MCH Blog
An invigorating new identity for gut health brand Daily Cultures
Design Activity have created a vibrant new brand identity and packaging design for Daily Cultures, reflecting the brand’s vision of producing products that have a positive nutritional and health impact on people’s daily lives.
Daily Cultures is a brand on a mission. They were the first brand to launch dairy free probiotics into the everyday food and drink markets, with a unique formulation that enables their good bacteria to survive the acids in the stomach.
Daily Cultures believe adamantly that good gut health is the key to improving many health issues developed through poor diet and processed foods. With 80% of the world’s population having some form of lactose intolerance (source WHO) and Gut Health being projected as the big new wellness trend, Daily Cultures knew that now was the time to reinvigorate their brand!
With a small range already in market, Design Activity were tasked to future-proof the current brand and packaging with a radical redesign. Daily Culture’s aim was to engage consumers with a brand that wasn’t like any other food and drink brand – a tasty product offering with health benefits that actually work.
There were two key strategic challenges to creating the new brand identity and packaging design.
- Getting consumers to understand the unique benefits of non-dairy probiotics – having been misled over the years that probiotics work best in dairy products. Daily Cultures tea infact has smart cultures that are 10 times more effective than those found in dairy products!
- Striking the right balance between the serious undertone that Gut Health needs to have, versus appealing to consumers who recognise probiotics as a lifestyle choice for better health and wellbeing.
The vibrant and distinctive new identity reflects the uplifting feeling you get when you’re at your happiest and healthiest. While the Love your Gut strapline provides instant acknowledgement as to the functional benefits of the range.
The new Daily Cultures identity is open and approachable, communicating great tasting non-dairy food and drink packed with smart cultures to facilitate optimal gut health. Powerful stuff!
“Design Activity have been part of our team through this whole project. From the initial strategic planning, through the brand and packaging design, to developing our communications strategy. Their insights have been invaluable and their creativity second to none. DA understood the rejuvenation that Daily Cultures needed, and we couldn’t be happier with the result!”
Tony Revill-Johnson, Managing Director, Nature Works Limited
Design Activity are a design agency specialising in branded packaging design, shopper marketing and trade comms. We uncover and amplify brand superpowers to give them a distinctive edge on-pack, in-store and online.
Say hello@designactivity.co.uk
How being a micro-influencer is changing Fashion Week
February and September mean just one thing for fashion fans: London Fashion Week.
It’s a jam-packed week of famous faces, glamorous parties and, of course, getting the low-down on what everyone will be wearing next season, from heritage brands and emerging talent.
With entry strictly reserved for insiders and VIP’S the audience at London Fashion Week famously bursts with buyers, editors and stylish stars.
However, in recent years the guestlist is changing as we are seeing more and more social media influencers and micro-influencers in attendance each year.
How is Social Media Changing Fashion Week?
WHO ARE MICRO-INFLUENCERS?
A micro-influencer would normally have a social following of between 10k-100k followers, (less than mega -influencers) but you don’t need to have millions of followers to be influential.
Micro-influencers represent “everyday people” and they have a very strong, dedicated, and loyal following to their name. This makes them perfect for promoting new labels.
Some fashion influencers have thousands of loyal followers who trust the advice and recommendations from them so much, that they only buy what is promoted by that influencer.
Micro-influencers are the new stars of web advertising!
HOW CAN MICRO-INFLUENCERS HELP FASHION BRANDS?
As celebrity endorsements and sponsorships grow, so does the gap between brands and their customers.
We all know celebrities like Charlize Theron have the money to buy luxury brands like Dior, or Angelina Jolie for Louis Vuitton. So, when they endorse these luxury brands no one really bats an eyelid.
On the other hand, if you saw a micro-influencer promoting a brand, suddenly, being able to buy and wear it becomes much more realistic and believable.
Using endorsers who aren’t rich and famous is a much more effective way to stand out and is a great way to build trust with your customers.
Influencers and micro-influencers also make fashion accessible and friendly with online tutorials on how to achieve desired looks. As well as fashion inspiration, great captions and high-quality photos.
BRANDS USING MICRO-INFLUENCERS
Fashion brands are increasingly utilising micro-influencers as part of their marketing campaigns, but there are a few brands that have really mastered the art of influencer marketing.
ASOS
These guys have nailed their use of micro-influencers from different corners of the globe who are known as ASOS insiders. The “insiders” use their own social media accounts to promote everything ASOS.
They will share a picture of themselves promoting a product (clothing, accessories and beauty products), and then list the code of the product underneath. This way followers can use the code to find whatever the insider is promoting.
Every “insider” has their own individual style, which means there’s an ASOS style out there for almost everyone – from 70’s Boho to Scandi cool.
NA-KD
Another great brand who has set the standard for influencer marketing is a Swedish fashion retailer called NA-KD. They realised early on that having a large group of influencers with a smaller following was better than having a smaller group of influencers with larger followings.
NA-KD gifts thousands of micro-influencers every month with free products, in return influencers promote their products on Instagram. NA-KD’s influencers keep their products in front of new, engaged audiences – much like ASOS insider’s.
As a result of their influencer marketing efforts, NA-KD is one of the most mentioned fashion brands by social influencers.
So, what does this all have to do with Fashion Week?
Well, while Fashion Week certainly doesn’t disappoint with must-see famous heritage brands, there is also a lot of emerging talent to see.
There’s no question that influencers and micro-influencers are very effective in promoting brand awareness. So clearly, they could be particularly invaluable to emerging designers at events like Fashion Week, which is perhaps why we are seeing more and more influencers make an appearance.
HOW DO YOU GET INTO FASHION WEEK SHOWS?
While Fashion Week is still by invitation only, some lucky fashion influencers now have the opportunity to attend the star-studded events, but there are a few requirements.
