pb_newsletter-summer-2008

summer 2008 welcome to our

inside this issue

summer 2008 newsletter

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cordially invited

charity support 3kent’s country parks 4

secret to me...

8ashare 5client focus 7knowing

For those of you who already know us we would like to once again share with you some of our latest company news and introduce to you some of our new clients. For those who have not already met us, welcome to our newsletter!

Pillory Barn is a full-service agency which means that if it is remotely connected to advertising, marketing, branding and PR then you name it, we can do it. We hope that you enjoy reading our latest newsletter and we look forward to hearing from you should you require any of our services.

jennie hubbard

we believe the idea is everything...

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you are

cordially

invited...

There is something about the lure of an invitation that conjures up a good time before you have even attended an event, but in the media world, invitations are ten-a-penny, so how do you stand out from the crowd?

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Pillory Barn organise a number of launch parties and events for clients and know that the first impression starts with the first introduction to your event or brand. Getting this wrong can generate an unwanted perception.

If you are inviting journalists to your event, it is crucial to capture their attention when they have lots of other demands on their desk.

The perfectly designed invitation can do this and really sets the scene for your event.

We love parties and launch events here at Pillory Barn and relish the opportunity to be creative and design an invitation that sits heads and shoulders above the rest for you.

Here are some of our recent invitations...

A SHAKESPEAREAN DREAM One of this year’s hottest summer events will be the outdoor performances of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

by The Hazlitt Arts Centre and The Changeling. The invitation sent to the press needed to give this impression immediately, whilst highlighting the theme of recycling and embracing the outdoors. Pillory Barn found the perfect solution with ivy and corrugated cardboard! Glamorous, no; but beautiful and perfectly formed - yes! The invitations were highly effective at enticing the local press and giving them a flavour of the plays to come this summer.

If you have an important event that needs to capture the imagination and attention of your audience, give us a call, we would love the challenge.

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Kent’s Country Parks COME DINE IN STYLE When Pillory Barn were invited to launch the new restaurant Culpeper’s at Chilston Park Hotel, we knew that the invitation had to hit the perfect note.

The invitation needed to be interesting, yet classic and reflect the quality of the four star hotel. The result was a high quality catering fork, attached to the inside of a black and white invitation, with the incentive to bring your fork to dinner and win an overnight stay for two. On the evening, all of the guests arrived with their forks to enter the competition - A result!

NORDIC STYLE ANYONE? This invitation was a particularly challenging one.

To get an editor or journalist out of their office to try the new trend of Nordic walking is not an easy feat, but our invitation attracted those that could get out to join us, and intrigued those that couldn’t enough that they were already interested in the news story.

We sent out just one of a pair of poles and asked journalists to bring their pole along with them to claim the other at the event.

Pillory Barn has been commissioned by Kent County Council’s Country Parks to design a special trail walking guide for Shorne Woods Country Park, Cobham.

The guide is the fourth leaflet design that Pillory Barn has worked on for the Country Park group and the brief specified an exciting trail guide, which looked at exploration and heritage in the diverse park.

Studio Manager Erica Banes says,

“This is a particularly favourite account of mine as we get to find out interesting things about the County Parks. The end product is inspirational to all those who pick up a copy and find out just what is on their doorstep.”

The trail guide will be available this summer at all Kent’s Country Parks.

we believe the idea is everything...

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How can charity support boost business?

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In Kent, 85 companies and their employees supported charities through Charities Aid Foundations (CAF) Give-As-You-EarnScheme raising more than £500,000 for charity in 2007.

Kent based Brachers Solicitors set aside a budget each year for such initiatives which they divide amongst local charities. Marketing Manager, Angela Witcher says “At Brachers we have supported local charities for many years through our charitable trust and also actively encourage our staff to get involved in fundraising activities. Going forward we are now corporate sponsors

of the Kent People’s Trust and we hope staff will get involved with some of the exciting projects the Trust is running throughout the county. This will be a core part of our staff development programme and will, of course, help to get the Bracher’s brand more widely recognised.”

Sponsoring a charity event is also a great way to donate funds whilst raising awareness of your company and brand. Local Kent charity, The Heart of Kent Hospice has a number of events that are always in need of business support. Corporate Fundraiser at the hospice, Caroline Brinkman says, “Corporate support is vital to the success of many of our fundraising initiatives. This can come in various forms such as sponsoring an event, encouraging staff to host their own event or supporting us with payroll giving.”

Benefits of... supporting charities

Getting involved with a charity can range from a whole spectrum of activities which can suit your business and employees.

