Garda

tester

Nick Pack — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:07:03 +0000

this is a tester for adding value

Tuning into the market

saram — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:01:37 +0000

What’s the strategy that drives your business? How do you decide where to put your marketing energy and money? Some of the companies we work with already have a very clear sense of direction. Others need some help in finding it. Either way, it really pays to tune into the market. Especially by researching what the competition’s doing (and how well) before settling on any particular marketing tools.

Take our established client Brown & Carroll, for example. Already a market leader in commercial fitout and high end joinery, they wanted to build their position in the luxury residential, heritage, and hotels and restaurant sectors. So we took a long hard look at their competitors’ websites. We picked apart the design and the messaging. We found that many were missing the mark, lacking the right look and feel to convince the hard-to-impress designers of luxury buildings. Only then did we put our own design and writing team to work on creating a stunning, dedicated website that would really bring Brown & Carroll’s new LIVING brand to life. And it does. Take a look.

A place for the traditional

saram — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:00:14 +0000

Everything these days has to be digital, doesn’t it? Would anyone in their right minds recommend sending out a thousand traditional-looking letters? Well yes, we would. And we did – to help our client AW Hardy get their message across to head teachers in Essex. It just felt right.

AW Hardy is an established construction business with a proud 52 year track record. They do a lot of great work for schools. But of course they’d love to do even more. So we started by getting our hands on a high quality list. Then we wrote and personalised the letters – homing in on our client’s ability to build an extension or carry out refurbishment without the disruption, restricted access or safety risks that head teachers might naturally worry about.

Did it work? Well, so far the letters have brought in fourteen solid new business enquiries, each with a potential six figure contract value. Looks like there’s a place for traditional, after all.

What score would you give your website?

Nick Pack — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:52:16 +0000

Many of the companies we talk to are honest enough to rate their own website at only a five or six out of ten. That’s serious, because we all know how quick visitors are to judge. And a poor website can actually do more harm than good. But if you’re not happy with your own website, how do you go about working out how to make it better?

Loughton Contracts were exactly in this position. As London’s leading flooring company they worked in the same corporate fitout world as another of our clients, Brown & Carroll. They weren’t happy with the designs that other agencies had offered. The website they really wanted was … well, just like Brown & Carroll. So they did the obvious thing and got in touch with us. Our first step was a website audit – a systematic analysis of their site against peers and competitors. It’s something we do for many clients. And it’s given us a great platform for the stage we’re at now – full rebranding and website design.

“The minute we saw the Brown & Carroll website, we knew we had to talk to Garda.”
Emma Colletti, Loughton Contracts

A1 photography for an A1 product

Nick Pack — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:50:40 +0000

You know that old advertising saying – sell the sizzle not the sausage? Well, that’s what we were asked to do for A1 Bacon. Except that in their case it was bacon of course, not sausages. We designed and built a cracking new website and wrote some sizzling copy. But there was something missing. We needed photos of the right quality that would really do justice to the product – and to the company as a leading independent supplier of pre-packed bacon.

We couldn’t find what we wanted in any of the photo libraries. The bacon looked too stringy, too fatty, or overcooked. None of the shots captured the mood we wanted. So we booked a top London photographer for the day and brought in a hundred props – from George Foreman griddles to buns, beer and red and white check tablecloths. The result? Mouth-watering imagery. Sizzling shots. And all unmistakeably A1.

View Gallery >

Audio connection

Nick Pack — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:39:37 +0000

Profusion are audio specialists. It’s all they do. That means they truly understand what their customers need, and dedicate themselves 100% to making sure they get it. But before they approached us, this key message simply wasn’t getting across. Their marketing material was flat, highly technical, and talked only about the components they supply. It didn’t sell the great company and service behind them. And although they were talking to engineers, they were missing out on buyers … a critical audience.

Fortunately, they were very receptive and ready for ideas. They wanted help. But they needed it fast to be ready for a major exhibition. So we put a complete package together for them. Brand refresh, stand design, company brochure, market sector brochures, stationery, business cards and PowerPoint … it all came together in just four weeks. Now, Profusion’s branding is vibrant and contemporary. Their marketing gets straight onto their customers’ wavelength. And it connects with what their customers really need – just like we connected with them.

A buzzy brief

Julie Nicholls — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:37:11 +0000

Young and buzzy. That was the brief for the new Tiffany Theatre College website. It had to appeal to prospective performing arts students who naturally have an eye for a good website. It also had to impress their parents. And it needed to convey the college’s great reputation for helping talented students perform – in every sense.

We started, as we often do, with a website audit. That helped to define the best elements of the previous site, and what needed to change. Then we designed, wrote and built the new site – complete with last minute changes and in parallel with producing a new prospectus – all in time for a key exhibition. This was MOVE IT 2012 at Olympia – the show for dancers, teachers, students and dance enthusiasts. 600 people signed up at the show for more information and a prospectus. Result.

www.tiffanytheatrecollege.com

A compelling case

Nick Pack — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:20:29 +0000

Brown & Carroll fit out London’s finest buildings with some of the most beautiful, bespoke and practical joinery anywhere in the world. They enable architects to bring their designs to life, and contractors to deliver business-critical projects on time and on budget. But their end users – including many major financial services, legal and oil companies – also need to be convinced at the tender stage. These top executives might have less than a minute to look through a brochure. And they make up their minds very fast.

So our brief was simple. Produce a company brochure for Brown & Carroll that would capture their essence and make a compelling case. Blow readers away with stunning imagery of completed projects, clear evidence of working cost-effectively to the highest standards, and commitment to environmental best practice. Get attention – and help to win tenders. Here’s the 36 page brochure that we designed, wrote, photographed and produced.

Seventy ads in two weeks

Nick Pack — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:19:34 +0000

The pressure was on. Commercial Motor were about to launch commercialmotor.com – a new website to sit alongside their highly popular weekly magazine. Already at the heart of the road transport industry, they wanted to make their coverage even bigger, better and bolder, and to make it even easier for their readers to sell trucks fast. But they had to get their message across fast too – and they gave us just two weeks.

Two weeks. That was all the time we had to design and artwork seventy different ads of all shapes and sizes to scatter through the pages of the magazine – the natural place to attract readers and point them to the new website. The advertising ran in parallel with a direct mail campaign that we also produced … three different mailers sent to 5,000 clients and prospects. Did it all work? Well, the new website had over 100,000 hits in the first four weeks. So something certainly did.

Medium sized can be best

saram — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:33:26 +0000

Imagine you’re a young accountancy graduate looking for a career. Where do you apply? One of the big four firms? The Association of Practising Accountants would say no. They know that the training offered by the medium sized firms they represent is hard to beat. But how to make their case convincing in the face of such serious competition?

Our work for the APA started with new branding to give them a contemporary, relevant look and feel. Then we got stuck into their website, thinking through the user journey to appeal to three different audiences – graduates, businesses looking for an accountant, and potential new members. Ideas on structure, strong design and engaging words are all playing their part as the website takes shape. Watch this space!