Is anyone out there writing persuasive advertisingcopy today? Some say photography is the newcopywriting, citing the current trend for more narrativestyle, photographic image ads. It’s certainly true thatmany advertisers and their agencies seempreoccupied with visual imagery, be it photographic orillustration, at the expense of well written copy. Just aheadline would do, but the vogue at the moment is toleave the visual alone to tell the story, with just thebrand logo for company. The ‘HN on Earth’ presscampaign for Harvey Nichols and the latest DomPérignon magazine ads are examples.

Is it just a passing fad? Or is it the beginning of theend for advertising copywriters? Perhaps it’s just aconsequence of the fact that most agency creativeshave followed art director career paths, learning therudiments of their trade at one of the many artcolleges available to them rather than taking up anobscure copywriting course? And by producing visual-only advertising, some would suggest they are takingthe easy option.

There is a place for visual-only advertising, but let usnot denigrate the worth of well-crafted, compulsivecopywriting. A visual alone may well be effective inengaging with the audience and strengthening theemotional bond between brand and consumer.But the same could be said of well-crafted copy.

Consumers still want to read and hear words.Magazine sales are booming and every month seesnumerous new title launches. Similarly with booksales, thanks to Harry Potter, et al. ‘Texter’s thumb’ is a serious medical condition as the youth of todayexchange digital, if hideously abbreviated, textmessages. And the spoken word is as popular as thewritten one, with 90% of the UK population listeningto the radio, and new digital stations launchingevery week.

Actually, that’s where the argument in defence ofcopywriting begins. Because words are simply soundswhich are ‘heard’ in our heads, in our imagination.And sound is much more intrusive than sight.

brandnew 13Published by Sellers & Rogers Brand Driven Communications

>>02ARE YOU BEINGSERVED?

>>04BUILDING AGLOBAL BRAND

>>05DEATH OF THE HIGHSTREET?

>>06A SNAP DECISIONTHAT TOOKA DECADE

>>08CONTENT ISSTILL KING

>>09THE OLYMPICS ACT -AN OVER THE TOPRESPONSE TOAMBUSH MARKETING?

>>10JUDGING CREATIVEWORK - IPA & ISBAGUIDELINES

>>12THE DOT GETSUPDATED

By Andy Sellers MIPA MCAM

but criticalelement.

Take the example ofOcado, the onlinegrocery retailer and deliveryservice. The brainchild of twoGoldman Sachs bankers, Ocadobegan by employing experienced serviceindustry personnel (ex air stewards and the like)to deliver its goods – not simply delivery drivers, ill equipped to build a fledgling business throughexcellent service. Perhaps this simple, yet distinctivestrategy has allowed the business to thrive in one of today’s most competitive sectors.

Getting it right not only relies on the right people,but also on the right approach. The Ritz Carltonhotel chain regularly tops customer satisfaction poles,which they attribute to a simple but powerful internalmessage that is the founding principle of staff training

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>>WHY DO SO MANYSERVICE BRANDSSTRUGGLE TOLIVE UP TO THEIRNAME? DAVIDSPENCE, MANAGINGDIRECTOR, S&®,EXPLORES THEISSUES&®

Don’t believe me? Try turning offthe volume when you nextwatch TV, just view thepicture for a minute or two.Then turn the volume back onand turn around so you can’t seethe TV screen. Which is the more intrusivemedium, the more powerful – sight or sound?It’s sound, of course.

And there’s a neuroscientific reason for that. Soundenters through the ear to the auditory cortex of thebrain and on to Wernicke’s area of the brain wherewords are attached to it. Then, as with words actuallyread, to ‘Broca’s area’, the part of the brain wherelanguage is processed, and on to the prefrontal cortexwhere judgment and emotion take place. Theadjacent motor association cortex then initiatesaction. So no action without words.

But the words have to be impactful, and memorable.They must surprise, shock or amuse so they can

stimulate the appropriate action.

