issue 15
WINTER 2007
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issue 15
WINTER 2007
welcome... TO THE 15th ISSUE OF Com’muni,cator. I hope you have all seen 2007 get off to a good start. Here at S&G our resolution for the year is to build on the success of 2006, and as ever we are looking forward to improving the quality of our work, services and customer satisfaction. With this in mind it is to quality that we turn our attention in Communicator. From the quandary of how to improve a modern day icon with the second generation MINI, to enhancing the quality of Christies catalogues using innovative printing techniques, to taking the family on a year long adventure halfway round the world, we’re reminded that we always need goals and targets to aim for, at home as well as in business. Corporate Social Responsibility is a hot topic for businesses at the moment, since improvements in environmental technology mean that being green no longer means compromising quality. In fact improving your business’s environmental policy may improve your bottom line as well! Whilst many of you will have some knowledge of all the topics we discuss in Communicator, there are many more whose understanding of print is more limited. So if you have any questions about any aspect of print, pre-press, finishing or paper specifying, please let us know so we can include it in the next issue.
contents
Karen connolly, Marketing executive, Stephens & George print group.
06-09 MINI'S MAJOR APPEAL. Mike Askew discovers the improved design icon at the Paris Motor Show.
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12-15 The EnvironmentA Business Issue?
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16-17 Group news.
18-21 Colour quality under the hammer. Auction house Christie's impliments end-to-end colour management.
Many thanks to all our contributors
24-26 Turning over a new leaf.
28-31 in these stones horizons sing. Since opening in November 2004, the Wales Millennium Centre has greeted over one million visitors.
Media industry News IN ASSOCIATION WITH MEDIA WEEK
BBC news weekly set for April launch
BBC Magazines is preparing to launch its long-mooted weekly news magazine by April 2007 and is planning a major push on news-stands, say industry insiders. The publisher has been in talks with retailers and distributors about securing news-stand space for the asyet unnamed magazine. Media Week (June 13 - 20, page 3) exclusively revealed the plans for the news mag under the codename Project Phoenix, which is being developed by BBC Magazines' editorial director Nicholas Brett. The UK news weekly market is driven largely by subscriptions, with newsstand sales accounting for less than a third of all sales.
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Product placement rules set for overhaul
Private Eye is the biggest seller at retail with newsstand sales of 108,081. "They have aggressive newsstand plans, because they will have to create their own category," said an industry source. The launch is likely to coincide with BBC Magazines' next financial year, which begins on 1 April. BBC Magazines was previously understood to want to launch it this year, but it is thought negotiations over the BBC licence fee linked to the debate over the broadcaster's commercial operations caused the delays. The title is expected to have an international remit, modelled on the lines of US magazines such as Time,
which has a 142,314 UK circulation and global sales of 5.2 million. A BBC Magazines spokesman declined to comment, adding: "We never talk about any project until it has been approved."
Product placement on UK television came one step closer yesterday, following a vote by MEPs in the European Parliament, at the first reading of the Television Without Frontiers directive.
A country of origin principle will be put in place, allowing channels to use their own national broadcasting rules when airing in other EU countries.
If passed, the ruling will regulate TV and film images allowing product placement to be used in broadcasts, but a warning would appear on the screen every 20 minutes saying the products have been placed in the TV show or film.
The matter will now be passed to the Council of Ministers for consideration before returning to the European Parliament for a second reading.
The MEPs also voted for the 30-minute rule, which would allow programmes to hold ad breaks within shows of at least 30 minutes in length. A previous proposal would have only allowed breaks in programmes that were at least 45 minutes long.
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Music station to offer CD orders
Independent TV and radio production company Somethin' Else is launching a retail radio station via digital TV and online that enables users to order CDs of the songs it plays. Radio Music Shop will launch tomorrow - 14 December - on Sky and Freeview, as well as on www.radiomusicshop. com, and will be rolled out on DAB, cable and mobile phones next year. Listeners will be able to purchase the CD of each song straight after it has been played, ordering by phone or through the website. Radio Music Shop's 24-hour schedule will play a variety of music genres, differing its output according to
Full Channel 4 schedule to run on BT Movio
the time of day to reflect listening habits. Somethin' Else is confident of demand for the service, despite radio groups such as GCap planning to bypass the CD format by looking to sign up for digital download services that send tracks straight to mobile phones and computers. A spokesman for Somethin' Else said: "A large percentage of music is still purchased in physical form rather than through downloads via the internet. "The shop draws on the huge potential market of back-catalogue and classic CD's that might not be available in the shops."
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BT Movio, the wholesale TV and radio service for mobile operators, has secured the full Channel 4 schedule for its users. The full range of Channel 4 content, programmes such as Hollyoaks and Countdown, will be simultaneously broadcast - or a 'simulcast' - to mobiles.
Taxi Media launches free taxi ride campaign
Launched in conjunction with Virgin Mobile, BT Movio combines live TV channels, DAB digital radio, a 7-day programme guide and red button interactivity. BT Movio recently added ITN News to its portfolio, which also includes live content from BBC1, ITV1 and E4.
Channel 4 has provided content to the service since its launch in October with a package called Channel 4 Short Cuts, a madefor-mobile channel of programme highlights was broadcast on the BT Movio service. The channel will now provide a full service with the exception of some film, sport and US-produced content.
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A Taxi Media campaign for GlaxoSmithKline brand Beechams is offering Londoners free taxi rides between 7am and 10am every Friday for ten weeks. Taxi Media, which is owned by Clear Channel Outdoor UK, has emblazoned 40 Hackney cabs with Beechams All-inOne Liquid Pocket Packs branding to promote the cold relief product. The campaign kicks off today and runs until 16 February. During this time, consumers who hail one of 30 Beechams-branded cabs bearing an orange panel reading "Take this taxi for free" can be carried to their destination for no charge. The promotion forms part of a ÂŁ6.6m multimedia marketing campaign for Beechams, which comprises TV, radio, outdoor, and London Underground advertising.
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MINI’s
major appeal It’s difficult to improve on a design icon, but the team behind the lastest version of the MINI has managed to make this model even more appealing, as Mike Askew discovered at the Paris Motor Show
There was a sense of déjà vu at the Paris Motor show at the end of September. Almost six years to the day that BMW’s new MINI made its public debut, the firm revealed its second-generation model. This time, however, things were a little different. Although the stand had been coated in the usual quantities of matte black paint, the ambience – in keeping with the new cars on display – was more sophisticated. Replacing or even updating a design icon like the MINI isn’t easy. Rover spectacularly failed to improve the car in over 40 years of production and you get the feeling that even BMW – not known for its design sentimentality – felt the pressure on this particular project. Compared with the first-generation Mini, which endured one of the most agonising and bloody development stories in the history of modern motoring, the latest version has positively glided its way through to production. Thanks to a wonderful stage-managed launch campaign that included a rash of concepts and the constant drip-feeding of images and sketches, seeing the cars on the stand at Paris was rather like bumping into old friends.
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Improving an icon The familiarity, of course, is no coincidence. Reinventing an icon is tough enough. Ripping the whole thing up six years later for another go is just asking for trouble. All of which suggests the designers had a fairly easy gig with the second-generation car. Sales have been very good (except for availability issues in recent months) thus a radical new approach was the last thing the MINI needed. But design is never that simple. With new engines, a revised chassis system and tougher safety standards to meet, the second-generation MINI is a completely new car. Only a handful of components have been carried over and with the interior, the whole design is new. The job of creating a new interior without upsetting the clever balance of old and new fell to Marc Girard – the man who masterminded BMW’s 1-Series cabin. For most designers, replacing such an iconic piece of design would have been a tall order. For Girard, the constraints made the job even more interesting. “We didn’t feel the constraints of the old car or the high expectations for the new one made it more difficult. Design legend Raymond Loewy once said that constraints are a designer’s best friend and, yes, we had loads of constraints with this car. These gave us a frame within which it could be developed,” he says.
