thecreativealchemist.co.uk TheCreativeAlchemistHQ
@Alchemist_HQ
thecreativealchemisthq
Summer ‘16
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Welcome to our first issue of The Alchemist, which aims to highlight the latest marketing developments and showcase some of the great client projects we have worked on since our launch last March. 2015 was a great year for us! Not only were we born but we also had the opportunity to do what we love which is working on a variety of projects to help client’s grow their brand and better connect with their customers. If this is the first time you have come across us we’re a strategic marketing agency and we help clients deliver their marketing and achieve their goals. We have all the skills and services that you would need within your company to constitute a full marketing department meaning we can compliment your existing team or you can outsource your entire marketing to us. We are really proud of what we have
achieved so far and this year. We are focused on building on this by growing the team to meet our expanding client base locally, regionally and nationally. We would love to know what you think of our first edition - send us your thoughts at hello@thecreativealchemist.co.uk. Happy reading! 01/ 02/ 02/ 03/ 03/ 03/ 04/ 04/
Does brand really matter? Exploring brand archetypes Copywriting inspiration Orange Pip Market proves a success TCA’s newest recruits National brand added to portfolio #BeautifulInsideandOut Fancy being more creative?
THE ALCHEMIST
Brought to you by The Creative Alchemist
Does brand really matter? Branding is just as important for local businesses as it is for global operators. But often when thinking about great Many people recognise branding businesses immediately think the importance of brand iconic brands such as Disney, Nike and but often don’t know what Coca-Cola. This immediately makes them feel that undertaking their own it means for their business. branding initiative will be expensive and overwhelming. Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, no matter of size or sector. A clear brand strategy will give you an edge over your competition. But what does ‘brand’ mean and how can it affect a business? A brand is a set of beliefs, your promise to your customers. It tells them what they can expect and how you are different from your competitors. It isn’t your logo, product or place; these are simply symbol’s that identify your brand. Brands live in the heart and mind of your customer. It is what they believe based on everything they have seen or heard about you. Getting your brand right isn’t easy but here are 10 tips you can follow to help you build and implement a successful brand:
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Start by defining your brand. What are your benefits and features? What is your mission? What is your value proposition? This bit can be tough and time consuming as it often requires some business soul searching, but once complete you will reap the benefits of this clarity.
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Think of your brand as a person. We find this helps you define your brand personality, character, values and beliefs. Defining these will help you understand how your brand will behave and act.
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Define your core customer. Construct an avatar of them, illustrating who they are, where they live, what they like to do etc. If you know who your core customer is you can go about finding them.
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Speak to your customers with a consistent tone of voice, as this will help you build your brand personality and understand what you offer.
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Be the brand you passionately believe in, don’t copy off others.
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Don’t be vague. Be clear about who you are and what you do. But also don’t overcomplicate things. If you try to do too much customers will become confused. Be clear not clever.
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Work with an experienced graphic designer to create a visual identity that is clear and distinctive. If you’ve no experience and you designed your own logo in Word it’s likely this isn’t going to cut it against your competition.
Find us at Boho One, Bridge Street West, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AE 01642 224706
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Be consistent and deliver on your brand promises. The worst thing a brand can do is make promises that they don’t deliver. If you promise great customer service then you must consistently deliver this day in day out otherwise the customer will feel cheated, tell all their friends about their terrible experience and most likely make reference to it on social media!
Be observant. Look at businesses in your area and consider how they have built a successful brand. Think about why their brand is strong. Follow them on social media and note how they are speaking to their customers.
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Branding doesn’t need to be complicated. Focus, time and energy and the above tips will help you grow your brand. But if you don’t have the time to dedicate to building your brand then you may want to consider getting The Creative Alchemist to help you.
And finally... you may be thinking how does this differ to marketing? Your marketing should be based on your brand position, personality, values and tone of voice. Marketing is what you do to get you brand message and promise to customers. Brand is how you keep the promise.