If your aim were to persuadesomeone to do something, youwould tell them or write it down – you

wouldn’t show them a picture of whatyou’d like them to do. So by all means

enhance the message with an attractive,stimulating, or shocking visual, but you’reasking a lot if you expect this alone tobe acted upon.

So well-written copy should retain itsrightful place in contemporary advertising. Andhopefully, further extension of the internet and allthings digital may give life to a new generation ofworthy wordsmiths.

Is a picture worth a thousand words? A copywriterwould answer that it took seven to ask the question.

For more information or to discuss this article further,contact Andy Sellers at a.sellers@sel-rog.com

Whether it’s your bank overcharging, an airline losingyour baggage or your utility company promising toread your meter but not turning up (after you’ve takena day off to let them in), it seems that our impressionof those whose business is based on their ability toserve is far from complimentary.

Even big brands, with the resource and expertise todeliver, fail the satisfaction test, which rather begs thequestion, why should it be so difficult?

The core problem lies in the fact that service brandsrely on people to deliver their brand promise asopposed to product brands that (by and large) will do ‘exactly what it says on the tin.’ It is this lack ofhomogeneity that causes problems for so manycompanies and for marketers used to peddlingproducts that, once development, packaging andpricing is agreed, deliver consistently.

If people are the key ingredient in service, thenemploying the right ones to start with is an obvious

>>A PICTURE...OR ATHOUSANDWORDS?(CONT)

Words are simplysounds which are

‘heard’ in our heads.

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- ‘Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies andgentlemen’. Consider for a minute the self-esteemthis philosophy instills in a lift repair-man or porter,and the clarity it gives in terms of how he or she isregarded and expected to behave, and you’llunderstand their success.

As well as a code of conduct, it’s critical togive frontline staff the mandate to do the

best they can for each customerdependent upon the situation.

If veering from policy as opposed tofollowing the customer contactprompt screen is what’s needed tokeep a customer happy (particularlywhen dealing with complaints), thenthose responsible should be able to

do so without fear of recrimination.

This freedom needn’t be confined toproblem situations either.

In her paper, ‘Building Brand Value ThroughCustomer Service’, Dr Alison Eyring cited theexample of Disney Hotels where a study found thatthe maids with the highest satisfaction ratings wererearranging the Disney toys children left in their roomto appear as if they’d moved themselves. Althoughstrictly against company policy of not touchingguests’ personal effects, this simple act was fullyaligned to the Disney brand promise of fun, family entertainment.

Whilst it’s often trite and too easy to trot out that‘people are the brand’, in the service industry inparticular, this is an inescapable truth. And it’s a fact that must be recognised and embraced by alldepartments. Marketing may define brand values butHR, Finance, Customer Service and all support teamsmake it come alive.

A silo mentality of demarcated departmentalresponsibility is brand suicide in the service sector, as each discipline is dependent on the other. Just as a house of cards is dependent on all elements tostand tall, so too are service brands.

Get that right and the bastion of (albeit fictionalised)good service, the young Mr. Grace, might see fit to

comment that, “You’re all doing very well.”

For more information or to discuss this articlefurther, contact David Spence at

d.spence@sel-rog.com

3

MEET THE PUBLISHERSThis is the 13th issue of Brand News which S&® has published and we hope you will enjoyreading it.

We’re Sellers & Rogers, brand communicationsagency. For a living we plan and producecreative and effective advertising, promotionaland PR campaigns for our brand-owner clients.

For fun – if you can call it that – we write andpublish Brand News and distribute it for free toour clients, and to prospective clients who mightshare our commitment to creativity and thebuilding of brands.

We openly admit that our publishing efforts arenot completely altruistic. We invest our time andeffort in the hope that some of our prospectiveclient readers will recognise and appreciateS&®’s understanding of brand issues and ourcreative expertise - and would considerbecoming our clients.

