The leading homeopathy group in the UK, 4Homeopathy, is celebrating a successful campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of homeopathic practice. The engaging video campaign was created by independent brand consultancy Mr B & Friends and has seen over 13,500 people view the films within the first month of launch.
Founded in 2011, 4Homeopathy brings together ten of the UK’s largest homeopathic organisations to promote the positive impact of homeopathy. Through the website findahomeopath.org people can find a wealth of information about how homeopathy works, registered practitioners and training courses.
For Homeopathy Awareness Week (10-16th April), 4Homeopathy appointed Mr B & Friends to create a campaign to increase their profile and to encourage people to visit their website to find out more.
The agency designed a video-based campaign comprising a main film with testimonials from several people who have successfully used homeopathy, plus three shorts that focus on individual experiences. The video was designed to be a teaser – recounting personal experiences but only revealing the subject matter right at the end, in a bid to provoke interest and encourage further exploration of homeopathy. Built around the proposition that you can ‘Turn your life around in a moment’, the campaign shares the stories of people with a range of conditions who have had life-changing results from homeopathic treatment.
Kate Gorringe, Creative Director at Mr B & Friends, says, “We wanted to share the stories of some of the individuals who have quite literally had their lives turned around because of a homeopathic approach. As homeopathy is based on working with the body’s natural healing abilities, we created a hand drawn animated illustration that reflected the thoughts and feelings of the contributors.”
Due to ongoing Covid restrictions the interviews were all recorded remotely, with equipment sent out to the homes of those featured. Combined with the bespoke graphics, the end result is an emotive and authentic campaign that takes the viewer on a journey from problem to resolution.
In addition to featuring on the website, the campaign has been distributed by the various member organisation and is being supported by advertising on Facebook and Instagram plus Google ads.
Mani Norland, Principal of The School of Homeopathy, says, “Homeopathy provides so many benefits to both people and animals through its patient-centred approach of individualised medicine. The remedies come from nature and work in line with nature. We’re on a mission to raise awareness of the profound difference homeopathy can make to a person’s health and wellbeing, we want to help people see the choices they have in healthcare, and this video campaign will help us take another huge step forward in achieving that.”
Quantock have recently welcomed Werner Zeelie to our line-up. Werner will head up our ongoing client activity, as well as our business development strategies.
Werner is an enthusiastic marketeer with over seventeen years of experience across multiple marketing channels in both the corporate and consumer sectors. He has successfully helped establish and grow leading global brands for clients such CBRE, Unilever, Reckitt, Coca-Cola, Levi’s and IHG.
Originally from South Africa, Werner arrived in the United Kingdom in 2006 to further his international career in marketing, only to find himself now settling in the beautiful Somerset countryside.
Werner comments, “Attracted to Quantock’s creative flair, long-standing heritage, and ever-expanding client base, joining the team was a no-brainer”.
Outside of work, Werner loves to spend time with his children and friends and go for the odd run to keep fit.
Bower Films today re-launches as Octopus Films: https://octopus-films.co.uk. Founded eight years ago as a full-service video production company by Giles Edwards and Ellie Edwards, the re-brand reflects the company’s ethos and problem-solving abilities.
With clients such as BBC’s Countryfile Live, the British Council and Dyson, Octopus Films helps businesses connect emotionally with their audience through explainer videos, event documentation, TV adverts, testimonial videos and corporate films. Experienced in working across a range of industries, its clients span financial, IT, medical, charity and education sectors, both locally and nationally.
Octopus Films also prides itself on delivering real value to much smaller organisations whose goals are to communicate their offering effectively. These include the BCRM in Bristol, Nelson Hall and Medical Detection Dogs. Leading every project, creative producer Ellie Edwards has 14 years’ of broadcast and corporate experience, while [technical director] Giles has worked across both the corporate and TV industries for more than 30 years.
“We set out to refresh our name and logo to accurately reflect our company’s values – creativity, adaptability, agility and also, great problem-solving skills. The octopus was the perfect emblem – they are nimble, flexible creatures and famed for their smart approach,” comments Ellie Edwards.
“We love producing vibrant, engaging and unique video content for businesses that are keen to show their best side. We can always promise a personal service and our senior team leads the entire production process.”