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The latest version of the MINI has had a smooth ride into production compared with its predecessor
The choice of materials highlights BMW’s desire to improve cabin quality without affecting the bottom line
The MINI adventure The frame didn’t just consist of the physical limitations of the MINI cockpit, either. Because the first-generation car broke ground in many respects, Girard and his team were also under pressure to add new features. Take, for example, the navigation system. Although many designers would simply create a hole in the centre console or a blister on the dash rail to accommodate off-the-shelf hardware, Girard wanted to do something original.
Interior is more welcoming “There was discussion about component sharing in the initial stages of the car, but we ruled this out before we started working on it. Everybody knows MINI is different – and that’s what the board is also saying. There is no place for anything other than MINI parts in this car. We can’t say it’s a MINI if people see other parts and switches. MINI is different, MINI is specific, MINI is authentic. That means everything about it is genuine.”
“We wanted to integrate the navigation system into the speedometer unit and that was a huge challenge because it has never been done before. Creating an interior like this is never easy, and taking any design and moving it into the production process means you have to make it fit all the requirements you have. From this point of view it has been a real adventure.”
Although the packaging is similar to the first-generation MINI – the space requirements of the rear suspension and new engines see to that – the interior is a more welcoming place to spend time. There’s a lightness of touch that was missing on the original, and wherever you look, there’s a detail or a shape that you hadn’t noticed before.
Asked if any elements of the design had to be left on the drawing board, Girard’s face lights up. Although every designer has a story to tell about the one that got away, Girard looks like the cat that got the cream. “It’s amazing – the car looks as though it has been picked up from the drawing board. My colleagues who work in different places at BMW look at the car and say ‘Oh my God, it looks exactly the same as the sketches – you haven’t changed anything’.” When you take a closer look, the newest MINI is impressive because of the effort that has gone in to making something different. Although many industry observers reckoned that BMW wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to fill the MINI’s cabin with familiar switchgear in the hope of saving a few euros, it remains as unique as the day it first appeared. But was there ever a temptation to sneak in the odd switch or lever, just to keep some budget back for something else? Not according to Girard.
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It is not just the arrangment of the furniture that makes the new cabin feel more sophisticated. The choice of materials highlights BMW’s desire to improve cabin quality without affecting the bottom line and clearly, it has been successful. However, getting to the production stage hasn’t been easy. As Annette Baumeister, who masterminded the interior colour and trim on the new car explains: “Production phase is one of the busiest times and it’s hard work – really hard work getting everything to work as you want it.”
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Challenging times for designers “When we started this project, we had some great ideas. But when it comes to reality, you know what you can get and what you can’t. You always try to get to your limit and I think generally, we got the concept we wanted. Creating a car like this with the cost constraints we have is the exciting thing. We have to fight for things just like every other design team, but that was all part of the challenge,” she explains.
More interior options available “We’re particularly proud of the way you can accessorise the new car,” says Girard. “We say every MINI buyer should buy two cars as it’s the only way to sample all the options. You could have one car with piano black and chrome trim, and another with leather and wood. With the earlier edition, you were limited to a few options. With the new MINI we have created more opportunity to change the feel of the interior,” he adds.
Sitting inside any MINI is a treat for the senses, but the latest version has certainly raised the bar again. Curves and textures bound in from every angle and although a poor colour choice could make everything a bit too busy, the overall effect is warm and welcoming. Circles feature prominently and help to break up the long horizontal lines of the dashboard.
It’s not just the flexibility of the interior that makes the MINI special. It’s the mass of details that really marks it apart from everything else on the market. According to Girard and Baumeister, getting the detailing right was the key to creating a design that owners would love.
In terms of switch layout, the new version carries over the caged rocket-launcher switches ahead of the gear lever, but adds an extra row in the headlining in front of the rear view mirror. As before, the centre console is framed by two ‘walrus tusks’ that descend from the centre dash rail to the floor. Perhaps the biggest change is in the number of customised surfaces. On the old car, only a few panels could be changed to personalise the cabin. With this model, the centre dash rail and the door trims can be coloured to create different atmospheres.
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“We pushed every aspect of the interior to the edge – the colour matching, the details, everything,” says Baumeister, “ultimately it’s the difference between a small car and a MINI,” adds Girard. “A MINI is a small car, so we spent a great deal of time on the smallest things like the shape of a switch or the colour of a light. All these little things added together make a premium car. If you put passion into a product, it will last forever.”
Marc Girard with the newest MINI at the Paris show in September – “the car looks as though it has been picked up from the drawing board”
Girard and Baumeister’s work on the new MINI is far from over. The job of getting BMW’s next project – a twodoor estate version recalling the classic MINI Traveller – to production is already well underway. If the conventional MINI is anything to go by, expect great things.
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S&G'S 'PRE-PRESS TIPS'
Acrobat 8 and it’s new interface
with S&G’s Pre-press Expert Mike Donovan
prepress.support@stephensandgeorge.co.uk
A
getting Started A Acrobat 8 is here and it’s newest incarnation is streamlined and is looking as good as Kylie Minogue in a Julian Macdonald frock. Adobe’s latest offering has a task-oriented user interface with customisable toolbars. The new "Getting Started" window is designed to make it easier for users to access and learn how to accomplish the most common or desired tasks in Acrobat. With the most used 20% of the product, compacted in this area, the focus is on speed of use.
The eight featured categories, which are duplicated in the Acrobat 8 taskbar, are: o Create PDF o Combine Files o Export o Start Meeting o Secure o Sign o Forms o Review & Comment Clicking any of the categories opens a taskspecific page containing examples and ideas,
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specific guidelines and additional information, and links to the tools within Acrobat for that particular use. Beneath this cleaner arrangement of icons, toolbars and related navigational elements is an even more powerful application that includes several long-requested features, numerous others aimed at a broad horizontal spectrum of users and several new and expanded features of special interest to select vertical markets.
Opened Documents b Another aspect of the new interface is quickly obvious when you open a PDF file. The new interface puts more focus on displayed documents, reducing the visual clutter in part through the use of customisable toolbars, minimised Navigation pane and expanded Document pane. Along the top, a minimum number of toolbar elements are loaded by default, with a new "Customise Toolbars" option that allows a user to configure additional toolbars with only those tools most B frequently accessed.
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Online Reviewing C Collaboration has been one of the growing uses for PDF in recent years, with the ability to have users review and comment documents through a Web browser and/or email. Making it work well consistently has been a technical challenge for some, often requiring IT support. Further, with e-mail-based reviews, different participants have not been able to see the comments of others, leading to redundancy and creating more work for the review initiator. Acrobat 8 introduces a Shared Review concept that resolves many of the past issues, making it much easier to set up, participate in and benefit from comment-and-review workflows. But Acrobat 8 takes collaboration much further, a direct result of the acquisition of the Macromedia product line. The Web conferencing software previously known as Macromedia Breeze has been rebranded as Acrobat Connect, and is available as a supplement (sold separately) to the product family. From a "Start Meeting" button in either Acrobat or Reader, you can launch a personal meeting room and invite up to 15 people to participate in real time. Participants need only the Flash Player to join a meeting. Connect lets you share your documents and presentations at a click of a button. Your personal meeting URL lets you communicate virtually anytime and anywhere. No scheduling or advance set up is needed and there are no software downloads needed for your attendees.