So if you feel that your marketing efforts wouldbenefit with an agency partner who embracesbrand strategy before creative execution, pleasedon’t hesitate to call or email …

Andy Sellersdirect tel: 0115 8404 262 or email: a.sellers@sel-rog.com

BRAND DRIVENCOMMUNICATIONS

Marketing may define brand values, but HR,

Finance andCustomer Service

make it come alive.

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>>BUILDING A(NEW) GLOBALBRAND JIMCHADDERDON,GLOBAL BRANDMANAGER, JELD-WEN INC.,OREGON U.S.A.

It was a marketer’s dream job: “Build A (New) GlobalBrand”. Little did I know in the Fall of 2001 that fiveyears later - the brand I was asked to help build wouldenjoy strong recognition within its target audiences.Yet, it’s been no walk-in-Hyde-park.

The privately owned, family run, joinery company,Jeld-Wen, was founded in 1960 and remains bothprivately owned and closely held to this day. Over theyears, acquisition was the primary means of growth.By Fall 2001 well over 200 wholly owned subsidiariesexisted, operating in over 20 countries, spanning

nearly every continent. As an ops-driven business,marketing and specifically brand building, were notpart of the company’s 43-year-old culture. A true“House Of Brands” model – the company’s productswere mostly local brands. Few enjoyed broadcustomer bases or brand awareness, yet all were inthe business of making windows and doors – in alarge and growing but relatively unknown categoryamong consumers.

Management’s Challenge: Build A (New) Global Brand.A marketer’s dream job, right? Yet, from the beginninga considerable list of both internal and externalchallenges presented themselves, continuouslyinjecting adversity to an otherwise solid strategy. If youare part of a global brand building initiative, considerthe following items as critical foundational elements fora successful effort:

Management SupportWithout it your program is dead. Getting support onceisn’t enough. You must keep getting it and continue toshare your vision of what the company and brand canbecome. If you are not close to senior managementyou must find a way to get close in order to bespeaking with those who can make tough decisions.

A Global Brand StrategyYou need a vision and a plan. Use a strong researchhouse in each country where you do business.This will lead to the critical insights and quantitativedata needed to formulate a sound marketing andbrand building strategy.

Marketing Staff Marketing is not king in most companies. If you workin one where it is, you are fortunate. For the rest of us,

it is critically important to have the right marketingteam in each country. The wrong team or person willresult in your brand planning not being executedappropriately. Building a strong team should beconsidered a critical issue with management.

Strong Agency Resources Likewise, marketing teams without proper agencyresources will be hard pressed to succeed. Start smallif necessary, but, get the right help when it comes toweb, graphic design, print, public relations,tradeshows, and media buying.

Constant Communications Importantly, stay in touch with your internationalmarketing teams. It is tempting to sit back and believeyour international marketing teams are doingeverything that needs to be done. The reality is thatoperational and market pressures being such that theyare probably not in all cases focusing on the mostimportant brand building activities. Hold joint planningsessions regularly to plan the work and then workthe plan.

Finance Is Your Friend The finance, tax, and accounting departments canunintentionally derail the best global marketingprogram trying to fulfil complex international tax andaccounting rules. Having support from this departmentis critical in order to move money around in an efficientmanner while following acceptable accounting andtax policies.

It’s taken longer to implement this program than wehad imagined. And, under the circumstances, it wouldbe reasonable to question management’s commitmentto this initiative. It would be unfair to do so, however.Rome wasn’t built in a day and aligning so manydecentralized operations and sub-cultures takes time.Lasting change must come from within and can’tbe imposed by a memo from the President or theGlobal Brand Manager. Recently, while discussingthe numerous challenges of building a global brand,my boss quipped “You’ve got an annuity for life”.I’m beginning to believe him.

Jim Chadderdon, Global Brand Manager, Jeld-Wen Inc.www.jeld-wen.com / www.jeld-wen.net

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A MARKETER’S DREAM JOB...