Giles Edwards adds: “We believe in real stories well told. We draw on our years of documentary experience to get beneath the surface every time. By combining crafted, truthful films with refined editorial values, we tell stories that accurately reflect our clients’ lives and businesses.”
As its new name suggests, Octopus Films is highly adaptable and flexes the size of its team depending on the scale and budget of the task in hand. For larger projects it assembles a team of trusted, former BBC production staff and crew.
Pictured: Octopus Films on location in Bath filming with presenter Jamie Lowe.
The West of England has a strong legacy as a creative industries hub attracting major broadcasters, film companies and digital industries alike to our vibrant towns and cities. Like all industries, however, COVID-19 has hit creative companies hard and the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has been here to support the creative industries as they work to get through the impact of the pandemic.
To support this, WECA has launched a new business support programme for businesses and individuals working in the creative industries, as part of its Regional Recovery Plan. The programme is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) working in the creative industries, including creative freelancers, and is designed to build resilience and support change in response to COVID-19.
There is also a grant fund for creative freelancers that will give self-employed people the opportunity to become more resilient by developing their own creative product, practice or service, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Grants for creative businesses will fund creative projects that support recovery and resilience, employ freelance creatives, engage local communities and advance diversity and inclusion.
The business support programme has been designed in consultation with members of the creative and cultural sector. The programme also fits with WECA’s ambitions to establish a West of England Cultural Compact, an initiative jointly funded with Arts Council England. This will involve the creation of a new strategic cultural partnership which will lead on the development of a Cultural Strategy and new activities to help increase investment across the creative and cultural sectors in the region.
WECA recently announced a £11.8m investment to boost creative jobs with the expansion of Bottle Yard Studios, which plays host to a wide range of productions, including drama, children’s TV, feature films, gameshows and commercials. Bottle Yard’s growth will also help to support other businesses across the region which rely on film and TV production opportunities.
WECA’s Creative Scale-Up programme
Almost 60 companies from a range of creative industries across the region have also benefitted from WECA’s Creative Scale-Up programme. This two-year pilot helps creative businesses access finance and peer mentoring through an intensive six-month minimum sustainable growth support programme. WECA has opened applications for the fourth cohort of the programme
Here’s a snapshot of some of the businesses that have benefitted from the programme:
Since joining the Creative Scale Up programme in January 2020, Bristol-based independent development studio and games consultancy Auroch Digitalhas secured a new publishing deal and taken on 15 new members of staff.
“The Creative Scale Up programme, particularly the mentoring process, was great – we were able to pick mentors targeting specific needs we have. We got direct support with business questions as they arose and that helped us deal with them and move forward.
“As a result, we’ve been able to advance some key areas of the company. We’ve landed one big publishing deal for a new IP game and are circling a second big project, and that mentoring advice has been part of the mix of positives getting us there. Information provided by the Creative Scale Up team also led us to a UWE Digital Innovation Fund grant.” Dr Tomas Rawlings, chief executive, Auroch Digital
Noiser, which specialises in history and drama storytelling with immersive sound design, used the WECA Creative Scale Up £2,000 business grant to develop a sales team and define a clear strategy to drive sales.
“For Noiser, we are not looking for generic business support; I liked how the scheme’s supervisors made us aware that we could find our own mentors and they were able to help connect us with pertinent professionals they were in touch with. This was crucially important.”
Stornaway.io accessed grant funding to re-invest in the creative development of the business.
Having identified a gap in the market for a collaborative web application that lets media producers write, test and publish interactive films easily and affordably without coding, the team was, understandably, wary about how to effectively promote and launch a new product in lockdown.
To showcase the product’s capabilities, Stornaway.io used grant funding to commission and produce a short film called “A Little Hungover”, which would premiere as part of the Immersive Encounters Festival. In order to help futureproof the business, the team at Stornaway.io also made great use of the peer mentoring aspects of the Creative Scale Up programme.
“Launching this new product in the middle of lockdown, the Creative Scale-Up peer mentoring programme was an invaluable community of practice. It was fantastic to meet and develop connections with the leaders of such a wide range of creative businesses in the South West. We have developed a number of ongoing relationships with our peers which we hope will continue to be mutually beneficial.” Kate Dimbleby, co-founder, Stornaway.io
Creative scale-up support includes a £6,000 grant to spend on mentoring support, a dedicated Peer Support Network and sector specific business development training. Businesses are also supported to consider their future finance options and are supported to learn about investment and engage with investors.