C
Redaction d In its early days, PDF was pretty much a final-form format—what went into a PDF, stayed in the PDF. Eventually the concept of editable PDF evolved, in concert with the expanded use of the format, including its adoption as a mandated standard in some fields and markets, including many government agencies and departments.
Accordingly, a need arose to be able to remove or hide certain kinds of sensitive information—a process called redaction— in some documents before they could be redistributed, such as concealing the identity of minors in court documents. People developed makeshift solutions—drawing black boxes on top of to-be-hidden text or images in PDF files—only to discover later that the content beneath the boxes was easily retrieved and viewed through a simple cut-and-paste process. A third-party plug-in has been available for doing serious redaction, but Adobe only offered a makeshift workaround... until now. True redaction is now built into Acrobat 8. Users can mark content to be removed, can use search to find other matching references to be marked and then in the final step, apply the redaction and completely remove the information from the file. The tool includes the ability to examine PDFs for related kinds of information, including metadata, that
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D could reveal more than intended; it can also be easily redacted. Once redacted, it's gone for good. All this removal of unwanted data
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reduces the file size considerably and improves the file’s portability.
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Win an iPod Shuffle Got a MINUTE? It’s the New Year, time to look back and reflect upon our recent issues of Communicator.
Does it hit the right buttons? Does it give you the information you want? Is there anything missing that you would like to see in future issues? Please take a few moments to fill in the form below and provide us with your feedback. In return, every returned form will be eligible to take part in our prize draw for the chance to win an iPod Shuffle. Terms and conditions of prize draw: Draw will be held on 24th February 2007. The winner will be informed by email within 7 days of the draw taking place. No alternative prize will be offered.
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The EnvironmentA Business Issue? The environment is a business issue. Businesses are under increasing pressure regarding environmental performance from regulators, stakeholders, customers, insurers, the local community and employees. Experience shows that when a business reduces their impact on the environment, it can save considerable amounts of money from the businesses bottom line and gain a competitive edge. Additionally, a study undertaken by UK organisation ‘Business in the Environment’ concluded that there is a statistically significant negative correlation between environmental performance and stock price volatility (99.4% confidence interval); a very compelling reason for the adoption of improved environmental practices. Companies that introduce formal management of their environmental impact are considered more likely to be to legislatively compliant; have reduced operating costs; and improved company reputation.
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Resource Efficiency Water- Wasting water is costly. Simple and inexpensive measures can typically reduce water consumption by up to 50%. Many businesses use water daily purely for domestic purposes but even here there is scope for savings. Monitoring use can give an early indication of problems such as leaks, which may otherwise go undetected. To reduce water wastage first look at how water is used within the company; then consider how it can be reduced. Simple efficiency measures will bring substantial savings to a variety of businesses, no matter the size. An example of simple low cost measure: A factory employing 100 people had three production lines. Little was known about how water was used on-site as only incoming water was metered. Hose-pipes utilised within the process were found to use 17% of the site’s water consumption. This resulted in water supply and effluent costs of £9,700/year. Trigger nozzles were fitted to the hosepipes and operators trained in their use. The attachments and training cost only £100, but resulted in savings of £3,000 -£4,000/year. The payback period was, therefore, less than two weeks.
Energy- Using more energy than you need wastes resources and money. You don’t need to invest in expensive new technologies to reduce your energy consumption and lower your bills. Direct energy use and emissions from businesses, including electricity generation and business transport, account for over 40% of UK ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions. Energy efficiency is all about using the minimum amount of energy to do the task appropriately and it can be very simple to implement; for example:
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• Switch off equipment when you’re not using it. Turning off a computer at night and weekends reduces its energy consumption by 75%. On average, offices waste £6,000 each year by leaving equipment on over weekends and bank holidays. • Energy efficient lighting can cut energy costs by 60% and maintenance costs by 25%. Switch lights off in empty rooms. • You could cut lighting costs by as much as 15%, just by making sure lights are turned off in rooms and corridors that aren’t being used. • Don’t use more light than you need. Make the most of natural light; it’s free and it won’t damage the environment. • Reducing heating temperature by just one degree could cut the heating bill by as much as 10% and most staff are comfortable at 19°C. The Climate Change levy was introduced in the 2001 budget, as a tax on business energy use in order to help achievement of the UK climate change targets. This tax is calculated and paid through energy bills. There are some exemptions to the levy, mainly to encourage businesses to obtain their energy from renewable sources. Waste - The inescapable fact about waste is that it is costly; costly in terms of energy, materials, manpower, storage space, time and effort; in addition to the obvious disposal costs. The real cost of waste can be as much as 10% of your annual turnover. Resource efficiency is the prevention or reduction of waste at source. It will save money, reduce risk of pollution; comply with legislation, and reduce/eliminate landfill use. Importantly, an operator of commercial premises has a legal ‘Duty of Care’ regarding every consignment of waste that is taken from the premises for disposal. The operator must ensure the party who disposes of waste on their behalf is suitable licensed, and that the end disposal site is correctly regulated. Additionally, the operator has a duty to ensure that all wastes are stored correctly on site and that measures are provided to prevent any waste streams escaping and causing harm to environmental mediums. Of particular note to businesses, are the Hazardous Waste Regulations, which came into force in July 2005. The List of Wastes Regulations 2005 defines what is classified as a hazardous waste. Some wastes which were
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previously deemed ‘Special Wastes’ are now classified as hazardous within these Regulations. Some common waste streams which are produced by many premises that are now applicable, are fluorescent tubes (strip lighting) and televisions and computer monitors. Importantly, if your premises produce 200kgs of wastes listed within the Regulations, then you are required to comply with the requirements. 200kgs is the equivalent to approximately 10 small TVs; 14 lead acid batteries; 500 fluorescent tubes; and 5 small domestic fridges. Air Quality All kinds of commercial and industrial activity result in the release of pollutants into the atmosphere. Regulations exist so that local authorities have some control over the air quality in their areas. Various pollutants, included those which are emitted by vehicles and fixed installations, are covered by these regulations. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) There are many recognised Standards, which provide a framework in which to achieve and assess regulatory compliance, and manage and improve a Company’s environmental performance. The most widely accepted is BS EN ISO 14001: 2004. In a recent survey undertaken by ENDS® regarding the credibility and usefulness of achieving an EMS, a respondent from a manufacturing company concluded that ‘a certified EMS is becoming regarded as the minimum necessary to convince their stakeholders that an organisation is taking their environmental performance seriously’. It is widely acknowledged that achieving an externally audited system can be costly and may be beyond the means of many small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Often, smaller companies will set out their environmental objectives within an Environmental Policy; this will usually be the minimum requirement for companies within a supply chain, when required to prove their environmental credentials. In smaller companies, a reduced ‘bespoke’ EMS can be just as effective in providing a framework to manage environmental impacts and reduce resources (and ultimately achieve substantial savings!), provided there is tangible commitment from Senior Management. Alica Thomas Environmental Compliance www.envirocompli.com
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S&G group news SCOTTISH PPA AWARDS
Congratulations!
S&G Magazines were proud to sponsor the Scottish PPA Awards 2006, we have offered ongoing support since the introduction of the Scottish Arm to the Periodical Publishers Association.
Back in November we sponsored the Cream Awards in Birmingham.