The benefits of charity giving make it a worthwhile company objective.

The UK is one of the most generous countries in the world when it comes to charitable giving and businesses account for 3% of this.

• Boosts morale - encourages team building and rewards employees generosity.

• A reduced tax bill - corporation tax is not paid on the money for matched funding.

• Increased customer and employee loyalty.

• Gain respect in the local community.

• Gains positive PR for the business and raises its profile.

To get advice on how to start giving to charities through your business, visit CAF at www.cafonline.org.

Visit www.hokh.org for information about The Heart of Kent Hospice.

client focus

jennie hubbard fundraising and marketing director, heart of kent hospice

How long have you worked with PBC? I have worked with Pillory Barn for two years, from when I joined The Heart of Kent Hospice.

Previous to that, they have been working with the Hospice for a further two years.

What attracted you to them? Pillory Barn were already working with the Hospice when I joined and I was keen to see how they worked as I have used agencies in my previous marketing and fundraising roles.

For us the relationship is cemented by working with an organisation that fully understands the work and the role of the hospice and demonstrates empathy towards who we are.

Pillory Barn don’t just accept a brief from us, they add to it, develop it, look at it from all angles, add their expertise and help us to maximise our potential. This is a really important benefit for a charity like us.

What is the best thing they have done for you? Pillory Barn staff are always ‘hospice aware’ and will facilitate introductions where

they think that there may well be opportunities for the charity and will readily pass on anything that they think we could benefit from.

Several of Pillory Barn’s staff have been actively involved with many of our fundraising events and have personally shown outstanding commitment to the cause!

What is your funniest memory to date from working with them?

Seeing Pillory Barn’s Director’s young twins helping to register walkers at an event (I think they liked the hand stamper!) We don’t advocate child labour!!

How do you see them working with you in the future? The hospice has taken more of a holistic relationship recently with Pillory Barn where they are also producing a lot of our marketing material. It helps us all to drive the brand forward and keep everything consistent and strategic.

Which other companies within the industry do you admire? I admire all charities for the sterling work that they do for a huge range of wonderful causes – particularly fundraising and marketing staff!

we believe the idea is everything...

They are expected to undertake huge tasks with a very businesslike approach, but on very limited resources. Our stance now has to be how we can engage with other businesses with a clear focus on what we can offer back to them.

I have often admired the work of the NSPCC and their ‘Full stop’ campaign for the awareness it has generated towards cruelty to children. I am personally a huge supporter of the Women’s Aid movement which seeks to help women, and children who are affected by domestic abuse and violence, and the Alzheimers Society for all the research they do in trying to ease the impact of this terrible disease.

As a fundraiser my mantra has to be ‘charities exist because there are donors’.

PS. Good luck to Jodi and Erica from Pillory Barn our lead walkers for our Moonlit walk.

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planning the

perfect event Planning an event can make some people quake in their boots with fear at failing and it is easy to understand why when you have so many people expecting it to be a success.

Some people thrive on organising events and get a buzz from everything happening all at once. They enjoy the big bundle of paperwork, phonecalls and venue visits until the day itself arrives.

So love it or hate it, how can you make sure you get it right?

There are a few simple guidelines that will help an event go well, but to really give an event that pizzazz that the boss is expecting, a little professional experience will go a long way.

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events checklist • Who is it for and what are your • Check the date - does it clash with anything important? If it objectives? is a press launch, make sure it • Clarify the budget and ensure doesn’t clash with deadlines. there is a contingency of at • Brief your team thoroughly least 10%. Is your budget and give everyone a running realistic for your objectives? order of the event, make sure • When booking a venue, get everyone knows what their in writing what is included. Is role is on the day. Give them a your contact going to be there list all of the contacts that you on the day of your event to may need so that the team can help out with any hitches? take responsibility for making • Think about what would be decisions if you are busy. your worst case scenario for • Check with all guests for any the day - bad weather? Guests dietary needs and disabled getting lost? Plan for this and access needs in advance of every eventuality, this will save the event. Assign a member any panic and will still keep of your team to be responsible you in control of the event. for this persons needs.

How can Pillory Barn help your event succeed?

• Keep the event on budget. • We bring our own team to keep the event running • Use our resources to find smoothly. the best deals.

• We will come armed with • Bring our experience of previous successful events fantastic, creative ideas to make your event stand out to your project. from others.

• Be responsible for • We arrange all insurances everything at the event, and health and safety allowing you to enjoy it. checks.