CREATIVITY + STRATEGY + DELIVERY + EVALUATION = RESULTS
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THE ALCHEMIST
hello@thecreativealchemist.co.uk
IS YOUR BRAND A CREATOR, A RULER OR A JESTER? Introducing brand archetypes to your business Branding is both a science and an art. As humans, we're naturally drawn to a certain personality (usually similar to our own) and this is one of the reasons why you may chose to favour one brand over another. You may not realise it, but just like a human, it’s highly likely that your brand already has its own set of personality traits too, which have been cemented right from the beginning naturally as it has become more established. Delving deep down and understanding your brand’s true identity and personality will not only help your brand develop in terms of how it looks - and by this we mean your logo, designs and the colours - but it will also help your brand’s tone and how you communicate with your audiences. The sooner you can begin living as your brand and building a creative marketing strategy with your identity as the foundation, the more you will engage with consumers emotions and leave a lasting impression in your audience's minds regardless of whether you're a small business or a big company. Defining these personality traits through brand archetypes can enable powerful brand positioning, and allow you and your business to tap into specific core desires, drives, fears and motivations all humans have which can help your customers and potential customers understand who you are as a brand, what you stand for and how you can help them succeed. So what are archetypes? Put simply, archetypes are defined as ‘a very typical example of a certain person or thing’. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung introduced archetypes more than half a century ago as characters that provide emotional prompts to fundamental human desires. In more recent times, leadership consultant, speaker and author Dr. Carol Pearson has continued to expand on Jung's work into a more complex approach which looks at breaking the 60 archetypal attributes down to just four which truly define your brand. Each brand archetype is associated with specific motivations, values, drivers and attributes. There’s 12 core archetypes in total, which are: • THE CAREGIVER is moved by compassion, generosity and selflessness to help and serve others. • THE EVERY PERSON believes in the inherent worth and dignity of all--expecting very little from life but committed to teaching through empathy, realism and street smarts. • THE HERO is tough and courageous, overcomes tremendous obstacles and persists in difficult times. They are most fulfilled when they can rise to or overcome a challenge. • THE INNOCENT is a spontaneous, trusting child who always sees the bright side of a situation and is able to maintain an optimistic, spontaneous, trusting outlook.
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RIGHT: The 12 archetypes which ones are you?
• THE EXPLORER moves past the known to explore new, uncharted territories. When crowds go one way, explorers choose a completely different path, embracing the journey rather than the destination. • THE REBEL embodies rage about structures that no longer serve, even when these structures are supported by societies and our conscious choices. Rebels are rule breakers and catalysts for change. • THE LOVER lives to experience pleasure, achieve intimacy and follow bliss. • THE CREATOR fosters imaginative endeavours, aiming to express and turn away from mediocrity. • THE JESTER lives to have a good time, making the most mundane experiences something fun. • THE SAGE seeks the truths that will set us free in seeing the world objectively and providing course-corrective solutions based on objective analysis of our actions and choices. • THE MAGICIAN seeks out the fundamental laws of science and metaphysics to understand how to transform situations, influence people, and transform visions into reality. • THE RULER inspires us to take responsibility for our own lives in our society and in the world at large by creating environments that invite gifts and perspectives of all concerned. Take Lego for example. As a creator, the brand enables anyone who buys its products to be exactly that - creators. Customers become inventive and expressive while maintaining
a sense of stability and control. Allowing its customers to play out their imaginings. Lego is a visionary, an entrepreneur and a storyteller as well as a creator, and these four archetypes are what makes the product, and its marketing activities stand out. This same principle was applied to our own brand - we established that we’re a creative bunch, a mentor, and alchemists, which proved to be the foundation of our brand, and from this The Creative Alchemist was born! As mentors we draw on our knowledge and experience to act as a trusted guide, seeking to teach and inspire our clients. As a creator we follow up a rational systematic approach with innovative thinking, distilling complex messages and bringing clarity through bold, imaginative and emotive visual expressions. The Alchemist merges the logic of process and the magic of creativity, effecting a positive change in how clients brands are perceived. More often than not, you're going to need a helping hand to define your brand and take it right back to the drawing board. Here at The Creative Alchemist we offer brand workshops to help you look at your brand with the right balance of empathy, objectivity and truth. Defining your brand's archetype is an exciting journey which will lead to more effective marketing and PR strategies, as well as brand activities and design work.
