Dan has just shown me the most adorable video for Ibis Hotels, and I had to share it with you. Having two house rabbits myself (who have both been known to make an appearance at the studio), I’m a sucker for bunnies. And this is just gorgeous. Do check out the Behind The Scenes video too – it made me giggle! Happy weekend everyone.
Category Archives: Marketing
Just because it’s Friday… the utterly adorable Ibis bunnies advert
Filed under Inspired by, Marketing
The power of direct mail, and why post is en vogue again
There are so many ways of reaching out to customers these days.
A few years ago, a start-up business would have a decent logo, a set of business cards and letterheads (and possibly a leaflet or brochure), get a nice website designed and sit back, feeling pretty smug that they’d got the ‘marketing thing’ done. These days of course, it’s not so simple; the marketing mix of the modern day business consists of social media strategy, e-shots, video, SEO, guest-blogging and much, much more to capture the attention of today’s time-poor consumer. And that’s great; marketing has moved on as it should. But recently, there’s been something of a kick-back against all of the marketing noise that we’re exposed to on a daily basis – our inboxes are chokka with uninvited and unwelcome sales messages, we’re bombarded with a constant stream of adverts online and we can’t even log on to Facebook to see our friend’s wedding photos without being deluged with marketing fluff. And therein lies the problem – the marketing messages which companies have carefully planned, crafted, and deliberated over have become no more than an annoyance. So much so that many of us just block them out – we don’t even take any notice (here’s a challenge for you – I bet last time you checked your twitter feed there were several sales-driven tweets in there. Can you remember what they were? No, thought not).
So, as these things do, marketing has gone full circle. Direct mail is enjoying somewhat of a moment right now – a fantastic targeted way to achieve great results from your marketing budget. It’s quick, it’s measurable and it gets noticed – particularly if it’s personally addressed to the recipient.
Our recent Let’s Get Growing promotion was sent out in the form of direct mail; we posted our clients a pack of Forget-Me-Not seeds along with an invitation to join us for a complimentary brainstorm session. We’ve had wonderful feedback so far, with the most frequent comment being that ‘it’s so lovely to receive something in the post’ (one client told me it was ‘lovely to receive something other than sales nonsense or a request from HM Revenue & Customs for money for a new tiara for the Queen’). There you have it. And that promotion just wouldn’t have been as effective over email.
As with any promotion, you need to keep a keen eye on costs and ensure that you know what you need to generate in sales in order to pay for the promotion (we can always give you a hand with that) – and it’s wise to use a mix of platforms to promote the same message. Direct mail is definitely a trend to watch out for – and you should be thinking of how you can take advantage of it. Need some ideas on how to make direct mail work for you? Give us a call and we’ll show you how.
Image sourced from Pinterest
Filed under Ditto News, Marketing, Printing
5 easy ways to build your businesses brand
Branding 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.
Filed under Find Your Voice, Marketing, Powerful Branding
New in This Week: Flyer Design for Zest Home Cleaning
Introducing 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.
Filed under Copywriting, Creative Design, Find Your Voice, Marketing, New in This Week
New in this Week: Guide book design for Riverhill Himalayan Gardens in Sevenoaks
Introducing Riverhill Gardens and the Rogers Family
The eagle-eyed among you may notice that Riverhill Gardens are not new to my blog – I blogged about them a little while ago after they re-opened their gardens in Sevenoaks following a television appearance on Channel 4′s Country House Rescue. The Rogers family, who have owned Riverhill House for six generations, have been brave enough to share their story (which includes great riches, devastating tragedy, revival and regeneration) with their visitors – and you can’t help but be utterly engaged by it. We’ve known the Rogers family for some time now and were thrilled when Sarah asked us to design their 2013 guide book. We’re still in the early stages of planning the design and writing (and editing, and then editing again) the copy for the guide book, but I’d like to share some of the mood boards that will form the basis of the design. Keep your eyes peeled for more on this project!
Image credit: Most images used by kind permission of Sarah Rogers, with others sourced from my Pinterest board
Filed under Creative Design, Marketing, New in This Week, Printing
Planning ahead for 2013 – we’re giving you a helping hand
What have you got planned for 2013? Does your brand need a bit of a re-vamp? Do you need a new brochure to sell your products, or new stationery to deliver your proposals with a flourish? We know that it can be difficult to set aside the necessary time to plan your marketing activity for the new year, which is why we’re waving this rather tempting offer under your nose:
We’re offering 25% off our design fees for selected projects in December*
Tell us what you’ve got planned to the new year and let’s see if we can make it worth your while to get started in December instead of waiting until January. We’ll get you organised and save you money – as well as giving you the right to be totally smug about having everything wrapped up and taken care of, leaving you free to enjoy a guilt-free Christmas break. So what are you waiting for? Email studio@ditto.uk.com with your marketing wish-list and let’s see if we can save you some pennies!
*our offer is based on projects of a minimum requirement of 3 hours’ design time, on projects which are to be signed off by 21st December 2012. The reduced rate is subject to workflow and may be withdrawn at any timeFiled under Creative Design, Ditto News, Marketing, Powerful Branding
The Ditto Method to Building a Brand that Sells – download your FREE branding e-book
The Ditto Method to Building a Brand that Sells has been a long time in the making – but I’m really excited to tell you that it is finally ready!