• Source experienced entertainment.

Pillory Barn are experienced at arranging all types of events from large press launches, to small, bespoke office parties. If you have an important event coming up - please give us a call, we would be happy to discuss you on your special occasion.

knowing me, knowing you Employee focus, Jodi Eeles, PR & Marketing Account Manager

How long have you worked at Pillory Barn?

I joined Pillory Barn in 2005, but I had worked for one of the Directors, Miranda, prior to this at The Kent Messenger Group’s in the marketing department.

How did you get into the industry?

I took a year out before University and someone told me that I would suit Public Relations, so intrigued I deferred my University place and found a degree that was more PR related and was much more interesting than my previous choice. I’ve never looked back from this really!

Where have you worked before here? In PR and Marketing, I have worked for Selfridges, Edwards Harvey PR, The Kent Messenger Group and my own company for 18 months.

Where do you live in Kent? I live in Harrietsham, a small village between Lenham and Leeds Castle.

It has beautiful countryside behind it, where I go walking and running.

What has been your highlight of the past year and what do you hope to achieve in 2008? My professional

What particular talents/hobbies do you have? Mmm, talent wise, I can whistle! But that gets me into trouble in the office as apparently it is not lady-like! I am always writing something (that will no-doubt never get finished), I run and exercise and love yoga.

highlight would be the launch of Chilston Park’s Culpeper restaurant.

The General Manager was happy for us to bespoke plan the whole evening and my creative brain ran riot on how we could entertain the journalists.

For 2008 I would like to define my life goals for the next five years and decide on what they are!

What companies do you admire?

At the moment, I really think that Ladbrokes have got a great advertising campaign, using Ian Wright and Ally McCoist as it hits the perfect note with their target market. They capture the current affairs of sporting just right and have their finger on the pulse of what their target market is discussing and thinking about.

we believe the idea is everything...

Do you have a motto? Yes lots! But the main two would be; ‘Everything happens for a reason’ and ‘you’re not that sick’, (I have an intolerance to whiney people with colds!)

What has been your most cringemaking moment? At an old job when I thought a decision had been made in Parliament about a client that we had in transport. I got all the office excited as this meant we could go ahead with a project, only to retract my excitement and any dignity half an hour later when I suddenly realised with dread that the web page was old. Lesson learnt - always double check information!

Favourite thing about working at Pillory Barn? The people of course – they are great. I look forward to seeing them all every day!

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Pillory Barn has a

secret

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to share...

...a little known local spot that gets great results with client campaigns. The 96 sheet poster on Stone Street, Maidstone has been booked up by Pillory Barn over the past year with great results for clients such as Brachers Solicitors, Dutton Forshaw Motor Company, and Kent TV, with further bookings for others already made for September onwards.

Any campaign is sure to be a talking point when it’s larger than life on a 96 sheet poster and gaining so high a footfall in such a prime location in the centre of Maidstone.

If you fancy getting noticed with your next campaign, and want to discuss booking sites like this and more, give Miranda a call on 01622 684 407.

MediaTree New-look website MediaTree was launched in April 2005 with the aim of creating a cluster of media activity in Maidstone and the surrounding area, generating growth in local companies, strengthening supply chain networks, and promoting the area as a centre of excellence for broadcast and creative businesses. MediaTree has since relaunched the newlook website at www.mediatree.org.uk complete with Media Directory, News and Events, and a Job section.

Feedback: Please let us know what you

think of our newsletter and any suggestions by contacting our editor jodi@pillorybarn.co.uk

To unsubscribe email jodi@pillorybarn.co.uk

we believe the idea is everything... www.pillorybarn.co.uk

the team • Roger Hills, Managing Director, roger@pillorybarn.co.uk • Miranda Chapman, Account Director, miranda@pillorybarn.co.uk • Jodi Eeles, PR & Marketing Account Manager, jodi@pillorybarn.co.uk • Erica Banes, Studio Manager, erica@pillorybarn.co.uk • Meg Huckstep, PR & Marketing Account Manager, meg@pillorybarn.co.uk • Sarah Walters, Marketing & Events, sarah@pillorybarn.co.uk • Oliver Hood, New Media Designer, oliver@pillorybarn.co.uk • Paul Street, Graphic Designer, paul@pillorybarn.co.uk • Emilie Cross, Marketing Executive, emilie@pillorybarn.co.uk

Issue 4

The Maidstone Studios, Vinters Park, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 5NZ tel. 01622 684 407 fax. 01622 684 761 info@pillorybarn.co.uk

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