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Category: Branding

Essence brand consultancy 101 the meaning of colour in branding

When “nice ideas” quietly undermine your brand

Sitting in my design studio in Sutton Coldfield this morning, this news article really tickled me – and then made me think (a lot).

On paper, it probably sounded like a nice idea.

International Women’s Day. A thoughtful gesture. Something a bit different.

So… pink ice-cream makers.

And yet, here we are.

A Cambridge-educated international law firm partner caused controversy by sending pastel pink ice-cream makers to female lawyers and clients to mark International Women’s Day – as reported by The Times:

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/harneys-international-womens-day-ice-cream-h0cc0g8fv

Because the issue isn’t really the product. It’s what it signals.

It’s rarely one bad decision

Most brand missteps don’t come from laziness or bad intentions. They come from shortcuts.

Someone thinks:

Pink = feminine

Gift = thoughtful

Tick. Tick. Tick. Job done

But branding isn’t a checklist. It’s how things are interpreted, not just how they’re intended. And interpretation is where this falls apart. When I am involved in a brand consultancy project, one part of my discovery work is to look around for similar brands, similar challenges, and similar, relatable examples of why something could potentially be an issue. So I’ve done a little digging into more ‘pink gate’ type scenarios and as expected…

We’ve seen this before

This kind of thing crops up time and time again. Different industries, different audiences, completely different campaigns – and yet the same underlying pattern keeps appearing. A simple idea gets reduced just a bit too far, and no one quite stops to sense-check how it might be received.

Individually, these moments can look small or harmless. But they tend to follow a familiar shape. These are the kinds of moments where the intention might have been fine… but the execution told a very different story.

“For her” pens

Not a single campaign, but a whole category.

Pink packaging. Same product. Often a higher price.

It was positioned as thoughtful, but most people saw it for what it was – unnecessary at best, patronising at worst. I love the commentary from Ellen DeGeneres… hallelujah, we finally get our own pen… what ever will be next? Our own beer? Oh hang on…

Heineken – “Sometimes, lighter is better”

A beer slides down a bar, passing several darker-skinned people before reaching a lighter-skinned woman.

The line?

“Sometimes, lighter is better.”

Honestly, every slide by of the bottle is ‘cringe’! You can see what they were trying to say. But you can also see why it didn’t land that way. I can almost picture the meeting where this got signed off. On one level, it’s about the beer. On another… how did no one stop and say, “hang on a second”?

Definitely one of those moments where the idea might have seemed straightforward internally, but the second it’s out in the world, it takes on a completely different meaning. And not in a good way.

Pepsi protest ad

This one leaned heavily into the imagery of protest and social justice.

The problem wasn’t just the concept – it was how disconnected it felt from reality. The backlash was fast, and very public. I tried to to make my husband sit through one viewing of it and he gave up, too cringe, life is too short! I myself found myself even now displaying visceral signs of wound-upness and anger… why did nobody in there art department notice how ridiculously self-indulgent and far-fetched from reality this is? The mind boggles.

The bit people miss

Colour isn’t neutral, objects aren’t neutral, and context definitely isn’t neutral.

When you combine them, you’re not just giving someone a product or creating a campaign – you’re saying something about how you see your audience. And that’s where things can quietly shift from “nice idea” to something that feels a bit off.

It’s rarely about intent. Most of the time, the intent is perfectly reasonable. But intent doesn’t travel nearly as well as people think it does.

“But it’s just a gift…”

This is usually where the defence comes in.

It’s just a gesture. Just a bit of fun. Just a colour choice.

And on one level, that’s true. But brands aren’t judged on what they meant – they’re judged on how things are received. And often, the smaller and more casual the moment, the more honest the reaction. No messaging. No framing. Just instinct.

Where it actually goes wrong

In most cases, it comes down to a few very human habits. Designing for assumptions instead of real people. Going with the obvious answer instead of the right one. And not having someone in the room who feels comfortable saying, “are we sure about this?”

In my design studio, I can always rely on what we call ‘de-creative’ Steve who is very skilled at not knowing what something should be like, but knowing very well what something shouldn’t be like. I have a post on this because it’s not just funny but has actually become a very valuable part of my concept and design process. Watch this space…

These things are rarely a big strategic failure. More often, there’s been a small gap in thinking that nobody quite challenged.

The fix isn’t complicated

This isn’t about overthinking everything or stripping out personality. Instead, it’s about thinking things through properly. Looking at what your brand is actually saying when you’re not there to explain it, and making sure the idea, the execution, and the context all line up.

Because it’s usually the small details – the ones that feel harmless – that make the biggest difference to how something lands. And that’s often the difference between something that feels considered… and something that ends up doing the rounds for the wrong reasons.

So if something feels like a “nice idea”, pause for a second.

Because it might be.

Or it might be one of those moments where your brand quietly says something you didn’t mean at all.

Creative thinking in a Birmingham graphic design studio

The art of patience: mastering time for better creative thinking

Have you ever felt that rush of excitement when you’re handed a new design brief? That sense of eager anticipation mixed with a dash of creative anxiety as you ponder over where to begin? If you’re nodding along, then welcome to the club. You see, there’s this peculiar phenomenon I’ve noticed over my two decades as a creative professional, and it’s something that consistently emerges, no matter the project at hand. It’s about the journey of creative thinking from initial concept to final masterpiece, and the surprising role patience plays in this process.

Let me take you on a little field trip, a kind of behind-the-scenes tour of the creative process, if you will. It starts with a design brief landing on my desk. Now, you’d think after 20 years, I’d just dive straight in, right? Whip up a logo, sketch out a website design, or craft a brand strategy in no time. And sure, I could do that. In fact, sometimes I do. But here’s the kicker: the real magic, the kind that makes you lean back in your chair and go, “Wow, did I just create that?” happens under a different kind of tempo. It’s what I like to call the slow burn.

The Slow Burn of Creative Thinking

This slow burn during the creative design process isn’t about dragging your feet or procrastinating (though, let’s be honest, we’ve all been there). It’s about giving yourself permission to sit with the brief, to marinate in the problem, and to let your ideas simmer and evolve. In the world of instant gratification, where deadlines loom like thunderclouds and clients are itching for quick fixes, advocating for patience in creativity might seem, well, a bit out of place. But bear with me.

The Case for Patience

Over the years, I’ve learned something vital: good designs, the kind that resonate and endure, require patience. Not just with the process, but with yourself. It’s about allowing yourself the time to refine and improve a composition, to tweak a logo until it sings, to strategise a brand’s identity until it feels just right, or to polish a website design until it shines.

You see, creativity is not a faucet you can just turn on and off at will. It’s more like a river that needs to meander, to find its course. Sometimes, it flows freely; other times, it hits a snag. But given time, it always finds its way. And this is where patience becomes your ally in the creative process.

Expanding on the metaphor of creativity as a meandering river, there are also loads of creative thinking strategies that will help that river to flow, especially when it hits a snag. These strategies are like the tools we use to gently guide the river along its course, helping it navigate through obstacles and expand its banks to explore new territories.

One such strategy is lateral thinking, a technique that encourages looking at problems from new angles, often leading to unexpected and innovative solutions. It’s akin to finding a new tributary for our river to explore, one that might initially seem unrelated but ultimately leads to a richer, more diverse creative landscape.

Another useful approach is the SCAMPER technique, which stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse. Each of these verbs offers a different way to approach a creative block, encouraging us to rethink and reframe the elements of our design, pushing us to think outside the box and discover novel solutions.

Mind mapping is yet another tool in our arsenal, allowing for the visual organisation of thoughts and ideas. It’s like creating a map of the river’s potential paths, helping to clarify the direction of flow and uncover connections between seemingly disparate ideas. This strategy fosters a free-flowing exploration of concepts, making it easier to navigate the creative process.

Lastly, embracing constraints can paradoxically free our creativity. Limitations, whether in time, resources, or specifications, can force us to be more inventive, finding ways for the river to flow despite barriers. It’s a reminder that creativity thrives not just in open, unbounded spaces but also within the confines of a challenge.

In our upcoming post, we’ll delve deeper into these strategies and more, exploring how they can help us think outside the box and guide our creative river to its fullest potential. These approaches, combined with the patience to let our creativity unfold naturally, ensure that the creative process is not just about reaching a destination but also about enjoying the journey and discovering the wealth of ideas that lie just beyond the familiar banks.

The Creative Epiphany

Now, back to that design brief. After allowing the initial ideas to percolate, something crazy happens. You go over the brief, the problem, the task again and again. And then, suddenly, it all falls into place. It’s as if all the pieces of the puzzle you didn’t even realise were scattered suddenly come together to form a coherent, beautiful picture.

This moment, this creative epiphany, is what every designer lives for. It’s the culmination of all your experience, your skill, and, yes, your patience, coming together in a moment of pure clarity. It’s the realisation that good things really do come to those who wait, who ponder, who refine, and who dare to revisit the drawing board as many times as it takes.

The Value of Experience

Now, you might be wondering, does experience speed up this process? The answer is yes and no. With experience comes a certain level of efficiency, a knack for identifying potential solutions more swiftly. However, the quest for that breakthrough idea, the one that elevates your design from decent to extraordinary, remains a journey. And it’s a journey that cannot be rushed.

Experience has taught me that while I can produce something relatively quickly, the depth, the nuance, and the impact of my work significantly improve when I allow myself the luxury of time. Time to question, to explore, to experiment, and to ultimately uncover the best solution hidden within the brief.

I know that the reality of deadlines, budgets and client expectations isn’t always your friend when it comes to slowing down, but it’s worthwhile explaining to clients why some things take longer than others, and what the merit of giving a project the time it deserves is in relation to the ROI. I feel fortunate to work with professionals that understand this but it wasn’t always like this. I have probably lost some clients over it over the years who were looking for quick fixes rather than complete solutions, but it did mean that I can focus on those clients and projects that are ultimately far more exciting and long-lasting. It’s a two way street… It’s the client commissioning you, but it’s also you giving your talent to a client. Don’t undervalue that.

Embracing the Process

So, to my fellow creatives, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the game for years, embrace patience. Embrace the slow burn of creativity. Allow yourself the space to explore, to fail, to learn, and to grow. Remember, great design is not just about the end product; it’s about the journey you take to get there.

In a world that often values speed over substance, especially with the rise of AI tools for content creation, choosing to take your time might seem counterintuitive. But trust me, the results speak for themselves. When you give yourself permission to slow down, to let your creative juices flow at their own pace, you unlock a level of creativity and innovation that quick fixes can never achieve.

The Takeaway

I hope you’re feeling inspired to approach your next project with a newfound appreciation for the role of patience in design. Remember, it’s not just about crossing the finish line; it’s about enjoying the ride, learning from the detours, and ultimately arriving at a destination that’s truly worth the journey both for you and for your client.

So, the next time you’re handed a design brief and feel the pressure to deliver quickly, take a moment. Breathe. Reflect on the power of patience and the incredible potential it holds to transform your creative work. Trust yourself and your education, your talent and your experience that things will fall into place, the picture will be completed and you will solve the brief.

