funding and mentoring to start their own business. As the Sevenoaks printing.com studio (which runs alongside Ditto), we’re looking to help local entrepreneurs aged 18-30 start their own business. As a previous finalist in the Young Entrepreneur Category of the West Kent Business Awards myself, this is something close to my heart!

Have you got a burning idea for a new business, which you need support to turn into a reality?

If this sounds like you, you’re aged 18-30, live within the UK, have a good-to-go business plan and require funding of up to £9,500, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more about the scheme by visiting the Start-Up Loans website, or email studio@ditto.uk.com

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Ditto News, Find Your Voice, Thinking Big

Tagged as , , ,

by | April 9, 2013 · 3:37 pm

Paris Brown and the importance of responsible tweeting

I should imagine you’ve heard by now – the UK’s first youth commissioner, Paris Brown, has resigned from her role due to racist, violent and generally inappropriate tweets. While I don’t wish to comment from a political perspective on the ins and outs of this incident, nor the validity of her role, I think it’s a fascinating case study of the importance of being responsible when taking to twitter.

It’s imperative to think about your brand personality when tweeting, too: if you’re an investment consultant, your audience will expect a certain tone of voice, so tweeting about your crazy weekend bender in Amsterdam may not fill your clients with confidence.

Many of our clients use twitter both for personal and business purposes – I know I do. And most of the time, that’s not a problem. But my goodness, it’s so important to bear in mind that when you have a combined twitter account, you’re an ambassador for your business At All Times. Whether you’re tweeting links to your latest blog post, tweeting insider tips or tweeting about your weekend antics, you are the voice for your business. Never, ever, ever type anything online that you wouldn’t be happy with your best client reading. Just ask Paris…

Leave a Comment

Filed under Find Your Voice

Tagged as , ,

by | April 3, 2013 · 10:04 am

The importance of authenticity in business

quote, velveteen rabbitIt can be daunting, sometimes, to be yourself. In the business world there are always pressures to conform in some way to your industry – to be and to behave a certain way. I’ve met countless business people throughout my career so far, and I can categorically say that the most interesting, the most engaging and the most compelling are always the people who are brave enough to be themselves.

I don’t mind admitting that when I joined Ditto 8 years ago, there was a real difference to my business persona and social persona. Inside the four walls of work, I was a more toned down, bland version of me. It wasn’t much fun and the relationship I had with our clients tended to be rather flat. Over the more recent years, I’ve grown in confidence, and learned that it’s ok to be me – both in and out of work. These days, the me that you see when you visit the studio will be the same me you might bump into at the weekends – and I think that’s a good thing. It means there’s no facade – what you see is what you get. But it’s amazing how many business people (especially those who are freelancers, oddly enough), are reluctant to show their true colours. I met a lady a couple of weeks ago who has a totally unique business, but is worried about letting her guard down in case people ‘find out that I’m just me, and that I may not be good enough’. The truth is though, that people buy from people – we are innately drawn to those who hold the same values as us. So by letting our own personalities shine through, we will attract people who have the same approach – which surely makes for a more interesting and enjoyable client base!

What do you think – are you truly ‘yourself’ in your working life?

Image credit: Original Image by Emily McDowell. Image sourced via Pinterest.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Find Your Voice, Inspired by

Tagged as ,

by | March 21, 2013 · 10:06 am

New in This Week: Inspirational Mood Board session for a Sevenoaks Nanny Agency

I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve dedicated a blog post to a Mood Board session.

Ditto Mood Board, Sevenoaks, Brand Design

Mood Boards are used by all manner of creatives to help gain a visual representation of what their clients want to achieve, and are such an effective way to gather inspirations, find words, colours and images that represent your business. They’re ideal for bridging the gap between what a client may think they want, and what they actually mean – and through the process, we drill into the commercial reasoning for why they may want to present their brand a certain way. Through the process there’s plenty of lively debate – ideas emerge rapidly and words flow easily, giving shape and purpose to a client’s objectives.

Ditto, Sevenoaks, Creative Design, Branding

Mood Board sessions are about more than collecting nice images together, but rather finding the depth to your brand and ensuring we understand exactly why each and every word, colour or image makes it to the board. Some brands are particularly difficult to ‘draw’, which makes Mood Board sessions all the more valid and worthwhile. Aside from being a really fun exercise, it gives our clients real clarity and confidence, and helps us to be able to deliver a creative and commercially grounded brand which will engage with the intended market.