You need at least 10,000 blog visitors and a combined total of 10,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You will also need to submit an outstanding portfolio of your fashion content. Make sure you head to the LFW website early to apply and bag yourself an exclusive spot on the guest-list.
Time for Change – A New Kind of Fashion Week
Fashion Week is opening its doors to more and more “everyday people” who have a love for fashion, an outstanding portfolio of fashion content and an impressive number of dedicated followers – but this isn’t the only thing that’s changing.
Traditionally we see brands showcasing their latest collaborations exclusively to buyers and editors ahead of when they will be available for purchase. However, this year we saw Burberry break away from traditional Fashion Week practice, as they unveiled their runway-to-retail business model. Burberry fans were able to make purchases from the new collections immediately after the show.
Could this be a sign of things to come? Are micro-influencers paving the way to making Fashion Week more inclusive? Could we be seeing more fashion influencers on the front row at Fashion Week?
Influencers – Sandra Reynolds Social Media Stars
We are lucky enough to represent some absolutely fantastic influencers. Visit our influencers division to have a browse!
If you are looking for influencers to celebrate your product or service through great content then get in touch, and we will help you find the right influencers for your brand.
Case Study – Hire Frequencies | SecurityTokens Realised
Security Tokens Realised, the brainchild of events company Juliet Media, was an event aimed at joining the people and companies at the forefront of the Security Token and Crypto Currency industries.The event was part of a global series of high level and innovative events designed to bring together the industry leaders with total focus on the realisation of the security token ecosystem.
– Two full days of STO content
– Live streamed across the globe
– STO pitch sessions
– Security Tokens awards ceremony
– Networking Opportunities
– High quality venue in Central London
The event was made up of two fully loaded days of presentations, panel discussions product pitches and industry showcases between the hours of 0900 & 1700. Hire Frequencies arrived at the venue at 1800 the day before the event to begin to load into the venue and complete our technical setup. A previous knowledge of the venue and in depth knowledge of every piece of equipment on our inventory allows our team to complete vast & complex set ups in small windows of time whilst never compromising on our setups integrity.
Hire Intelligence
London
W: hirefrequencies.co.uk
E: enquiries@hirefrequencies.co.uk
T: 0203 3026947
The event was made up of two fully loaded days of presentations, panel discussions product pitches and industry showcases between the hours of 0900 & 1700. Hire Frequencies arrived at the venue at 1800 the day before the event to begin to load into the venue and complete our technical setup. A previous knowledge of the venue and in depth knowledge of every piece of equipment on our inventory allows our team to complete vast & complex set ups in small windows of time whilst never compromising on our setups integrity.
Technicians remained on site for the duration of the event to ensure smooth running and swift content transitions across all technical mediums. Our versatile technicians are all skilled in audio, lighting and video and can adapt to any situation to overcome any challenges they may face. After a successful and well received conference we allow the enjoyably relaxed atmosphere to continue well into the evening to respect the networking goals of all those in attendance. Once the networking drinks begin to wind down we swiftly and discreetly de-rig our tech and load out of the venue in a professional manner to return our equipment to the Hire Frequencies HQ in preparation for our next exciting opportunity.
“Absolutely amazing service and staff. Hire Frequencies cannot do enough for you. They are incredibly professional yet personable, and their range of equipment is second to none, along with their knowledge and skill. They over deliver on everything they do – I honestly cannot recommend them enough and won’t hesitate to use them again. Thanks to all the team for being an integral part of us pulling off a great event!”
Micha Elizabeth, Juliet Medi
Hire Frequencies:
Telephone: 020 3302 6947
Email: productions@hirefrequencies.co.uk
Visual Theatre: elevate your packaging in-store and online
The success of a product launch or shopper marketing campaign is often measured by ‘opportunities to see’ and it’s crucial that every engagement with the consumer is delivered consistently in terms of style, tone of voice and visual identity. Achieving visual continuity across multiple platforms greatly increases the chances of the campaign resonating with your consumer.
What is Visual Theatre?
Visual Theatre is a process we use to create a bespoke imagery and brand asset marketing tool kit that can be used across all trade and consumer touchpoints. Formatted to suit all in-store and online applications to help deliver a holistic brand experience.
Why is Visual Theatre important?
The concept for our unique Visual Theatre process originated as a solution to our clients’ frustration of not having the right quality and style of imagery and assets when they needed them, often having to use basic, poor quality pack shots in order to hit a specific deadline.
Elevating your pack with Visual Theatre
Introducing Visual Theatre into your process prior to the launch of any new campaign or product range will help elevate your packaging in-store and online, through beautiful creative images of your pack that will increase consumer engagement and product appeal.
From highly detailed 3D renders through to inspiring lifestyle photography, or a simple animated moving image, Visual Theatre takes the experience beyond the packaging to add the magic that brings your product and campaigns to life.
The end result will help imprint your brand and packaging in consumers’ minds and leave a lasting impression.
We’d love to talk to you about how Visual Theatre could help bring your products to life.
Say hello@designactivity.co.uk
Design Activity are a design agency specialising in branded packaging design, shopper marketing and trade comms. We uncover and amplify brand superpowers to give them a distinctive edge on-pack, in-store and online.
Continued Investment Boosts Production Capacity at XG Group
Further investment over the past few months in industry leading technology sees UK large format graphics specialists XG Group significantly increase their already impressive production capacity.
They have installed a series of new machines and software to further enhance the digital textile and UV printing capacity in their Midlands 25,0002 ft production site. This major investment continues to position XG Group as one of the UK’s leading large format and superwide graphic production suppliers, working across the events, displays, sports, retail and commercial interiors industries.
To discuss your graphics requirements, please get in touch with XG Group on 01280 707180 or sales@xg-group.co.uk
Inspiring the Trade: Get Your Products Listed
You’ve invested months into developing a polished piece of branded packaging and a shopper marketing strategy to attract the right customer. Now the big-name buyers need convincing of its worth. So, how do you convince the trade to stock your products across their store network?
