pb_newsletter_winter-08

winter 2008

welcome to our

inside this issue

winter 2008 newsletter

2

2

3

7

8

marketing pbc support economically charity

keiba awards

th e4 l th nua e an ativ n e cr vatio rd no awa /09 in 08 20

5

it’s all about ‘u’

knowing me...

turning heads outdoors

we believe the idea is everything...

This is our first anniversary since we started our newsletters and we hope that the newsletters still give you a valuable update and snapshot of what we have been up to and what is going on in the world of marketing.

As a full service agency we are lucky to work on lots of different projects that keep us on our toes, some of which we share here. We hope that the economic slow down doesn’t encourage companies to slash their marketing budgets in a time when they need marketing the most – take a look at our tips on how to market effectively when budgets are tight.

We wish you well for winter and hope to be working with you in 2009!

www.pillorybarn.co.uk

1

Companies join forces for charity Pillory Barn Creative and Brachers Solicitors have teamed up to provide a free newsletter for the charity, The Canterbury Oast Trust.

2

The charity needed to communicate with their donors and supporters but didn’t have a budget to do this. The law firm teamed up with us to produce a brand new, bright, engaging newsletter that would reflect the charity’s work and aims. Miranda Chapman Account Director, said; “We were pleased to be able to help such a deserving charity and our client Brachers showed generosity in their support.”

How to market your business in a credit crunch The marketing industry has been victim to economic downturns in the past – but should remain solid through the coming years by working closely with clients and proving their accountability more than ever.

Recession is a word all businesses hoped not to be hearing, but its cloud makes us aware of spending and budgets and how effective they are.

For marketing industries such as ours – it will be more important to demonstrate the value of marketing spend and achieved objectives or return on investment.

In a strong economy people don’t think as hard about purchasing decisions, so even weak marketing will work to some degree. But during a poor economy, the decisions are more seriously considered and the most successfully marketed companies win through at clinching the deal.

Marketing research will be key to your future strategies over the coming year. Find out your customer behaviour if you don’t already know it and use this rich information to drive forward your strategy to retain your customers.

By looking at your research and knowledge in this way and making your marketing more ‘customer-centred’ this will win through with loyalty not just now, but when the economy recovers.

Customers need to be re-assured of your values and trust to keep the brand loyalty and avoid looking elsewhere for a better deal.

Pillory Barn wins

KEiBA Awards

in a three-way pitch Pillory Barn won the design brief for the Kent Excellence in Business Awards (KEiBA) against a three-way pitch with ZestST and an agency called England.

Your marketing specialist should not be the first on your budget to go; instead use them as your best cost-effective asset at keeping communication channels to your customers open and focused.

A full service marketing agency will be able to be flexible and fulfil your objectives within budget across their range of services, from online campaigns to direct mail and getting the best advertising deals.

So now is the time to knuckle down with marketing partners for cost-effective campaigns that will ride out the storm of the credit crunch, whilst keeping customers happy and engaged for the future ahead.

If you need a cost comparison from your current marketing provider, email emilie@pillorybarn. co.uk and we will quote you within 24 hours.

The brief was to create a unique brand for the Kent Messenger Group and Kent County Council who have joined forces to provide an awards scheme to recognise excellence amongst businesses in Kent and Medway.

Having previously been involved in the Kent Business Awards run by Priory PR, both organisations have now moved on from this scheme to develop this new offering.

The design brief is to create a brand identity for the new awards scheme, with a set of brand guidelines that external parties can use when working on the awards scheme.

For more information on sponsoring or entering an award log onto www.keiba.co.uk

we believe the idea is everything...

www.pillorybarn.co.uk

3

Brachers re-brand to Brachers Law and launch their own videocasts Brachers Solicitors, based in Maidstone, has unveiled a re-brand to the name of Brachers Law after an extensive internal consultation with employees and external stakeholders to steer the future of the firm.

Pillory Barn was involved in the strategy of the re-brand campaign and worked closely with their in-house marketing team to communicate the exciting change.