The event was held at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Glasgow on 30th November 2006 hosted by Giles Brandreth, journalist, author and actor. The Periodical Publishers Association is based in London and has been promoting the interests of magazine publishers across the UK for over 90 years. It has an overall membership of some 350 publishers covering 2,500 magazine titles and a total of 4520 products and services. PPA Scotland represents over 30 member organisations from the Scottish magazine and publishing industry and is chaired by Justin Chater, Director of Pinpoint Scotland, Edinburgh. PPA Scotland is administered by Kathy Crawford, Business Manager.
A great night was had by all and S&G ran a competition to capture the night on film. Each table was equipped with disposable cameras to use throughout the evening. These cameras were collected and developed and selections of the best were put onto our website at www. stephensandgeorge.co.uk/events. Visitors were encouraged to pick a photo and add a caption to it in order to win a luxury Welsh hamper. The lucky winner was Katy Maxwell from Kubiak Creative, Bristol with the following entry:
Andrew Jones, Group Managing Director of S&G presented the award for Publisher of the Year to Paul Grant, Pro-Sports Promotions.
Cream Awards S&G were proud to sponsor the Cream Awards 2006 held at the Burlington Hotel, Birmingham on the 2nd November. Open exclusively to companies or individuals in The Midlands, East, South West and Wales, the Cream Awards is the platform to demonstrate creative skills. The night was hosted by comedian Adam Hills and both Simon Moss, Group Sales Director and Mark Williams, Group Commercial Sales Director presented a number of awards on the evening.
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" And the winner of the best face for radio goes to..."
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NEW STARTERS
GROUP NEWS – PUBLISHING EXPO
Welcome to...
Stephens & George Print Group in Partnership with Agfa will be exhibiting at Publishing Expo 2007 on 14th & 15th February at Olympia 2, London.
Richard Noel – Trainee Sales Estimator Richard is 22 years old and a proud father of a 1 year old son, he lives locally with his girlfriend. Having graduated from university over a year ago, he was looking for a place to kick start his career. He gained some experience in temporary administrative type roles, the last being at the financial giant GMAC UK. He says ‘When I started at Stephens & George, I was welcomed by a very friendly and professional team. I’ve worked at a digital print room before, but the scale on which the company operates is quite different. I’m happy to be part of this team, and hope to have a long and fruitful career.’ Barry McDonald – Trainee Sales Estimator. Barry is twenty two years of age and lives in Tredegar. He’s always tried to make the best of his abilities and studied for a career in office work while at school.
Thanks to Agfa :Delano, Stephens and George is now open for business 24 / 7. Our customers can simply log in and enjoy unlimited access to the entire print and proofing cycle. That way they save time, save money and improve quality. Contact us now and book a one to one demonstration of :Delano at the show on Wednesday 14th February and Thursday 15th February to quality for our 5* Romantic break to Paris for two prize draw. Telephone – 01685 388888 Email – sales@stephensandgeorge.co.uk Visit – www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk
Take the lead with
:Delano
icon in print management
See us on stand A200 at Olympia 2, London. Instead of taking a year out of Education, he studied Film and Media at college, attaining a diploma via Coleg Gwent. He now helps out independent companies in his spare time as well as writing and playing his own music. Barry says ‘I am new to the print industry, having previously worked as an Audio Video Editor in Cardiff. However, what I have seen during my short time here has filled me with confidence that I can accomplish a rewarding career within a successful team at Stephens & George’. Andrew Price – Sales Estimator Andy joined our estimating department at the beginning of October; he is 35 years old and lives in Bristol. A self confessed sports fanatic playing football 3 times a week and watching it the rest of the time on TV! Prior to joining S&G he worked for Butler and Tanner in various departments including estimating, before leaving to set up his own business – it wasn’t too long until the print bug hit him and he leapt at the chance to join S&G’s estimating department.
In October, Martin Owen and Stephen Mitchell both rejoined the bindery, Carlos Diaz, Donna Thomas, and Alun Morgan were also welcomed into S&G Bindery. Jacqueline Doran and Richard Williams also joined Pelican Print Finishing in October and SGC Printing welcomed Nathan Morgan in November.
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S&G Santa visits local ward S&G donated 3 sacks full of toys to the local Childrens Ward at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil. On Tuesday 19th December Vanessa Jones and Karen Connolly of Stephens and George visited the Childrens Ward at Prince Charles Hospital with 3 Santa sacks of presents for children who will be in hospital over Christmas. Susan, who looks after the play room said 'We are very grateful to Stephens and George and this will make the kids day'. The hospital are grateful for any donations especially for older children. The ward looks after children from babies up to the age of 16 - most donations are for the younger ones but S&G donated presents suitable for a range of ages. We also donated a sack full of presents to the Santa Appeal ran by Merthyr Tydfil County Council. The presents are distributed to disadvantaged children in the borough.
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World-famous fine art auction house Christie’s has improved print quality and consistency and dramatically shortened leadtimes in producing catalogues by implementing end-to-end colour management and printing to ISO standards. Michael Walker reports. Since the first auction by James Christie in 1766 Christie’s has expanded both in locations and in the range of items it handles, selling everything from pre-Columbian American art to rock’n’roll memorabilia as well as contemporary and classic paintings, sculpture, ceramics, furniture and jewellery at its rooms in London, Amsterdam, Geneva, Rome, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong and New York. The supporting catalogues that the company produces are not only a guide for prospective bidders but are widely used as reference publications by art historians, museums and collectors, as they encapsulate the expertise of Christie’s specialist staff. Given that the items listed and pictured within sell for anything between a few hundred and several million pounds, accurate and faithful reproduction is paramount. Coupled with the need for quality is the requirement for rapid production. Christie’s originates and publishes more than 600 catalogues a year, ranging from ‘magalogues’ at around 100 pages up to nearly 300 page books supporting major sales. Print runs are typically in the low thousands; the majority of work is produced at the company’s inplant facility at South Bermondsey, with some overflow work contracted out to external printers.
In late 2004, Gordon Baird, managing director of Christie’s International Media Division, the branch of the firm responsible for the production of all printed materials, was looking for ways to speed up repro work and improve consistency between jobs originated in London, New York or elsewhere internationally. With well over a hundred thousand images being handled each year (more than 160,000 in 2005), anything that would streamline production whilst improving colour consistency was important to investigate. “ We wanted to implement complete colour control in all areas, from image capture to print,” says Baird. “We were aiming for better consistency between proofs and press without chasing colour.” The photographic studios at Christie’s London site use highend Leaf Volare digital camera backs to capture flat art and 3D objects; there is also an ICG drum scanner to handle the small proportion of transparencies that remain. According to Gordon Baird, the image capture from the digital cameras using the manufacturer’s generic input profile wasn’t ideal and necessitated an amount of basic colour correction work for all images: “ We were starting with non-ideal RGB images,” Baird comments, “which we had been correcting using Photoshop, but this process was time-consuming and unique to each photographer or image editor, which wasn’t adequate from a process control perspective, even though the results were still good.” To address this and take the time and potential for variability out of the image capture and repro process, Baird called in Lastra Imaging who appointed colour management consultant Neil Barstow of colourmanagement.net to review the entire production process.