As a brand and packaging design agency we want to help more brands get listed – big and small – so if you’re looking for strategy inspiration, we wanted to share a few sound-checks that we go through with food and beverage brands when we develop trade sell-in kits.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to think through how you approach your next big product launch, how to get listed and keep the buyers interested in your product.
Strike a Balance
We’re always surprised to see the number of challenger and market-leading brands that invest in the perfect packaging and then present them to the trade with a few standard pack shots, in-store photos and lots of text.
We’ve all had to sit through a 97% text presentation and the experience is never an awe-inspiring one! One certainty when it comes to presenting to the trade is it needs to be interesting, engaging and well sequenced – offering a compelling reason for the buyer to stock your brand.
Having created successful presentations for our clients to address the trade, we find that the best ratio balance to create optimum engagement is:
20% text
30% props
50% imagery
Know your Trade
Retailers all take slightly different approaches to their range reviews, so it’s important to get into their mindset and understand what their priorities are.
Before you approach the buyers, it’s worth taking the time to think through where the opportunities exist, what are the gaps that other products in your category are failing to achieve and can they be filled when it comes to your first approach.
Some guideposts
- Help the buyer to imagine the product performing and adding interest to their aisles.
- Put the product into context with photography or 3D pack renders
- Plot out the in-store customer journey to show how the customer will arrive at your product
- Are you offering an in-store promotion and how will this be sold in?
- Will you have any in-store advertising and how will the campaign roll-out in-store if enticing visual displays are part of the campaign
- While the core content of your presentation can be the same, take the extra time to tailor each presentation to the relevant retailer. Showing that you’ve taken the time to do research in their stores will earn you brownie points. There’s no bigger turn off for buyers than a presentation that uses in-store imagery or statistics from a competitor retailer.
Tell a Good Story – Inspire Belief
Inspiring belief in products and their potential beyond the shelf is so important at this stage. Take them on a journey with a storybook, an interactive trade box, a problem-solving challenge or a mock taster session. Bring the purpose and story of the product to life in front of them and make it truly magnificent!
- Get the flow going: Work out the right structure, composition and sequencing
- Customise it: Customise the opportunity e.g. is it a big reveal with a bit of a tease to start with
- Distract & surprise: The Powerpoint or Prezzie is likely to be a focus of the meeting, but a relevant distraction and physical presence can be really important. Use this to change the tone and pace using physical supports and props. Keep people awake and hold their attention, like an unfolding thriller sequence. If it helps, storyboard your trade presentation like a play!
Get the Content Right
- The narrative has to work for the audience, not the buyer. Is the tone right?
- Text needs to be minimised using visual structures to embellish the concept /idea
- Build a page rather than show everything at once to give more control over what the buyer is seeing
- Always find a way to convert complex data into meaningful infographics
- If the subject is a complex one, end every page with a simple subject outtake
· Take it to a trade show
Design Activity are a design agency specialising in branded packaging design, shopper marketing and trade comms. We uncover and amplify brand superpowers to give them a distinctive edge on-pack, in-store and online. Say hello@designactivity.co.uk
Why An Experience Wins Everytime
Woof know a thing or two about immersive brand experiences – we’ve been doing it successfully for over 15 years.
Our understanding of how an experience impacts consumers’ memories and feelings towards a brand, allows us to deliver unforgettable sensory experiences that drive behaviour change.
Immersive experiences work because they envelop the user in a world where they connect directly, making them more likely to pick a brand or service over others.
Traditionally consumers have been spectators, happy to view advertising and marketing campaigns in familiar formats. But the way consumers interact with brands has changed forever.
Marketing Week (2013) ran a survey in which 48 per cent of respondents said they were ‘more likely to buy a new product if they could try it first’.
Consumers now want more and enjoy being part of the campaign. To see, taste, smell and try. They are happy to give their attention and time as long as the experience is good enough.
If you, as a consumer, experience a positive emotion connected to a product you will remember it and want to associate with it. As a result, you will engage with that brand in a more proactive way.
…The brands who are investing in creating immersive experiences for their target audiences are the ones that succeed.”
Source: digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk
Woof has always had a very clear understanding of the experiential link between brands and their overall success. We’ve seen up close the positive feelings a meaningful and memorable experience can create. We’ve seen the results.
One example is our work with Kamarama and Maille Mustard. We built an outdoor dining area along the banks of the Thames, and served a delicious four course meal to 150 guests.
Maille was infused into every dish, allowing visitors to experience the mustard in new and innovative ways.
The social reach of the event was over 800,000, in addition to PR coverage in 114 printed pieces.
However, we’re not just beating the experiential drum here. We also understand the importance of integrating experiential with all the other marketing activities to amplify the experience and generate strong brand touch points.
A physical experience in the real world will lead to chatter, social sharing and digital engagement.
Did you know that if a customer generates online content as a result of a great brand experience, they are four times more likely to become advocates for your business. Nice huh?
It’s clear, that experiential isn’t just about great brand affinity and positive feelings, there is also a huge weight of evidence that it leads to tangible long term commercial returns.
And that can only be a win win situation for everyone.
Essential questions when hiring a film, photography studio or events space
When running a film, photography studio or event space, one can always expect to hear a multitude of questions from one’s clients; naturally these are initially with regards to availability and rates, but what follows often depends on the level of experience of the person with whom you’re talking. There can be numerous and essential details to consider, key questions not to be forgotten and answers not to be assumed. This of course applies to anyone who’s hiring a space, be they production manager or assistant, photographer, event planner or someone hosting a private function. Some of these may seem pretty obvious, particularly to those who’ve been in the industry a long time, but let’s face it we can all be subject to forgetfulness!
With close to a hundred years of combined location and studio experience, the First Option team have put their heads together to bring you a list of SAQ’s – information sometimes overlooked but in our experience often crucial. Here are our ‘Should Ask Questions’ together with their all important answers…
How early can we start, how late can we finish?