“BUILD A (NEW) GLOBAL BRAND”

>>DEATH OF THEHIGH STREET?MORE LIKEBRING YOURBRAND TO LIFEAT RETAIL. TIM HENSHALL,BRAND PLANNINGDIRECTOR, S&®

In an age when clicks are deemed to outstrip brickswhen it comes to the most vibrant source of retail sales,there’s a small, but rather smart band of marketers whoare taking full advantage of competitor brandsneglecting the High Street. Plus, retail marketing isseemingly one of the least mastered communicationsdisciplines, receiving less marketing focus as a result.

This double-whammy provides the marketer with thatrare opportunity – a competitive advantage – to stealmarket share for their brand, especially considering thatscientific POPAI research suggests that up to 70% ofbrand decisions are made at the point of purchase.

Whilst that’s an average across many sectors withfigures varying enormously by category, the conceptneeds embracing. It also implies that the battle is foughtonly at retail, which is misleading. For a brand toeffectively fight battle for the 70%-ers, it must already be within the consumers repertoire of choice (therebyemphasising the need for other communications), or be so drop-dead impactful at retail as to tear up the rule book.

Remarkably, few brand owners are employing the retailmantra of “see it, try it, buy it” (or “linger, see, try, buy”dependent upon whose version you prefer). Thissimplification of the retail journey emphasises theprocesses that the effective retail marketer must ensurehis brand performs, in order to get the till ringing (orshould that be scanning?).

Clearly brand owners need to reduce the Ali v Fraziertype relationship that exists too often with retailers,replacing it with a united team committed to boostingperformance for mutual benefit. No matter how good thePOS, if the stores don’t have the approval (or desire) toput it in place, it’ll stay hidden.

Whilst it is time-consuming to get out to retail andexperience first hand how, where, when and why thebrand is bought, it’s time well spent. But sadly somebrand-managers think they can surf the web for

10 minutes and feel they’ve comprehensively coveredcompetitive activity. A more comprehensive RetailPresentation Audit is an even more valuable tool. This‘window in time’ reality check on listings, positioning,competitive framework, visibility and so on might throwup the odd shock and heartbreaker, but it certainlyprovides the focus for future instore marketing.

Curiously, of all marketing disciplines, retail marketingprovides brand owners with one of the easier opportunitiesto measure the impact of investment upon performance -due to the close proximity of the till - yet it still features waytoo low on too many marketing plans (if at all).

‘Retail marketing’ has come to mean little more thanfixtures and cardboard POS, but the opportunities are farbroader. Even the potential to develop product (let alonepackaging) which works especially well in a retailenvironment is possible, as is the need to considereverything from store positioning, labelling, ticketing,signage, promotions, staff training, consumer incentives,retailer communications and so on. And with most ‘retailmarketing agencies’ focused on ‘furniture’ this leavesmarketers unsure where to go for expert advice. The fewagencies that do offer this expertise provide brands witha real edge.

Whilst they may grumble about parking, accessibilityand crowds, UK consumers remain passionate about“going shopping”. Happily researching options andprices on the net, but there’s still no replacement for the‘touchy feely’ experience of the High Street, and as asocial pastime, shopping remains a national favourite.The brand that maximizes itself at retail might justbecome one too.

For more information or to discuss this article further, contactTim Henshall at t.henshall@sel-rog.com

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DDeeaatthh ooff tthheeHHiigghh SSttrreeeett??

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A snap decision

brandnews 6

that took a decade.

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It’s odd to think that as a pro-photographer, I used‘digital’ as a point of difference just 8 years ago. In a20-year career, nothing has caused more debate andscepticism in the industry than its emergence andthere’s little doubt that it’s both the best and worstthing to happen to photographers in that time.

On the plus side, digital is seen as a fast, flexible andefficient way of producing images, whilst these sameissues have also created a false expectation, as wellas a growth for in-house photography.

Whilst taking ‘snap shots’has become much easier,the skills required toproduce a structured, well lit, composed and art directed photographremain exactly the same. For a simple cut-out packshot that will appear low-res on a website,clicking away with a 4-meg camera can make sense.But when the consumer perception of your product orservice is influenced by the resultant image, the skill ofa professional remains well worth the investment.