Creative businesses wanting to find out more about the new business support programme, grant funds and the Creative Scale Up programme should visit WECA’s Growth Hub page.
The West of England Business Support Guide can also help you navigate the range of support available via the combined authority’s dedicated business support service, the Growth Hub, which provides tailored one-to-one advice and access to finance, support and expert guidance.
The UK’s creative industries have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but there are also many examples of innovation and successful pivots.
The sector is vital to the UK economy and as Britain looks to recover, the government has set out its vision in the ‘Build Back Better’ strategy.
But how do the creative industries feature in the plans?
Gail Caig is a freelance consultant currently working as an advisor to the Creative Industries Council. She also joined the Bristol Creative Industries board earlier this year. Speaking to Dan Martin, Gail highlights the key measures for the creative businesses and freelancers in the government’s 2021 Budget and wider recovery plans.
How have the creative industries been affected by the pandemic?
“Many businesses in the creative industries have been incredibly hard hit by COVID-19 but that experience has not been not universal. Elements of the creative industries that depend on footfall and live experience have suffered a great deal, but some parts of the sector, like games companies for example, have been thriving and attracting new audiences.
“We have seen a huge amount of innovation and entrepreneurial activity in the sector. In their response to the difficulties during the pandemic, many organisations have looked at new ways to engage audiences, they have embraced technology like AR and VR and have done their storytelling in a different way. Innovation is a huge positive that has come out of all this but I think it’s less clear how you can viably get ongoing revenue from the new innovation. Venues, theatres etc have been very successful in reaching audiences and finding new ways to share content, but that’s no replacement for a live audience and many of the traditional business models.
“There has been support from the government. The £1.5bn Cultural Recovery Fund was a huge vote of kind of confidence and belief in the sector by the government. It hasn’t been a panacea and it hasn’t protected every element of the sector, but it is a very substantial investment which recognises how important the government sees the UK’s cultural and creative infrastructure.
“On the negative side, the pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of freelancers which make up a third of creative industry workers. They can’t access the furlough scheme in most instances, and a big section of freelancers, particularly new entrants to the creative industries, can’t access the Self-employment Income Support Scheme. I think there’s a real concern in the industry that the new generation of talent could be irretrievably lost.
“That has been a real priority for organisations like the Creative Industries Federation. They’ve been lobbying the government about the need to recognise the freelance workforce.”
What are the key measures and announcements from the government that creative industry businesses need to be aware of?
“In the Budget itself, and a series of documents published alongside it, the government is demonstrating that it recognises the importance of the creative industries and its capacity to bring communities together and regenerate. That’s really good news for the sector because it means that government policy going forward should be shaped in a way that will help and support the creative industries. That’s not a given. It’s a situation that has evolved and developed over the last 20 years when the creative industries were first recognised by the government as a specific, important and valuable sector.
“In the government’s Build Back Better strategy, the creative industries are featured throughout. In his forward, chancellor Rishi Sunak says: ‘We have an international reputation for science and world-class universities. And we have strengths across many sectors, from financial services to creative industries.'”
Research and development (R&D) tax credits
“The government announced in the Budget a consultation on the definition of R&D tax credits. The creative industries are innovative because they are constantly reinventing their products and services and they do a huge amount of R&D. But because a lot of that R&D doesn’t happen in a traditional industrial way, it’s not recognised as R&D. That has a business level implication because R&D tax credits as they’re currently structured are not accessible to the creative industries. The sector has been lobbying for a long time to get the R&D that happens within the sector recognised. This new consultation references the creative industries which is very positive.”
“The government also put in place previously the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme that has supported productions in carrying on despite COVID. The scheme has been extended.”
Apprenticeships
“There has been an ongoing problem with apprenticeships in the creative industries. The vast majority are micro businesses with a very small number of employees. They don’t have the capacity to take on an individual for a long period of time and provide training. Many are project-based such as TV production companies. When they have big periods of activity they’ve got work to offer but they can’t guarantee 12 months.