Opening hours vary massively with each and every space, at First Option we’ll be here at whatever time you wish to start and we won’t leave until you’re done. Do remember that virtually all locations have loud music/noise curfews.
Is overtime available?
Some hire spaces have set hours and others are flexible. We will always try to give you whatever hours you need, it’s best to try and book in advance but obviously this isn’t always possible and sometimes you just need to keep going until you’re finished. Our rates for overtime vary according to how much notice we get, and how anti social the overtime hours are so it is always best to contact us in advance where possible.
First Option Studio
Shoreditch, London
W: www.studiohirefirstoption.com
E: studio@studiohirefirstoption.com
T: 0844 800 0071
Can we hire over the weekend?
Again this is site specific, most places will open up at weekends but best not to assume. Our late night events are restricted to the weekends so you can party later into the night, though. Please note that like most venues, First Option has a surcharge for weekend hire.
Can we have props and/or equipment delivered the day before and collected the day after?
Delivery companies don’t tend to work as late as we all do so collecting at the end of your shoot isn’t always possible, likewise early deliveries often cost the earth so most locations will try to help out with deliveries prior to and after your shoot. Always check in advance as these arrangements are generally based on crews working either side of your shoot.
Is our equipment insured if we leave it overnight?
It’s rarely a good idea to make someone else responsible for your kit unless that’s their job. Always have your own insurance to cover what you’re using and always check the security of the building housing your equipment. We are based within a private courtyard with 24 hour security but we still insist that all equipment left in the studio overnight should be covered by the client or rental companies’ own insurance.
Can we use props/equipment in the location?
All venues have their own rules regarding their in-house kit so it’s definitely best to check first. Some people will charge separate hire fees and others provide so much for free that you may find that you hardly need to bring anything at all. First Option is a dry hire space with a difference in that we actually do have tons of props and cooking apparatus that’s all here for clients to use free of charge. Check out our facilities list here.
Is there a fully functional kitchen?
Most locations will have at least one kitchen but these can vary hugely. You might find a seemingly fully fitted kitchen that is in fact a set and is full of tricks. Oven’s, fridges, cupboards and drawers that are all just a facade…great if you’re doing a “here’s one I made earlier” but not so good if you actually need to cook. Always check what you have at your disposal and don’t forget to ask which utensils can and can’t be used. We have two kitchens at First Option and both are fully functional.
Can we hang/attach things from and to walls and ceilings?
The answer to this question is unique to each and every building, you must ask as damage caused is likely to be chargeable. We are lucky to have high beamed roofs which can take a fair amount of weight as long as the beams are protected from sharp clamps. Our Victorian brick walls are precious and cannot be drilled into but with so many adhesives available these days, who needs holes?
What power do you have available and what are the costs?
Generators can be such a nuisance and their use is sometimes discouraged by surrounding businesses or residents due to their noise. As a result you’ll find that a well equipped location will have their own ample power supply so do remember to check this throughly. Nobody wants a generator truck arriving at the point you’ve just discovered the huge in-house power outlets available! At First Option, it’s rare to need more than our 3 Phase Power (3 x 63’s and 3x32’s) and numerous 13 amp plugs throughout the kitchen, studio and prep kitchen, but if you do we can of course help out. We don’t charge for power usage – yay!
Can we use any outdoor space?
Some locations have private outside space that may or may not be available to shoot in, if they don’t then they will usually be able to help with getting local council advice on shooting in the surrounding public areas.
A general starting point is that if your crew is larger than five and any of your lighting equipment is not hand held you will need a permit…We’ve put together a really handy guide to shooting on the streets of East London that you can find here. When shooting with us at First Option, you have the choice of using our private courtyard or venturing up high onto the roof of our neighbours, check out the view here. Both of these spaces can easily be booked with prior permission and carry a separate charge.
Is there on-site parking and does it cost extra?
London parking spaces are like gold dust, perhaps even rarer, so always check your parking options and remember to let your crew/guests know. At First Option, we can arrange secure underground parking or on street parking with permits. Where we park you depends on whether you need access to our loading/unloading entrance for props and/or kit. Spaces are charged at £20 per vehicle per day and should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment.
What about catering?
First Option are very lucky to have a superb in-house caterer who can offer a selection of Breakfasts, Lunches and Afternoon Tea. Tara will always try to tailor the menu according to your specific requirements so a conversation with her prior to your shoot or event is a good idea; you can find a sample menu here. There are also a huge number of local companies we happily recommend if you’d prefer to go elsewhere. It is always best to check as some places will insist on you using their own caterers or preferred suppliers.
Are tea and coffee included?
First Option provide free tea and coffee and those of you that have been before know that we also have a full time barista on site. Cafe di Rosso is in our courtyard Monday through Friday – we can easily set up a tab for clients on a daily or ‘entire shoot’ basis and get you the best prices in Shoreditch for your caffeine fix.
How late can we play music?
Most venues have licenses that cover them for certain hours of noise and residential areas are mostly based on common sense and courtesy. First Option’s cut-off is generally set as 23:30 although quiet clearing/shooting may continue later with prior permission.
Can we arrange additional security?
Sometimes extra eyes or muscles are needed and most places will either have their own security available or are happy for you to arrange externally. Our own security guards here at Perseverance Works are some of the best in London… Ex Gurkhas if you please. When you consider your kit and/or prop fees, the value of extra security will almost always far outweigh the extra cost.
What do we do with our rubbish, recycling and food waste?
Most hire locations will take care of this within reason. Being based in Perseverance Works means that we have access to an excellent waste system, however if you foresee your shoot or event having excessive waste, it’s best to give prior warning so that locations can make special arrangements.
What happens if we damage the location or any of its equipment or props?
Of course we are all used to general wear and tear of our buildings, but do be aware that damage caused as a direct result of your activities will almost always be chargeable. Most hire agreements will include details covering insurance and public liability requirements so do ensure that the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.
