Introducing - Mark, our new Production Manager!

Apple Print and Creative are delighted to welcome Mark Barnett to their team as Production Manager.

Mark has enjoyed a career in print of over 25 years, having started on a three year apprenticeship at Reading College. He modestly states that he was Student of the Year in 1988.

Mark worked in a number of local printing businesses before joining Whitehorse Press, where he worked for the last 15 years.

Managing Director Andrew Watts said “We are delighted to have Mark join us and to add his extensive knowledge and experience to our existing talented team of printers and finishers.”

Mark lives locally in Baughurst and is a father of four. His CV states that he will take on most challenges which in the past have included scuba diving, martial arts and parachuting.

“I was very pleased to be offered the position at Apple Print & Creative, a business I have admired for some time. I look forward to working with the team on many interesting projects in the months ahead”.

Digital printing

If you want something printed quickly and cost effectively but still giving you an excellent result, digital printing is the solution.

Digital printing uses the latest technology – in simple terms it is like a giant photocopier: a toner-based substance fuses with the heat on a sheet of paper and hey presto, we’re printing.

It is perfect for short print runs – anything from one to 10,000 copies is fairly typical.

And repeat printing is quick and easy. For example, why pay for the printing and storage of thousands of leaflets, when it is simple and cost effective to reprint each time you need them?

Or if you have data that varies regularly – for example, delegates on a course – digital printing gives you a quick but personalised service.

Need a business card really fast? Done digitally, you might even be able to have it the same day.

Need something much, much bigger? Posters, billboards, banners, pop ups – however and wherever you want to get your message across loudly, our digital printing can do that for you. And quickly, of course.

We can offer any type of paper you want – silk, gloss or ivory bound – at the weight suited to the job: and the paper we use is either FSC® or PEFC approved, which means it is cost effective and environmentally conscious at the same time.

And our finishing is second to none: from trimming and laminating to punching and drilling, from scoring and folding to stapling or spiral binding, from collating and numbering to padding and shrink wrapping.

Want to know more? Give us a ring or, even better, call in and have a chat with one of our Account Managers about the service we can offer you. And while you’re here, let our digital printing experts, John and Nathan, show you their equipment ... that’s their Konica Minolta Bizhub PRO C6501 digital press. Whatever turns you on ...

Apple Print & Creative. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

‘Why do I use Apple Print & Creative ?’

Geoff Knappett, Executive Director at Newbury Building Society, answers this question very simply: ‘Because they’re good at what they do.’

Here at Apple Print & Creative we take pride in staying with our roots and doing what we do best. And that’s printing.

And what company – or indeed individual – doesn’t need a good printer at some stage? Maybe it's once a week or several times a month, maybe it’s quarterly or even annually – or maybe it’s simply once in a blue moon.

But whatever your printing needs – from business cards to billboards, from one copy to one million, from digital to litho – Apple Print & Creative has the solution.

Our digital team specialises in all things digitally printed: this type of printing is ideal for print-runs of anything from one to 10,000 copies and gives quick results, usually within three days or less – and even same day if it’s ultra-urgent. Think marketing flyers, new address cards, course handouts ...

Our litho team specialises in this high-end printing solution, with print-runs from one thousand to one million and beyond. Although a lengthier process, this style of printing produces longer-lasting results – but you can still have your product delivered in less than a week. Think glossy brochures, letterheads, wedding stationery ...

And if you want to make a statement with something really big – think posters, banners, billboards – we can do that too. And you’re still only looking at a three-day turnaround.

Apple Print & Creative. West Berkshire’s premier printer. We have the solution.

Kennet Radio comes to FM!

The local radio station has been broadcasting online for nearly a year, and from 19^th October they'll be hitting the airwaves as well.

For a trial period, listeners across Newbury and Thatcham will be able to hear Kennet Radio by tuning a normal FM radio to 87.9 MHz. The station will play a wide variety of great tunes from the past six decades, as well as local features, including Leila's Local Larder, competitions, phone-ins and current affairs discussions with local community leaders. You'll even be able to catch the local sports updates every Saturday afternoon.