We live in a “want it now” culture and from theoutside, digital appears as a far faster way of working.There’s no doubting that time is saved on developingand processing, but then again, just as much time isspent lovingly checking the images and adjustingthem in Photoshop.

This also spotlights two other issues. Firstly, as imagesare so easy to retouch, some of today’s art directorsdon’t worry about getting the image correct ‘in thecamera’. But that can be a false economy as the timespent retouching can exceed the time spent getting itright in the first place. Plus my professional pridealways kicks in too.

Secondly, in the studio or on set, it is a hugeadvantage to be able to see the finished shot thereand then on the computer screen to check for lightingand composition. Yet, in my experience, this ironicallyoften results in more timebeing spent looking atthe PC screen andless time clickingthe shutter, with theshoot taking justas long as it wouldwith conventionalmethods.

It’s odd, but whilst I don’t feel guilty using newtechnology, I can’t face saying I’m 100% digital. I stillhave a fridge full of film and feel a certain delight whenI’m commissioned for architecture or a car shoot,where digital can’t quite compete with myconventional kit just yet.

That said, digitally I achieve shots where every hair,grain or speck can be viewed in minute detail, so sometimes the image appears sharper than reality.With the arrival of a 39 megapixel camera onto the

market, its hard to imagine a futurethat isn’t even more digitaldominated, although at £25,000 a pop not every photographer isgoing to be rushing to buy one.

Regardless of the method ofshooting, the pic will inevitably be converted to a digital image at some stage if it’s to be usedcommercially. Going full circle,

there are now some photographers (especially inLondon) using conventional-only as their USP, refusingto bow to ‘new fangled ways’. But science is playing a greater part in the art of photography than everbefore, with digital technology continuing to advanceat an furious pace. Its shortcomings are beingaddressed.

It’s been a while in coming but digital is here to stay. To earn my living, I’ll use technology to performat my optimum, but I won’t compromise on qualityeither. Pleasingly digital photography seems to provide both.

Mark Enstone’s work can be viewed at www.enstone.net

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>>WITH MORE AND MOREPHOTOGRAPHERSUSING DIGITALMETHODS,MARK ENSTONETHROWS SOMELIGHT ONTO THE ISSUE

It’s been a while in coming but digital is here

to stay.

n. [ ]

In the context of the web, it's interesting how so manypeople talk about content and why it's important (it is theKing, you know) but yet it remains to fall on the deaf earsof executives and decision makers alike. Look aroundthe office, how many content people does yourcompany employ? Unless you’re in the news or mediaindustry, probably not a lot, if any at all.

Not only does it fall on the deaf ears of decision makers,it often seems unimportant to those who produce andmanage websites as well. If you really want to be a greatdesigner, producer, developer or administrator, and youwant to produce a site that both attracts and retainstraffic, you really should have a good grasp on contentand content strategy.

Web users are usually looking forinformation, often to solve aproblem they currently have - theyare looking for the benefits to them,not immediately at the features ofyour products or services. If you

make your solutionto their problem

easy to find on

your web site, they will thank you. If you make it hard tofind by burying your solution to their problem deep inyour site, no one may read your solution at all.

The attention span of the average consumer is non-existent. The average unique visit to a website has aduration of under 30 seconds. This means you have lessthan 30 seconds to present a compelling and decisivelyconvincing argument for your product, your service andfor yourself as a vendor. So you need to be precise,specific and focused to convey your message in themost effective manner.

However, you must also balance this need forimmediacy with content that is detailed and keywordrich. More than any other strategy, the long termapproach of creating a steady stream of high quality,well organized and professional content is key tobuilding traffic. Valuable content is not only essential fororganic search engine results, it is also essential forkeeping a visitor beyond those vital first few seconds.

Choosing the right keywords and optimising pages forsearch engine consumption get a lot of attention. Butalmost everything you need to know about searchengine positioning can be summed up in that oneword: content. If you have content which is useful tovisitors, you're already 90% of the way there, and all therest is fine tuning. If you don't have worthwhile content,all the keyword optimisation in the world won't getyou very far.