How are we expected to leave the space?
A general rule of thumb is to leave the space as it was found, this doesn’t mean that you’re expected to sweep and mop the floors and take the bins out but heavy furniture and props should be returned to their original place and rubbish should be bagged up. It really comes down to common sense… If you have any doubts there will always be someone around to help. We personally find that working together with our crews at the end of a long event or shoot works best.
How much responsibility do we have to neighbours and members of the public?
A much overlooked but essential part of planning an event or a shoot is to keep everyone around you happy. Working on a large event of any kind can be so all encompassing that we forget the effects that we might be having on others, be that noise or general disruption. When filming in a location or a studio, it’s the responsibility of the location’s manager to know what is and isn’t acceptable, if you’re venturing outside then it’s often a shared responsibility. If you think that your activities may affect others then a letter or email to surrounding buildings letting them know what’s happening is always a good idea.
Work and let work is our mantra.
Plus, let’s not forget that failure to give people fair warning can ultimately result in a shutting down of your shoot or event not to mention the bad Karma!
Please do let us know if you can think of any questions we have forgotten or answers we have failed to provide. This industry always involves huge joint effort and so we’d love any input anyone can give.
Experiential Marketing: The Answer to Your Trade Show Woes?
Nichola Clydesdale, Marketing Director at leading promotional staffing agency Envisage Promotions highlights how bringing trade show marketing alive will have a positive impact on a brand, essential reading for any brand wanting to do more with trade shows and events.
Trade shows and exhibitions can be a golden chance to showcase products and services to a large audience.
But the trade show is under pressure. Or rather the significant investment of money, resources and time that they consume is under pressure. With the economy still stuttering and faltering, every business needs results from every marketing activity.
It is no longer an option to leave a trade show feeling it didn’t quite hit the mark. Now is the time to try something different and it comes in the shape of experiential marketing.
What is experiential marketing?
For want of a better description, it brings your products alive by using promotional staff to connect with potential clients and customers. They showcase your products, demonstrating it, inviting people to sample it and test it.
This interaction is marketing gold, a chance for briefed and experienced promotional staff to reach your audience.
Tangible marketing experiences like this bring several benefits;
Envisage Promotions
Clifton upon Dunsmore
W: www.envisagepromotions.co.uk
E: hello@envisagepromotions.co.uk
T: 0844 800 0071
#1 Experiential marketing is effective
Based on a report by Event Marketer from 2015, when customers experienced interactive marketing, the likelihood of them buying at the event increases. This connection continued after the event, with 74% people saying the positive impression and interaction would lead to a future purchase.
#2 More sales, more leads, more loyalty
We know that when there is positive interaction and a strong connection between customer and product, the likelihood of brand loyalty increases. In today’s competitive market place, can any brand afford to turn down the possibility of 70% of their customers buying from them regularly?
#3 Improved connection between consumer and product
In terms of influencing the purchasing decision, the research also suggests that a better understanding of the product or service was the main driver, along with seeing and experiencing the product or service in question. Some way behind, however, were additional enticements such as money off deals and discounts.
#4 Sharing brand values
Your brand has a voice and a persona, something that all customers subconsciously connect too. If they like what they see, if they enjoy the experience and the product or service is of interest, experiential marketing becomes the vehicle to extending brand values.
#5 It creates a buzz!
A trade show floor is a busy place, a cacophony of colour, noise and excitement, where everything clashes and meshes together thus standing out is hard to do. Standing out with something amazing, different and fun is even harder. Experiential marketing is the creative tool by which you can showcase who and what you are, piquing interest and grabbing attention.
The only limit to experiential marketing is imagination. With the right promotional team or even performers, you create a buzz around your product, services and brand that will last for some time to come.
Experiential marketing with the right promotional staff
You could, of course, offer more freebies than anyone else or open a coffee bar but if there is no connection or interaction between people and your brand, it is nothing more than a gimmick. Experiential marketing is fun but it doesn’t forget the mantra of successful marketing: people buy from people.
And thus, the importance of hiring promotional staff from an agency that understands the power of experiential marketing for its clients and knows how to deliver, is not to be underestimated.
The Envisage Group is a leading promotional agency providing promotional staff, brand ambassadors and marketing teams for clients in the UK, Europe, America and the Middle East. With a decade of experience behind them, the Envisage Group is enjoying continued growth in this competitive sector.
Exhibiting and the Sustainability Myth
According to a recent article in Exhibition World, it remains difficult to show clients that sustainable exhibition stands can be flashy, beautiful, and draw in leads from admiring show-goers.
This may be true for many designers, but at its heart this statement reflects three fundamental misconceptions about sustainable exhibition stands:
- They have to be made from cardboard, or better still, organically grown hemp panelling.
- They have to be designed by a bearded hipster sipping overpriced skinny lattes.
- Sustainable exhibition stands are an expensive one-off gimmick and can’t possibly form the basis of a serious company’s ongoing exhibiting programme.
Perhaps these misconceptions are why so many exhibitors indulge in the shocking waste of resources involved in using ‘build ‘n’ burn’ exhibition stands.
Build ‘n’ burn stands, more commonly known as ‘custom-builds,’ are exhibition stands built from un-resourceful materials – MDF or ply faced panelling, timber, steel, and acrylics, topped off with a paint or stretched PVC covering.
These exhibition stands are screwed and nailed together at the show build-up, without any prior quality checks or test-runs. This demands hazardous power saws, drills, and sanders being used on site, with all the accompanying noise, dust, and fume pollution.
Even worse is that these expensive build ‘n’ burn creations are generally one use only, and end up in a skip after the show. This leaves the exhibiting company to repeat this wasteful process, again and again, at future shows and events.
Of course this wasteful exhibiting directly contradicts the environmental policies of many of the companies who commission build ‘n’ burn exhibition stands.
