‘I don’t need to advertise, all my work comes from recommendation!’

Ever heard a business owner say this? 

So why is it so hard to find any concrete evidence to back up their claim? Especially when you consider the opportunities technology is presenting today’s small business owners. Technology has stolen mass media from the moguls and delivered it into the hands of everyone. People like you and me...

Like it or not, we are part of a social revolution that has given us a new ‘social’ media.

Response to traditional, interruptive ‘mass media’ advertising is declining rapidly.
Nowadays people look to Twitter and the web for breaking news and when
spending money, today’s consumers seek recommendations from their communities on Facebook, LinkedIn and even those 5 star recommendations on Amazon!

So now everyone of us is in the media.

If you have ever published anything online, you are in the media business. It might not be an advertisement, it might be web copy, a blog or even a letter, but it is usually an attempt to highlight your product or service and hopefully a reason why we should choose you over your competitors.

Trouble is it is tough to put ourselves in the minds of potential customers and
write what we think might appeal to them. Even experienced marketers are
finding it challenging to adapt proven techniques from their days in interruptive
advertising into a social media world where the rule book has been thrown out of
the window.

So why bother?

Especially when all those customers who pass on recommendations to others could write it for you?

There is nothing more powerful than having someone else tell the world just how good your product or service is.

So why do we spend so little time and effort seeking written testimonials from our satisfied customers and even when we do, they sit in a file on a shelf back at the office.

A survey by Hubspot in March 2012 discovered 92% of consumers trust ‘word of mouth’ whilst 70% trust online reviews. In contrast, less than half of all consumers trusted advertising messages delivered by traditional media channels.

In the new media world, where we are all media moguls, it is essential to keep it real, personal and interesting, three qualities that will ensure you connect with your target audience and earn a decent living!

So even if all your work comes through recommendation, you still need to
advertise!
 
We all know testimonials work, so why not share your testimonial success stories
below?

Paul Allen is the Apple Print Social Media Specialist able to advise on new media opportunities for businesses in the Thames Valley

Love Green Places

Working in the studio as a graphic designer I get involved with a lot of different projects, but this week I wanted to tell you a bit about one particular magazine design that I work on every month and really look forward to – Green Places.

The monthly magazine is for a charity called GreenSpace who are all about getting people involved with the green spaces in their area; whether that's a back garden, local park, nature reserve or community allotment. The magazine itself combines small news articles about local groups, articles about major landscape design from around the world and feature articles about the amazing people and the projects they work on. It really does introduce some intriguing places – a proposal for an underground city park in New York?! - that you'd never know existed if it wasn't for organisations like GreenSpace. So when we had the opportunity to re-design and print their monthly magazine I was up for the challenge!

Back in September 2012 I presented my initial designs for the magazine, which were met with  some really positive feedback and so I began on the first month’s magazine. Each magazine has a different focus, but by keeping to the clean page structure and careful use of a few key, the end result is an easy to read magazine with a strong identity.

The initial proposal included a new colour palette with each month being a different colour to representing the seasons. So, with the spine of each issue being a different colour, the idea is that you’ll have a beautiful rainbow bookshelf by the end of the year.

Many of the articles included in the magazine also come with some amazing imagery which is always made the most of. The images really help bring the articles to life, especially when they are covering topics such as an artificial island being built in waterways of Istanbul, the history for Gorky's park in Russia and ...SPOILER ALERT... incredible edible town's around the UK!

The great thing about this project is the combination of interesting articles, amazing imagery and a really strong design which is getting better and better each month! I thoroughly enjoy working on it and the studio are always delighted with the results.

In Newbury

Here at Apple Print & Creative really excited to be partners with Newbury BID on a fantastic new publication.

The BID, which is a business-led and funded body formed to improve a commercial area, is currently producing the first ever edition of a high quality, glossy magazine, which will be spreading the word about all that is great in West Berkshire. The 48-page full colour magazine will be put in all the hotel bedrooms in the district and will be published quarterly.

You can also grab a free copy at any of the Newbury Building Society branches.

The first edition is due to come out just before Easter and is already packed with some fantastic features, really highlighting the wealth of fantastic stuff we have going on right on our doorsteps.

The main interview in this edition is with two canoeists, who will be taking part in the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon. The gruelling 125 mile race along the Kennet & Avon Canal and the River Thames will take place over the Easter weekend and Newbury is one of the overnight stops. Both the interviewees are hot contenders for the title. Inside the magazine you will also find all the latest fashion and what’s on across West Berkshire throughout the spring.

There is a special spread on the Newbury Spring Festival and a piece looking back at the history and forward to the future of one of West Berkshire’s theatrical gems; the Watermill Theatre.

This is a great opportunity for newcomers to the area to see and hear all about our businesses and will prove a fantastic advertising tool for all of us. You can find out more by logging onto www.newburybid.com

 

It’s a Red, Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink and Black

This week gives an insight into the brain of James Hearne, Regional Sales Director here at Apple Print & Creative.

So many similarities between my work and my hobby… are they really just the same??

Working in the print industry over the last 14 years I have seen many designs; everything from kids' sticker sheets to cheese labels, business cards and brochures. Some have been good, some excellent, some poor, a few awful and occasionally some ‘interesting’ ones. The thing that still truly amazes me though is the colour that some people use.

Why pay somebody to come up with some really nice photography and write some great copy only to choose the colour palette using the blindfold method? Less sometimes is more (believe it or not) and a subtlety can make a real difference. And this is where my hobby pops into the conversation.

Be careful what colour you choose! As an avid snooker player for the past 25 years I can honestly say that every time I miss the black, I turn around only for my fellow players to mock me whilst making comments such as, 'Why didn’t you take the blue? It was much easier!’ Annoyingly, they are always correct.

Choosing the right colours will make a difference. Just take your time, take advice and compare the options. CMYK, RGB, Pantones: you may have heard them all mentioned, but if you want to know what the right choice is, talk to the experts (that’s me!) and let's make sure you get a quality print job.

Now all I have to do is follow my own advice and try to win a frame of snooker every once in a while…