Good things—no, great things—come to those who wait. And in the realm of creative design, patience is, without a doubt, a virtue worth cultivating.

brand guidelines for consistency

Brand Consistency: More than Just a Logo

In a world brimming with options for virtually every product or service, how do you make your brand stand out? Brand consistency is one of the crucial elements in achieving this, but it is often overlooked or misunderstood. Branding is not just about a memorable logo or a catchy slogan; it’s an integrated strategy that involves several aspects, from tone to visuals to customer experience. But why is brand consistency so important for both emerging and established businesses?

What is Brand Consistency?

In essence, brand consistency means maintaining a coherent and unified presentation across all platforms and touchpoints where your business interacts with the public. This could include your website, social media, advertisements, products, customer service, and even the way your team communicates internally.

Why Does Brand Consistency Matter?

Recognition and Trust

One of the most important reasons for maintaining brand consistency is the role it plays in customer recognition and trust. When a consumer sees the same colors, typography, and images across your marketing materials, they are more likely to remember your brand. Over time, this builds trust and creates a sense of reliability around your products or services.

Competitive Edge

Consistent branding also helps you stand out in a crowded marketplace. When a customer is overwhelmed by choices, they are more likely to opt for a brand that they recognize and trust. Your unique brand elements make it easier for customers to spot you amid a sea of competitors.

Emotional Connection

Beyond the practical aspects, consistent branding also helps in forming an emotional connection with your audience. Humans are creatures of habit; we find comfort in the familiar. When a brand consistently delivers the same message and quality, it reassures the customer and strengthens emotional ties.

Streamlined Marketing Efforts

From a business perspective, brand consistency simplifies the decision-making process when it comes to marketing efforts. A well-established brand guide means that your team doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel every time they create a new campaign or update social media.

Adds Value

Consistent branding goes beyond mere recognition; it adds value to your business. Apple is a prime example of this. Their consistent branding efforts over decades have led to a perception of quality, innovation, and luxury, allowing them to charge premium prices for their products.

How to Achieve Brand Consistency?

Establish a Brand Guide

A brand guide serves as a blueprint that outlines the parameters of your brand’s visual and communicative elements. This includes specific color codes, typography, tone of voice, and even guidelines on imagery and photography. I’ve recently completed the design for four brands of the newly opened Hyatt Regency Blackfriars in London and the brand guide is a proper book – but as this is a brand with lots of different suppliers, it’s absolutely vital to ensure consistency in the use of the new brand identity.

Consistent Communication

The whole subject of brand consistency applies not just to external communication but also internal. Everyone on your team should be aware of and aligned with the brand’s mission, vision, and values. Internal workshops and good on-boarding sessions for new team members can help everyone start singing from the same hymn sheet – and knowing why…

Regular Audits

With changing marketing channels and trends, it’s essential to regularly audit your brand’s presence across all platforms to ensure consistency. A brand manager can focus solely on making sure publications, PR, internal and external messages follow the ‘holy brand grail’ – but for smaller businesses, again, internal workshops or training sessions and mini brand audits can be valuable resources to help create this consistency from the ground up.

Leverage Technology

Use digital asset management systems to store and manage your brand’s assets. This ensures that your team has access to up-to-date resources, reducing the likelihood of inconsistencies. There are lots of different software products to use – from brand asset libraries to template creator SaaS offerings; the choice is yours.

Be patient… consistency takes time.

Brand consistency is not a one-off task but an ongoing strategy that requires attention, effort, and investment. When executed correctly, it adds significant value to your business, making it more memorable, reliable, and engaging. As Jeff Bezos once said, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Make sure they’re saying what you want them to say by investing in brand consistency.

Brand name generation for international businesses

How to come up with a brand name that works internationally as well as locally

Creating a brand starts with a name. But finding the right name, especially one that works internationally as well as locally, can take time and effort. Here are some tips on how to come up with a brand name that works internationally as well as locally. (Coca-Cola launched an entire website to explain its new branding strategy named “Tribe.” The company also released a video explaining the meaning of the word tribe and why it was so important for their new direction.) Creating a brand is more than just coming up with a name for your business or product; it’s about understanding what makes it unique and memorable and what you want people to intuitively associate with when they think about your brand.

Know your audience

Who is your target audience? What do they want? What are their needs? These are the questions you need to ask yourself when deciding how you want to brand your company. These are the people you want to engage with and connect with your product or service. You want to make sure the name you choose resonates with them and is easily understood within the culture they are in. For example: If you’re looking to brand a product that is going to be sold internationally, making sure it has an English name will make it easy for everyone to understand what it is. You don’t want to choose a name that only works in English like some other languages might have trouble pronouncing or spelling it correctly. You also don’t want to pick a name that is too long, as that may make it harder for others to remember or spread the word about your product.

Find the right words

Once you have an idea of who your product or company is targeting, you’ll want to start thinking about the words you want to be associated with your business. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re trying to find the right words for your business or product. – What is your product or service? This is the first thing you’ll want to figure out. What do you want to sell? – What is the problem your product solves? Next, you’ll want to identify who your product solves the problem for and why they would want your product. – What is your company culture? Finally, you’ll want to think about how your company culture is unique and special. – How do these things tie in together? You can then start to piece together the words that fit your product or service best.

Check the vocabulary

Now that you have some words in mind, it’s time to double-check those words are not already being used by another company. To do this, you can use a search engine like Google. Type in the name of the product or service you’re trying to sell. Then, scroll down to the “Autocomplete” section. This will show you the top words that people have searched for before or are searching for now. This is a great way to make sure that your product name doesn’t show up in the same list when someone searches for the product. Another way to check the vocabulary is to type those words into a search engine and then click on the “Images” tab. This will show you if the image search results include any results for competing branding but it will also help see if there is perhaps any unwanted association with the word. It may be an idea to work with different native-speaking researchers for international brands to ensure you avoid the pitfalls of brand names for foreign markets. There are lots of examples of what not to do on the internet, so make sure you avoid mistakes by not considering cultural and language references.

Narrow down your choices

To help find the perfect name, here are a few different things you should keep in mind when making the final decision. – How does it sound? Does it flow nicely when you say it out loud? Does it fit the mood you want to create? – Is it easy to spell? You don’t want to choose a name that is too long, as that may make it harder for others to remember or spread the word about your product. – Is it easy to remember? You want to make it easy for others to recall your brand name. – Does it fit the culture and language you are marketing to? You don’t want to choose a name that is too complicated for others to understand.

At some point, you should be able to pick a name that will help, not hinder, your brand. Remember, whilst the name is not everything, it is an important part of the sum of the brand and it will come to life in the brand identity design – so pick wisely!

brand strategy and design execution humour

Missed opportunity alert

I love working on brand strategy and design projects, and I’ve always seen the two as interconnected. For me, graphic, web or interior design are all tools to bring a company’s message to life in many different ways. Which is why I am on the lookout for the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to business designs.

Take this one… a sponsored traffic island. Surely, this is a great opportunity for brands to have their company name and logo seen by all the passing traffic. What’s not to like – especially in the centre of Birmingham! It’s a great example of executing a company’s brand strategy and design project in real life – or that’s the theory at least.

Well… I would say well done, and even ignore the fact that the sign itself is not exactly inspiring or eye catching, but definitely not when it looks like this!

The link between brand strategy and design in situ on this crazy roundabout
Would you want to buy a bed or mattress from someone that surrounds themselves by mess?


Your strategy and how you design are connected in many ways

You may think what’s that got to do with my brand management? I think it’s got everything to do with it – and whilst it may be a tiny example of a careless approach, it’s a good one for why it’s important to consider different effects of designs on your business and brand building efforts.

It may be that this company has paid to be on the sign on the roundabout, but it’s the council’s responsibility to keep it tidy, but anyone looking at it, whether they are in the brand strategy and design field or not, won’t care about who should have gotten the lawnmower and dustbins out. It just reflects badly on the brand. It also doesn’t help the reputation of the town council, but it’s not their name on the sign.

You wouldn’t expect the brand owners to manage the island themselves, but they could have picked up the phone to whoever sold them the spot and complained. And if that didn’t get a result, withdraw the sponsorship and ask them to take the sign down. I would imagine there must be some sort of clause in the contract that stipulates what sponsoring an island means – and when an island is no longer an island, but a pit.

Looking at it another way, there could be a branding opportunity for someone dealing with waste disposal. It would at least create some connection between the state of the surroundings and the brand advertising on site. You’d just hope there was then a campaign linked to it which meant they would actually sponsor the cleanup after a few weeks and document it on social media and their website.

It’s all connected – brand strategy and design execution

Working in a design studio in Sutton Coldfield means we naturally become involved in all sorts of marketing projects for local companies that are looking to scale up, reach more clients and improve their services. I remember creating wooden A-boards with protected, changeable information sheets for Lichfield Cathedral. They could have just used on the old, existing ones – but they understood that it all fits together, and having even those external bits of signage or advertising treated like an important part of your brand adds integrity.

Signage in particular is so often a missed opportunity. We all know the box standard fonts, with letters sizes to the max without any breathing space, on glaring plastic shop front panels without any character or brand style. Having been in the business of brand strategy and design for about two decades now, it saddens me to see that we still can’t manage to make high street signage for independent shops attractive.

Talking of Lichfield, here is another lovely little example of an execution that has gone just a bit fishy.

Vintage fish for hire! Anyone?

It’s a bit of a giggle, and it’s not the end of the world – but again, it’s a missed opportunity. What else could have been on those doors that actually results in a meaningful message when you slide it open? It could be such a fun detail of brand design and make the business stand out not just with their products…

In my mind it doesn’t matter how big or small you are as a company. It’s good practice to decide on your brand strategy and design accordingly. And it can be fun, creative and innovative even if you don’t have crazy corporate budgets, just by thinking and planning carefully.

As for sponsoring anything – make sure there is a link between what you are putting your name on and what it represents… you may be better off without it.

The rule of five beyond your five a day

So I’ve got three boys aged 13 and younger. If all these years as a parent have taught me something for business, it’s that little and often works better than procrastinating and facing a huge heap. How did my family life make me come to that conclusion? 

Take bedrooms. Even thinking about them left to their own devices fills me with fear and utter despair. I know I wasn’t great as a child (my parents later concluded that I just had my very own way of organising that didn’t quite match the adult world) but those three are a level above. 

The words wading through stuff gets new meaning. So how can you motivate your seven year old bedroom dumpster dive loving thespian to clean up his act? 

Or laundry. You’ve gone through hours of repeat soak, wash, rinse cycles to get it all done, then fold / iron basket loads and – this is where it remains. The fruit of your labour stacked up but never touched to be put away into above mentioned kids’ wardrobes. Yet we somehow need to teach them independence and self-sufficiency (or house chore slavery only goes that far). So what do you do?

In comes Steve’s rule of five. It’s one of many little rule nuggets I’ve adopted from him over time. Every day, the kids have to pick up just five things from their bedroom floor before they can do whatever they asked if they can do it. Every laundry, they get a small pile of about five items to put in their drawers. Instead of battering them into prolonged activities, they can spend just five minutes doing whatever practice – can be more, but five is ok. And they have to go outside just for five minutes no matter what the weather (which is then never just five once they are out and about)… 

The rule of five works great for business. It takes the scariness out of the scariest task list. Prioritise and focus on the top five and you have a good chance to get them done. Do little bits of admin every day so end of month isn’t a daunting bank reconciliation exercise.