“Also for micro businesses, the admin involved in taking people on is a really significant burden. Making apprenticeships work across many tiny businesses is a very different proposition to one big car plant. The apprenticeship scheme was set up with things like a big car plant in mind. However, big employers in the creative industries have been paying the Apprenticeship Levy, but not benefitting from it. That’s been an ongoing challenge for the sector and the Budget recognised that.
“There’s a £7m fund to be introduced from July this year to help employers access the apprenticeship scheme. It will also look at making the apprenticeship system more flexible so that it works better for creative industry businesses. The Budget document that talks about the new fund specifically references the creative industries.
“The government has committed to setting up its own domestic replacement for when European funding ends in the UK as a result of Brexit. Between the EU funding stopping and the new UK scheme starting, they’ve launched the Community Renewal Fund.
“It’s £220m for programmes for 2021. The bids of up to £500,000 get submitted to the government via a combined authority or a local authority. The deadline for bids to be sent to the government is 18 June.
“There are two kinds of government funding – revenue and capital. Revenue funding can be spent on people, business support programmes, skills development, training, community arts practitioners, events etc. Capital funding is for building things like roundabouts, railways etc.
“For the creative industries seeking support and skills development, revenue funding is very important. There are examples of big cultural infrastructure but generally, that’s much harder for the sector to access. What the sector really needs and wants to access is revenue funding. The Community Renewal Fund is really important for that.”
Levelling Up Fund
“This is capital funding. The scheme is for bids of up to £20m and it runs over a series of years. The deadline for funding in 2021 is 18 June.
“It has three priorities – transport, regeneration and cultural investment. That’s really important for the creative industries as it’s a direct name check in a big capital programme. It talks about ‘maintaining, regenerating or creatively repurposing galleries, visitor attractions, heritage assets, as well as creating new community-owned spaces to support the arts and serve as cultural spaces.'”
Why do you think networks like Bristol Creative Industries are important for future growth of the creative industries?
“Networks and intermediaries are absolutely crucial in the effective running of creative clusters. Creative industries come together and group in clusters because they are a collection of interdependent small organisations that have specialisms. For example, one of the specialisms in Bristol and Bath is television. To make that clustering and networking work effectively, organisations like Bristol Creative Industries are absolutely fundamental. That’s why I wanted to be a BCI board member!”
Top image credit: HM Treasury.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is launching a new business support programme for businesses and individuals working in the creative industries, as part of its Regional Recovery Plan.
The programme is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) working in the creative industries, including creative freelancers, that require support as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The sector specific business support programme is designed to build resilience and support change in response to Covid-19. It will offer support for individuals and management teams to reformulate operating and financial models and business plans through mentoring, peer networks and training and workshops.
There will also be grants for creative projects that support recovery and resilience. A grant fund for creative freelancers will give self-employed people the opportunity to become more resilient by developing their own creative product, practice or service, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. A grant fund for creative businesses will fund creative projects that support recovery and resilience, employ freelance creatives, engage local communities and advance diversity and inclusion.
Grants will range from £1,000 to £3,000 for freelancers and £5,000 to £10,000 for businesses.
Regional Mayor Tim Bowles said: “Our cultural and creative industries really are the soul of the West of England and are an important contributor to our wider economy. As we secure our recovery from the impact of Covid-19, this much-needed support will help ensure that our creative businesses can continue to provide exciting and engaging jobs, attract new commercial opportunities and help ensure the West of England remains an exciting and vibrant place to live and work.”
The business support programme has been designed in consultation with members of the creative and cultural sector, with a focus on recovery from the pandemic and the priorities of inclusivity, diversity and community engagement.
The programme also fits with WECA’s ambitions to establish a West of England Cultural Compact, an initiative jointly funded with Arts Council England. This will involve the creation of a new strategic cultural partnership which will lead on the development of a Cultural Strategy and new activities to help increase investment across the creative and cultural sectors in region.
Professor Sue Rigby, Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University, West of England LEP board member and interim chair of the Cultural Compact, said: “Culture is part of our DNA in the West of England, and so many of us value it and earn our livings from it. The pandemic has highlighted our need for culture as a key part of our recovery, and the Cultural Compact will help us to bring this about as a region.