12 archetypes
Need inspiration when it comes to writing copy for the web?
ABOVE: How To Write Seductive Web Copy by Henneke Duistermaat
From press releases through to social media updates, website copy and plenty of blogs in between, we write on a daily basis. But for some this can be daunting. If you’re umming and ahhing over what to write on your homepage or struggling to craft copy on your about us page, ‘How To Write Seductive Web Copy’ by Henneke Duistermaat helps take the stress out of copywriting by taking you through a stepby-step process. With helpful chapters such as ‘Write An Enticing Value Proposition’ and ‘Make Your Copy Persuasive By Describing Your Ideal Reader’ each chapter includes plenty of information alongside assignments and worksheets to help you plan, write, edit and optimize your web copy while reading.
Find us at Boho One, Bridge Street West, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AE 01642 224706
Moving through the book you will learn how to identifying your customer, describe your benefits, pin down your value proposition and write and edit content. At just 67 pages you can whizz through it in a few hours. It is punchy and straightforward, written in plain English and above all it is actually fun to read. Delivering a straightforward set of clear methods to improve your web presence in a concise and consistent format, this book cuts out all the gobbledygook and instead delivers clear, practical advice about how to write web copy that sells. You can download How To Write Seductive Web Copy for the bargain price of £2.99 from the Amazon kindle store today.
THE ALCHEMIST
thecreativealchemist.co.uk
THE CREATIVE ALCHEMIST STRENGTHENS ITS TEAM WITH TWO NEW RECRUITS
NATIONAL COSMETIC BRAND CHOOSES THE CREATIVE ALCHEMIST TO HELP RAISE ITS PROFILE
Teesside based creative marketing agency, The Creative Alchemist, has recently welcomed two new full time recruits to strengthen its team.
We’ve been appointed by Veil to reinvigorate its brand and deliver its marketing strategy.
As a result of increased demand for its strategic marketing services, and a rise in the number of clients, the agency welcomed Beccy Owen as Creative Director in March, and more recently Sarah McCormick as PR and Marketing Manager in June. Beccy has been in the creative design industry for over eight years, and similarly Sarah has over seven years experience in marketing, branding and PR. Lisa Holt, Managing Director at The Creative Alchemist said: “Beccy and Sarah will be great assets to the team - they both bring lots of experience and knowledge.” Just this week the team has also welcomed a new design intern on a six week placement. Ben Lambert, who has recently completed his studies at local design college CCAD, has joined the team to gain industry experience and work on live client briefs alongside Beccy.
BECCY CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SARAH PR AND MARKETING MANAGER
First month of Middlesbrough’s Orange Pip Market proves to be a soaraway success for retailers The first Orange Pip Market took place on Baker Street in May, with organisers and the public hailing the event a huge success. The event has been described as a “highquality food products and contemporary street fayre in a creative and cultural environment” and it aims to turn Middlesbrough into a foodie haven. Rewind 18 months to when Middlesbrough Council had a seed of an idea to create a market in the town, they recognised that like people, this new idea needed a brand new name and we were commissioned to create it. We know that your name is the first and best way to get people’s attention. Creating a good brand name from scratch usually takes a lot of hard work, research and time and we’ve created a naming workshop to keep us on track and focused. But if you are going it alone we’ve busted some naming myths to help get you started:
Veil is a unique product which specialises in the covering of birthmarks, acne, port-wine stains, vitiligo, scars and tattoos. It was an early leader in the field of cosmetic camouflage and was first formulated in 1952 by founder Mr. Thomas Blake. He was a forward thinking and inspired cosmetic chemist who was asked by a pioneering plastic surgeon to formulate a cover cream that would hide postoperative scars. Fast forward to 2016, and the company now offers a vast product range in over 40 shades. The Creative Alchemist will support the brand’s current marketing activities
with the design and implementation of a new, integrated marketing and communications strategy which aims to increase brand awareness with new and existing customers. Lisa Holt, Managing Director at The Creative Alchemist said “We’re delighted to have been appointed to help Veil grow their brand. We’re confident that we can use our creative expertise and strategic thinking to implement some fresh ideas and new ways of working for the brand.” Keep your eyes peeled for updates on the campaign on The Creative Alchemist blog soon!
did you know?