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Barstow’s first step was to accurately profile the Leaf camera backs. As the cameras are always used under strictly controlled studio lighting conditions, building input profiles was a reliable means for producing accurate colour capture. Profiles were created for flat art, 3D objects and for shooting under polarised light, often necessary to reduce shine on canvases; a special profile was even made for shooting old mahogany, which can otherwise appear too red. The drum scanner was also profiled. The photographers view the captured images on high quality calibrated and profiled monitors in subdued lighting conditions so they can judge the need for any colour correction and pass that information to Image Processing along with the digital file. Since the photographer has seen both the original object and the capture on a reliable display, he can vouch for the capture quality. At the repro stage, where wider gamut profiled screens are used, subject experts will also examine the images and make recommendations for improvement. Working with profiled monitors means that repro operators can reliably view and soft proof images approved by the photographers and make safe decisions about further adjustment; previously, it was often the case that a repro technician or subject specialist would have to physically locate the object – painting, piece of jewellery, sculpture, item of furniture – in the warehouse in order to assess the accuracy of the image, which could be extremely time consuming. Having optimised the image capture and retouching process, the next area for attention was the press. To achieve reliable and consistent press behaviour, it was decided to run to ISO 12647-2 conditions, which define measured colours rather than ink weights, and a ‘tonal value increase’ (TVI) which includes all factors in the
prepress/press operation that can affect tonal values on paper, not just the dot gain. Rather than attempt to profile each press (there are four MAN Roland B1 presses at the South Bermondsey plant), test jobs were run on one until optimum colour and TVI values within the tolerances of the ISO standard were reached and then the other presses adjusted to match. The TVI optimisation process also included calibration of Christie’s CTP device to allow for press behaviour. From an iterative series of trials and measurements it was then possible to create a custom CMYK output colour profile that allows images from the Leaf camera backs to be converted directly to press CMYK. Any further image editing is then carried out in CMYK as Christie’s repro operators have long experience of and familiarity with this mode of colour editing. By standardising on these press conditions it becomes straightforward to achieve measurable consistency in the printed results. More than that, carrying out the measurement and adjustment process has brought improved quality in the end results, as Gordon Baird explains: “ We now find we’re getting a better dynamic range and improved colour saturation in print; there’s more life and shape in what’s on the paper than before.” The third major part of the colour management project was to provide accurate and reliable proofing to support the photography, design and repro processes. Existing digital proofers at Christie’s were difficult to profile accurately to match the press via their proprietary control software and were ultimately
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replaced with large format Epson models driven by GMG software. This enabled accurate modelling of the press behaviour to be achieved, which in conjunction with careful profiling of the RIP/proofer combination and proof viewing under controlled lighting conditions gives an extremely close match between proof and printed result. Unlike many printers, who still work to a generic proof ‘standard’ and then try to match it on the press, the ISO-based method applied by Lastra and Neil Barstow maximises the capability of the press and then seeks to make the proofer reproduce that, which is a more sensible approach as the press is the output device that governs the quality of the finished product, not the proofer. The colour-managed approach also allows for faithful soft proofing, allowing the studio photographers and the repro operators to make valid assessments of their images and to make image corrections in a predictable environment. Images are scatter-proofed before page layout is completed so that early assessment can be made; any corrections deemed necessary can then be standardised for entire shoots or classes of subject, such as jewellery, ceramics or ‘old master’ paintings, again saving time and producing consistent results. The work on proofing was carried out during the spring of last year and live production using the colour-managed system began in July/August. Up to this point, Gordon Baird had ensured that all processes were paralleled using existing methods, but the switchover went smoothly. “Now we can put a job on the press and run it to the numbers and get a faithful representation of the original subject in ink on paper, given the limitations of the process,” comments Baird, adding, “We’ve
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managed those limitations and eliminated all the variables so we have a closed loop from image capture to ink on paper.” In theory, achieving complete end-to-end colour management and process control shouldn’t be too hard to do when you operate your own printing plant and have control over every stage in the reproduction process. But what happens when part of the process has to be carried out elsewhere? In Christie’s case, it is sometimes necessary to outsource work to meet particular deadlines but of course quality cannot be compromised. To ensure that it’s not, Christie’s, Lastra and Neil Barstow have been working with three external printers who carry out overflow work for Christie’s, helping them to implement ISO 12647-2 for their own presses. Because the press conditions will then be a good match to Christie’s own, jobs can be printed externally with a high degree of confidence that the results will be as good as if done in-house.
In a tender process lasting over a year with 3 months of stringent print testing, Stephens & George is proud to have become one of the three external print partners for Christie's auction house
Neil Barstow sums up the project thus: “ We have simplified processes by minimising the idiosyncrasies which appeared in the past and given the ability to view images correctly; this doesn’t remove operator skill, it enhances it.” Gordon Baird is happy that the project has achieved its aims. “We’ve managed to provide a better starting point in each process area for a more consistent result. As well as saving time on image correction, we’re getting results that are as good as was ever possible previously when good photography, great repro and excellent printing came together, but on a consistent basis.”
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turning over a new leaf?
by Edwin ColYer
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The cynical view says that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is just the latest lobbying tool. In the UK, at least, political donations are a big no-no for corporations. CSR is simply another way of winning favor with government. A more charitable view says that consumers and companies now realize that sustainability makes sense. Murray Hogarth of Australian-based Ecos Corporation, prefers this positive stance. “Compared to 20 years ago, then yes, people are more responsible. We’re seeing young CEOs coming in and they have greater instincts for the environment and sustainability. These people have grown up with these issues.” Andy Acho agrees that concern for the environment has improved. He says that when Bill Ford tried to promote environmental strategies at Ford in the early 1990s, he struggled to win support. Nevertheless, he was still able to appoint Acho as Worldwide Director of Environmental Outreach and Strategy at Ford Motor Company. “Your job,” Acho quotes Ford as saying, “is to champion proactive environmental action around the world. It will be good for the environment and good for Ford.” For Rebecca Collings, head of CSR at Corporate Edge, the concept of corporate responsibility has simply turned full circle. “All the long established companies started out within communities. They were communitybased and therefore acted responsibly, for example by building workers’ housing or providing schools. With globalization the accountability disappeared. But consumer pressure has helped to remind businesses that they have responsibilities.”
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Yet CSR makes sense. “It is a logical business strategy,” says Collings. “It’s easy to see how decreasing energy consumption, for instance, can lower costs. You can save up to 30 percent in business energy costs, simply with good housekeeping measures such as turning off lights and computers.” Environmental and social concern often gives an obvious return on investment. Less waste means less cost. Better treatment of staff means more people stay longer and you spend less on recruitment and training. Acho lists numerous environmental activities at Ford that have a direct financial benefit. For instance, by switching from wooden to plastic reusable containers for car parts, the company saved up to US$ 4 per engine; the move also improved product quality because there was less dust in the paint shops. Similarly, the company planted trees around a new plant in Brazil to replace those chopped down -- and consequently lowered the temperature inside the plant, saving energy costs. Another scheme, involving Born Again Binders, which reused ring binders in the company’s HQ, saved over $100,000. “It makes sense to be green, even if you don’t care about the environment,” says Acho. The Body Shop saw the benefits of a green approach when it was founded in the 1970s. “The business was very much founded on the personal values of Anita and Gordon Roddick,” says Nicky Amos, Head of Corporate Responsibility. “They had strong principles in protecting human rights and the environment. They also had to be frugal. As a start up they couldn’t spend much on packaging. Bottles were reused because there weren’t enough to go round, and shop interiors were simple because they were cheap.”
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If companies have finally realized the financial benefits of cleaning up their act, their next question is how else to turn these efforts to their advantage. They want to communicate their efforts to customers and investors, perhaps through a new responsible brand. “ When this began, the mere fact that you had a policy was a differentiator,” says Ecos’ Hogarth. “Now it is more sophisticated, and depends more on what you are actually doing.” You can’t kid the more environmentally conscious consumer anymore by just adding a dash of CSR magic to your marketing. “Consumers get furious about greenwashing. You can’t just badge products as green. You need to get your own house in order. The marketing challenge for business begins inside the company. If you can’t convince your own staff then you’ll never convince consumers,” Hogarth cautions. “ You shouldn’t make CSR part of a brand unless you are walking the talk,” agrees Collings at Corporate Edge. “You should only talk about CSR if you really are measuring and managing your social and environmental performance. It can otherwise cause serious reputational damage.” She describes the experience of her client adidas, which has worked at managing its supply chain to ensure CSR carries right through the organization’s activities. “Nothing has been communicated to the public, but somehow the company has differentiated itself. The fact that you do the right thing rather than saying you are doing it - somehow it seeps out. There’s a huge risk if you try to make something of CSR - people will always try to prove you wrong.”