Whilst some enlightened Marketing Managers do seek alternative exhibiting solutions, they unwittingly fall for one of the biggest tricks in the industry. So many of the modular exhibition solutions which claim to be an alternative to ‘build ‘n’ burn’ are in reality little more than glorified display systems. The companies who market these glorified display systems are not really exhibition companies, but rather ‘jack of all trades’ who are more comfortable selling you a pavement sign than a proper exhibition stand.
However, there are a small band of exhibition providers whose business models centre on providing stands with the look and feel of custom-builds, but additionally the core-sustainability that a modular and reusable stand building system brings to an exhibiting programme.
“Quadrant2Design is one of this select group of exhibition stand design and build providers who adhere to a truly sustainable model.”
Quadrant2Design is one of this select group of exhibition stand design and build providers who adhere to a truly sustainable model. They are exhibition stand designers whose product, services, and facilities enable exhibitors to choose legitimately sustainable exhibiting over the appalling waste of build ‘n’ burn stands.
These solutions are best described as custom-designed modular – or custom-modular – exhibition stands.
Quadrant2Design’s solution, the Prestige Events System, offers the environmentally aware exhibitor a number of advantages:
- Transport: Smaller, lighter, less-polluting vehicles can be used to move hardware to and from the event.
- Speed: Exhibition stands can be built quickly, using less on-site labour and resources.
- Safety: No power tools are required, nor dust and debris produced, which means significantly reduced health and safety risks.
- Clean-process: No screws, nails, glues, laminates, solvents or chemicals are needed on-site, reducing rubbish in the aisles.
- Reusability: Structure and graphics can be easily reconfigured and reused for different stand space, at different shows, allowing these materials a much longer life than build ‘n’ burn exhibition stands.
These stands are a Marketing Manager’s dream – they project a consistent corporate look over all the exhibiting company’s exhibition stands and events, and they make the most of stretched budgets.
As well as having a solution that enables sustainable exhibiting, Quadrant2Design’s business-model is centred on giving clients the power to reuse their exhibition stands again and again.
The company’s Lifetime Free Stand Design policy exemplifies this. Clients can ask Quadrant2Design to reconfigure their stand design to fit new exhibition space – free of charge – at any time, now or in the future.
For efficiency, Quadrant2Design stores the client’s graphics (also for free) and retrieves them for reuse on future projects.
With over 80% of the company’s projects being on their Free2hire™ plan, clients are aware that their exhibition hardware and graphics are being utilised in an efficient and sustainable way.
It is possible to create custom-designed exhibition stands that look great, while meeting the exhibitor’s desire to find responsible and sustainable solutions, despite scepticism from both industry members and exhibitors alike.
Finding sustainable solutions to running a business has become not only a popular focus point in recent years but also an important one – don’t get caught out with a costly and environmentally damaging build ‘n’ burn nightmare.
About Quadrant2Design:- Quadrant2Design design and build exhibition stands exclusively using the Swiss-designed Prestige Events System. Their Freedom2Exhibit® plan increases operational flexibility and minimises the cost of exhibiting, and they pride themselves on creating stands which are modular, sustainable, and eco-friendly. For more information, please contact Alan Jenkins: alan.jenkins@quadrant2design.com
Exquisite packaging design for hand-made, small batch gin
Design Activity have created an exquisite packaging design for a new, hand-made, small batch London dry gin – named after the founders’ gorgeous spaniel Jake, and his infectious enthusiasm for all the good things in life.
Jake’s Gin is a family run company, born from a love of Gin, a passion for plants and a fascination with the art of distilling. Their gin is carefully crafted and distilled in small batches at the Chrishall Distillery using a traditional copper still ‘Gladys’ for a truly unique flavour.
Working closely with Edward May, the founder and maker, Design Activity have brought to life his vision of having a modern twist on the classic London dry gin brands.
The packaging design features a tall, elegant bottle, wrapped in images of the unique botanicals used to make the gin, to portray both taste and beauty. The intricate detail of the design reflects the crafted, delicate ingredient balance and expertise that goes into distilling such an exquisite gin.
The branding is reminiscent of classic spirit design whilst an emblem of Jake’s head gives a modern twist, and a nod to the reasoning and personality behind the name.
Jake’s Gin is here to remind us that we should all live life to the full – freely, adventurously and with love.
Best served neat over ice or mixed with premium tonic water, plenty of ice with a garnish of lemon – to truly enjoy the juniper, coriander, citrus and floral notes.
Design Activity have created an attractive and distinctive design for my Jake’s gin brand which I am immensely proud of. They helped manage every step of the process which is exactly what I needed, as creating and launching a brand is very new to me. I’m so pleased with the final result, we really love it. Our bottles look beautiful and hopefully gin lovers will think so too! Edward May, Founder & Maker
The full project can be seen here: https://www.designactivity.co.uk/project/gin-branded-packaging-design/
Our client’s website is: https://jakesgin.com/
Press enquiries: Kate Clayton, kate@designactivity.co.uk
T: 0117 933 9400
Videos to change hearts and minds
Good ideas change everything.
We motivate change. We galvanise communities to stand up for what’s right. We influence the world and make it a better place. We make people shout. We make people cry. Whether we’re supporting people, animals or the planet, ‘good ideas’ – in every sense – are at the heart of what we do.
Working for charities, not-for-profits and ethical businesses of all sizes, UP create targeted, high quality campaign, fundraising and advocacy videos that tell your story, from concept, to storyboard, to production and delivery.
And by including outstanding motion graphics, character animation and CGI, we can help you stand out from the crowd, often at no more expense than regular video.
How much does outdoor advertising cost?
When it comes to launching your marketing campaign, the first consideration is impact. The very next is whether you have the budget to get the required impact.
Whether you are an agency, marketer or small business owner, outdoor advertising (OOH) delivers value and results with one fell swoop. But how much does it cost to best utilise the world’s oldest advertising medium?