The name Twitter was picked out of a hat during a brainstorming session. They were trying to come up with names that fit with the theme of a mobile phone buzzing an update in your pocket. An alternative was Jitter
NAMING MYTH
NAMING TRUTH
It has to be literal, obvious and familiar
Names can be metaphorical, obscure, archaic, neological or even nonsensical
I’ll know it’s right ‘when I hear it’
Names need time or context to gather meaning
We can’t use it if we can’t get the URL!
An odd URL will still work a dull name won’t
The name needs to do and say everything
If you bait a mousetrap, leave room for the mouse
The perfect name will be just ... perfect
Almost every strong name could have been shot down
Everyone, everywhere should ‘get it’ instantly
Obscurity, mystery and subtlety work wonders
After stacks of ideas, research, refining, checking availability and mulling it over we decided on Orange Pip Market. Inspired by the Baker Street connection, the name Orange Pip is one of 56 stories written by Sherlock Holmes who had also lived at a Baker Street address. The words orange and pip also felt particularly in step with the market’s ethos and the name itself was memorable. Orange Pip Market takes place on the last Saturday of each month from 12pm until 7pm, on Baker Street, Middlesbrough. For more information and regular updates, search ‘Orange Pip Market’ on Facebook.
CREATIVITY + STRATEGY + DELIVERY + EVALUATION = RESULTS
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THE ALCHEMIST
hello@thecreativealchemist.co.uk
NHS launches #BeautifulInsideandOut campaign to encourage cervical screening
30%
Last month we launched the brand new ‘Salons for Screening’ campaign, which aims to highlight the importance of Cervical Screening in women aged from 25 to 64.
In response to the low uptake of regular routine cervical screening amongst women in Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough Council public health team, working in partnership with NHS England, wanted to create a local campaign that would target typical nonattenders. We created Salons for Screening, which targeted hairdressers and beauty salons to get involved and act as the main communication channel for our #BeautifulInsideAndOut consumer campaign. For women, cervical screening is one of the most important tests they should take. Just like a hair or beauty appointment, it should be a part of their regular routine. We knew that some women in the local area are not regularly going for cervical screening and as a result are putting themselves at risk by not attending the quick and simple test. Salons for Screening was created to raise awareness of the importance of screening and prompt them to attend their appointment. The ethos of the campaign was to give women a nudge and point out the importance of their cervical screening appointment. The campaign launched during Cervical Screening Week in 35 salons across Middlesbrough with magazines, flyers and
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of women didn’t have their cervical screening last year in the UK
mirror adverts. It was reinforced with social media, online advertising and PR which has already recorded some impressive stats so far. For more information on cervical screening, visit www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ screeningsaveslives or pick up a copy of the Beautiful Inside and Out magazine in over 35 Middlesbrough hair salons.
24%
of cervical cancer cases are diagnosed following a screening appointment
We’re a creative marketing agency. Being creative is what we do. We invent, draw, visualise, dream, problem-solve and imagine on a daily basis. Every business requires creative thinkers, and they come in many forms: scientists, inventors, designers, researchers, engineers, technical developers, business entrepreneurs, writers and artists. Creativity is a skill, that with practice you can learn and improve.
Find us at Boho One, Bridge Street West, Middlesbrough, TS2 1AE 01642 224706
Here are ways you can inject more creativity into your working day: Doodle as a team. Start the doodle and pass it on. This will show how as a team you can build upon your creative ideas together and get the outcome you require. Move away from your desk and try a different creative environment. This can be the fastest way to get out of a rut. Make time for creative thinking. Let your mind wander without distractions. This quality, uninterrupted time may result in a flow of new ideas. Change your scene. Go for a run or a walk in the park. A change of environment may just provide the creative stimulation you are looking for. Have an open mindset. Be inquisitive and curious. It’s so much more fun than being the person who stone walls creativity. Keep a scrapbook or Pinterest board of things you like. Become a magpie, gathering inspiration in one place for you to dip into for creative inspiration.
CREATIVITY + STRATEGY + DELIVERY + EVALUATION = RESULTS