It doesn’t have to be exactly five. The point being that little but regularly is far more manageable than avoidance with the inevitable mountain to climb in the end. And whilst it may seem never ending, I much prefer this way to the alternative of sporadic exhausting long slogs. 

Plus little but often keeps you practiced and five a day is a thing we can all do (even the government says…) 

Naming of brands

A name, a kingdom for a name!

Business is about connecting with your customers and the best way to do this is through something they can relate to: a brand name. But in today’s crowded marketplace, it’s not easy to stand out from the crowd. Your brand name should be clearly defined, memorable, and unique — but that’s easier said than done. Here are seven steps you need to take in order to create a great brand name for your business.

Know your target audience

One of the most important things when building a brand is knowing your target audience. It’s hard to know what your audience wants if you don’t know who they are and what they like.

The words you use are important. They can help you evoke emotions and move your ideal clients to action. If you have done the research, no one knows your client better than you. Your brand name is a chance to show it. Choose a name that fits neatly into your brand strategy. Don’t just create a list of cool-sounding words haphazardly – your entire plan should be cohesive.

Research the competition to get an idea of what’s already out there

Before you get started, you should research the competition. As a minimum, run name search engines and figure out who’s already being mentioned in online sources. There are plenty of free tools like Nameberry to gather this information for you, especially for local markets. When researching your competitors, search their full domain names, not just their company name. This will help you get a feel for what their marketing team is working on – and how you can differentiate yourself from them.

Respect copyright laws. This requires time and research but can avoid copyright infringement lawsuits. You could also register your own brand name’s copyright (internationally) to protect it. Check out Burley Law who specialise in IP law and all things related to get you off to a good start.

Take a global look at it

The name of your brand matters. It carries weight, it carries meaning, and it carries global implications. Whether this is your goal or you simply don’t want to rule out the possibility of tremendous success, it may be time to consider what global implications your choice of name may have. Is it divisive? Is it offensive? Is it too difficult to pronounce in another language? These are all things that you should consider before choosing an appropriate name for your brand.

Test out your business name

If your business name is a made-up word, try saying it a few times out loud to see how it feels. If it doesn’t sound natural, it’s not a good name for your business.

Always remember your brand’s main purpose. What does it represent? Ideally, the name you choose should convey the same positive feeling you want your brand to be associated with, incidentally creating trust and confidence. Moreover, in order to be memorable, make sure the name is easy to pronounce and easy to type into a search engine.

123 reg Go Daddy Net Names

Choosing the right domain name is crucial. Consider how your domain name is viewed by potential customers and try to make it as consistent as possible with your brand. When you choose your domain name, think of the customer perspective. In addition, a domain name search may help you settle on a good domain.

There are lots of domain registrars. You can’t really go much wrong. I always advise my clients to keep the domain name with them rather than letting an agency manage it – after all, it’s a very important part of your brand and you should be in control.

Your brand is an identity that people use to define, speak about, and recommend your company. It’s important to use creativity and resources to name your brand. Your brand’s success is directly proportional to the amount of research, thought, and resources put into its creation.

Sutton Coldfield design studio

What running a Sutton Coldfield design studio & brand consultancy taught me

It started with some short cuts…

Everybody has different paths to their chosen career. And everyone will have different experiences with self-development professionally and personally. Education has always been important to me as a designer. From the moment I entered the creative scene in London, to now where I am the creative director of a Sutton Coldfield design studio, keeping myself skilled-up is a key element of my working week.

Graphic design and brand consultancy may be based on talent, but it’s hard to be a good designer without additional skills in software, technology, understanding businesses…

Sutton Coldfield design studio and brand consultancy

When I was an artworker at a London design agency, every lunchtime I stayed in and basically hacked on a scrap document to learn what could make my typesetting faster. Soon, I was the person that would know a shortcut key if there was one. It helped being recognised as a valuable team member and it felt like the right thing to do. Back then we used Quark, and Adobe was that new thing that made pdfs that would embed fonts, oh wonder! I guess I was lucky to start my career at a time when software started to change the creative industry in a storm.

Two years on, I was studying at Central Saint Martins whilst working freelance. I’d spend most of any spare time in libraries going through books about advertising, graphic design, interior design, typography, colour theories, human behaviour, communications – and how to run a business. 

Learning from running our Sutton Coldfield design studio and brand consultancy

As soon as I transitioned to working full time as a designer, it fascinated me how we’d end up with those briefs to design a brand identity. What If there was another way to shape that brand? So off I went again to Brunel University to do a course on brand strategy.

And on it goes – workshops, networking mastermind sessions, online tutorials… all the way to starting our Sutton Coldfield design studio back in 2005. To be fair, Essence is probably not a regular graphic design studio: Steven, the other half, is super tech-focused, our data meister and the man that taught me all about CSS, JS, JSON, HTML, how to troubleshoot, and how to comment on code. And I come from a highly conceptual, ideas-focused advertising background with a passion for typography, print technology, copywriting, and using photography to tell a brand story in different media. We like to call Essence a brand consultancy for those reasons.

Even now, more than 16 years in business here, my motto remains: ‘Every day is a school day’. My biggest ongoing learning challenges are UI / UX, tech, automation, and SEO-related because that’s what my clients need help with beyond solid graphic design and branding. There’s so much out there nowadays, even here on social channels, the learning world is your oyster. 

To keep improving your skills has nothing to do with your field of expertise – whether you are a business coach, interior designer, marketing manager of a hotel or restaurant, a shop owner selling products to the trade or consumer – or you are a brand consultant and graphic designer, like myself – it is vital to keep learning.

What running a brand consultancy and Sutton Coldfield design studio taught me is not just about business methodologies, project- and client management, cashflow planning, having pricing structures, sales and marketing plans, a vision for the brand, and a comprehensive service setup… It taught me that everything is in flux and you have to move with it. Industries change. Trends change. You change and your experience can greatly enhance what you sell and how you sell it. Keep looking around and up from your work to see what else is out there. It will be time well-spent.

Brand consultants brochure

A Graphic design studio and a brand consultancy – what’s the difference ?

Ever wondered what the difference is between working with a studio or a consultancy? You may be looking for a local partner to help you with your new website. Or you are a start-up with a vision, but not quite sure how to let the world know about it. Or maybe you are an established business that simply needs to have some new brochures designed. Who do you approach?

There are lots of commonalities and some may say it’s pretty much the same as any full-service design agency, but there are nuances that may be worth considering.

A graphic design studio provides print and design services to clients, such as the creation of brochures, flyers, stationery, signage, etc. A brand consultancy, on the other hand, provides a range of services that are not primarily focused on design and artwork. These services can include brand strategy, naming, packaging, content strategy, and marketing – as well as graphic design.

Brand consultancy vs graphic design studio07

Brand Consultancy vs Graphic Design Studio

Graphic design studios offer professional and comprehensive design services, such as print design, web design, business branding, logos, and creative development. The clients are the ones who come up with the idea and finalise the creative concepts, while the studio employees craft them into reality.

In general, a graphic design studio will work with a client to produce a design or product, then hand it over to the client to use.

A brand consultancy will help you set up an effective brand strategy. They are focused on broad-based branding with the aim of enhancing the image of your company. This will involve brainstorming the business and identifying branding opportunities. You can’t have a strong and effective brand without a strong strategy that will drive the value proposition of your brand. It will inform every decision that your business (or yourself) will be seen to make.

The consultancy will help in the process of defining the right brand identity concepts and designs, typography and colour schemes, designing packaging, exhibition marketing and developing social media or advertising campaigns for your business.

Brand consultancy strategy

Of course this is the point when the lines start to get blurry.

Every good brand consultancy will be able to see through your project from conceptions and strategy to the actual production of the outputs, which makes it synonymous with the services from a graphic design studio. Equally, good graphic design studios wil gladly try their best to accommodate any strategic requirements. After all, good designers will love a challenge and they will want to see their clients succeed just as much as brand consultants, so it’s a bit down to semantics and individual expertise.

If you already have a communication strategy, with a comprehensice brand and corporate identity guide, (ideal) customer personas, marketing strategy and basically a brief for a specidic list of items, you may well find a graphic design studio is the right fit for you.

If you are not sure about where your business is in the market, where you want it to go and how you are going to get there, working with a brand consultancy could be a good step to ensure you are confident with the materials you are producing – and with a long-term vision in mind. Because the creation of certain brand touch points (print or online brochures and literature, websites, membership portals, loyalty programmes, interior designs etc) is just one element of the work, special attention is given to the impact any creative outputs have on the brand itself.

It’s a step before the visual drawing board that is often forgotten, yet so important if you want to build good foundations for your business.

Pantone swatch part of branding process

So how do you pick?

Choosing between the two boils down to a few key factors. Consultancies have highly skilled graphic designers that can work closely with businesses to provide services that might not be suitable for smaller businesses. Consultancies often specialise in certain industries, offering the added benefit of getting brand advice from a seasoned professional.

Consultancies work with branding specialists to handle some of the more sophisticated tasks such as the creation of logos and brand identities. They will have a team of experts for online, print and social media design projects, brand photography and copywriting – after the strategy is in place. Just like graphic design studios, they have a network of suppliers in the print, adertising and exhibition industry, helping their clients to get the best finishes for their brand literature.

A graphic design studio should also be able to work well with any client to help them get the best out of their print and web design. They may even work with a brand consultant to bridge the strategy gap in their services, which brings me back to the blurry lines.

Ultimately, it’s probably down to personal choice. If you are hunting around your local networks or the search engines, it’s worth looking at both –  listings for brand consultancy and graphic design studio – and then let their portfolios, websites and customer service speak for themselves.

The two can differ greatly in scope and experience. Naturally, a graphic design studio will offer graphic design services. A brand consultancy will also serve the needs of clients in other areas.

Therefore, it is essential to ensure that your chosen partner has the right skill set to support your business with the appropriate services, whether you identify it as design or branding. And if there are still any doubts, just get in touch with us and we can chat through your ideas and plans.

Print papers for brand designs

Let’s talk fibres

Your brand connects with your customers in many different ways. Some call it touch points, but simply-put it’s all the varied ways someone will come across your brand in the mind, online and in print. We are tactile people, and online does lack that dimension. Print, however, opens up a whole Aladin’s cave of possibilities to elevate your brand beyond the purely visual. Let’s give it some texture…

What paper types are there?

Without going into every detail, broadly speaking there are these paper types, defined by the composition of their pulp and additives.

  • Recycled paper
  • Coated paper (matte, silk and gloss)
  • Uncoated paper
  • Bond paper
Luxury Vacations Branding

Recycled paper

Recycled paper is made from 60% to 100% recycled paper pulp. Paper pulp is mixed with water and blended until it breaks down. The individual fibres are bonded together again to make fresh paper materials. Producing around 100,000 sheets of paper requires around eight trees and 2,000Kwh of energy (which is roughly a carbon footprint of 6,000kg).

Paper can be recycled an average of eight times – pretty good going! Recycled paper is energy-efficient enough to reduce both your resource use and your carbon footprint.

There is a great range of papers out there now that fall into the recycled category and it’s an easy choice for brands focused on sustainability.