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“ You’ve got to think holistically,” warns Ken Peattie, Director of the ESRC Centre for Business Relationships Accountability, Sustainability and Society at the University of Cardiff in the UK. “It needs to be done from the heart, not because it is seen as a good idea or a means of competitive advantage. You need to be holistic; the media love a hypocrite.” Acho agrees that CSR should not be seen as part of a marketing strategy. “We’re not doing our environmental work for PR or for marketing, but because it makes good sense. The environment is part of what we do as a normal course of action. Do we have the reputation? I don’t think we have the reputation we deserve. We’ll have to do much more before our efforts are really recognised. I think the public is twice as likely to discredit you for not being green as for rewarding you for being green.” While CSR should not form an explicit part of brand communication, companies are, nevertheless, faced with a terrible dilemma: CSR still has a direct influence on brand equity. Those companies not convinced by the triple bottom line and hoping to get away with the minimum should heed Peattie: “There’s no dividing line between brand management and corporate responsibility.” Edwin Colyer is a science and technology writer based in Manchester. Reproduced with kind permission from brandchannel.com
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with S&G’s Graham Elias
Q&A
1Q. Do S&G have any quality accreditations? 1A. Yes, S&G has been accredited with an ISO Quality Standard since December 1995 and upgraded to ISO 9001/2000 in September of 2003 and for the last two years have implemented ISO 12647-2-2004 which helps standardise print ‘make ready’ across Europe. 2Q. How do S&G control their suppliers when purchasing? 2A. We only use suppliers from the Approved Suppliers List. 3Q. What measures do you take to control non-conforming product? 3A. We have a procedure which makes sure every nonconforming product is clearly identified and segregated. A written document is produced which is recorded electronically for analysis. 4Q. What preventative measures do S&G take to avoid non-conforming products? 4A. Quality inspection is performed through all aspects of production and timed samples are taken for reference. 5Q. What measures are in place to ensure continual improvement? 5A. S&G are renowned for keeping up with the latest technology and acquiring the latest equipment therefore are active in seeking external training for those who will be operating the new equipment. There is also structured training and development including performance reviews and appraisals for all employees. This enables management to identify areas of weakness and improve upon them. Inter-departmental meetings take place regularly where ideas for improvement are also progressed.
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6Q. How do you monitor customers’ satisfaction? 6A. We produce an annual Customer Satisfaction Survey which provides valuable information when planning improvements to service and quality. Compliments are also recorded! 7Q. How do S&G deal with customer complaints? 7A. As part of ISO accreditation we have a non-conformance procedure which is geared to place great emphasis on preventive action. All complaints are processed through our Quality Manager to ensure all customers’ issues are addressed. 8Q. What steps have S&G taken to ensure colour accuracy? 8A. We are working to the ISO 12647-2-2004 standard. This requires us to produce each process colour to a tight tolerance of the agreed spectral colour – the way the ink is transferred to the sheet can dramatically alter its colour. This accuracy factored with the amount of dot spread on the press achieves predictable print which we can produce on each press and also on our new Epsom proofing system.
If you have a question you would like answered on any subject of the printing process, please email your questions to: Karen.Connolly@stephensandgeorge.co.uk and we will try and include it in our next edition.
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On November 26 2004, Wales Millennium Centre [WMC] opened its doors to the public. From its beginnings, when the Arts Council of Great Britain first identified the need for an Opera House in Wales, WMC has been a focal point for the performing arts. From enormous, international spectaculars to ground-breaking community projects, in its first two years of activity the Centre welcomed nearly 150 shows, having over 650 performances between them – not counting the free foyer shows, of which there have been over a thousand! WMC has greeted over one million visitors through its doors, and has played host to over twenty-five thousand children on educational visits.
at the personal level – the speech, the great literary history, the very people of Wales - all of Wales is represented in the buildings and architecture of Cardiff Bay, and no building represents these things more than WMC. Every part of WMC is designed to have a meaning, to portray something unique to Wales in its look and touch. The list is endless: there is the wave of the building’s crest, that echoes the movement of the bay and the hills of the Welsh landscape; the layers of slate that line the building, to recreate cliffs of the Heritage Coast of South Wales; the etched lines that run the windowed fascia of the building, inspired by the hills, valleys and waters of Wales. The Centre is composed of its influences, and yet has become something far more than just the sum of its parts.
Over the past 20 years Cardiff Bay has begun a period of re-growth, turning itself into a focal point for all the city of Cardiff, and instigated a renaissance of the With construction beginning in February 2002, it once bustling coal exporting Cardiff Docks - an area took until November 2004 for WMC to finally open its that had, a hundred years ago, been the centre point of doors to the public. With the opening weekend came Cardiff. Its ever expanding skyline tells a story of that extraordinary performances from both stars and the growth, and reveals the area as being somewhere new, yet community, and the launch of the HSBC Cymru For deeply rooted in the traditions and history that the area The World Honours, which pay tribute to Welsh artists provides. Influences can be found in the specific, local who have made an outstanding contribution to worlds of music, theatre and film. Immediately after this opening surroundings, such as the barrage, docks and historic Tiger Bay areas, in the more generalised outlines and WMC began its programme of world-class shows, and silhouettes of the Welsh coastlines and mountains, and hasn’t stopped since. From the bold innovation of Telephone: +44 (0)1685 388888 Facsimile: +44 (0)1685 385732 find out more at www.stephensandgeorge.co.uk
Europe’s biggest touring opera company Welsh National Opera to show-stopping runs of West-End shows, from classical ballet and startling modern dance to awardwinning comedy, WMC has constantly presented the finest staged entertainment in the world. One of the biggest challenges when construction began was to ensure the quality of the sound within the theatres was at its best. WMC had to produce an auditorium which could project voices of soloists and choirs equally well as sound which are amplified by electronic means. The volume of an area and the texture of its surfaces all have an effect on sound and these effects are known as acoustics. In the Donald Gordon Theatre the base of the seats have 121 holes drilled into them. This allows the same acoustic quality for each seat regardless of whether someone is sat in it. There are textured acoustic tiles, and bands of hardwoods line the balconies helping to break up and defuse the sound around the auditorium. Huge panels can also be hung from the ceiling along the walls, called Variable Acoustic panels – these panels alter the acoustic nature of the auditorium.
