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UNDERSTANDING HOW THE TWO CAN WORK TOGETHER

At the DS Group, we’re no strangers to the concepts of both print and digital marketing. As print specialists for over 20 years, we definitely recognise the effectiveness of printed marketing, and we also use digital marketing to boost our sales and get our message out to new and existing clients.

It’s clear that both forms of marketing have incredible benefits, as well as some drawbacks that keep either one from being a catch-all solution for all of your marketing needs. In the modern world, businesses need to be effective at using both to capture the attention of their clients. Using both in tandem with each other is the key to securing the most out of your marketing, which in turn, should capture more attention, increase engagement, and boost your sales.

5 Benefits of Print Marketing:

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Offers a personal touch that digital doesn’t have

Statistically, people trust printed advertisements more than online alternatives.

You can make more of an impression through paper stocks and interesting designs

Direct mail marketing traditionally has a longer lifespan than digital marketing because it stays within the home until disposed of

Can be personalised easily depending on recipient

5 Benefits of Digital Marketing:

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Social media campaigns are cheaper than print marketing

More easily accessible to customers, because they can click on links and access your services easily

Allows for one-on-one engagement with customers

Can be much more immersive, as you can use dynamic graphics and videos

Regularly updated, well-curated marketing tools such as a website or social media accounts can make you look very professional, and give your customers insight

MEET JOHN!

Meet John Price, who joins us as our new Head of Business Development! John aids our business growth across our direct mail and print sectors, and helps source new business leads. We asked John some questions about his career path so far, as well as what he gets up to in his spare time.

What has your career path looked like?

I started in a family-run building company working in the office and then after a while ended up working in sales for a variety of companies from Industrial Cleaning to Data Management and Financial Services. I then found myself in the world of advertising and stayed there for a period of 22 years working within the regional press side of the industry for 2 separate companies – and having a lot of fun doing so! After coming out of the industry, I have been with a marketing agency and a logistics / distribution company, working across many different clients and services including parcel delivery, direct mail, fulfilment and print services.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Be patient! Believe in yourself and what you can achieve and don’t always rush to see the final goal, but enjoy the journey on the way! Most importantly enjoy what you do and trust in yourself. A typical weekend for me is…

Doing what I am told to do by the wife! Aside from that, spending time with the family, our house is like Monica’s in Friends, where everyone congregates for food and drink – I do like to cook! Playing a round of golf and spoiling a good walk and hopefully watching some sport and Liverpool win!

Tell us one thing that people don’t know about you

Bit grim I know – but I was once clinically dead for 10 seconds, before being given the kiss of life!

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

I still get a buzz about working in sales and developing new relationships with clients, working with them and being a strategic partner to their business – I don’t think that will ever leave me to be honest.

MEET DAVE!

Meet David Wallace, our new Portfolio Manager, who brings a wealth of sales and marketing experience to his new role. He’s helping us develop the Designer brand and secure sales for Designer magazine, as well as across designerati and the Designerati Podcast. We caught up with Dave to ask him a few questions about his time with us so far.

What has your career path looked like?

My career path has always followed a sales and marketing theme, although when I left school (many moons ago!) it wasn’t a conscious decision. The past 20+ years of my day-to-day life has revolved around publishing – everything from fortnightly to quarterly titles, as well as digital, data and events. I also ran my own small publishing business, which was an unfortunate casualty of the dreaded Covid!

What makes The DS Group different from other places you’ve worked?

I’ve mainly worked for PLCs or large limited companies with hundreds of employees. The DS Group is more like a family; I find it quite refreshing as there’s very much a ‘we’re in it together’ mentality, which isn’t always the case in large corporates.

What is your secret to making progress each day?

For me it’s about making a positive impact. In an ideal world that’s making a sale, but it could be providing great service to a customer, making changes to working processes or our products to improve them, or perhaps helping or inspiring a colleague. There are lots of ways to make progress. What things do you enjoy out of work?

Well I have three children aged 18, 14 and 10 – so it doesn’t leave a lot of time for much, although we do spend a fair amount of time in Norfolk as we are lucky enough to own a static caravan! However, I really enjoy cycling and I’ve taken part in some fantastic events in the UK such as the Birmingham & West Midlands velo, the Tour de Broads, the Southwold Roubaix, the Dragon Ride (I managed to raise £6.5k for the Teenage Cancer Trust on this ride), the London to Brighton (too many times to count), and I’ve even raced two years in a row at the Le Mans 24hr velo!

If you won £2 million on the lottery, what would you do with it?

Upgrade my current road bike, without having to hide the bills from my wife! Seriously though, I would share it with immediate family, buy a nice house in Norfolk and spend some time travelling!

NETWORKING IN SOUTH ESSEX

Another successful expo hosted by Essex Chambers of Commerce!

As industry specialists, we relish getting the chance to show off our talented expertise, whilst also connecting with others who do the same. That’s why we were proud to be the official print partners for the Basildon Business Expo!

The event took place on the 28th of September, and featured businesspeople from all over the Essex area gathering at Basildon’s Sporting Village. This year’s event was particularly special, because this is the first Basildon Business Expo that’s been run since 2019. The event was paused in previous years due to health and safety concerns, but now it’s back and better than ever! Acting as the event’s print partners, we printed all of the event’s guides, as well as several large outdoor banners.

Aside from just completing production work for the event, The DS Group are proud members of Essex Chambers of Commerce. As such, we hosted our own official DS Group exhibition stand at the expo, which was managed by our Head of Business Development, John Price.

The event was a great chance to network with other local companies in the area, as well as shape new and meaningful business connections with prospective new clients.