The-Hickory-Cafe-Branding-Menu

Coated papers

Gloss paper

There are two main types of coated paper which are basically opposites. Gloss paper has an incredibly high shine and a smooth, tactile feel. It’s a popular choice for leaflets and flyers because it enhances colours. Because it is used for direct mail, it can have the association with ‘junk mail’ and thus the perception can be that of ‘cheap’ rather than luxury. There’s also the issue of fingerprints on the shiny surface… That’s not to say you can’t create a mix of papers for a coffee table book that uses a particular finish on some sections and the gloss on others to work to their strengths.

Matte paper

Matte coated paper has a muted surface that refracts light subtly and evenly, reducing any glare. It has a soft, textured feel to it and is easy to write on in contrast to gloss coated paper. Matte coated paper is very popular when used to create magazines, books and other larger copy-based print, as it isn’t so reflective. Matte is a great compromise if budget is an issue for your print work – most printers will have a house matte in stock and it works for digital and litho.

Silk paper

Silk coated paper is the basically between gloss and matte coated. With that, it has the smooth feel of glossy paper but it doesn’t have the shine. Silk is produced by binding silk fibres together, which gives it a great feel and has a brilliant ink to paper contrast. If you use it with an LED UV printing process, silk-coated paper gives you all the shine and vibrancy of colours you are used to from gloss, but without the glare. Silk paper has long becoming a favourite stock for premium brands along with matte and uncoated.

Uncoated Stock

Bond paper

Bond paper paper type you will mostly find in office stationery, envelop production and packaging. As it lacks a coating, it has the advantage of easily being used for office printers or being written on by pen.

Not having an extra coat makes it prone to damage by tears, scuffs and stains. But on the upside, it’s versatile and won’t fingerprint.

Birmingham Royal Ballet brochure design

Uncoated paper

Uncoated paper is similar to Bond paper and does not have a coating to fill in between the fibers. That makes it generally rougher compared to coated paper. Uncoated stock tends to be more porous, which makes it also more absorbent. This means that images printed on uncoated papers will be softer and less crisp, but if it fits with your brand values, that can be just the desired effect to be after. You can get amazing choices for textures and finishes. Something else to note is that you can’t UV varnish uncoated paper as it just ‘seeps in’ and disappears, but there are other ways to create the desired effect – with a clear foil for instance.

Paper samples and where to get them

It’s hard to imagine what a paper will actually feel and look like by its name or on the website of the paper mill alone.

Many printers will offer sample packs with printed options for their collection of papers. If you work with a design or branding agency (such as ours), we can organise samples for you for print brochures or stationery so you can be confident with your choice of papers for your brand.

You can also check out our list of paper suppliers in the UK.

Drop us a note if you’d like to chat more about this!

Your web tech wrapped up

Your web tech wrapped up

It’s geeky time again! Let’s talk web tech… If you have a website, you probably know there’s a lot more to the site itself. My clients won’t notice most of these extra things to think about when setting up a site. 

And I’ve got a lot of little helpers that make the web process smooth sailing. Here’s a quick roundup of some of my faves. 

Some are available as plugins especially for WordPress, which has so many little nifty tools. These here are all available as web services though so use whatever system you’re into.

Adobe Color

Looking for the perfect colour palette for your website? Many designers spend countless hours trying to come up with the right palettes. Fortunately, there’s an excellent tool that can help you — and it’s free. Adobe recently launched a new site called adobe color (http://color.adobe.com) which takes advantage of Adobe Kuler’s (another free tool) colour wheel to provide you with a series of beautiful colour combinations.

You have the choice to use the colour wheel to define complimenting colours with different pre-sets:

  • Analogous
  • Monochromatic
  • Triad
  • Complementary
  • Split complementary
  • Double split complementary
  • Square
  • Compount
  • Shades
  • Custom

The one I love the most is Extract Theme where you upload a photo or graphic to pick the colours from – again with handy presets. You can opt for the colourful, bright, muted, deep, dark or your own.

Once you have a colour, it’s also really handy to see it in action as a gradient. Again, something you can do with Adobe Color. And if you are catering for higher accessibility, voila! Check out the colour blind simulator.

Adobe Color

Colorable

The human eye can distinguish about 10 million different colors. But we’re not able to spot every nuance out there. That’s where contrast comes in. Contrast is the difference in luminance or color that makes an object distinguishable from another. Contrast is important because it determines whether an object stands out from the background, or if it blends in.

Colorable helps you test different colours ‘on top of each other’, looking how a font colour will appear on different background colours.

Colorable

XML Site map generator

XML sitemaps are a good idea no matter what, but they’re particularly important for sites with large numbers of pages. If you’re running a large site, you might have hundreds of thousands of pages, and manually submitting each one by hand to search engines would be a time-consuming and potentially error-prone task. XML sitemaps can simplify the process.

Plugins such as Yoast for WordPress or OSMap for Joomla run websites can be used ‘on site’ as well, but if you don’t want plugins, this site map generator is quick and effective.

A whole other section worth mentioning – Google Search. Here you can use your XML Sitemap. When you submit your site in the console, it will also alert you to any issues with pages, links, breadcrumbs etc. It’s a rabbits hole but in its basic functions it’s very useful for helping with SEO.

XML Site Map Generator

Meta Tags

Meta tags are invisible text that helps search engines understand what your webpage is about. For example, meta description tags are the short, 150-character snippets that appear next to a search result. These help users decide whether or not to click through to your page. This website shows you how you can edit and experiment with your content and previews how your webpage will look on various social media channels.

Again, plugins such as Yoast for WordPress solve this issue neatly, but some parts are limited to the premium version. Meta tags is free to use.

Metatags

Let’s Encrypt

Let’s Encrypt is a Certificate Authority that provides free TLS certificates to millions of individuals and organizations operating in nearly every country around the world. They’re a nonprofit with a mission to encrypt the entire Internet. They help their users set up HTTPS websites so that everyone can benefit from encryption, from users browsing the web to admins managing servers.

Most good web hosts will integrate let’s encrypt so you shouldn’t have to worry about a thing. Just check that your hosting package comes with a free SSL certificate and that you have the padlock on your url starting with https.

Let’s encrypt

Do you know what will happen to your business if your website is down? Up to 30% of all visitors will abandon your website if they can’t access it. This makes the reliability of your website extremely important to your overall success as an online entrepreneur.

No system is perfect, and websites will go down at some point for some reason or another. What’s important is that you find out and are able to react quickly. We monitor the websites we host for clients for exactly that reason. This site monitor is free for up to 50 sites, making it great for SMEs to ensure their online presence is being watched out for.

UptimeRobot

There are lots more tools out there, of course. And I already have a list in mind of some services that make SEO and the finer details of your website so much easier.

Let us know if you want to talk more about your website design, development or hosting, we will be happy to help.

hotel opening

Hotel marketing ideas for the way out of the pandemic

Hotel marketing ideas may not be on your mind right now… but with the new timeline to opening up announced, it’s going to be critical in the coming weeks to secure much-needed bookings. The impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has been devastating for many, but everyone will probably agree that one of the hardest-hit sectors is the hospitality industry. Hotels, restaurants, spas, golf clubs, theatres, concert halls and many other leisure companies have been through crazy times in the past year!

The COVID-19 pandemic is still disrupting travel to destinations all over the world. However, it is crucial that you start planning your luxury hotel and spa recovery strategy now. The travel demand will start to increase eventually, and you don’t want to fall behind your competition when it does.

We are looking at hotel marketing ideas that will help you plan the recovery and reopening of your venue this June.

Here are some top marketing strategy ideas that you need to utilise when preparing your luxury hotel and spa for re-opening.

The-Abbey-Hotel-and-Spa-branding

Revamping your website

Display the current status of your business so there are no surprises for visitors. This information needs to clear and concise and should include at least the following:

  • Is your business currently open or closed? 
  • Has your cancellation policy changed? 
  • What preventative measures do you take to keep staff and customers safe?
  • Do you keep certain facilities closed or limited? 
  • Are you following government guidelines? Have you taken all possible measures? This will boost customer’s confidence and trust in your business.

Along with this information, tell your website’s visitors where they can find further updates and who they can contact if they have any questions.

You could simply add a temporary banner on the homepage. Or you can design a specific landing page that visitors see when they come from social media or adverts. There are lots of reasons why your hotel and restaurant marketing ideas needs to include a brilliant website.

Whichever approach you take, a page that clearly communicates your latest news can help a great deal in creating trust.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

FAQs are a simple hotel and restaurant marketing idea. Easy to implement, FAQs ensure anyone visiting your site will find the answers they are looking for. You probably have a set of regular questions that keep cropping up.

FAQs can also include other information about your hotel, spa, amenities. You can mention new products/services, offers/deals, and anything else relevant to your business that people should and need to know.

Spabreaks-vouchers-and-branding

Social media campaign announcing re-opening

Many people use social media for planning their holidays. With channels like Instagram, you can use your beautiful venue to your advantage. Existing and potential customers will enjoy engaging photography that tells your story. They will also look to your social media for the latest updates on the COVID crisis.

You will want to post a statement about the current status of your venue and your plans for re-opening. Social media is perfect to announce your re-opening strategy. Write the core message in an eye-catching post, and link to the full statement on your site. There, guests can find out exactly how you are planning to re-open and what measures you have taken to keep them safe.

You can also talk about special offers and rates for the re-opening. This can be a time-limited offer or something for only a certain number of customers. People love promotions and discounts, so here is a chance to create some buzz and excitement!

Making loyal customers a priority

Customers who have stayed at your business before will likely book a reservation again during these uncertain times. Reward loyal customers with exclusive and personalised packages.

Don’t forget to let customers know about your loyalty programme. Use social media posts, blog posts, or whatever platform your target audience prefers to use. When thinking about hotel marketing ideas, building customer loyalty is a must. Word of mouth advertising is one of the best forms of advertising. People buy from people – and they are much more likely to act on the advice of colleagues, friends, and family.

Hotel marketing ideas involving local businesses

Many businesses that had events and conferences planned have had to cancel. You could start to offer deals to these businesses and potential clients to re-book these events and conferences at your hotel. Provide these customers with lowered rates, exclusive packages, and other perks to secure reservations.

Working with businesses in your local area really helps with marketing your hotel. Businesses and clients that have a great experience with you will likely use your hotel again and recommend it to other clients.

Managing cancellations

If someone wants to cancel their reservation, then they will. However, offering customers the ability to move their reservation to a different date will help you keep some reservations. Let people know that customers can move their reservations to a different date instead of cancelling.

Don’t forget to let them know who they need to contact to deal with their reservation cancellation or changes.

Maid in mask doing disinfecting the door handle in hotel

Promoting your safety measures

One of the most important task for businesses during this pandemic is your venue’s cleanliness and sanitation to ensure people’s safety.

There are many steps which need to be taken in order to implement this properly. Some of which include:

  • Education employees about preventative measures that will be utilised by the business
  • Cleaning the building and amenities thoroughly and frequently throughout the day
  • Reducing the number of workers in the hotel at one time
  • Redesigning processes to allow for social distancing to take place
  • Implementation of barriers in areas that could receive higher traffic
  • Using technology when face-to-face meetings can be avoided

Make sure that customers know you have taken these measures. This is something you should promote heavily. This is not just a hotel marketing idea, it really applies to any business interacting with the public. Talking about measures and precautions you are taking will help customers feel safer, build trust and customer loyalty.