One step on from the re-brand is the law firm’s very own videocasts, to go live next year. The videocasts will give clients a snapshot of law changes, specialist advice and the chance to gain crucial information from leading solicitors.

4

For more information on videocasts for your business, log onto www.pillorybarn.co.uk/videocasts

University for the Creative Arts

th e4 l th nua e n a ativ n e o cr vati rd no awa /09 in 08 20

After a successful launch in 2007 Pillory Barn were appointed to market and publicise the 2008 University for the Creative Arts, Creative Innovation Awards in association with Kia motors.

The ‘Let’s mUve’ competition is an opportunity for students to challenge the conventional conceptions about the design, functionality, image, branding and sustainability of the vehicle. The brief was to produce literature that would engage the students and tempt them into entering the competition.

Pillory Barn’s campaign package included beer mats that were distributed in all five student unions, together with a newsletter containing helpful hints

and tips and also a postcard which was distributed to all campuses.

Pillory Barn were also asked to host a presentation workshop to the final seven students, one of which went on to become this years’ winner!

Post competition research also revealed that the students highlighted the beermats as a great way to message potential applicants

client focus

claire boxall

PR & Communications Manager, Maidstone Housing Trust

How long have you worked with Pillory Barn? PBC have worked with the Trust since 2004. I arrived in 2006 and inherited the contact.

“sometimes we’ll argue and then we’ll laugh over coffees.”

What do you think could have made the relationship better? Recently we’ve begun meeting more of PBC’s other clients and finding synergy and new opportunities for partner working – that’s quite exciting and perhaps we all should had thought of it sooner.

What is your funniest memory to date from working with them? We are working on a rebranding project, and brainstorming new company names was much much more fun than I expected.

What attracted you to them? They really understand their role, but also make time to get to know us, our industry and our needs. We also love the fact that they are local.

What is the best thing they have done for you? I’m very pleased with the work we’ve done together so far, but I’m confident the best is yet to come!

How do you see them working with you in the future? I see them becoming like a trusted friend – we’ll call them and ask for advice, they’ll call us and suggest we do something new and exciting, sometimes we’ll argue and then we’ll laugh over coffees.

Which other companies within the industry do you admire? We make an effort to work with local companies who can provide us

we believe the idea is everything...

with top quality products at a reasonable cost. We admire anyone that can do this, and will take our customers as seriously as we do.

On a personal level: Away from work, what do you enjoy doing? Outside work I enjoy going to the theatre and gigs, I’m also quite involved with my local church and Girls Brigade company, and I’m passionate about international development (and a trustee of a small charity). Generally I steal ideas from all these areas to help me in my work, and luckily other people think it’s creative!

What is the one thing someone may be surprised to know about you?

People always seem surprised that I’m left-handed. I’ve no idea why this should be so surprising - or so odd - it’s perfectly normal to me.

www.pillorybarn.co.uk

5

Have you

spotted Spike?

6

Pillory Barn were pleased to be involved in bringing to life Spike the Spotter for Kent County Council’s wildlife recorders pack.

Spike is a cute illustrated newt who is helping youngsters to spot rare newts and other wildlife in the county and preserve their future.

Pillory Barn came up with a visual package for the children which included a passport to record animals, a sticker to wear when spotting wildlife and a visually exciting recorders pack to encourage children to engage with the wildlife in their area.

Graduate placements... should we be doing more to help the next generation?

Companies get inundated with calls from enthusiastic students, looking to enhance their experience and CV and it is not always easy to fit them in and around a busy office – even when you do need their help! Except it’s not always about what they can do for you, but how modern businesses can help students grasp a real sense of work and be the next best candidate to employ!

The majority are enthusiastic, have bounds of energy, are quick to learn and can bring in new ideas and skills to your business helping to increase productivity. Why not help the next generation by giving them the opportunity to put into action the lessons they have learnt whilst studying? Pillory Barn recently took on Matt Cahill for a months work experience within our studio design team and found it invaluable.