With regard to search engine positioning and internetmarketing, the single most important rule of thumb isthis: put your effort into those features of your site whichwill make it more useful to visitors. Why? Because theleading search engines are very, very clever at discerningwhat is useful and what is not, and if your site deliverswhat is useful, it will be rewarded.

Couple this with a compelling design, a well organisedsite structure and a simple navigation system and youhave a site that will provide genuine benefits to yourbusiness. But always lead development with the contentclear in your mind. And then maintain and update thecontent on a regular basis, preferably through a contentmanagement system that allows you to retain completecontrol in house.

There is nothing more beautiful than a site designedspecifically with the content in mind. It's like aproduct that fits perfectly in a package that wasdesigned for it.

Mark Hutchinson, Bluejam Digital Design, www.bluejam.com

8brandnews

>>DESPITE BEINGCRITICAL TOSUCCESSONLINE,CONTENT ISSTILL SEEN ASTHE POORRELATIONMARK HUTCHINSONFROM BLUEJAMDIGITAL DESIGNEXAMINES THEISSUE

CONTENT IS STILL KING

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Brands are clamouring to become official sponsors ofthe 2012 London Olympics. There is little doubt hugerewards can be gained from linking your brand to majorsporting events, as we have recently witnessed with theFIFA World Cup. Equally true is that the LondonOrganising Committee of the Olympic Games(‘LOCOG’), and other event holders such as FIFA, relyon corporate revenue for survival and official sponsorsneed protection from blatant ambush marketing.However the new Olympic Act is not a realistic orproportionate response.

There needs to be a balance between protecting therights of official sponsors and allowing genuine freedomof commercial expression and the right of local businessto benefit from major national sporting events such asthe London Games. It should also be remembered thatLondoners and local business will be contributing anestimated £1billion towards the Olympics.

The Olympic and Paralympic Act 2006 implements newprotection for official sponsors known as “the LondonOlympics Association Right”. This extends existing andarguably adequate English law to protect specificmultinational companies, for few brands can afford tobe sponsors of the London Games. The new right

means that any association with Games is illegal. TheAct goes far beyond any previous protective legislationintroduced anywhere in world and it came into force inMarch 2006, six and a half years prior to the Games.Use of words such as “summer” or “London” with 2012are automatic indications that an association isintended, unless the contrary can be proven.

It is also not in the interest of official sponsors to haveoverly draconian laws enforced. Such rights push upthe price of sponsorship and can create feelings ofrepulsion by the consumer against official sponsors.Even the European Sponsorship Association hasexpressed considerable concerns about such legislation.

The Act has also created a precedent that other majorevent holders have already tried to emulate and copy.FIFA claimed, dubiously, association rights in itsambush marketing warnings for the 2006 World Cup aswell as other trade mark claims and rights to the words“world cup”. Criminal sanctions for alleged ambushmarketing were also introduced in South Africa toprotect the World Cricket. As governments across theworld compete to hold these important major events,which undoubtedly bring prestige and economic valueto the host nations, so event holders demand more and

>>THE OLYMPICSACT – AN OVERTHE TOPRESPONSE TOAMBUSHMARKETING?ASKS MARINA PALOMBA,LEGAL DIRECTOR,

OLYMPICS LOCK OUT

brandnews 10

>>THEOLYMPICSACT...(CONT)

The following guidelines have been jointly issued bythe Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) andthe Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA)to provide brand owners with a tried and testedsystem for judging creative work.

Be knowledgeable in advanceTo assess ideas you need to be able to place them in a broader context and compare them against ideasyou have seen elsewhere and considered ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

Come to the meeting with a smileJoin the creative presentation hoping to enjoy yourselfand ready to be inspired. When people are having fun,they listen and contribute.

Back to the briefReminding yourself of your brief is essential. Itprovides you with a framework against which toevaluate the idea. Make sure the agency does this toobefore they present.