You can even introduce branded safety items. Think masks and hand-gels to offer to customers when they visit your luxury hotel and spa. This will re-inforce that you care about health and safety of your visitors. It can also work as a marketing tool. People may end up continuing to use those products after their stay. Your business’s name and logo will receive more awareness. Branded gifts are always a good method for marketing hotels and increasing the interaction and engagement with your guests.

I hope this list of hotel marketing ideas will be useful for you to plan your roadmap back into ‘normality’. If you need any help with any of it, please get in touch!

Press kits and how to create them for media

What’s a media kit and how do I create one?

A media kit (or press kit) is a package of information relevant for the distribution of information for companies, charities or other organisations. They include facts about the people involved, the product, service or cause, as well as brand information, logos, images and visuals supporting any press releases.

Media kits are a great way for a company to show just how engaged they are with their audiences. Whether you’re a local business, a non-profit or a large corporation, having a media kit will help you stand out from the crowd. So how do you go about creating one? Here are 10 things you should include in yours.

Background

When it comes to building an audience, the media needs to know who you are and what you do. The ‘about us’ section should include all of the basics: who you are, what you do, where you are operating, when things are happening, why you do what you do and how you do it. 

Journalists are busy people, so keep the introduction short, to the point and consistent with your brand message.

Bios of your team

Include anyone in your team who is suitable for interviews, expert commentary, and speaking engagements. Make sure you include those members who are being mentioned in any of the press releases. Of course you include their bio in the press release together with the company information. It is however good practice to have them in the media kit as well.

Your products and services factsheet

This can be short bullets outlining your products or services. Think of it as factual descriptions similar to how you would present them on your website or in your brochures. Avoid to make it sound like marketing though. Highlight what makes you stand out from others. It’s also useful to include known Q&As here.

Case Studies

Case studies are a great way to demonstrate the success of your products or services. So without making this into a marketing document, here is a chance to include testimonials and recommendations from suitable sources. Again, be careful to avoid promotional talk and keep it factual and informative with the journalists in mind. 

Clients or associates

Obviously ask for permission first, but if they are ok, mention them as it adds credibility to your organisation. 

Recent press releases

When selecting press releases for your electronic press kit, it’s best to choose something that has been released within the last six months. Ensure that the heading of your press release is easy to grasp and includes any specific announcements the media may be looking for. 

You in the news

Already had some mentions in the media? Here is your chance to shout about it! If you’ve been on camera, show a clip – it will work well to show researchers and producers that you are not a newbie… The media tends to have a knock-on effect so showing  where you’ve been featured can be really useful.

Avoid any copyright issues by including the name of the outlet with a link to the article or clip. You are not allowed to add their logo without their permission. You also can’t bypass this by re-writing it or making it into a pdf or similar. Best to be straight as you don’t want media coverage to cause any issues. 

Your brand kit / multimedia elements

Include your logo and logo guidelines, any photographs, infographics, graphics or videos that will help illustrate what you do. You can link from a pdf to a shared folder like dropbox or google drive – or directly from your website. That makes it  easy for journalists to download them rather than having huge attachments. 

If you need help with creating your brand kit with your logo, fonts, colours and brand visuals, or a website that can accommodate this information, get in touch with us to see how we can help.

Awards / memberships / accolades 

If you have any recent and relevant awards, mention them. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate section, but it will again help with reputation building. 

Contact details

Don’t forget to have all your contact details in your media kit. This includes any social media channels where you are active, as well as traditional phone numbers, email addresses and names of the best person to approach with any questions or opportunities for coverage.

In essence, press kits should give journalists a flavour of your brand that contains all the relevant background info and gives them an appetite for more. It’s a collection  of visual and editorial facts about your company and gives journalists a helping hand if they see an opportunity to feature you. 

Marketing Ideas for Hotels and Hospitality in 2021

While 2020 took every business by surprise, it revealed a new shift in customer trends that are likely to continue in 2021. As we head into the New Year, now is the time for your hotel or hospitality business to re-evaluate their marketing strategies to increase sales, encourage customer engagement and create meaningful experiences that go beyond face to face marketing.

Our 2021 marketing ideas for the hospitality industry

Whilst we are still struggling with lockdowns, check out our top eight marketing ideas your hotel or hospitality business could look at. Some will work well to keep in touch with customers whilst localities remain shut. Others are great to put in place for when you are able to re-open.

Virtual tours for hotels and restaurants

1. Virtual tours of your property

If we’ve learned anything from COIVD-19, it’s that there are so many creative ways to use technology to engage your guests. Providing virtual tours of your property using technology, such as virtual reality, allows your guests to feel like they’re experiencing your property from the comfort of their own home.

You can take your guests on a complete walkthrough of your hospitality property, highlight your amenities and show the type of experience customers would have if they decide to visit. According to GuestCentric, properties that offer some type of virtual tour are clicked on ten times more than properties without this technology.

Interactive events for hotels and restaurants

2. Interactive event experiences

A great way to stay in touch is to offer extra value to your customers. While it’s easy to send over a brochure of your company and ask customers to book with you, why not also provide something extra to your customers lives. Think about creating a live event, where you can invite guests in-person and host online at the same time. This is a very effective way to create unique guest experiences.

For example, if you’re a restaurant that specializes in French cuisine, host a live event with one of your chefs to teach viewers how to make a traditional dish or drink at home.

You can allow guests to ask questions and make comments to create an interactive event. You add value to your customers everyday life, provide fresh content and establish yourself as the authority in the hospitality business sector and creating engaging marketing content.

Social media marketing

3. Take advantage of social media

Social media platforms are always changing and offering new ways for businesses to connect with their customers. For example, Instagram now offers reels. Reels are short videos between 15-30 seconds long that can be created to connect with your audience. Instagram also rolled out an online shopping platform, so you can connect your products directly to your Instagram, with relevant links to buy these products on your profile.

Especially during a lockdown, social media is amazingly versatile and effective to keep in the minds of guest and to attract new visitors in future. Showing people behind the scenes, your kitchen, gardens, any refurbishments, how you remember your hotel from the past year, take out menus and special event boxes all give plenty of content to share online.

Another great social media platform that has made waves this year is TikTok. With over 800 million users active on the platform, TikTok is a great way to reach potential customers through videos. Many brands participate in the trends users create on the application, finding ways to relate it to their own business. If a video is interesting, it may become “viral” and draw extra attention towards your brand.

Text message marketing for hotels and restaurants

4. Utilise text message marketing

Customers love when you can simplify things, and almost everyone uses a smart device, so utilising text message marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your guests. Once you are open again, you can use it to make life easier for bookings and extras.

No new technology is needed, and once they opt in, it will open a portal for easy communication. There are a variety of ways you can use text message marketing in your business to provide an exceptional experience to your guests.

You’re able to:

• Confirm reservations and provide instructions on how to get to your venue

• Allow guests to make requests, such as extra blankets or towels, directly through a text. You can use text messaging to confirm the request and let them know when their supplies will arrive

• Keep customers updated on activities or events that are being offered on your property

• Provide discounts, deals or offer extra services to your guests as part of your hospitality marketing plan

Loyalty programmes for hotels and restaurants

5. Create a loyalty program

Offering a loyalty program is one of the easiest ways to connect with your customers in the new year.

Creating a loyalty program can either be a physical or digital program that customers join when they visit. It will allow them to have benefits after spending money at your location. For example, hotels like the Hilton will let guests accumulate “points” every time they visit their properties. These can be used for free hotel stays and benefits like free upgrades.

If you’re an attraction or restaurant, you can offer a free meal or visit after a certain amount of times. Make sure to ask your guests for feedback on what they enjoy about the program. That way you can tailor it to fit your specific business needs.

Chat bit for hotel websites

6. Integrate chatbots on your website

Imagine being able to answer all of your customer’s questions and concerns at any time of the day, without having to even pick up the phone. One of the top marketing trends for 2021 is to integrate a chatbot on your website. A chatbot provides businesses the power to stay in touch with customers, offer support, and answer important questions, 24/7.

Chatbots are a pre-programed application that can answer customer questions and help book a reservation. They can even connect them with a specialist when a customer lands on your website. This application even has the ability to respond to customers in multiple languages with its automatic language detections.

Chatbots are game changers, especially for businesses who don’t have staff working around the clock.

They can also be useful to share your safety procedures to make your venue COVID safe and re-assure them by answering repeat questions about booking and cancellation policies, changing opening hours etc.

Influencer marketing for hotels and restaurants

7. Use influencer marketing

People are more likely to follow suggestions made by those they trust and look up to, instead of an advertisement. Influencer marketing is when you reach out to an individual that has an established

audience that matches your target audience, and offer to collaborate to promote yourself to their audience.

There are many ways you can do this including written content, videos, or social media posts.

To track if this method works for your business, companies will offer a discount code that the influencer will promote to their audience. Tracking the success of this code, and overall analytics of your website/business, will help you to track the efforts of your campaign.

Local business collaborations for hotels and restaurants

8. Collaborate within the industry

Collaboration is a great way to market your business and enhance your guest experience.

For example, if you run a restaurant, you might want to partner up with a hotel to offer their guests a special discount if they visit your establishment.

Or if you’re a hotel, maybe you want to partner with a tour company to offer great rates, and exclusivity of their group booking needs. These partnerships not only help your business grow, they help the entire industry grow.

There are many more marketing techniques that can be integrated into your hotel or hospitality business in 2021. Creative, interactive brand marketing ideas that excite your guests will really make the difference in whether you reach a higher value of customers or if you blend in with the crowd.

Have a look at our hotel branding and design portfolio to see examples of hospitality marketing in action. You can read more about our branding and design work in the luxury hotel and restaurant sector here.

We would love to help your business with branding, marketing and design. Drop us a note for a free consultation.

hospitality marketing

kiss-your-brand

Kiss your brand

K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. It’s a a design principle noted by the U.S. Navy back in 1960. If you are a linguist, you may just need to ignore the obvious flaw in the abbreviation…

K.I.S.S. is a great principle that can be applied to many situations. (Nobody likes things complicated).

Looking at your brand strategy, for example. Make sure your brand message is really simple. So simple, that everyone in your audience can ‘get it’. That way you can reach everyone you intend to – and you don’t alienate people with industry jargon. (Nobody wants to feel stupid.)

If you don’t have a clear vision for your brand, your audience won’t stand a chance. (Not even if they are mind readers).

Just like a brand strategy, your brand identity shouldn’t be complicated, either. Clutter never helps – not in your home and especially not in your brand and marketing material. A clear and simple message doesn’t have to be boring, you an use beautiful typography and photography, textures and finishes (if you print) to let every little element of your marketing material tell your story.

Go ahead, give your brand a big K.I.S.S.!

What colour should I make my brand identity and logo?

Emily Cleevely

What colour should I make my brand identity and logo?

You’re trying to design the logo for your brand or thinking about a colourway for your virtual and printed copy.  How do you know what colours to pick?  Can you just plump for your favourites or is there some science behind the way in which brands choose their colour schemes?  Can you affect the way a consumer sees you JUST by using a particular colour?