Mood board session, brand design, sevenoaks, ditto

Leave a Comment

Filed under Creative Design, Find Your Voice, Powerful Branding

Tagged as , , , ,

by | February 15, 2013 · 5:02 pm

Your brand: The promise, the personality, the product, the perception

your brand, the promise, product, personality and perception, typographic printBranding can be easily dealt with in 4 distinct categories

Branding’s really just about 4 components: the promise, the personality, the product and the perception. I’m currently writing my next contribution for the Kent & Sussex Courier’s business pages, which I contribute to monthly as their branding expert, and I’ve been struck that the business I’ve been asked to comment about has a great product, but seems to fall down on the other 3 crucial components. The problem is that a product can be absolutely amazing, but without careful consideration to map out the brand identity, there’s no personality to what’s being delivered and the perception is unlikely to be right. And that means that your brand will fail to engage with the right people, and growing your business will be a hit-and-miss struggle.

So, your homework for the weekend: take a piece of A4 paper, divide it into 4 and jot down some bullet points for each of the 4 P’s of your brand. What is it you deliver? What promises do you make? What personality does your brand have – and what perception do you want clients and prospects to have?

Image credit: Typographic print by our very own Dan at Ditto, taken from our branding e-book (download your free copy by clicking here)

Leave a Comment

Filed under Find Your Voice, Powerful Branding, Thinking Big

Tagged as

by | February 12, 2013 · 10:09 am

Branding your business: a bit like selling houses

branding a business like selling housesI reckon that building a brand is quite a bit like selling a house. And I’ll tell you why.

If we’ve spoken recently, or you follow me on twitter, you’ll know that my other half and I have been searching for a new home recently (I’m pleased to say that the whole horrid ordeal is over and we’ve found The One – hooray). It’s been a really interesting journey, not least because it’s been a process of buying our first home after renting a small cottage for the last few years. I’ve been fascinated by the way that different estate agents do business – you’ve got those who are incredibly keen, who go out of their way to help and always place a follow-up call the next day, juxtaposed by those who, frankly, can’t be bothered. They all behave in distinctly different ways. And the way they present properties varies hugely, too.

One of the houses we viewed was photographed pretty badly, and the description was sparse. It really didn’t tell you much about the house or the area, and certainly wasn’t doing the vendors any favours. Not to be deterred, we went to view. And we liked it; it was a nice house. In fact – it was much nicer than the pictures in the sales brochure would have you believe. We decided against that particular house, but it made me smile when I saw it re-listed with another agent shortly after. At first, we didn’t recognise it as being the same house. The pictures were amazing – it looked lovely! The estate agent’s photographer had taken the time to stage the photos, lighting the fire, placing fresh flowers in the kitchen and setting the dining table. And the description of the property was a country mile away from the first listing too – the estate agent had put some real care and attention into writing some beautifully descriptive copy which made you really feel like you could make this house your home. Same house, different descriptions – one of which made the house hugely more desirable than the other.

You can apply this analogy directly to the way branding works for businesses

Take two businesses, with identical offerings – on paper, they’re direct competition to each other. But apply carefully considered branding to one of them and you immediately elevate it from being the same as its competitor to something with unique character, making it more desirable and compelling prospects to buy. How can you describe your business differently to make it sound more desirable?

Image credit: Images found at ikea.com and notonthehighstreet.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Find Your Voice, Inspired by, Powerful Branding, Uncategorized

Tagged as

by | January 29, 2013 · 9:07 am

New in This Week: Flyer Design for Zest Home Cleaning

zest home cleaning, flyer design, sevenoaks 1Introducing Zest Home Cleaning

Having launched Zest Commercial Cleaning a couple of years ago, Dan Lockey and the team at Zest have launched their latest business venture, building on their excellent reputation to introduce their home cleaning service. We’ve worked with Dan for a number of years, so we were pleased to be asked to help him get his new business off the ground.

Keeping it simple

Dan’s not one for clutter or fuss. We were after an immediate, punchy message which instantly tells his customers who they are and what they do. On flyers, particularly those used for a door drops (and therefore arriving with ‘cold’ contacts rather than people you already know), the challenge is always to effectively introduce your business without writing essays on what you do. Rather than list infinite bullet point lists of services (or worse, use the phrase ‘offering all aspects….’ which Dan and I agree is the worst thing you can possibly do when introducing your business), I composed some concise copy which was no more than 3 sentences long. We focussed in on what it is that Dan offers his customers that truly matters. The benefit of a home cleaner isn’t so much that someone else does the vacuuming for you – the true value lies in the fact that having someone take care of the cleaning frees up a couple of hours for you to go off and do what you want. Identifying your customers’ point of pain is crucial to engaging with them – empathise with what ‘hurts’, and tell them how you’ll make that go away. A simple tactic, but very effective! Team this up with a clear call to action and you’ve got yourself a winning flyer.

2 Comments

Filed under Copywriting, Creative Design, Find Your Voice, Marketing, New in This Week

Tagged as , , , , ,