Cost-effective OOH ad booking
Whatever you call it – outdoor advertising, out-of-home or simply OOH, the principle is the same. OOH is the advertising you come across when outside of your home. As a result, it’s a fairly broad medium. Think roadside billboards, bus shelters, shopping centres and more.
If you’re looking to add outdoor to your marketing campaign, the size, location and length of ad play are some of the things that will affect what you pay.
The easiest and most cost-effective way to purchase OOH space is through an online booking service like Bubble Outdoor. With over 80,000 National ad spaces in every size and place you can think of – Bubble has you covered. But when it comes to choosing where and what, we’ve put some ideas together to give you an
idea about how to budget.
How much does OOH cost?
There are several factors that affect outdoor advertising costs, including location, size, length of play and whether you have your own design ready to go or need some help. Typically, a standard billboard costs £400-£500 for 2 weeks and smaller advertising panels like bus stop shelter advertisements cost £1800-£2220 for 2 weeks.
When we talk about standard billboards, we’re talking traditional paper and paste billboards. But digital is becoming increasingly popular. Largely due to its flexibility and the fact that DOOH can capture attention in a way that drives interaction from your target audience.
Not sure which format is right for you? Here’s a guide to the pros and cons of the different types of outdoor advertising. Meanwhile, below you’ll find a cost comparison of the lot to help you get started!
6 Sheets
6 sheets are one of the most popular sizes and can be found almost anywhere. When you learn what 6 sheets are – you’ll start seeing them everywhere. They are the most numerous size of outdoor advertising in the UK.
When it comes to local messaging, 6 sheets dominate in the heart of towns and cities, making them the ideal choice.
You can book your own 6 sheet campaign from £234 per two weeks, including print and placement.
Bus Shelters
Did you know there are now over 4000 digital bus shelters across the UK? Just like with Rail and Underground OOH options, you get a captive audience, with panels sold more like online ads!
You can choose the number of plays on a group of screens, to target your audience at prime locations across the country.
Packages of 100,000 plays of your creative start at just £5,000.
Billboard
Billboards, or ‘big posters’ come in two sizes. Choose from 48 sheets (20ft x 10ft) and 96 sheets (40ft by 10ft) to give your brand the space it needs to sing.
These beauties are spread across the country and are ideal for making that big announcement. Most areas, from small towns to big cities will have the billboard space you need to make an impact.
Billboards mean the traditional vinyl poster version of this size. They can also come as backlights or digital in the same size for an extra ‘wow’ factor.
For the 48 sheet, you’re looking at paying from £484 per two weeks, including print and placement.
For the 96 sheets per two weeks, including print and placement, you’d pay from £884.
Backlight Billboards
These premium billboards are lit from behind and printed on a single piece of vinyl. This gives a seamless display with the same mega sizes you can expect from a traditional billboard (48 sheets or 96 sheets). With backlight, you can also find some in portrait sizes, Mega 4’s and Mega 6’s.
If this is the campaign that really needs to make a splash – then this is what you need. Backlight billboards are big, bold, high quality and exactly where you need them – in front of your target audience.
To make the most of this premium format, the price comes down to size.
For 48 sheets you’d pay from £2000 per two weeks, including print and placement. 96 sheets are priced from £4500 per two weeks, including print and placement.
Then portrait Mega 4’s are priced from £2500 per two weeks, including print and placement, while portrait Mega 6’s are from £4000 per two weeks including print and placement.
Large Digital Billboards
When it comes to digital OOH, the billboard is the biggest and best. It’s up to you to choose which size and shape best suits your goals. Your options include Portrait Digital Super 6’s, Landscape Digital 48’s and Digital 96’s.
Digital billboards are fantastic if you want a reactive campaign that you can integrate into live data feeds. You can use this mega-space to display changeable things like the weather, traffic updates or countdowns to sales periods.
The best thing about digital, is you can buy flexibly to suit your target audiences ideal time, like specific mornings, afternoons or evenings, a day, a week or longer.
They’re also extremely affordable, priced from just £80 per day.
Small Digital
The smaller sibling of the digital billboard, you’ll find this size everywhere. With all digital options, you have the unique ability to choose flexible display periods.
Available in golf clubs, malls, post offices, petrol stations and many other places, these premium displays are sometimes called D6’s, and they’re ideal for targeting local audiences.
Even better – these screens are extremely affordable, available from just £100 per two weeks.
Phone Boxes
There are over 20,000 phone box locations across the UK. These traditional gems can be found almost anywhere – whether you’re heading for the seaside or shivering on the high street.
Phone Boxes are great for long-term branding opportunities, as they’re low cost with big impact.
You can book phone box advertising from £143 per two weeks, including print and placement.
Malls and shopping centres
Anyone who has spent any time in malls or shopping centres knows that most shoppers are there with buying in mind and time on their hands.
If you want to communicate a clear message with a large number of consumers in the mood to buy – this is the place to do it!
You can pick classic printed posters or state-of-the-art digital screens, use mall furniture, Adlifts or banners to get your message across.
Advertising in retail heaven is priced from £234 per 2 weeks, including print and placement.
Buses
What better than the moving messenger board of towns and cities – buses! These big beauties are perfect for branding and area targeting. Although not ideal for location-based or directional campaigns, since you can’t buy buses on individual routes.
What is great about buses, is all the different sizes and spaces you can purchase. From smaller posters on the rear to wraps that cover the whole thing. It’s hard to be missed on bus OOH.
Because there’s so much variation with sizes and bus routes, it’s hard to give an average price for this service (or pinpoint them on the map!) Contact the expert Bubble team for more information.
Taxis
The London taxi has made its way across most major cities now. You can use taxis to reach your ideal audience in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Northampton, Norwich, Oxford, Peterborough, Reading and Sheffield.