Colours create feelings

There’s lots of research which says that colours have a huge effect on how people feel, and that these feelings can change how people behave as consumers.  One such piece of research showed that, just by changing the colour of the call to action button, click throughs on a webpage increased 21%. Another research study showed that 90% of snap judgements about products are made on colour alone.

Human beings have known that decisions are affected by colours for thousands of years (fact: even the ancient Egyptians used colour symbolically!). 

Brand colour psychology is the study of how human emotions around colours affect consumer perceptions about brands. Colour psychology can help give a framework for understanding how and why consumers interact with your brand in the way they do.

Nuances in colour

It’s not quite as simple as changing the buttons on your website and letting a magic colour get you sales (as that first study might have you believe).

Think about the connotations of red, for example. Red is used widely to represent danger – on STOP signs, warning triangles, traffic lights. Yet it’s also synonymous with love or lust – think about the branding of Valentine’s Day or the connotations of red lipstick.  Our reaction to colour cannot be expressed in simple terms.

The feelings someone will infer from a colour are dependent on the object, its context and who is observing it.  When you’re designing your brand colours, this gives you a fantastic opportunity: you can make sure that the colours of your brand identity create the emotions you want from the customers you are focused on.  A 2006 study found that this idea of ‘perceived appropriateness’ is the crux of the relationship between colour and brand.

It’s all about your customers

In short, the answer to “what are the best colours for my brand?” from a colour psychology point of view is, “the ones that communicate the right message to your perfect audience.”

Knowing your customers – who they are, their demographics, what they think, why they choose to act in a particular way – will allow you to differentiate your brand design and identity to best appeal to your ideal customer. 

Research has found that predicting how your perfect customer will react to your chosen colours for your brand is far more important than the colour itself.

I don’t have a degree in colour psychology – where do I start?

If you’re looking to create a brand logo, makeover your brand design or make standards for your brand identity, here are the five steps to help you on that journey:

  1. Know your target audience.  Spend time getting to know your people.  You can do this through analytics from social feeds your business already has, using surveys amongst existing customers, or identifying your target market and using third party services to get polling data about how they behave as consumers.  Find out what motivates them and what their biggest concerns are.
  2. Know what differentiates your brand.  Get clear on who you really are as a company, what makes you tick, what your biggest values are, what you offer to the market that nobody else can.  These should be reflected in the brand identity and logo you eventually choose.  Want to be trusted and unshakeable?  That’s going to need a different colour approach than a company that wants to look fun and spontaneous.
  3. Read around some resources on brand colour psychology.  We’d recommend these as good starting points.
    • Coschedule has a really detailed article about the emotions generated by different colours.
    • Essence has published an infographic showing brands and colour meanings.
    • Hubspot has a handy breakdown of colour emotions and gender
  4. Go back and check your ideas with your audience.  It’s best not to make assumptions.  You could run focus groups amongst your customers or target audience, alternate your top 2-3 brand colour schemes on your website during a promotion to see how each one performs, or offer a discount for feedback on your new brand identity.
  5. Make your brand identity consistent across your business.  So often, businesses spend time and money creating a logo, or evaluating the colour scheme across their website, only for these standards to be lost in the depths of the shared folder. Set up brand guidelines including your colour palette in RGB and CMYK, how the colours should be used across your content (e.g. headers are always orange, call to action buttons are always turquoise) and with links to the approved logo files. Make sure new employees are trained in these resources and existing employees know how important brand identity is for business success.

Make sure your brand will always communicate the right message to your perfect audience.

If you’d like to talk more about your brand identity design, drop us a line.

brand personality, Colours, psychology

Graphic design brand materials

Brand colour swatches and why they matter

Have you ever wondered why so many companies of a certain type use a certain colour in their brand identity? And how it gives you a funny feeling when you see one that just doesn’t kinda fit?

Most of the popular brand colours make sense in one way or another – with blue being the expected ‘safe’ options often chosen by insurance companies, classic technology or financial businesses. Brands that live on trust and reliability.

Black is also suitably predictable. Luxury, confident, powerful – with the downside of sadness and grief. Purple seems to be the chosen colour for chocolate and tech…

Find silver logos and you will definitely find cars! And of course luxury brands with a traditional sense of wealth and exclusivity. Look at well-known green-coloured brands and you will see an eclectic mix from coffee through to oil. This may be because green does not only stand for healthy, wholesome goodness, but also for freshness, growth and innovation.

As with all things, colours and their brand allocation come with subtleties and subjective notions. How you feel about purple may be different to how your dad does – and which shade is chosen can also tip the balance from vibrant to icky or classic to dull. Colours are one of the most powerful tools we have when designing brand identities, yet they are also one of the trickiest one to get right.

It would be interesting to find out what the most common colours are and if that has changed as brands have changed throughout the ages.

Can you use colours to predict which brands will stay and which will disappear from the high street and which will be the new stars?

Read more about colour psychology and brand identity design in Emily’s article.

brand, brand advertising, brand design, Brand Identity, brand identity design, Brand Strategy, Branding

Find your way around online

Navigating Online

If anyone ever had any doubt, this year must have shown to businesses of all sizes and varieties that the world is happening online. And as a business, it’s ever more important to give customers a great brand experience when you can’t be there face to face.

There are lots of ways to have an online presence, and each business is unique in some way, so there isn’t a right or wrong formula – but looking at a combination of different media together with ‘traditional’ print, advertising and marketing will be a good starting point to devise the right strategy for your brand.

Below are some ‘brand touch points’ where people will interact with you to consider. Remember, it’s no longer a case of having a product, filling a niche and giving customers the choice of ‘take it or leave it’… Brands are made by the people that buy them. It’s vital to build loyalty, support and advocacy for what your brand stands for right from the start so your business resonates with the right audience.

“Your brand isn’t what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”

Marty Neumeier
  • Website
    The headquarter of your online operations. All roads should lead back to it in some shape or form (and in your email footer) and landing there should be a pleasure that won’t disappoint. That’s one of the reasons why a website can’t just be something that looks like a template you populated in a day with stock images and dated graphic. It needs to sparkle and be as genuine as your brand should be.

    You may need a brochure or an e-commerce site, or a hybrid of both. You may need an app for mobile devices. Talk to your agency about the best option and beware of tying yourself to systems that can’t be widely supported.

    Invest not only in a progressive CMS (Content Management System) and design made for you specifically – think about using your own brand photography and don’t forget the website copy. If you spend all this time planning and organising a new site, you may as well go the extra mile to make it as future proof as possible.

    Think about using video on your site – explainer videos for instance are a great way to bring your story in front of your clients in an engaging manner. Sound could also be a good medium, but give people the option to browse on mute! Nothing worse than going to a website in your break and the whole open plan office knows which site you’re on…

    Make sure your site’s design and layout is responsive, so it looks good on a mobile or tablet and on a desktop or large screen. Different content will need to be considered for different devices, but that’s where your agency can help you with their expertise and advice on what works best where.

    Use new technology to make maintaining and updating your site easy and time efficient. Dynamic content, custom fields and advanced integrations can transform the way you use your web content as part of your marketing – and save you a ton of time.

    Don’t forget about speed, SEO and security. And GDPR! That subscribe form better be opt-in and your cookie policy should have the required choices available if your site is setting cookies. Have a look at your privacy policy if you collect any date and make sure your site has a good SSL certificate so users and browsers can trust their information is secure.

    Thankfully, there are lots of tools available online which allow for entry level functionality that can grow with your website as you grow your business. You don’t have to start with a high-tech rocket to reach the stars. It has to be capable, for sure, but with the right base you can add more features as you go along and learn more about what your customers need.
  • Social Media / Third Party Platforms
    There are so so many platforms out there now, one thing is clear – you can’t be on each one of them. So a good first step is to ask where your ideal customer hangs out. Using your ideal client as the central focus for how you run your online marketing is a neat little helper whenever you get stuck. What would they want? Where would they go? What would they expect? Would my content make sense to them? The answers will guide you to finding a manageable selection of platforms to create your profile on.

    Just like for anything that has your brand identity on it, make sure your social media profiles look the part. Consistency across all the different media will help to establish your presence in the market and give your customers confidence that they are in the right place.

    Look at getting a suite of templates for social media in place. Make a content plan. Think about what to post where when and to which audience.

    If you are using Zoom or similar video chat software to hold client meetings, think about your background. It may be worth to create a branded background that looks professional if you have to work from home without a home office.

With a good reputation
and the right audience, you don’t have to shout to be heard.

Regine Wilber
  • PR
    Having a presence in the news is a powerful tool for building your brand reputation. If you have a story to tell, tell it. There are not only literally millions of blogs and websites out there looking for fresh content, there are also reputable online events, magazines or news sites where your latest news could be featured. It takes time and patience and a bit of luck, but it’s all there for you to establish your brand online.
  • Emails and beyond
    There are some fantastic tools out there to help make your customer’s journey a smooth and happy one. From online chat bots to personalised, automated client email campaigns with Zapier or IFTTT integrations, the possibilities and opportunities are endless. Email is still one of the most important elements in customer communication, so make sure it’s top-notch.

    Think about spam prevention, which can be a real minefield. No point sending out fantastically crafted emails if they end up in spam. Try plain emails with interesting footers rather than mailchimp style HTML templates that may switch off the recipient because they instantly think they are being sold to. A/B test a campaign with different approaches.

    Make sure your list is clean; no point having unsubscribes and spam reports from people who haven’t really asked for being contacted. There are some great email providers out there for transactional emails which can tie in with your website and submission forms and provide a link to your CRM where you keep track of your contacts and lead pipeline.

    I also wanted to just touch upon measuring your activities. Google analytics, serpstat, rocket link and bit.ly, jetpack and all those tools within different platforms provide you with data about how your content performs. It’s a good idea to spend some time to assess which metrics are of real value to you, what matters at the end of the day and which you should mostly focus on to make a difference to your bottom line.

Hopefully this gives you a brief overview of the complexities of a digital marketing strategy. With any of these, consistency, continuity and good content is key to your success online.

If you’d like to chat about your website and everything around it, please get in touch!

online brand management, web development, website design

New brand identity for High-end Tour Operator Luxury Vacations UK

Luxury Vacations UK had outgrown its existing brand we developed for the client over a decade ago. The timing was planned to coincide with a major re-work of the tour operator’s website, as well as their promotional tour guides and the introduction of branded tour videos.

The new brand identity combines the UK’s iconic symbols of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland together with a classic, luxurious colour palette and visual details to be used in the material.

The re-brand focused on the company’s main audience, visitors from the US, who have cultural expectations and perceptions of the UK as a destination. The brand features a contemporary and non-cliché translation of the company’s values, deeply connected to their highest standards for customer service, luxury accommodation and the tours designed to allow overseas visitors experiencing ‘the real UK’. Delivering engaging, professional and expert tours with chauffeur guides has always been at the heart of the business and shows in the personal writing style of the copy, as well as the eclectic photography showcasing the tours’ highlights.

Using gold foil and a bespoke colour for each of the constituent countries means the brand identity is versatile to branch out into sub brands for regional promotional campaigns whilst remaining a recognisable badge for high quality luxury guided tours in the UK.

The brand has been rolled out across the new website, marketing materials and videos.