Empathise Try to empathise with the people bringing the ideas toyou. Creative people are different. It matters less tothem that the job is done on time and within budgetthan that it is done really well.

Clarify If the idea is not simple and single-minded, thenperhaps the brief was not simple and single-minded

either. Is it on brief? What exactly is the idea? Whatsort of an idea is it? What sort of execution is it? How is the idea going to work?

Question yourself Your first reaction to the work will almost certainly be subjective. Establish what influences may be atwork on your opinion before you start to concentrateon it objectively.

Question the ideaThe clients who know how to use open questions are those who end up with great work, because theyencourage ideas to develop. Start with Who? What?Why? Where? How? When? They involve andstimulate.

ReflectionListen to the agency, make notes, then go away andthink. Reflection is when you ask the HOW questions.How can we take the idea on? How can we adapt it?How can we make it better?

Refinement and the role of researchThese are the WHY questions. The first is, Why changeanything? The less you do to a new and challengingidea, the more you might learn about it in research.

Relax You’ve done everything you can to help the ideasurvive and flourish. There is every reason to believethe idea will be a success.

CREATIVE WORK

Judging Creative Work

more protection in host city contracts, arguably to anunreasonable and detrimental degree.

The reason behind such legislation, as Lord Coe andothers have unashamedly explained, is the need toprotect revenue income. The reality is that LOCOG, willfind no difficulty in raising the necessary £50 million insponsorship money. Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010

have already exceeded their budgets and TOP IOCsponsors for 2012 are already signed up. While one canunderstand the concerns of LOCOG and Lord Coe, theargument that new laws are necessary to guaranteesufficient revenue is simply not justified.

www.ipa.co.uk

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For advice about sponsorship and the rules governing the Olympic logos and details of theOlympic Association Right go to the LOCOG website at:

http://www.london2012.com/en/gettinginvolved/Business/Brandguidelines.htm

BRANDBITES

Magners Irish Cider, launched nationally just sixmonths ago, is being hailed as one of the mostsuccessful marketing stories of recent years.Re-inventing cider drinking, the brand became marketleader overnight. Sadly, Magners is struggling to keepup with demand and has just spent £50m on newbottling facilities.

Dog Rocks of Australia has developed a naturalfood additive that means that if your pet pooch cockshis leg on your lawn, it’ll stay the green, green grassof home and not leave nasty burnt patches.

Apple’s lack of NPD for its iconic iPod, combinedwith competitors catching up, has raised concernsregarding the brand’s long term future. Microsoft,eMusic and Spiral Frog are all now in musicdownloads, whilst the mobile phone companies offeran even greater threat as consumers may prefer asingle portable media and communications devicerather than separate appliances.

Cunning McCain have secretly hatched a plot toget pantomime audiences to sing the soundtrack totheir current Oven Chips TV campaign. Sung to thetune of Lionel Bart classic “Food, Glorious Food”from ‘Oliver!’, parents and children will sing along to“Chips, Glorious Chips”. Clever? Oh no it isn’t,oh yes it is!

Tesco is set to launch an ‘upmarket’ fashionrange into 25 of its stores from October. Snappilyentitled ‘F&F Collection by Lee Rees-Oliviere’, therange is designed to compete with the likes of M&S’sAutograph collection and will enjoy a dedicated areainstore alongside their Florence + Fred ranges.

FEEDBACK?We would appreciate any feedback you may haveregarding this issue of Brand News. Please emailany comments to brandnews@sel-rog.com

brandnews11

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Sellers & Rogers Ltd., Price House, 37 Stoney Street, The Lace Market, Nottingham NG1 1LS t: 0115 955 1159 f: 0115 955 5510e: buildbrands@sel-rog.com www.sel-rog.com

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

BRAND DRIVENCOMMUNICATIONS

Andy SellersDirect tel: 0115 8404 262email: a.sellers@sel-rog.com

David SpenceManaging Director Direct tel: 0115 8404 261email: d.spence@sel-rog.com

Sellers & Rogers is a creative brand communicationsagency whose culture is devoted to building, developingand sustaining brands. We work best with clients whoshare our passionate belief in the power of the brand.