Newbury resident Paul Newman, will be the station's Programme Director. With over 30 years' experience as a radio presenter he says “I’ll be making sure Kennet Radio is professional and entertaining while staying true to our commitment to be ‘local radio for local people by local people”.

The station will start with a three week trial period this month but plans to get a full-time community radio license from Ofcom next year.

This is a great opportunity for local businesses to get their message across to people in the local community. Normally advertising on a radio station can be very costly and doesn't promise to reach people in your nearest towns – however, advertising on Kennet Radio is not expensive and guarentees that you will reach people in Newbury and Thatcham.

Although planning is well underway, there are still a few slots available for presenters. Simarly they are looking for volunteers to help out behind the scenes as well – gathering news, selling adverts and doing a whole variety of other tasks in the background. If you're interested visit the website www.kennetradio.com and click 'Get involved'!

We're really pleased to support this great local venture and wish Kennet Radio huge success.

To re-brand or not to re-brand

This is a big decision for any company! Some companies go jumping into a re-brand feet first without giving it much thought, but a company's brand is it's identity....it's like changing the colour of your hair or getting your eye-brow pierced.....not to be entered into lightly!

So if you're thinking about changing your brand there are a few questions to contemplate first...

• Why are you re-branding?
• Are you trying to resolve a problem?
• Are you simply trying to update your image?
• Has there been a change in the your target market and their needs or desires?
• Has the company evolved, which you're branding no longer represents?
   

Once you've found the answers do some research - what do you want your brand to represent? What impression do you want new customers to receive? (After all, first impressions leave the greatest impact.)

Remember your existing customers, don't alienate them by trying to attract new ones.

If you're changing for change's sake - hit the brakes. Many companies have been highly criticized for making such a blunder! Like Pepsi, who have made major changes to their identity since their conception (in 1898!!), compared to their main competitor Coca Cola, who have made very minor adjustments to theirs.

Many big companies have successfully pulled off a re-brand, so it can be done. Look at these guys:

Starbucks

Gap

along with....
Microsoft

KFC

UPS

Apple

Target

and EE (formerly Everything Everywhere).

Don't forget that your brand isn't just your logo, it's everything - from your website to your shops to your business cards to the member of staff in your shop!

Mutual Respect..........

............a reciprocal relationship between two or more people or things. Well that's the dictionary definition, but what do you think? How would you define it with an image?

That's what our friends at Newbury Building Society are asking! As a mutual building society (owned by their members) mutual respect is one of their core values.

To help celebrate this they're asking for innovative and inspiring images that capture it. They're even offering £250 for the best image!!

There have already been some fab entries....two dogs having a cuddle, opposing football team fans sharing a smile, even a dog and a donkey showing some respect! Be sure to check out the gallery page to see them all www.Mutualrespect.info/gallery.aspx  

Each month a panel of judges (including one of the Apple Print and Creative team!) get together and choose a monthly winner...last month's winner was Sara Messenger – she received 100 postcards with her photo printed on them.

Don't miss out – get your images in today and you could be the next lucky winner!

Facebook | Pinterest |Twitter | Instagram | Klout | Youtube | LinkedIn....the list goes on.

But whatever platform you're using, it's important to remember a few do's and don'ts, when social networking for business (and for personal!)....

DO YOUR HOMEWORK-

You need to know your audience or target market. If you are posting for a company you will probably know about the company and who it targets. But you also need to keep in mind what kind of people each social media site attracts so you target the right people and don't waste your time on a site that won't really gain you a sizeable audience. Trying to attract a variety of followers will hinder targeting efforts.

DO INTERACT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE-

Involving your audience gives your brand more of a personality. This is really important as it means more people will interact with you and then their audience will also see this and get involved which will gain you more followers.

DO CREATE AN ALL ROUND IMAGE FOR YOUR BRAND-

Repeatedly using the same logo on all of your social media sites will help create brand awareness. Phrases help people recognize brand traits and helps with building a personality for your brand. Using the same colour scheme and imagery throughout will also help your audience recognize your brand.