The-Woodlands-Suite-Website

The Woodlands Suite

The private wing of the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham needed a completely new website. The site is based on Joomla and uses our fully customisable page builder to create a new, clean and fresh site.

Data such as the team, news and specialties are managed with dynamic content, making it easy for the client to update without having to go into every appearance of information separately. Most frequently changed content is managed via the creation of a new article, which is the simples form of adding content.

Visit the site

the-world-is-closed

Brand management in a locked down new world

175 days into life with Corona, businesses are getting used to developing ways of dealing with the volatility and uncertainty the pandemic keeps throwing at us. 

Surveying smaller companies we work with, there is a shift in brand management emerging. Initially, it was key to keep customers informed of restrictions and closures. Since lockdown has been lifted for businesses, this has changed to communicating safety measures and new procedures. 

In the early days of the crisis, we worked with our clients to prepare for internal and external communications. The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital implemented new strategies straight away, realising the need for up to date information. We helped them to utilise their existing system to adapt for internal comms.

Another client of ours, a dental practice, supported people with ‘home dental kits’ and online advice on how to keep their teeth healthy without being able to see a dentist. Since they were allowed to open again, they worked overtime to get through the mass of emergency appointments and help those most in need. By working flexible hours and reacting to the immediate needs of their patients, they secured a lot of new clients who couldn’t get appointments for months in other surgeries. It pays to be flexible.

Most of the companies feel that they need to maintain and improve the ‘goodwill trust and understanding’ they have received from customers, especially on a local level. Brick and mortar shops more than ever rely on their community. 

Rebrand and social media template designs

A beautician we’ve rebranded during lockdown had started doing online beauty tutorials, promoting selected products available to purchase online When it came to opening again, we created a social media puzzle grid to announce the news and inform customers of Corona related changes.

Another business, a tech skills company, changed all their focus to delivering courses online. There is a barrier of confidence to break through, but it’s also a great opportunity to reach a much larger audience.

The smallest local entrepreneurs and micro businesses have been hit enormously and are still struggling to make up for lost time. For them, communicating on social media has been the lifeline to keeping customers engaged without being able to take bookings.

Within all that, the overwhelming trend seems to be for brands to work their best to keep their promises. Everyone is tired and probably a little bit bored of this situation and it’s a delicate balance of pushing on within the limits and being able to fulfil expectations. The bigger brands have the advantage of networks, funds and processes. 

For the little ones, however, flexibility in changing service delivery, product ranges and in some cases their entire business model offers a real opportunity. 

Image from Twitter/@mmtowns

Nobody wants the patronising attitude of big brands jumping on the government messaging bandwagon. (Remember Dettol and their ‘back to work ad’ which recently got a lot of mocking?) Nobody wants to constantly be reminded of the crisis, either – another balance to strike in brand communications.

SMEs with their feet firmly in the community feel their efforts are best focused on excellent service delivery and customer communication without pretending all is rosy. With more and more businesses disappearing from the high street, there is a gap and a good chance for those with an open mind to create mid Covid brand loyalty. 

Cover photo by Photo by Edwin Hooper on Unsplash

Kate photography branding

The marvellous Mrs Hollingsworth

This has been one of my favourite projects recently. Creatives are like doctors – the worst patients. I am not sure if I read this somewhere or if it’s an unspoken gospel. For me, I know how hard I find it to promote myself. Not because I don’t believe in it, but because clients always come first and as you all know, it takes a lot of time to get everything look ‘on brand’. So when Kate asked me to help her rebranding again now that she’s been in the photography field for nearly 10 years, I jumped at the task.

It has been a journey, that’s for sure. A windy road of trial and error because Kate cares just as much as all good creatives do about their work and how it’s seen by others. So it was a brave move for her to step out of her comfort zone, show who she truly is and what her passion is in a non-photographic visual sense. We’ve had many sessions going over her brand values again and again to see if they held up in light of her approach, ideal customer, specialism, tone of voice, etc – and how this should be reflected in the brand visuals.

Kate photography branding

She’s a pro, always has been, as a TV director and then as a photographer, and she’s one of a kind. Which is why this identity is bold and bright and as quirky as Kate is. The print material is designed to emphasise her style and the lovely story telling of her images.

We then created a matching website for her portfolio and blog. It’s designed for mobile and desktop and showcases her wedding, brand and family photography.

It’s been a pleasure working with Kate Hollingsworth and I hope she gets all the recognition she deserves (which is tons and tons and tons!!!) Go Kate, get them married!!!

Check out our portfolio
Visit Kate’s website

brand design, Brand Strategy, Design, website design

repsonsive-website design

Mukwashi Trust School

Design for charity

It’s not always about the money. And when a client of mine mentioned his new charity project, helping a school in Zambia, it felt right to be involved. With branding and design work being in short supply during this lockdown, this was the perfect time to put my energy into a project that will hopefully help change people’s lives.

The website is now live – mobile friendly and responsive so locals can have easy and quick access to the school’s information.

Mukwashi Trust School Website
Mukwashi website design

And I’ve designed a flyer with the school’s highlights, ready for locals to read and consider. The leaflets were given out these past few days. Tim shared some messages from the school with me…

“Leaflets have been collected. Everyone delighted. They start distributing them tomorrow. (…) Leaflet distribution today. I hope this makes it feel real. Right now, 7400 miles away, your leaflets are being read by candlelight and paraffin lights in mud huts and shacks.”

Tim Pain

We are also printing some stickers for their school bus and there will be a road sign for the school. It is amazingly rewarding and humbling at the same time.

To see the community so involved with the school, how the kids are understanding the opportunities that will come for them because they can get an education and to have teachers able to work in improved conditions makes me realise not just how lucky we are but also that we shouldn’t take anything for granted.

charity, education, marketing

Fooled by Progress Book Design

Fooled by Progress

Complex problems require simple solutions. This book, by acclaimed British journalist Ross Butler, explains why.

This book is a survival guide for humanity. It explores the concept that progress is not about complexity, but based on simplicity. That in fact, simple solutions are far better suited to complex problems – whether in your own life or in society at large. Understanding the reasons for this is the first step to making your life, and the world, better.

This isn’t a self-help book.

https://youtu.be/haOSmlwdJXo
Perfect read for anyone interesting in progress – and simplicity

You can get your copy on Amazon.

Work-from-home

Corona Crisis help for directors of Limited Companies

Martin Lewis has looked at how limited companies may be able to get help from the government.

Key points:

If you are having PAYE, you can go on the furlough scheme.

You CAN’T work any more, however:
You CAN continue to do your statutory duties, such as filing tax returns.
You CAN’T generate revenue. (With that there are issues about what it means, so the rules and guidance are not clear and Martin Lewis is giving some examples.

You could, for instance, prepare marketing material for your company that may in future generate sales, that may be acceptable, although he can’t guarantee it as there is no clear guidance on this.

You could also work in your profession, whilst on furlough, for a different Ltd company.

Worth the watch, thank you Mr. Lewis for spending your time and using your connections to finding things out.

You can also apply for universal credit whether you are on the furlough scheme or not. You need to check if you are eligible, and there are things such as savings being taken into consideration. However, you can at least apply if you are struggling, worst case you can’t claim.

Hope this helps…

Clapping for our carers

Clap for our carers

Annemarie Plas shared the idea for an event that united the nation. 8pm was the time to make some noise for our carers – 2m apart of course – to show how thankful we are for all they are doing right now. She says “If the Dutch can do it, the Brits can do it, too!”

We set up our own street WhatsApp group at the beginning of the crisis and I shared the link to the appeal an hour before – replies of ‘our hands are ready’ and ‘we will be there’ came in and at 8pm we were lucky to experience a wonderful event. Neighbours stepped outside the house, clapping away, cheering up and down the road, all with gratitude and spirit.

Thank you, NHS.

We will be back again next week to make more noise!

What-do-brands-do

What brands do in a crisis

Another day in isolation, another day where brands are being made or broken by how they react, how they communicate and how they connect to us during this outbreak. 

I get really annoyed now by all those automated funnel sales emails that are coming through fishing for subscribers. The jolly sales talk of marketeers trying to tell me how to make my money with PPC and FaceBook advertising, or how they can set up retargeting pixels for me to work wonders. Put it on pause! My whole world is… 

It’s house hold brands as well though that show their true nature, good and bad.

Wetherspoons informed workers that they will no longer be paid, saying he would only start payments again once the Government’s scheme to cover 80% of wages is in place – despite the Treasury saying that grants for salaries could be backdated to March 1.

Sports Direct is highly criticised for their handling of staff safety amidst their belief that the shops should stay open despite all the dangers this poses to staff and shoppers. 

Apple, on the other hand, has been able to source 10M masks for the US and millions more for the hardest hit regions in Europe. In his tweet, Tim Cook shares the news. 

BrewDog, an independent distillery in Aberdeenshire, UK, has used its distillery to produce hand sanitiser and is giving it away to local charities and the community. James Watt, Founder of BrewDog, said on Twitter: “We want to do all we can to help everyone get through this difficult time.”

German manufacturers Rotkäppchen and Jägermeister are helping out by supplying ethanol for the production of desinfectant.

For those of us home schooling, various TV personalities are offering their time for free to keep kids active and help to educate them. Carol Vorderman has opened up her online maths school for free for the duration of the school closures: https://www.themathsfactor.com/

Joe Wickes is doing daily PE class workouts at 9am on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6r99N3kXME

David Walliams releases a free audio story on his website every day for 30 days and there are lots of free activities/resource packs to download: https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/

Darcey Bussell is giving free dance classes on her DDMIX FaceBook page. Audible has made hundreds of stories free during the lockdown. https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Supermarkets are doing their best to make shopping easier for the elderly by having special shopping hours amidst panic buying and empty shelves.

There is so much going on, good and bad, and these just a few samples of how this crisis is not just a test for the operations side of companies, but also for their brands. We are vulnerable, we are uncertain and we lean on those we can rely on – be it in our neighbourhood via WhatsApp groups, via social media or phone calls. We don’t just seek the comfort (albeit mostly remotely) of our families and friends, it’s brands we look to for reassurance just as much as we look at our politicians and celebrities.

It’s judgement time and brands – personal or business – have the amazing opportunity to use their profiles to help people not just with products but mentally.

Of course there is one brand that should get a knighthood if there was such a thing. The NHS is doing amazing things. It really is a people brand. I am humbled by the hard work they do, the impossible situation they find themselves in and the ongoing commitment they show to our health. It’s absolutely awe inspiring. There are countless examples of their efforts to campaign for #StayAtHome…

I have been lucky to work with quite a few NHS hospitals / operations on branding and web projects, so it’s pretty emotional for me personally at the moment because I know the people that work there are struggling right now and there is not much I can do. I’ve volunteered to help along with 400,000 other citizens hoping that I can give a little bit back myself but I am afraid it will only be a small drop on a hot stone.

The NHS – for me – is definitely one of the brands that seems to be genuine and authentic from the inside out. Something every business should aspire to be from a human point of view.

I hope we will get through this together and have a chance to say a big THANK YOU to all those brands that are on our side right now.

attitude, brand loyalty, brand management, Brand Managment, brand message

How to stay sane working from home

If you are usually working in an office, motivated by your team and the structure put in place by your managers, working from home can be quite a daunting experience.

