Working for Robert Horne was always a pleasure. They were based in Northampton and so was my best mate, so it always meant fantastic work and a sneaky pint! The 2004 wall calandar was a showcase of their finest material and some lovely print techniques but, the crowning glory was the advent calendar on the December page. I’d never seen this integrated into a calendar before, many times since, but then RH were always willing to take a punt on something new. Thats why it was my favourite job of 2004!

Robert Horne was filled with as many brilliant people as it was possible and we met and worked with most of them. Michelle Hollis got the short straw with me to approve this calendar job on press, and we did a great job in my humble opinion! Robert Horne came about for rtfacts as we were doing a mass of work for BT and were continually disappointed with the huge variety of materials we noticed other roster agencies using, most of it average quality and all of it different. 

After long discussions with Tracey Wallace, the then marketing manager at BT Managed Network Services, we agreed to implement our own paper and board strategy for all the work we produced for the BT business based in Hemel. Robert Horne and the team got stuck in and provided material samples a plenty. Our printers ran tests and comparisons until we arrived at a material selection that met our requirements and that was consistent in its manufacture, in terms of volume, shade, weight, creasing, folding, drying (pre UV drying) and printability. Big BT later realised what a champion idea this was and also selected Huntsman Silk as their preferred stock, even in those days Huntsman Silk was manufactured from responsibly resourced materials and met the highest international standards.

Robert Horne had gone their separate ways from rtfacts when Hornes went pop, so sad as we were for the individuals it was happening to, we were not really involved and had already moved on with just our great memories and a massive portfolio full of wonderful work to show to others. We had done 8 with Robert Horne (13 with BT) so a good shout in both cases.

eolas.ie approached rtfacts to maintain their legacy website, which had expanded to enormous proportions in their 18 years, while we created a new look and feel and tone for this market leading IT recruitment business.

Moving to state of the art new premises was just another piece of the giant jigsaw Vincent Flynn, Managing Director orchestrated, but it has been a great success. 

It’s easy to say all sorts of things about the process and how it all worked so brilliantly, but sometimes it’s better to let the work speak for itself. 

And If you want to hear the story first hand, I’m sure Vincent would be happy to talk to you (Call Roger and I will arrange that) and last but not least 

I said they were market leading but what I meant was they are IT Recruitment big hitters.

Anyone recognise the boxer giving the eolas staff and their new office the gold medal treatment?

There are many more positives
working with big blue chip clients
than there are negatives?
 
Big clients are not necessarily more creative but, they usually have the experience and the budgets to see an idea through and in terms of their financial contribution
to a business, it’s invaluable.
 
They are usually excellent payers too, but (not always)!
 
To become an approved supplier of a large company there are a mass of forms to fill and hoops to jump through and its only getting worse monthly – Anti-Slavery, CSR and Sustainability to name a few. Only negative if you’re the one filling out the forms!
 
They are all extremely important, so we should all pay great attention to them.
In fact, If every business played by the rules business would be much easier and fairer, but that’s some way off I think.
 
So what’s my point you’ll be asking if you got this far?
 
We get updates for all the policies we need to adhere to from a mixture of large clients and the one referenced came in just before Christmas around accepting gifts, hospitality or donations.
We don’t usually buy more than a Christmas card for our favourite clients, at best we might give them an rtfacts pad and pen but this Anti-bribery policy got our minds thinking.
 
How can we send something
worth nothing
and still make a great impression?
 
The attached was our attempt which was very well received by the recipient (redacted with any other data protected info) and passed around many a department as a great fun example. There was no attempt to play down the serious nature of Anti-bribery, just a ‘by the book’ interpretation around it, with a tad of humour.
 
If you’d like to get something for nothing from your budget give us a call.

The below is an extract from HMRC’s Anti-bribery advice just so you’re in the know.
Anti-bribery policy

It is illegal to offer, promise, give, request, agree, receive or accept bribes – an anti-bribery policy can help protect your business.

You should have an anti-bribery policy if there is a risk that someone who works for you or on your behalf might be exposed to bribery.

Your anti-bribery policy should be appropriate to the level of risk your business faces. Your policy should include:

your approach to reducing and controlling the risks of bribery
rules about accepting gifts, hospitality or donations
guidance on how to conduct your business, eg negotiating contracts
rules on avoiding or stopping conflicts of interest

Read the leaflet below for more information on how the bribery laws could affect your business.

Once you have an anti-bribery policy you should:

tell your staff and make sure they understand the policy
monitor and review your policy regularly

Direct mail has always been an integral part of the marketing mix, but the simple postcard is often overlooked.

When followed up with a bit of telemarketing the results can be quite dramatic and these days, a well-crafted postcard doesn’t land on your desk every day, so it’s something of a novelty!