WECA will also be running the fourth cohort of its successful Creative Scale Up programme, which is already providing almost 60 creative businesses with online peer and mentoring support to help them respond to the impact of Covid-19.
Since joining the programme in January 2020, Bristol-based independent development studio and games consultancy Auroch Digital has secured a new publishing deal and taken on 15 new members of staff.
Dr Tomas Rawlings (pictured), Chief Executive of Auroch Digital, said: “The Creative Scale Up programme, particularly the mentoring process, was great – we were able to pick mentors targeting specific needs we have. We got direct support with business questions as they arose and that helped us deal with them and move forward.
“As a result, we’ve been able to advance some key areas of the company. We’ve landed one big publishing deal for a new IP game and are circling a second big project, and that mentoring advice has been part of the mix of positives getting us there. Information provided by the Creative Scale Up team also led us to a UWE Digital Innovation Fund grant.”
Creative businesses wanting to find out more about the new business support programme, grant funds and the Creative Scale Up scheme should visit WECA’s Growth Hub page.
The Culture and Creative Industry Business Support Programme and grant funds are a key part of the West of England Recovery Taskforce’s regional action plan to protect and secure jobs, creating opportunities for all residents to share in the recovery. As part of this, WECA’s Together West of England campaign is connecting businesses with the support and guidance they need to adapt, build resilience and prepare for the future, as well as helping residents to access new skills, training and employment opportunities.
Through the West of England Growth Hub businesses of any size in the West of England can access free information and guidance on a variety of issues including workforce planning, HR advice and guidance, employability support, training and skills development and coaching.
Hello. I’m new to BCI so I thought I would submit some news of my recent work as way of an introduction.
The dreaded Covid 19 obviously put paid to most events last year but my long-running collaboration with Sneaker Con finally came good with an event in Shanghai in December.
This was a great project that presented many different challenges such as event graphics, t-shirt designs, toy design, animation and even graphics for a basketball! You can see more of the project here; http://bit.ly/3rdOEtk
With most of my work coming from overseas I’m fairly isolated in my home in Bedminster so I’m looking to branch out and use BCI to grow my network.
My name is Ian Ball and my on-line presence is @psychrome on pretty much all channels.
Thanks for your time!
Ian
Access Creative College (ACC) has begun work on Phase Two of its campus in Bristol City Centre, which will see it occupy the former site of legendary music venue, Bierkeller. The development represents an investment of £4.5m by the college, as it looks to give the space a new lease of life with a host of cutting-edge sound facilities and classrooms for ACC’s range of creative courses.
The Bierkeller site has remained unused since it closed its doors to music fans back in 2018. Over the years, the venue welcomed some of the biggest names in music to its stage, including Nirvana, The Stone Roses and Arctic Monkeys, to name just a few. At over 13,000 sq. feet, ACC’s Phase Two development will more than double the floor space of its Bristol Campus, as the college looks to develop the talent and skills that are so vital to the future growth of the creative industries in the city and beyond.
Mark Smithers, Access Creative College Bristol Centre Manager commented, “Bristol has a rich heritage of creativity and it is an exciting place to be teaching the next generation of digital and arts professionals. As we break through into the former Bierkeller site next door, it will soon be home to some of UK’s leading creatives of tomorrow as we bring it back to life as an education and state-of-the-art events space.”
ACC’s Phase Two facilities will include an events space and stage, a music studio and production pods, where students will be able to mix music, create podcasts and record video and sound. There will also be a range of classrooms equipped with all the latest tech, as well as a number of breakout spaces and student collaboration areas.
Smithers continues, “As an organisation we have been in Bristol for the best part of two decades now. The opening of the first phase of our city centre campus meant we could expand our offering to students, providing a broader range of courses with cutting edge facilities for the very best learning experience. We couldn’t be happier to now take that to the next stage with this new development.”
Following an initial investment of £5m, Access Creative College launched Phase One of its new digital and games campus back in March 2019 and has since rolled out a range of courses including Esports Management, Creative Computing, Software Development, Games Art, Games Technology, Film, Video & Photography and Graphic & Digital Design.