It can be easy to feel that you are not getting anything done and a sense of stress/panic may set it, so:

Productivity:

  • Wear work clothes. Pretend you are going to the office in your normal attire.
  • Track your time – either on paper or with the many good apps. Break it down by section of work or client.
  • Make a checklist at the start of every day, preferably on paper.
  • Add to the list little incidental tasks you didn’t first think of, even if quite minor.
  • Tick off everything you’ve done during the day.

In terms of sanity:

  • Take the time to have tea breaks.
  • Take them away from the “office” preferably in the garden.
  • Don’t listen to the news all day. Find some good music or, if you can concentrate with the spoken word, find some good podcasts or audio books.

Fitness:

  • Don’t snack.
  • Stand up regularly and stretch.
  • Take calls whilst walking if you don’t have to be right in front of your computer.
  • Plan some exercise at lunch time or in the evening.

Communication:

Make the effort to keep in touch with your colleagues.

  • Have a morning catch up.
  • During the day, ask them how they are and what’s their setup like.
  • Don’t get mad if they appear not to be working as much as you, it’s not a race to the bottom, and their circumstances might be different to yours.

Family:

  • Make a conscious effort to be forgiving, the kitchen might be messy, the kids might start to get crazy. It’s new for all of us, and as an adult we have to be a sponge for some of the stress.
  • Try to get some one to one time with each family member, either for a game or chat or cooking together.

End of day:

  • Look at your list to see what you’ve achieved and be happy about any of the ticks, no matter how minor!
  • Think of something or someone that you should be thankful to. Even if small.
  • Try to get the whole family to do the same.

Mostly remember that this will end. Also that we are incredibly lucky.

Message us if you need any help.

attitude, business, corona crisis

Working from home – with your significant other

We are living in crazy times right now, that’s for sure. No matter what your working circumstances are, it’s going to be a wild ride before anything gets to be the new normal.

One thing I don’t have to think or worry about is what it will be like working with my husband.

We started Essence together in 2003 and both gave up our day jobs in 2004 / 05 to dedicate all our time to our consultancy. Since then, we have been working side by side on-off project depending, and our relationship has not suffered, but there are some things we found worked for us…

We work in a little home office, in one room. That may not suit every couple, but for us it is nice to be together (unless Steve has a string of video conferences to attend) and it’s practical to keep work in a work space. If you want or have to share a room, consider this:

Agree first on what background noise you will have during working hours

This is super easy now with lots of types of noise cancelling headphones, but before that we used to chat about what’s on our plate and if we needed quiet time or if some music would be good. Steve is a developer and analyst so when he has to focus, classical music really works for him. I am a soppy person and it makes me feel very emotional so it’s not that great for me when I’m designing. I prefer to listen to programmes so it’s a bit like having office banter in the background. And when I do strategy or copy writing, it’s all noises off – apart from the cat purring…

Don’t chat about non-work stuff at work

Time is precious. Especially now when we also have kids to entertain, uninterrupted work time is a premium. Don’t get distracted by catching up on what DIY needs to be done or what holiday plans you may want to make. Instead, wait for natural gaps in between jobs, meet in the kitchen for a cuppa and chat then. You get a little break and don’t feel you’re interrupting. If you need a break before your partner, have it, but don’t impose it on him or her and pull them inevitably out of a good train of thoughts.

Instead, use the ‘commute time’ to sit together and have a banter – the saved travel time is perfect to use for chit chat!

Wear work clothes

Don’t sit down in your undies or pjs. We found it helps to pretend to be in a real office even if it’s just a corner in your home. (Plus it may be too tempting to pursue more leisurely activities if you sit there semi clad 😂).

Share boring admin

If you have rather dull but necessary admin tasks as part of your work, same business or not, do them at the same time so you can agree it’s ok to moan about them! We do… and it helps to not struggle on your own.

Keep your work space tidy

If you can work from a study or spare room or even convert a corner in your bedroom to have a table in to work on, keep it tidy so both of you don’t have to feel pressure of more clutter to deal with.

Be patient and kind

Of course this is not going to be easy. You may find you function better in different rooms if you can.

If your jobs require different levels of concentration, noise cancelling headphones may be the answer without having to miss each other’s company.

No matter what the day throws at you work wise, don’t reflect your frustration on your partner. Being stressed is one thing, but venting on your other half who is an innocent bystander is not fair on them or you. If you get a bit wound up, talk about it (next break) and you might get a soothing shoulder rub and a hug! Be kind and accept it’s not going to be perfect, but neither is normal office work.

Respect different time requirements (but don’t use it as an excuse to hide during tea prep)

Very much job depended, it may well be that one of you can finish early. That’s ok… we all need to do the best we can and on another day it could very well be you needing to ‘stay late’.

Saying that, if it’s always you then ending up doing the household whilst he is working longer, beyond the usual hours, it’s good to check if perhaps the project itself is at fault and timings need to be adjusted. It’s easy to fall in that trap and the one left to hold the baby may resent you for it.

For us, it’s always been pretty seasonal that I have to work more at certain times in the year but I have a break first when the kids are back from school to have time with them and do household tasks together. I then add a late session if I need to.

I’ll let you know how I get on having my three boys all day every day now and working around home schooling them. I figure that’s a completely different challenge to being productive with your partner working beside you 😂😂😂

attitude, business, corona crisis

Admin? The stick of creative work.

I filled in a business health check and one of the questions was how you cope with admin.

It’s the dread of most businesses – it has to be done, someone has to do it, and sadly, being a creative doesn’t mean you can get away with ignoring those excel spreadsheets, accounts packages, quotation and estimation work, and keeping track of those expenses, invoices, subscription renewals and travel receipts.

You can run, but you can’t hide and your next quarterly VAT might well turn into a nightmare orchestrated by Mr. Admin. I’ve been there, believe me, and it’s honestly far more ugly and stressful to pull a late nighter trawling through email histories and getting accounts in order than managing it a little bit at a time.

I’ve developed my own little rule of thumb… (love that expression). I can’t start creative work until the admin is done. That’s on 4 out of 5 working days. On the 5th day, it’s the other way around. It’s creative first, and potentially no admin at all (unless there’s print buying to be done as part of a creative brief).

This may sound petty and not suit everyone, but I need a clear head to think outside the box and worrying about that email I need to reply to will just hang over me and stop me from thinking freely.

And doing a little bit every morning first means there isn’t much to catch up with.

It also allows me to happily go into what my colleague Steve calls monk mode. In monk mode you just focus, ignore everything else, email, chat, news of another calamity, and you buckle down to concentrate on what you’re working on, nothing else.

I love being in monk mode. It takes the guilt out of not reacting to every inbound query in whichever form whilst I’m dedicated to what I’m working on and usually results in a much faster output than trying to do too many tasks at once. There has been a time when we all functioned without instant responses, and it’s ok to wait a couple of hours for a reply…

I’m obviously bound to urgent deadline requirements and sometimes it all goes out the window and I need to do an after hours catch up, but generally, by changing my attitude towards those more technical tasks and seeing them as the stick that gets me my yummy creative carrot, we’ve become quite good friends (Mr Admin and me).

ED Awards Email

Always say never! Oh, never mind…

This morning, something dropped in my mail box and I had to look twice, three times even and check my previous emails to see if it really could be true. Did Gmail and Unibox have a serious issue with their font translation? Or is the font of choice for the European Design Awards entry newsletter really Comic Sans – in capitals?!?!!?

In a mild state of shock and disbelief (obviously there are more pressing issues out there than what font an awards organisation chooses to pop in their email header design), but I had to check it out with WhatTheFont and it really seemed to be Comic Sans… Hmmmm.

And then it hit me. Never say never! You can laugh now at just how dumb a moment I’ve had this morning. Their little visual hook was just perfect to get me, obviously gullible and opinionated when it comes to branding and design, to keep reading… so well done, mission accomplished!

My only criticism, I guess, is the fact that the newsletter and their social media look so different from their actual web home page. I think that’s what threw me. It was only when I saw their Instagram that the penny dropped and I could see the method in the madness.

So, after all this, and hanging my head in shame for doubting their taste or typographic sanity, I can only thank them for highlighting once again how critical good typography is for design, no matter which media.

With the amazing tools available today for web, email and obviously print, typography is sadly still very much an afterthought for SME brands with a ‘that will do’ attitude when looking at their marketing and brand collateral.

A new website for Interior Designer James Charles

James contacted us with the need for a new website, initially featuring his past successes, soon to be enhanced with his current projects in the world of architecture and design.

James has been very active working in both the US and Athens, as well as project managing in London. He’s been on quite a few TV shows over the years, so videos were an important element of the site, as is the ability to showcase his vast historical portfolio.

One big change has been to actually use his signature for his logo instead of a font, giving the site more personality than a corporate approach.

This website is designed with an emphasis on mobile devices as James’ way of networking requires an ‘on the go’ process of showcasing his work and reputation.

I really love working with other creatives who understand form, function and that bit of magic in-between… so I look forward to the next projects.

View the site

New brand identity for Hemp’s CBD Oils

Just finished – a new brand identity for natural food supplement business Hemp’s CBD Oils. This has been a great project to work on, not just because I know the client from other projects for a long time and this is an excitingly different market.

It coincides with another branding project which is also in the natural health area, but more scientific, so it’s been a nice challenge to find the right tone of voice for each of them.

Stonebridge Talent Branding

September has been a really productive and busy month – perhaps businesses are getting their ducks lined up for the winter months or perhaps it’s a general vibe of wanting to get things done after the summer. Whichever it is, I am in design heaven, with different tasks and challenges each day.

This project was just completed. The coach, Terence Perrin, is a start-up with many years of experience in talent coaching under his belt. He wanted to use a pre-designed logo from an image library (I am never a fan of this but his budget constraints didn’t allow for more, and at the end of the day what’s most important is to do a great job for a client within their budget). So instead of starting with concepts from scratch, I scoured the market place for an appropriate icon which we purchased and I adapted to make it work for him. It did however remind me of why it’s best to invest in a bespoke brand – even if just for the fact that only your brand will have that particular image. Of course with something as local and personal as coaching, it won’t have such a big impact if someone on the other side of the world uses the same icon, but I’d always strife for uniqueness.

I setup a website in a web builder that came with his domain name, same reason and even more restrictive than I ever imagined – again, if you can, it’s well worth investing in a product that is future proof for a business that’s evolving and changing. I like a challenge though and hopefully the result is still effective in terms of message and brand identity even if it was pretty limited in what one could do.

Add a flyer to the mix and we’ve delivered a nice little start-up collection for a start-up business. Fingers crossed it will be an exciting time ahead for Stonebridge Talent!

Luxury Holidays in the UK – Can I book now please?!

We’ve been working with Luxury Vacations for more than 12 years now – rather shocking how time flies!

The team have always been amazing in a graphic design sense, appreciating and demanding good design for all their marketing material. Over the years, the brand has come to life in many ways and recently we are focusing on completely re-vamping all the digital material.

We are now at a stage where more and more of their fantastic tours are in brochure form, giving clients the choice to read it online or even request a printed copy. Thanks to digital print and much faster website speeds, the options are all there for customers. And from a design perspective, it all helps to create a rounded brand image that resonates with overseas travel agents and visitors.

Brochure Design