Here are some reasons we think your business should consider an rtfacts produced postcard campaign:

1. There is so little room on a postcard for puff, it allows our creative writers to really get to the point. There is no room for more than the headline or elevator pitch* and a call to action. If it’s funny, interesting relevant, or personal its likely to be remembered and if it’s remembered, when we call the chances of an appointment are much, much higher.

2. In these days of internet security and spyware and data protection it’s refreshing we are confident enough in our message and our offer to allow anyone that sees the post card, to read it en-route.

3. We can print 4 postcards up together at the same time which is economical and turns a one off Direct mail piece into a ‘campaign’.

It’s possible to make each postcard personalised to each recipient.

We need do no more than add the postage and send, so no complicated wrapping or costly and possible irresponsible packaging or envelopes.

And don’t forget – Posting a postcard is as cheap as it gets!

4. Cost isn’t always an issue, ROI, Impact, OTS, brand awareness, all play a part but nature of the beast makes designing and printing postcards cheaper than most other forms of DM.

5. We have used postcards to verify a mailing list prior to a large campaign. We’ve had great fun with ‘Are you properly addressed’?

And had fun data cleaning an old mailing list.

6. As part of an integrated campaign with social media, web landing pages, advertising and PoS, posters etc.

Postcards can create enormous impact.

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    *Watch this space for Elevator Pitch blog

The world is becoming smaller and businesses larger. Duty of Care has always been on our radar but is often implied and while it feels sort of, ‘on the agenda’ it can be fairly low-priority.

But as businesses become larger, so do their obligations to make sure people understand their roles within the business.

The original starter/welcome pack, was probably a list of extension numbers of key people, the fire muster point and a pencil if you were lucky.

These days, if guiding people down the myriad path of Health and Safety (H&S) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) wasn’t enough, Fraud, Identity Theft and Compliance add a minefield of information.

In the ‘good old days’ it would’ve been a job for the old dude, put out to pasture but not quite there yet, to pay a bit of lip service to it and promote from within, to anyone who would listen. These days is a sophisticated part of the marketing mix and mission critical communications for every business.

These communications, that are used to welcome new starters and to guide them down the ‘right company path’ are innovative, interesting and informative. They frequently extend to people outside of the business but, who work with the business, spreading the messages virally.

They are great fun to work on and they are a fantastic meter to judge a company by.

There are a few specialist companies out there but they tend to be a bit formulaic.

If you want to push a single agenda like ‘Life-saving rules for employees’ or ‘how to use social media responsibly’ or you want to build a complete system for your business that accurately reflects your requirements, and is tailored to your mission goals and communicates with your people in the right tone of voice….

rtfacts can help.

For a conversation please call 01442 266 590 or eMail design@rtfacts.co.uk

When it comes to which company is best suited to design your website?
You’ll hear all the best baloney from the people in the design for print and web industry!

‘Distance is no object’ (if you’re a long way away) and ‘local is always better­­­­’ (If you’re just around the corner). The honest truth is, rtfacts prefer to be close so we can meet face to face, collaborate, press the flesh, react quickly and professionally. We have worked with the World Bank in Washington and businesses in New Zealand to Tiverton very successfully, but time difference and distance are always a barrier.

In the case of World Bank, they wanted to work with Linda so much, they were prepared to put up with the hassle, but these days I think most sizeable businesses couldn’t operate efficiently that way. From an account management point of view, it means long phone calls while the client is fresh and awake, when you should be having tea with the kids or out with your mates or going to bed!

Our preference is for clients within a 50-mile radius of us as Hemel is accessible from all directions and has great rail connections. London is an obvious target and costs are significantly less out in the ‘burbs if you take the 28-minute ride from Euston on the train.

These local companies chose to work with rtfacts and allowed us to create web sites that will stand the test of time.

http://www.pro-ven.com   http://www.fullonmarketing.com   http://performanceadhesives.co.uk   http://memorialsofdistinction.co.uk

These not local companies also decided rtfacts was the best option

http://www.sharratts-london.co.uk   http://crowntwickenham.co.uk  http://www.data-laser-mail.co.uk

rtfacts produced design for print and web for BT for 13 years which meant all sorts of travel to various locations, but Global Network Services (our biggest ever client) operated from Hemel and Leavesden so for most of that time it was a 10 minute trip – BLISS.

If you’re not local, but still keen to work with rtfacts, our commitment is to make it work.

If you are local, pop in for a cuppa or a quick chat.

Or for a proper meeting please call 01442 266 590 or eMail design@rtfacts.co.uk

And ask for Roger, Tony or Emma.

A pair of these would enhance any garden. Enquire within. or 01442 266 590

If you come back from Christmas and need cheering up we usually turn to Images or Video. It’s the most accessible and common way to engage with your peers! This radio clip may change your mind. Go on have a laugh!

“I’m a small business with a small budget, why should I spend money to create a brand? Isn’t that sort of thing just for the big boys with big money and bigger competitors?”

