FREE marketing & creative check-up...

Please note that due to our current workload, we are not taking on any large new projects until mid 2008

See yourself as others do...
Before we get started together, why not take advantage of our FREE assessment of where your company stands now in terms of its image and presentation. A view of your company as others actually see it, not necessarily as you imagine they do. An impartial view from a neutral perspective can be a real eye opener – if not downright scary!

Can't see the wood for the trees?
It's always very difficult to look at yourself objectively, but it's important that you recognise how your company is perceived from the outside. Are you seen as just that little business down the road with some useful and unusual products, while you think of yourself as a major player in the widget industry with some unique, patented products and an international reputation for your innovation?

Perceptions in modern business often make the difference between a mediocre business and a highly successful one. Many businesses grow organically from their inception and are very good at what they do or make, but it's often hard for management to take an objective look at, or to recognise the value in, their image. No amount of window dressing can make a duff product into a market leader. But equally, it's important to present your business in a way that demonstrates self-belief, while inspiring confidence in the customer. A company which appears focused, reliable and forward thinking, will stand out from much of the competition. We can't make you what you're not. But we can help you identify areas for improvement and show how your business can be promoted to maximise it's potential. The quality of the widgets is up to you.

So what's included?
Questions, questions, questions! We first need to understand your business – its history, its current position and where you want it to go. We'll ask you to complete a SWOT questionnaire to identify your business' Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This alone will help you focus on the position of your business. This isn't a financial appraisal, we're not about to tell you how to run your business, but we can help you present and promote it to the best effect.

Then we go away and think.

After careful consideration (and strong black coffee) we'll prepare our 'analysis of perceptions' together with a 'creative audit' of your existing branding and marketing material - the face you present to the world. An outline of costs will also be included, but it should be recognised that at this stage that this will just be an indication to allow for a realistic assessment of the proposals. The appraisal gives a snap-shot of your business as others see it and offers some broad proposals for how it might be developed. Just like ice skating judges, we'll be awarding marks for technical merit and artistic interpretation – not for a gold medal, but for a much bigger prize.

OK, that's the free bit, but what's next?
The next stage will be to flesh out the suggestions from this free appraisal, and present a more developed strategy for implementation. This will be unique to the needs and style of your business, so its actual content will vary, but it will outline the basic plan upon which to develop the presentation and promotion of the business. At this stage a fuller and more accurately costed proposal can also be put forward.

So what's it going to cost me?
Wrong question! Yes, there will be costs involved, but of the sort that help increase profits, not merely go down as a tax deductible expense. Success and efficiency in business isn't just about keeping an eye on costs and ensuring the staff are busy. It's also about making the right investments – and how you value your business. Improving the way your company is perceived by potential clients, and increasing sales to existing ones, is a solid investment in the future. At worst, our costs and fees will usually be a relatively small addition to your current marketing spend, but with identifiable benefits and an increase in the effectiveness of your budget. Marketing and design are as valuable an investment as that new widget machine which churns out twice as many as the old one did, but not everyone is able to see it that way.

For larger scale projects we charge a monthly project management fee, agreed in advance. This covers research, meetings, copywriting, editing, project development, supplier liaison and management costs. But we do not ask you to commit to more than one month at a time. This is to give you peace of mind – and to keep us on our toes! In addition to the monthly fee, all specific items – design, artwork, photography, print, advertising costs etc – will be fully quoted before production so you can see up front what's involved and budget accordingly. For detailed information on how we work and charge, download our free information sheets and brochure which are available in PDF format here.

Ready to get started?
So are we! Take a little time to read through the free information and then contact us for an initial chat. The free appraisal should take no more than a couple of weeks to complete, so get in touch soon and let's get started!

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