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Although rooted in theatrical performance, WMC also manages something that few other arts centres achieve – It has become a true national centre for the arts. This idea of WMC as a hub for the arts has meant that community has been placed firmly at the heart of WMC, with free daily performances in the Glanfa Foyer to be enjoyed by everyone, community based performances such as 2005’s The Old Man From The Sea, and events designed to encourage those who wouldn’t normally attend the theatre, such as the annual Breaking The Bay weekend. In April 2005 WMC hosted the Urdd National Eisteddfod, Europe’s largest youth festival (a visit that will be repeated every four years), and WMC is home to regular visits by schools from all over Wales, who take advantage of the Centre’s extensive education programme, artsExplorer (WMC’s hands-on interactive gallery) and tour facilities. The programme of education and community awareness is furthered by the close ties that WMC has with its resident companies. When the building was still at the concept stages, it was decided that WMC would be home to 7 resident arts companies, all of whom would create, develop and promote new work all year round. Academi (The Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society For Writers), Diversions (The Dance Company of Wales), Hijinx Theatre (an award-winning, innovative theatre company that promotes community work, aiming to bring together people of all ages), Touch Trust (providing educational touch and movement therapies to people with profound disabilities and autism), Tŷ Cerdd (music information centre for Wales’ amateur and professional musicians), Urdd Gobaith Cymru (The Youth Movement of Wales) and Welsh National Opera all have office and work space within the walls of Wales Millennium Centre, with facilities between them including performance spaces, rehearsal halls, a fully equipped recording studio, a dance house and residential accommodation for 150 young people.
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Perhaps the most enduring part of WMC, however, is the contribution made by the audiences and visitors. The building is always busy, be it with people waiting to see an evening’s entertainment, having a drink in one of the many bars or restaurants whilst watching a free performance, or just calling in to ‘show off’ the building to visiting friends and family. Guests come from all over the world to see the building, to experience productions in its theatres, and to get a feeling of the true Wales. At every stage of development WMC was designed to represent both the country and its people, and to that end, it succeeds admirably. WMC has become a symbol of pride for Wales, a statement of both the past, present and future of a nation as a whole, and, more specifically, that nation’s contribution to the arts. And WMC is still growing: the number of shows and performances in rising every week, the reach of the Centre’s reputation is spreading to more and more countries, and the building itself is physically growing, with the addition of the new extension (to house more arts organisations). Wales Millennium Centre is a symbol, an architectural marvel that truly helps both describe and define the landscape of Wales, an indelible part of the country that shows off all that is great about the Arts in Wales, and will continue to bring the best entertainments in the world to Wales’ grandest stage for generations to come.
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on the couch
Ashley Rawlings
What was the motivation to embark on such a journey? Two things spring immediately to mind. The first was that I had spent quite a few years building a successful(ish) business and a consequence of this was I was having trouble remembering the names of my four children and my long suffering partner Clare (Clair?? Claire?? Clara??). We felt that you only have one chance of getting your relationship with your kids right and coming home from work at 9pm and leaving at 6am doesn’t really meet the criteria for a “happy family life” whatever that may be! My partner, Clare, is both adventurous and mad (in the nicest possible way, I hasten to add) was really very, very, very bored at work and so we thought about various schemes to take a bit of quality time off with the kids. I think the kids know their mother and father much better now which is not altogether a good thing as they have taken to calling her “Mad Mum”, for her ability to face off Kenyan lions and me “The Elephant Man” – more, I hope from my skills at dealing with “difficult” wild elephants than my resemblance to the unfortunate man in the film of the same name! Were there any issues in the planning stages? Yes! We sold the business and the house and Clare had to resign from her job as the organization she worked for made collective spluttering noises into their tea when she asked for a “leave of absence” for a year. Fair enough I think. The passport office in Newport rejected one of my daughter’s applications about seven times due to her translucent appearance in her photos, “it’s the climate that makes children opaque” I tried to explain and they finally issued a passport with about three days to go before departure. How did you overcome the Educational bureaucrats? Actually, this was one of the easiest pre-departure “problems”. Four children at three different schools and wonderfully supportive teachers and head teachers who provided a lot of “learning” materials for us to use with the kids whilst we were away. The teachers were the most open minded people of all the officialdom we had to deal with and were rather envious of the opportunity that the children were getting. You drove a Land Rover - what made this your choice vehicle? I had never actually owned a car before, being a motorcyclist by religion. I admit to being a total innocent when it comes to cars. I have never been interested in them beyond their ability to deliver you from A to B warm and dry. The vehicle we chose is a 2005 110 Defender County station wagon TD5 to give it the full title or “The Land Rover with no name” as it became to be known. It has been extensively modified from the base vehicle to be able to cope with being a moving home to 4 kids and 2 adults. It is robust and flexible enough to cruise on motorways yet sand, mud, dust and snow can’t stop it unless you have all of those conditions at the same time. Using a Land Rover as a base
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What did you miss most over the past year? Things that I missed: 1. Evening classes in philosophy with friends in the Star and Old Green Tree pubs in Bath. 2. Rugby on a Saturday afternoon with Combe Down. 3. Visiting Bristol rugby from time to time and having one of Tony’s real Cornish pasties at half time. 4. The challenge of running a business. It provided me with somewhere to go during the day and kept me off the streets! 5. Clare’s parents being in close and constant contact with all of us. 6. The beauty and ease of everyday life in Bath and knowing how everything works. 7. My family in North Wales and Sheffield. 8. The kid’s hamsters. “If Pip is a Syrian hamster Dad, would she need a passport to visit Syria?” My answer explains that she is as British as us and as amulti-cultural society we celebrate her Syrian origins but confer all the rights and responsibilities that all British hamsters of Syrian descent deserve. Things that I don’t miss include: 1. The constant hectic pace of life in the UK where you never have time to think. 2. The “State Control” that we are all so accepting of in Britain these days. 3. British Telecom (enough said). 4. Being made to feel like a weirdo when striking up a conversation with a stranger.
vehicle makes perfect sense. They have been around for so long now in one guise or another that everyone makes bits and pieces that bolt on with relative ease and they are built near Birmingham by nearly normal people. I felt a little self conscious driving the thing around Bath before departure but this is not the natural habitat of a large 4X4. Modifications to the car and equipment have been many and some have worked well whilst others haven’t been worth doing...but you learn by experience. All the information about what worked and didn’t is on the website.