On the contrary, branding is a vital ingredient to attract customers and keep customers. Without a meaningful brand, no one will know who you are, or more importantly, what you stand for, and will have nothing to buy into?

Branding is so much more than just a logo, it is a valuable marketing tool designed to represent you and to be your shop window.
The way your business is perceived can be the difference between success and failure. It’s way beyond a company slogan or corporate colour, it’s more of a persona, the face of your company, clearly and consistently communicating to your audience, your intent and the benefits working with a business like yours.

In this blog, we will give you tips to take into account when creating your brand, and explain the importance of branding in a little more detail.

1. Do I really need a brand?

Brand helps potential audiences understand more about your company and if you’re likely to be right for them. It will influence their first impression form the basis of the way you will interact going forwards. It will also play a part in their likelihood to use you again. For this reason, you need to make sure you have a strong brand, which represents you in a positive light. If you are a very small business it’s likely to be a reflection of your personality or business ethos. If you’re a large business the brand may be driven by unforeseen factors: Stakeholders, Corporate agreement (franchise), management, competition, market forces.

Most brands have one of six key elements:

• Word only
• The addition of a mark
• Emphasis of the experience
• Emphasis of product
• Emaphasis of scope
• Something evocative

Whatever your size, with a brand in place, it will be easier for you to remain focused on your objectives, and it’s the driver for communicating what you do and how, in a consistent way.

2. How do I define my brand?

Imagine your company is a person, what kind of personality do they have?

What do they look like?

What do they ‘sound’ like – Simple, straight talking? Warm and friendly? Knowledgeable and innovative?
How would they stand out in a room full of people?
What are the distinctive features that make them memorable – for the right reasons?

Using this analogy will help you understand how you interact with your potential or existing customers/clients.
Essentially your brand needs to be a visual summary of what they want you to be to them, tailor it so that it is and you will increase the likelihood of them using you, again and again.

3. Sounds simple – I can do it myself and save money.

By going it alone you may save money, but you risk giving the wrong message to your clients by creating the wrong image. Hiring rtfacts may add to costs initially but will certainly earn you money in the long run. Our experience and expertise will add professionalism to your brand and innovative ways to attract customers/clients will be used.

4. Do they really need to know that?

The answer is most likely yes. It is important to brief the designer with as much information as possible as this will heavily influence the end result of your brand and outcome.

    •    Who are you
    •    Who are your customers
    •    Who are your competitors
    •    What you do
    •    What do your competitors do well
    •    What do your competitors do badly
    •    What’s your background
    •    What you want to achieve
    •    How do you want to be perceived
    •    What your target market is looking for

To compliment the above information a recent rtfacts brief sited the following reasons for a brand refresh:

    •    We are now a business with a stock market value of £xxxx millions
    •    Our operations have expanded in both breadth and depth
    •    Our capabilities, reputation and market profile have increased considerably
    •    We are about to move to a high profile and very new headquarters

Visually we need to be Simple, professional, modern, understated elegance, financially secure and strong.

Emotionally we need to have Integrity, Expertise, Professionalism, Enduring, Entrepreneurialism.

You also need to think about how you plan to use your brand. We will then make sure the look and feel works across all mediums – New and Old, from stationery to brochures or website to digital signage.

5. These are a few of my favourite things

When it comes to the look and feel of you brand, let rtfacts guide you with colour, typography and photography. Always keep your target market in mind and what will appeal to them rather than what appeals to you personally. Often clients get too caught up in their own likes and dislikes and forget about the main objectives of the brand.

6. Why a brand voice and what does it say?

Creating a unique personality for your customers/clients to connect with will set you apart from your competitors and keep you at the forefront of their minds the next time they need your product/services. It will also help you attract the right kind of customers/clients.
Your brand voice will communicate what makes you better than the rest, how you serve your customers/clients, your customer benefits, product quality/value, and your unique selling point (e.g. eco friendly, value for money, or homemade).

7. So where do we go from here?

Keep a high profile, use your brand consistently as a constant reminder to your customers/clients. Ensure all staff emails contain a signature with your logo, company slogan and a link to your website. Leave your business card with anyone of interest.

In short, always present your brand professionally and make sure the use of your brand always adheres to the brand guidelines across all media, to avoid confusion.

Finally don’t forget to stick to your brand promise. Keeping your word will keep customers/clients happy and will prompt them to spread the word.

If you are looking to create a new brand or are in need of a brand refresh, don’t hesitate to contact us today, we will be happy to discuss what we can do for you over tea or coffee.

Call us on 01442266590

or email design@rtfacts.co.uk

rtfacts now have an in-house Shopify expert, (YES as well as PPC, SEO, GDN, Photography), so if you’re taking your business online, Sit back, relax and let us put your shop online and your business on the map. If you’ve started but lost the will to finish and need someone to hold your hand through the tricky bits, we can do that too. Just give us a call and get ready to fill that piggy bank!