DON'T NEGLECT YOUR PAGE-

Your audience need to see regular activity on the page otherwise they will lose interest. I would recommend that a dedicated team member runs the social media page as social media takes up a lot of time and uses a lot of creativity. Simply posting when you feel like it will not do the job. A rota is always a good start. Giving yourself something to stick to is easy and it means your activity on the page won't slowly start to decrease. For example you may decide to tweet 4 times throughout each day.

DON'T ASSUME EACH SOCIAL MEDIA SITE IS SIMILAR-

All social media platforms are unique and so users have different experiences with each. For example, Twitter requires short, punchy statements as you have a letter limit, Pinterest and Tumblr revolve around images and Facebook is pretty much an all rounder but also great for event and campaign promotion.

DON'T GET TOO PROMOTIONAL-

If you only self-promote these posts will start to become ignored. Your audience don't want to feel as if you are forcing them into buying your product. Dedicating a certain amount of posts a day or week to self-promotion will help you maintain that need to tell the whole world how amazing your product is.

Happy Posting!! 

Well the sun is shining......

Well the sun is shining and people are in a good mood!  The school holidays are almost upon us and with that, prepare for chaos....

Not the chaos at the airport as you wait for the dreaded delayed sign, I'm talking about the chaos everyone has in trying to speak with 'the right person'.

 Whether I am trying to do business with a prospective customer, catch up with a regular one or even chase quotes, you just get the same answer - they are on holiday!!  Don't get me wrong, everyone deserves a holiday and indeed I shall be getting acquainted with Mr San Miguel in Lanzarote for 2 weeks myself. 

I just think although it is one of the most enjoyable times of the year, it is also a very trying one from a business perspective. Every year we go through the same testing summer holiday period when everybody says 'he or she is on holiday'.  Remember we shouldn't all just sit around and hope work comes to us, you have to be pro active and hunt for it. That is what sales is all about.  The thrill of the chase to get the next order.

It does however mean a very busy September when normality returns and everybody orders the print work they really needed a month ago.

Having said all that I'm now off to pack and if you need me 'I'm on holiday', if you want to place an order, 'I'll get right back to you'.

In all seriousness though we have a great team of people in the office so whilst you may not be able to speak with me directly, my colleagues will be able to help you without any problems.

My Motivational Playlist

Having survived a five-day stint at this year's prestigious Glastonbury festival... i have made it back to the studio feeling revived, refreshed (well, after a shower at least) and down-right inspired by all things creative!

Sharing a field with 135,000 other people certainly has it's advantages when it comes to experiencing new things and contributing to 'creative' ideas. 

Alongside the obvious must-sees like the Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys and Mumford and Sons...there were a multitude of areas where people from around the world were sharing their knowledge and skills of everything from basket weaving and instrument whittling to face painting and banjo playing!! It was absolutely amazing. 

And so... from field to desk in under 8 hours (some sleep included), I'm already back into the daily studio routine. There's no doubt about it... after the coffee wears off and the to-do list is ready, nothing beats a great playlist to really motivate you through the day. 

Design and music sit hand-in-hand...and I know that these will either change my perspective on a project, draw some clarity or just inspire me. Enjoy. Rebecca.

Six by Seven - So Close

'So close to being anything'

Francois and the Atlas Mountains - City Kiss

'Something about your eyes is like a neon sign'

The Hives - Hate to say I told you so

'Ask me once i'll answer twice'

Jake Bugg - Lightening Bolt

'Don't know what the day is holding'

Alt-J - Breezeblocks

'Do you know where the wild things go?'

Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine?

'Great escape lost track of time'

Ben Howard - Keep your head up

'Keep your head up, keep your heart strong'

Two Door Cinema Club - Do you want it all?

'We'll all take our chances'

The Rolling Stones - Start me up

'If you start me up i'll never stop'

Tom Odell - Another Love

'I brought you daffodils in a pretty string'

Vampire Weekend - Cousins

'Dad was a risk taker, his was a shoe maker'

Editors - Papillon

'No sense of doubt or what you could achieve'

Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More

'Be more like the man you were made to be'