Taxis give you great coverage, and there are so many ways to use them to suit your campaign. You can do a full wrap, supersides or digital taxi top – whatever suits!
Because taxi offerings are so varied, it’s hard to narrow down a price for you here. Best to speak to the Bubble team directly if taxi OOH is the one for you.
Underground
The underground is a brilliant way to reach a captive audience on their daily commute. You can choose underground and metro stations in London, Newcastle or Glasgow – as the rapid transit network extends to other cities outside London.
Whether you’re booking a single site or rolling out an area-wide campaign, advertising on the underground gives you that all-important brand recall. We’re creatures of habit after all!
Because underground advertising can be anything you want it to be, it’s hard to give you an average price here. Just contact Bubble – we’re happy to help plan something to suit you.
Rail
As the urban areas get more and more busy (and expensive), even those who are cashed up are heading into the country and commuting. Rail is now the way a significant part of the country get to work, especially in London and the South of the country.
Since the wealthy commuter audience peaks at open and close of business, your ad will get all the target audience attention on the way to and from work. Potentially leaving a bored office worker time to Google on office hours?
For special events you can take over the whole station, or keep it subtle with local ads promoting small businesses. There’s something for everyone. For something to suit you – get in touch with Bubble’s planning service directly for a custom solution.
What you can expect from your OOH campaign
OOH advertising offers a range of formats and targeted locations to capture the attention of your ideal audience.
As digital allows more and more customisation of the locale, savvy marketers can use mobile, wireless, and digital OOH technologies to offer creative and innovative ways to interact and transact with consumers.
When it comes to brand awareness, and targeted, relevant advertising based on where your target market lives, works and plays – OOH is highly targeted.
Any extra costs?
The design of your outdoor advertising is everything. No matter how strategic you’ve been with the location of your ad – your creative should never be forgotten. If your ad isn’t communicating effectively, it’s not working as hard for you as it should be.
The cost of a billboard design should be factored into the budget for your OOH campaign. Crafting a message that connects in format, location and language is the key to effective OOH. It’s worth hiring a designer with extensive experience in creating billboard ads. This can cost from £150-£800.
Bubble offers a design service for £100 +VAT when you book advertising space through our website. Or if you’ve already nailed that high-impact creative – just upload it as a PDF when you place your order.
Ready to place your order? Bubble’s filtered search makes it super easy to get started.
Click here to start searching for your preferred format on the Bubble Marketplace.
What can award winning filmmakers add to your content?
The question should really be “what can’t they add” because the answer would be shorter! Here at MWS we used to hide our filmmaking light under the proverbial bushel, because we didn’t really see its relevance to them. It took one of our clients, the (clearly a genius) Sal at Intuit, the QuickBooks people, to tell us after a brief conversation that we were mad not to be shouting about our expertise!
You see, we love narrative because unless you can make an emotional connection with people, you won’t generate the response you want, let alone separate yourself from all the noise out there on YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and the rest. Stories sell, they sell you, they sell your brand, they sell your products or your services. We have made 4 feature films, been nominated for multiple awards at renowned festivals and won several. In a nutshell this means:
Especial Effects Ltd
Thatcham, Berkshire
W: www.mwsmedia.co.uk
E: hello@mwsmedia.co.uk
T: +44 (0)1635 44812
- We can tell stories that connect with people.
- We have enormous production experience.
- We are dripping with creativity (figuratively, we aren’t like, gooey…).
- The diligence and knowledge required to make a full-length feature film is applied to every project we do, from a 30 second YouTube add to a 2 minute case study or a 60 second comedy social video.
- We LOVE making content, it’s our passion and never a chore.
- We can (warning; corporate marketing jargon alert) “cut through the noise” – if you want to get noticed by your target audience, you need a clever, targeted narrative.
- We give the highest production values – great images, great sound quality, great lighting, great stories.
- We have the largest pool of talented people whom we work with day in, day out, on projects from single-shooter talking heads to 40 plus crew features. From directors and producers, to cam ops and sound experts, to make-up and designers, we can use as little or as much of our expert resources as your project and your budget require us to.
- We know some of the best actors and presenters in the business and we love working with them, so they will do a great job in your video.
I could go on – I warned you at the start it would be shorter to ask what award-winning filmmakers CAN’T bring to your content.
The long and short of it is we make award winning content and whether it be film, documentary, social media video, eCommerce video, brand awareness or product videos, we apply the same level of passion and expertise to each project. We thrive on telling stories and getting you results. Thanks for reading ad pop into the studio or give us a call anytime, we’re very nice.
Vision One achieves top ISO 20252:2012 Market Research accreditation.
This independent assessment was conducted by QMS International, an international certification body, and demonstrates Vision One’s commitment to high quality research, project management and the development of best working practices.
This ongoing commitment to quality is further demonstrated by another recent data security award for Vision One – the Cyber Essentials accreditation by NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) which is part of GCHQ.
Following a rigorous assessment by QMS, with future on-going auditing confirmed, the company has successfully earned the right to display the coveted ISO 20252:2012 logo to demonstrate its conformance to the standard. Vision One becomes one of around 80(*) companies worldwide to achieve this accreditation.
“Every process and procedure we have now adopted, whether it is related to the delivery of our products and services or our own internal procedures, has been carefully developed and scrutinised with QMS UK as part of our accreditation. Regular on-going auditing will mean that our future clients will have confidence in us and will no longer have to take our word for it, now that we have been officially recognised as meeting the highest possible standards in research and insight delivery.”
Mr Mike Davies (QMS Auditor) stated “Vision One Research fully comply with the ISO 20252 requirements and fully deserve the accreditation. The certification assessment was passed with no areas of concern, demonstrating the high standards held both by the Directors and staff involved in the business. The hard work has paid off and now Vision One can show just how good they are”.
If you would like to check the validity of our ISO certification or find out more about the principles we follow please get in touch today, we would be delighted to speak with you.