Our first e-book has been built around you, our clients: small to medium sized businesses. Packed with inspirations and tips for start-up businesses to create their brand, as well as plenty of ideas to help established businesses give their brand a boost, our e-book contains 7 bite-size steps to building a powerful, unique and profitable brand. The e-book will guide you through the basics of building an engaging brand, from pinpointing your niche in the market to mapping out your customers’ experience when they buy from you to make sure that every single interaction is as good as it can be.
So go on, give yourself a break from writing Christmas Cards and playing with fairy lights to take a few minutes out (with a mince pie, if you really can’t resist), and take the first step towards building a more profitable brand for the new year.
To claim your free copy of our e-book, click here.
Filed under Ditto News, Inspired by, Marketing, Powerful Branding
Time to plan for 2013
Unbelievably, we’re hurtling at break-neck speed towards the end of another year.
And while some people are scratching their heads and half-heartedly writing the Christmas to-do list while wondering whether or not it’s too early to break out the mince pies, savvy business owners are starting to plan their marketing activity for 2013. While it can be tempting to leave planning for next year until the Christmas break – or, worse, leave it until 2013 – now is really the time to start to commit to some business building actions for the new year. To make the process just a little bit easier, here are my top 5 tips for planning your new year marketing strategy. So put the kettle on, grab a couple of biscuits (or a mince pie, if you really can’t resist), and get planning…
1) Review your year
How was 2012 for you? Jot down your key marketing activities and review them one by one. Perhaps you joined a new networking group, commissioned a new brochure or carried out an advertising campaign. What was the yield, or return, of each of these? Is there something you need to change or tweak for next year?
2) Review your brand
At Ditto, this is an annual exercise. We carry out a vigorous audit of what we’ve been up to, and what sorts of clients we’re attracting. I recommend you do the same. What sort of clients are you winning? Are they bringing you the type of work you want, or do you need to revisit your brand strategy in order to attract a different demographic?
3) Think big
If nothing stood in your way, what sort of marketing activities would you love to carry out? Jot down a list of 5 activities you’d love to be able to do (budget and logistics aside). Perhaps you’d like to relaunch your website, start speaking at conferences or start advertising in a trade magazine. They don’t have to be instantly achievable, but simply putting the thought out there will make it more likely to happen – at the very least, it’ll get you thinking creatively.
4) Set a realistic budget
As a general rule, if you want to grow your business, you’ll need to invest a little more in marketing spend than you did last year. Get your accountant involved to agree a realistic and affordable figure, and stick to it. I recommend setting aside a monthly marketing budget which you can dedicate to whatever you choose. Remember that marketing should be an investment, not a spend, and that your budget should be yielding a decent return for you. If it’s not, you may need to review your activity.
5) Plan and diarise
Don’t get caught in the trap of letting your marketing become a rushed, knee-jerk reaction to being offered a low cost last minute space at an exhibition. Trust me, you won’t get the most from your spend if all of your marketing is carried out in this way! By diarising and committing to a plan you’ll be much more likely to make everything happen.
What have you got planned for 2013?
Image credit: Made by Morris via notonthehighstreet.com
Filed under Marketing, Powerful Branding
Well done, Rotosound!
I’m so excited to share the news that one of Ditto’s clients, Rotosound Music Strings, have won the highly respected Best Export Initiative Award at the MIA annual awards
The Music Industries Association, in partnership with NAMM, host these annual awards which have become a major celebration for the whole industry, honouring the best selling and most reliable and innovative products and retail initiatives in the UK and celebrating the top individuals and organisations within the musical instrument industry.
The Best Export Initiative award is made by the Frankfurt Musikmesse in recognition of outstanding achievement in exports. Commenting on the awards Jason How said ‘it is fantastic for all our hard work and effort to be recognized by Musikmesse and the MIA. My thanks to our sales team for their determination and boundless enthusiasm, and our dedicated workforce for their energy and resolve in helping us deliver such a success story for British Industry in a difficult economic climate.’
Rotosound has been part of the British music scene for over fifty years and continues to manufacture today in Sevenoaks in Kent. They have seen a huge growth in their export sales over the last few years working closely with Frederick Export and now sell their strings and accessories to over 60 countries across the globe.
Ditto are proud to work alongside Rotosound’s marketing team, helping them to raise their profile online and find new ways to engage with their target market. Well done!
Filed under Ditto News, Marketing
Direct mail: As effective as ever
I just had to share this with you – the most recent catalogue from Anthropologie which dropped through my letterbox yesterday. Anthropologie’s catalogues are always absolutely gorgeous – everything has space to breathe and the photography is so stunning. What better way to tempt you to buy? Proof that all the social media campaigns in the world can’t take the place of a beautifully printed brochure.
A textured cover and text in subtle clear foil – quite different from spot UV, for all you print geeks – gives an irresistible finish (hope the pic does it justice!)
Filed under Find Your Voice, Marketing, Powerful Branding
Derek
Hannah