For the very sad, here is a list of the major modifications to the car• Diff guards (Scorpion) • Steering guard (Mantec) • Safari snorkel • OME shocks and springs (2 inch raise) • 40 litre water tank in rear left wing • 158 litre Long Ranger fuel tank • Dual battery system and monitor • Ipod interface • Cig lighter sockets 3 in front 3 in back • Spot lights • Bull bar/winch bumper • Winch • BF Goodrich A/T tyres & 2 spares
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• Security grills for rear load area windows (mobile storage systems) • Engel fridge 12 volt (40 litre) • Rear wheel carrier with Hi-Lift jack and shovel mount • Rock sliders • Wider eyebrows (modified in Turkey) • Mobile storage systems drawers • Sand ladders • Inverter 240V • Hannibal roof rack • Roof tent/Oz tent • On board compressor & air tank. • Fuel tank guard • Security chests • Gas bottle holder with QD fittings
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How did the children cope with the expedition? Very, very well. They all threw up spectacularly in Syria and that was it for illness from then on. Hardly a cold, a sniffle or anything else on the whole trip. Another positive thing is that our kids suddenly realize how lucky they are to have been born in the UK and can appreciate that in many ways (although not all) life is easier and more secure for them than in many parts of Africa. Tell me about the website and its role? Being a miserable mean middle aged skinflint I thought that I would save a fortune on postal costs if everyone could keep up with our “doings” on the web. Enterprise Africa – what’s that all about? I am optimistic about the future of Africa and spent quite a lot of time looking into micro-finance initiatives and the care of AIDS orphans in various countries. The Africans are natural entrepreneurs and I sometimes get quite angry about how the media portray Africa as the continent of lost causes, death and disease. It really isn’t like that at all and despite the poverty there are many positive things happening, enough positive things for me to feel confident that most of Africa will be able to solve their own problems with homegrown solutions. What did you as a family gain? The trip brought us together and opened our minds to new cultures. The children blossomed in many ways proving to me at least that informal education can be as good as a more structured one. What did you personally gain? I can now remember with a 90% accuracy rate the kid’s names, oh and I can now almost feel comfortable driving a car. What took you out of your comfort zone? Large wild animals can be quite challenging when all you have is a “dog stick” of English hazel to ward them off with. Botswana was a case in point as Moremi National Park and Chobe NP have unfenced campsites like Xanthana camp. A very nice place next to a reed covered lake. We had brought our charcoal with us and picked up enough wood for a campfire on the way, so had a Braai (BBQ). I thought I’d go and get the sweet chilli sauce out of the fridge to put on my sausages so was rooting around in the back of the LR and of course, being a man I couldn’t find it so shouted “Clare, where’s the sweet chilli sauce?” usually Clare would respond by saying “Use your eyes”, but this time I heard Ella’s (my eldest daughter) trembling voice say “Dad, there’s an elephant behind you!” I turned round to find….yes a twelve foot elephant two feet away. How had it managed to sneak up soooo silently? I had no idea as my thought process was going something like
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this…thinks errrrr, errrrrr, errrrrrr, errrrrr – I wasn’t really prepared for this, a hedgehog I can deal with, get my gloves and move it out of harms way….but a wild elephant….no, brain cells completely empty on this one. Ella and Tess in the meantime had scampered up the ladder into the front tent and were screaming at the top of their lungs, Polly and Nye in the rear tent were (sensibly really) as quiet as mice, Clare was checking the life insurance policy to see if death by elephant attack was covered and I was just standing there like a gormless twit still thinking errrr, errrrr, errrr. The elephant and I made eye contact and it seemed to be trying to say “Really noisy kids, Ash” and then it just turned and moved silently off into the night……Clare said “ Are you alright?” to which I replied “Errrr, errrr, errrrr” Kids came down and as we were still talking about the elephant a hyena burst out of the bushes about 30 yards away and ran at full tilt through our camping spot and into the bushes on the other side….really too much for one night and I kept my faithful “dogstick” at the ready as Clare and the kids brushed their teeth and got into bed. The hyenas came back and we watched them warming their toes around our campfire from the roof tents. The toilet bucket was relocated on the roof of the LR between the tents as no one wanted to get down to ground level to go to the loo. One good thing about the hyenas was that they removed and ate my smelly desert boots in the night….and no, we didn’t find their corpses scattered around the next morning.
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Tough I know but the main highlights of the journey? So many, but for me Crac des Chevaliers, a Crusader castle in Syria and the Zulu battlefields of Rorke’s Drift and Islandlwana, two names that stir the blood of every Welshman, one a famous victory, the other a crushing defeat…both these battles were fought within ten miles of each other on 22nd January 1879. I don’t know how many of you have watched the film “ZULU!” (introducing Michael Caine) but it is one of those heroic sagas of plucky British soldiers dying to keep Africa British although not quite understanding why they were there at all. 139 mostly Welshmen of the 24th foot, South Wales Borderers held a makeshift defensive position at a mission station against the numerous attacks of 4000 Zulu warriors winning 11 Victoria Crosses and expending 23400 rounds of ammunition (down to their last 600 rounds at the end) whilst 1350 of their colleagues from number 3 column commanded by the “lucky” Lord Chelmsford (I say “lucky” as he survived as he was out visiting someone for tea when his men were annihilated almost to a man) were overwhelmed by an impi of 20000 Zulus who caught the plucky Brits unprepared. There are many theories as to why this disaster, the worst in AngloAfrican wars (worst for the Brits at least) happened, but one of the main ones seems to be that the screen of infantry was pushed too far out opening up large gaps
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in the British ranks making volley fire ineffective and resupply of ammunition for the Martini-Henry .415 breech loaders problematical. Either way very few escaped to tell of the disaster. The battlefield of Islandlwana is a hauntingly beautiful spot with stone cairns dotted around where the men fell. It was one of those stupid wars that the British do make a habit of getting involved in from time to time. However, the inevitable result was the destruction of the Zulu kingdom. Zulu is out on DVD and VHS….”There’s sad, isn’t it” is my favourite line. The children would say “the animals” as they never tire of going on safari! Would you have any advice for those wishing to do something similar? Talk to someone who has done a similar trip as there is a lot of advice out there from people who think they know how things should be done, but don’t!
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webwatch
Mr & Mrs smith do it with style If a shop window looked tatty, the products inside seemed disorganised and you couldn’t find the entrance, would you bother to try and go inside? I’m sure you’d agree that you wouldn’t? So why is it that so many companies have not realised this problem with their website? Good, quality websites are far and few between. Making a site ‘sticky’ with fresh content is not the only reason a user returns to a website, it’s also about creating a clear and concise avenue for a user to find what they are looking for. Most people search the web looking for something that they wish to purchase or to find more information on, but there are also the ‘surfers’ who are looking to be inspired. And there’s nothing more inspirational that premium quality. So what makes a website ‘premium quality’? I’m not saying that what the website is selling would be more expensive or out of reach for the general surfer; what I am saying is that the content is presented in a premium quality manner. Let’s say for example, I was taking a weekend break to Brighton, I’d search the internet for the best price for train tickets but I’d surf the net to be inspired on where to stay and what to do. And there are numerous websites offering this information. So what makes a website inspire a surfer? Take a look at mrandmrssmith.com that in a nutshell, showcase premium hotels worldwide. The same hotels can be found and booked on other travel websites however no other sites present these hotels in the way that mrandmrssmith. com does. The website creative is a pallet of rich colours, the copy is written as though the copywriter has personally stayed at this hotel and the photographs are breathtaking. See below a description of the Blanch House in Brighton from mrandmrssmith.com and then a description of the same hotel on hotel-rates.com
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issue 15
mrandmrssmith.com - Weave your way through the
lanes of Kemp Town, and find the narrow street down to the seafront that includes this seemingly quiet townhouse. Don’t let its external looks deceive: inside it’s buzzing, thanks to a tiny fine-dining restaurant and cocktail lounge. Every room is different: pick whichever one you think will best enhance your own personal Brighton fantasy.
hotel-rates.com - Owned By Husband And Wife Chris Edwardes And Amanda Blanch, Blanch House opened In November 2000 and Combines Excellent Service and innovative design in a relaxed laid back environment. I’d be patronizing if I’d asked you to tell me which website would inspire you the most. Both mrandmrssmith.com and hotel-rates.com are promoting the same hotel, but this proves that taking time to understand your product and to promote it effectively is essential. To most people, purchasing on the internet is a daunting experience, there’s a brick wall between reality and cyberworld and no sales person to hold your hand and guide you. It’s imperative that you present your product in a way that you can build a trust between your brand and your users; create an aspiration, make the user feel that they can believe what you are saying and never ever cut corners by missing out on vital sales information for what you are offering. I’ve heard so many companies say that they need to update their website or are ‘thinking’ about refreshing the creative. I’ve also met sales people who hand over a business card stating ‘Ignore our website, we’re looking at re-launching it soon’. It’s very rare these days for a company to not have a website, so imagine how many clients/users you have potentially missed who have found your website but are lost at the home page or who don’t understand your product.
Take time to have a closer look at your website, does it express your brand in the way that you’d describe it to a friend? mrandmrssmith. com isn’t a ‘sticky’ site, it doesn’t need updating with news or exciting features, it purely maintains a brand effectively, promotes its product to the highest possible standard and creates an aspiration for its users; which in turn results into a trusting relationship and repeat business, the secret to a premium quality website.
Katherine Formosa is the founder of urbantraffic.co.uk, a premium entertainment guide for Cardiff
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