Matt said; “Taking part in work experience at Pillory Barn has been great. It has enabled me to refresh my software skills as well as learning some new ones. It has given me a better understanding of how the creative industry works and has given me more confidence for the future, as well as being a good asset to my CV.” Paula Clark, Careers Service Manager at the University for the Creative Arts says that “Work experience provides a great way for students to gain a clear insight into a particular career and learn essential skills to enhance their future employment prospects. We are committed to working with academic staff and industry professionals to support our students and recent graduates in realising their full potential. We provide a free online vacancy service advertising jobs, work experience and creative opportunities.”

For more information on how to help out a graduate, visit www.ucreative.ac.uk/careeers or email careers@ucreative.ac.uk

knowing me, knowing you Employee focus, Miranda Chapman, Account Director

How long have you worked at Pillory Barn? Since 2003; all of my working life has been spent in large corporations and I had reached a crossroads. I was offered the opportunity to use my experience to help build something that I am part of.

How did you get into the industry?

My Dad! I was working for a company in Medway and he felt I was wasting my education. He found an advert for a job in The Times as a trainee media executive and wanted me to apply. I attended the interview to appease him, got the job on the spot, loved the salary, the package and the fact the job was in London, and never looked back!

Where have you worked before here? Tesco, Next, The Times, Sunday Times, Today, News of the World, The Sun and Kent Messenger Group. I have been fortunate to have worked in the areas of sales, merchandising, editorial, distribution, marketing, and general management.

Where do you live in Kent? In Sittingbourne – prior to my twins being born I lived in Conyer for 10 years and loved the isolation. Now

I hyperventilate if I am more than 5 miles from the library, M&S and the local sports facilities!

What has been your highlight of the past year and what do you hope to achieve in 2008? I am most proud of the new brand that we developed for Brachers Solicitors. We have worked with this client for four years and the process we went through enabled us to use all of the skillsets within the agency.

On a different level, I love the work we do for Visit Kent; we are by and large Kentish people at PBC and it is obviously great to produce work that focuses on our county.

In 2009 we will launch our new website. We will also exploit the current financial environment; it is a great opportunity to let Kent companies know that we can help them to trade through it by using Pillory Barn as an outsourced marketing service.

What companies do you admire?

My heart will always be in the press industry and I believe that The

we believe the idea is everything...

Guardian is one of the best marketed publications.

They have developed their offering by embracing new media so that it works with and not instead of the printed editions. They produce informing, well balanced and leading edge content.

What particular talents/ hobbies do you have? My son tells me I am a good cook but then he has a vested interest!

Do you have a motto? My Dad always used to say to me, ‘all of the time you are concentrating on what someone else is doing, you are not concentrating on what you are doing.’ It has made me a very focused person.

What has been your most cringemaking moment? At a previous company when I walked through the canteen with my skirt tucked into my knickers!

Favourite thing about working at Pillory Barn? Being able to work with a variety of Kent companies and being trusted to develop their communications.

www.pillorybarn.co.uk

7

Economy Online Solutions

Pillory Barn has recently designed two economic websites for clients that were either entering online for the first time or looking for a re-design.

The Old Rectory in Maidstone, needed a website which focused on their new wedding facility; the result is a design that compliments their whole brand theme and is easy to use with key information for brides and grooms looking at the venue.

Sign company Barming Signs needed a re-design of their existing website, which had become out dated. The new site shows up-to-the minute examples of work and helps the user to find exactly what they want to look at in a matter of seconds.

rectorywedding.com

barmingsigns.com

Outdoor media turns heads We are continuing a-pace with our outdoor media bookings and the latest is a bus campaign in Ashford to advertise the opening of Shared Space.

The ‘mega rear’ is the jewel in the crown of the campaign, capturing attention from its bright colours and size. There are also five other buses featuring ‘street liner’ horizontal adverts which will travel in and out of the town on several bus routes, with predicted reach of 700,000 people.

8

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 • 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 5

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

www.pillorybarn.co.uk