Jason Beaumont, Chief Executive at Access Creative College, added, “As we approach our 30th academic year, this Phase Two development is proof if our intentions for further growth. We understand that by listening to the needs of our students and the wider industry, we’ll be in the best position to provide meaningful education and continue our track record of high student achievement and progression.’
“We are continuing to adapt our curriculum to support the increasingly digital market and of course working closely with industry and employers to best prepare our learners for careers remains a core focus of ACC’s approach to Further Education.”
Having previously operated out of its campus in Hengrove for over 18 years, ACC was Bristol’s first college with a sole focus on the creative industries. Artist Development, Music Technology & Production and Vocal Artist courses, which were previously run from the South Bristol site, will now be brought into the main campus in the city centre, where ACC’s Phase Two facilities will play a pivotal role in skills development.
This announcement follows a significant year for Armstrong Learning group, the owners of the College, during which it secured investment from Apiary Capital and welcomed the National College for the Creative Industries (NCCI) to its portfolio. ACC has also recently announced a number of new senior appointments, including former Minister of State for Universities Jo Johnson, as the college’s new chair, and former Ofsted inspector and Adult Learning Inspectorate Steve Stanley as Director of Evaluation and Impact.
In Armadillo’s Creative and DX team, we’re used to solving complex problems together. Planning complex test-and-learn strategies as a team. And developing ideas and executions side by side. As in any agency, it’s a collaborative effort.
When home working began during the first lockdown back in March, I was worried that the easy, energetic creativity that came with face-to-face concepting would be lost. As the UK hunkers down for its second lockdown, many of these same fears seem to be arising among those who will now have to return to working from home.
But this time it’s different. We’ve done it all before. We’ve adapted, or ‘pivoted’, as they say. We’ve settled into a new way of sharing our ideas that doesn’t hamper flow. It feels dynamic and agile and buoyant.
As we move into Lockdown 2.0, we can apply previous learnings to ensure we’re still able to produce great creative whilst working from home. Here’s how to turn that creative flicker into a full-on collaborative flame.
Keep numbers small
The traditional Art Director/Copywriter combo is still a winner; just because you can now get the whole account team on it doesn’t mean you should. With too many well-intentioned contributors, an ideation session can quickly go off-course. That’s part of the skill of a creative team; to think big, but quickly sniff out the red herrings and move on if an idea doesn’t meet the brief.
Embrace the tech…
Need to paint the picture? Help them see it? Feel it? Take a photo on your phone and WhatsApp it to the team. Add quick links to a project chat room. Set up a shared Pinterest board for inspiration, or create a mood board in Google Docs. Grab and drop. Cut and paste. An online whiteboard tool like Miro can be useful when you need to collaborate.
…or stick with analogue
When it comes to capturing and collating ideas down as they strike, I’ll always favour analogue methods: paper, marker pens, white boards and blu tack. Embracing new tech is admirable and dynamic and forward-thinking etc. But if the thought of grappling with new systems adds to your pandemic-induced anxiety, go easy on yourself. We’re human. Our energy is a finite resource.
The concepting conversation remains the same; “What about if we…” *scribbles frantically*. “How about something like…” *sends screen shot*. Draw it out and hold it up to camera. If it ain’t broke…
Get out more
A dose of nature can literally open your mind. According to Lieberman and Long, authors of ‘The Molecule of More’, “Nature is complex. It’s made up of systems with many interacting parts. Unexpected patterns emerge as a result of a large number of elements influencing one another.”
These unpredictable natural scenes can stimulate creativity, focus and cognitive understanding – three things I couldn’t concept without. So take that walk. Have that cup of tea in the garden. Step out of your work zone and away from the routine stimuli of your desk (or dining table) and watch the ideas flow.
Understand the psychology of creativity
Creative thinking involves gut-feels and hunches. Eureka moments and excitable reactions. But on those days when it feels like we’ve been lobbed out of our comfort zones like a half-finished milkshake from the window of a speeding car, coming up with the goods is hard. Neuroscience points the finger at the amygdala – the part of the brain that processes emotion and motivation; in particular, emotions relating to survival. Of course, the amygdala can only process so much, which is why it’s hard to follow a creative train of thought when your brain keeps getting derailed by pandemic anxiety. Perhaps it’s time to be realistic about your own output, or that of your employees?