For further information about Sellers & Rogers visit ourwebsite at www.sel-rog.com

Or complete your details below, tick the box of theBrand Driven Communications disciplines whichinterest you and faxback this page to 0115 955 5510– we’ll contact you to discuss your requirements.

Name

Job Title

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Advertising – TV, radio, press, posters

Promotion – onpack, instore, incentives

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Direct – mailings, data management, fulfilment

Digital – web, email, ecomms, mobile, viral

PR – press & public relations, issue management

brandnews 12

Designed, produced and published by Sellers & Rogers Ltd. © 2006

>>THE RISE ANDRISE OFDIGITALPRINTINGJOHN WATSON,MANAGINGDIRECTOR, VIVAIMAGINGCHARTS ITSPROGRESS

Up until the end of the 1980’s, professional photo labsand, to a smaller extent, silk screen printers were themain suppliers of large format graphics for display, POSand exhibition purposes, but the early 1990’s saw thearrival of DTP systems and the start of what we nowknow as ‘digital’ imaging with 35mm (and larger format)presentation slides being produced via desk-topPC’s linked to film writers.

By the mid -1990’s the first commercialinkjet printers were used in Pro labs,printing at 300 DPI at maximum widthsof 900mm and despite costing around£30k, these printers would only print tocoated media and the inks were notparticularly stable in UV light. This meantcolours soon faded and as inks were notwater resistant, graphics needed protectingwith lamination.

Technology rapidly improved throughout the 90’s anddigital artwork became the norm. Inkjet technologyimproved to give higher resolution print output, typically600 DPI, 720 DPI and even 1440 DPI and print speedswere improved to give greater production capacity(although improved print resolution always resulted inslower print speed).

New types of inkjet printers allowed for printing to awider range of media, including outdoor vinyls, fabricsand back-lit transparency film whilst ink stability (colourfastness) improved. Electrostatic printing that allowedfor printing up to 54” wide on a range of materials atfaster speed than inkjet printing seemed the next step,but at £85k-£100k per machine and a lower qualityprint soon saw this methodology disappear.

Inkjet technology continued to improve quality andreduce capital costs, but high end print stayed with thepro-labs, who were able to laser write ontophotographic paper or film to a maximum size of 50”(1.27m) x 50m as a single print. These machines cost in the region of £200k and still relied upon traditional

photographic print processing but gave (and arguablystill do today) the highest quality print output available(quoted as pixels per inch because no dots of ink, justphotographic emulsion layers). The problem with thistype of machine is the limitation of media available toprint on, ie no fabrics, no banner vinyls, only

photographic papers and film.

The mid 90’s onwards saw larger inkjetprinters with different types of inks:aqueous, solvent and so on for differentapplications, some printing up to 5mwide for outdoor building wraps andlarge banners. Generally, printresolution decreased as the printersize increased.

Today we have new ‘Direct-to-Media’printers that allow printing to either rolls

of media or to flat sheets of media, like Foamexpanels, timber panels and even glass and acrylic,sometimes printing on media up to 50mm, or more, thickness.

Inks for some of these machines have been developedso that they cure using UV light and are thereforeextremely stable in sunlight and are both water andscratch resistant, allowing for printing to a vast array ofuncoated media.

In a relatively short period of time, around 15 – 20 years,the large format graphics market has seen dramaticchanges, with digital technology driving these changes.This allows marketers the opportunity to print on a widevariety of media, for indoor and outdoor use, using rollor sheet fed substrates and the printed image has more

stability to water, chemicals and sunlight. In short digitalhas delivered the opportunity to extend creativity – theboundaries are now more to do with the imagination!

John Watson, Managing Director, Viva Imaging.www.vivaimaging.co.uk

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New types of inkjet printersallow for printing to a wider range

of media

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