The Brand Surgery - Branding Agency, Graphic Design and Website Design in Worthing, West Sussex

August 2011. The month British thugs rioted, looted, destroyed communities and shamed Britain’s brand in just a few days.

Social media is being blamed for the rapid spread of the riots throughout London and the UK. Social media is a powerful tool but does have it’s pros and cons. The beauty of social media is that most messages are traceable and can help police to track down these thugs.

Saddest moments (so far) from the UK riots

There are hundreds of sad tales from these riots. For me, the saddest moment was seeing a poor injured man being tricked into thinking he was being helped, while thugs raided his rucksack.

Another tragic tale: Having been born in Croydon, the tale of the House of Reeves, a family owned furniture store which has stood up to two World Wars and a recession, was burned to the ground in just a few hours on Monday night. I feel sorry, yet proud of the Reeves family, who have been so brave.

As for the many independent businesses that have been destroyed – there will be weeks of lost trade which will cause unrepairable damage to their livelihoods and families.

Contingency plans

All businesses should have contingency plans written into their business plans, but how many would include riots? Luckily, Nick Starling from the Association of British Insurers says insurance policies will cover most of the damage and the losses felt by businesses. The only problem is that as most of the businesses are being treated as crime scenes, it will take a time for the loss adjusters to do their work. This will be the time when insurance companies will have to practice what they preach. Will insurance companies deliver on their brand promise? Only time will tell!

Brands riding on the back of the Riots

We found an excellent blog in Marketing Week by Lara O’Reilly who is Marketing Week’s digital and telecoms specialist. Lara said: “Let’s place our bets on how long it will be before a home improvement store or garden centre donates some brooms or a supermarket offers their cleaning products to help with the efforts”.

Lara also noted that El Paso Foods had said on its Facebook page this week: “In these trying times I think we could all benefit from a bit of comfort food, and there are few things more tasty and reassuring than baked enchiladas, full of spicy chicken and topped with lots of bubbling cheese”. You can read more amusing stories by reading Lara’s blog.

Can something good come out of something so bad?

Yes. We were watching the riot news updates last night and saw the terrible damage that rioters did to Miss Selfridge in Manchester. The Miss Selfridge logo appeared on our TV screens for hours, on a BBC channel. How much would Miss Selfridge normally have to pay for this kind of exposure? Luckily for this fashion store, they are part of the Arcadia Group which also owns Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop, Top Man and many more fashion retailers, so this damage could be a blessing in disguise for Miss Selfridge (in the grand scheme of things).

Also more good news … a local artist, Dan Thompson, has made national news by setting up a Twitter hashtag: #riotcleanup. Well done Dan for your quick thinking – ironic how something like this can give you more column inches than your art!

Finally, it’s British disaster aftermaths which showcase the generosity, solidarity and community spirit of the majority of the British public. Although the minority (thugs) have caused millions of pounds worth of damage – the way in which most of us pull together in times of hardship still makes me proud to be British.

Excellent branding - The Fiat 500

We’ve been looking back over 2010 for the most memorable re-brands. The one that sticks in our mind is the new Fiat 500. Two of our funky friends rushed out to purchase the all-new-singing-and-dancing Fiat 500 last summer – exactly 50 years after the first Fiat 500 was born – and they were not disappointed. A great brand always delivers on brand promise.

The new Fiat 500 car has kept the Cinquecento-silhouette features, fused with a distinctive retro-look just like the Volkswagen New Beetle and Mini but is more competitively priced.

Now, we’re not trying to steal Jeremy Clarkson’s job here …  Instead, we are simply using this re-brand as an excellent case study. If you think back a few years, the Fiat Cinquecento was just another small, economical city car. It didn’t really stand out from the crowd, plus the brand name ‘Cinquecento’ is not only difficult to spell. It is also impossible to pronounce unless you have some knowledge of the Italian language.

The book, Do A Madonna focuses on company names and slogans, and the importance of choosing a name for your business or product which is easy to pronounce and spell. Could you imagine having to spell ‘Cinquecento’ every time someone wanted to visit your website? Sometimes, being too clever can defeat the point of the object. The original name, ‘Fiat 500′ rolls nicely off the tongue.

We think the Fiat 500 rebrand is a massive success. What is your favourite rebrand of 2010?