Concepting remotely isn’t nearly as much fun as doing it in person. Conversations are less entertaining and trains of thought not nearly as random. So for me, finding a safe, sensible way to reinstate face-to-face concepting is the ideal. But I’m relieved to say that, until then, we’ve found a way to come up with the goods.
This article was written by Carolyn Carswell, Conceptual Copywriter at Armadillo, and first appeared on New Digital Age.
2020 has been a wild year for everyone. With the health scare of COVID-19 and the almost immediate culture shock of isolated working, it’s safe to say that things will never go back to the way things were, and that’s not a bad thing. Whether your business is just kicking off or growing bit-by-bit, the correct use of language is now more important than ever.
When you think about it, language usage is hugely prominent in our day-to-day lives: idle chit-chats; meetings; writing emails; reading a book on the train. And yet, I’d bet it’s not the first thing you’d consider when figuring out your business or brand identity. There are plenty of elements to consider, but your copywriter is the key piece in putting the ‘this is our sound’ jigsaw puzzle together.
Know your audience
Before you start contacting your customers to tell them everything about the products or services they simply can’t do without, you first need to figure out who it is you’re selling to. Old. Young. Married. Single. Animal lover. Coffee enthusiast. You get where this is going.
Unlike what your mum or dad told you when you were just a kiddie, nobody is totally unique. Groups of us have shared interests, fears, pet peeves, and desires. Even if you’re looking to engage people of varying ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, they should all have something in common.
For example: you sell miniatures for painting. Brian from South London is an 18-year-old student who works in a coffee shop. He recently signed up to your email list after buying his first miniatures set from you. Dora is a 40-year-old account executive from Manchester who has been buying miniatures from you, twice a month, for over a year. Brian and Dora might not have many things in common, but they both love painting miniatures. That’s a bit of a simplified example, but the point is that both Brian and Dora are reading your communications for a reason.
Setting the right tone
Once you’ve figured out your target audience, it’s a good time to think about your brand identity. What formality do you want to use? Have you figured out your tone of voice? This is all of the delicious stuff you need to think about when it comes to your brand guidelines, because your use of language will need to be consistent across the whole board. Social media, email, digital advertisements, press releases, train station posters, sky writing, the works.
There will be a number of internal factors that might cross a few choices off the list for you – if you’re offering funeral services, it’s not a great idea to advertise with a chatty tone or use copy riddled with iffy ‘knock knock’ jokes.
Finding the right balance
That’s it! That’s the magic formula. Know your audience and know your product.
Once you’ve got those down, the fun part comes in: putting it all together. Writing short, snappy bits of copy isn’t an easy task. It’s a balancing act. Though creative communications are fun, they’re pointless if you don’t inspire your customer to react. Clicking on call to actions, heading to the website to browse, buying one of your products – this is the real goal behind you reaching out, isn’t it?
At the same time, you don’t have to stick your copy in a chunky paragraph and be done with it. Some people might enjoy it, but most don’t have the time to trawl through it. The real craft is putting your point across and keeping your customers’ attention.
Say you’re selling a new brand of pencils. Depending on who your audience is, you might call your business ‘Stationary Centre’ or ‘The Write Stuff’ or ‘2B or not 2B’, and from those we (the customers) already have a feel of what language you might use. Take the following sentence:
We offer HB pencils, mechanical pencils, graphite pencils and refills for all your writing needs. Visit our website to find out more.
It’s formally written, no nonsense, and gets the point across with no frills, and that’s fine. You could probably guess which business title above might go with it. But, if you wanted your brand to be a little less formal and more chatty, you might write:
Whether you’re filing your taxes, sketching your dog or drafting your screenplay masterpiece, our exceptional range of HB, graphite and mechanical pencils are an essential tool for all of your projects.
Though it’s longer, it’s nicer to read and gives your customer something to relate to (which gives them a reason to think about why they would need your pencils).
Look around you. You’ve got hundreds of examples of good, bad, and utterly bananas use of language, it’s just about figuring out what works for you, your customers and your products.
This article was written by Emily Sowden, Copywriter at Armadillo, and first appeared in Brand Chief Magazine.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies. Visit Cookie Settings to update your settings.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