Is 2011 the year when you should think about re-branding your business or products? We help businesses of all sizes to re-brand. If your business has reached the magic five year mile-stone, why not give it another push in the right direction? It may simply need a tweak. If you look at the history of the Shell logo – it has remained a shell in 100 years – the fonts and colours have simply been modified to keep up with trends.

Give us a call on 01903 824229 for an informal discuss about where you want your business to head in 2011.

Happy new year from The Brand Surgery – the number one branding agency in Sussex.

History of the shell logo

Shark-El-Sheik E-shot design by The Brand Surgery

Shark El Sheikh rebranded by The Brand Surgery, and once known as Sharm El Sheikh, once had the international reputation as one of the world’s most fabulous diving destinations in the Red Sea, Egypt. Then the shark attacks happened.

In my book, Do A Madonna, I advise business owners to perform a SWOT and PEST analysis of their business branding. I wonder if the Egyptian tourist board ever forecasted a shark attack and how this may of affected their business branding? When you think of Egypt – do you think of the pyramids or the shark attacks? We all know that a brand is a memory. Click here to read more on this subject.

Another subject I mention in my book is making the most of events and seasonal branding. We all know that the VAT rate rises to 20% in January. Most business start-up owners we meet are not VAT registered and therefore can’t claim this back. Therefore we are offering non-VAT businesses a special incentive.

Shark-El-Sheikh Offer 1: Book your logo design before Christmas and we will knock £100 off our business start up rate. Our normal start-up rate for business branding (logo design) is £595.Special offer £495. This includes our unique research methods which you won’t find elsewhere. Not only will you save £100 – you will benefit for the lower VAT rate.

For all those VAT registered  businesses – we guessed VAT won’t affect you, so we have another offer …

Shark-El-Sheikh Offer 2: As an introductory offer, we are offering our Facebook business page branding for 50% of our normal price. To see an example of this, click here. A page like this, including the presentation would cost £1100. You can have a page like this for £550. Call us for further information.

We hope you enjoyed reading our Shark-El-Sheik offer. For more inspiring ideas from Sussex’s No 1 award-winning Branding agency, call 01903 824229.

ILM NVQ Level 3 for The Brand Surgery

The Brand Surgery, branding agency in West Sussex, have been swotting up on a Train to Gain course, supplied by Northbrook College, to bring our customers an even smoother and seamless service. Brand promise and customer care are our priority, and in future, our improved back-end office system for producing logo design, web design and development, brochure design, exhibition design and so on, will be even slicker, as we have put improved systems in place as part of our training. At The Brand Surgery, we invest in our staff, so that they are continually learning, which is stimulating them, and maintaining interest. Everyone is happy!

What courses are we on?

The boss, Vicky Vaughan, is working towards The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), NVQ level 3  Management qualification which is broadly equivalent to a GCE A Level. This will be her second NVQ Level 3 course, after she passed the Business Setup course in 2005 with a distinction.

The NVQ in Management (NQF Level 3) has been specially designed for first line managers with responsibility for: managing budgets, allocating work to team members/colleagues/contractors, achieving specific results and for some decision making. The qualification aims to give participants an opportunity to develop their management performance, become more effective and to progress their career. Vicky is taking four mandatory units (which look at managing resources, heath and safety, leadership, and allocating/monitoring work) plus three optional units.

Jody, our creative goddess, is on the OCR Business Administration course, level 2. This qualification provides evidence of competence of being in a supporting role in an office environment. Optional units provide opportunity to show understanding and skills in a variety of areas, including basic finance, IT and contributing to events.

We would like to thank Northbrook College for working with us, in between us rebranding businesses to make them beautiful and increase their sales!

Call us on 01903 824229 if you think we can help your business grow.

The Brand Surgery training with OCR

DO A MADONNA

The day has finally come. DO A MADONNA!™ has been printed! Hoorah!

The book should be available on Amazon.co.uk within the next two weeks. However, you can pre-order the book on the website by clicking here.

Writing a book has been a steep learning curve. The writing was the easy part! The proofing, liaising with the print company and pre-press was the main challenge – and we deal with pre-press departments every day! I can’t imagine what it would be like dealing with these book printing companies if you had no experience whatsoever.

With the above said, we are looking forward to marketing DO A MADONNA and I am looking for speaking opportunities to launch it. So if you know of a venue or organisation who would like to book an interesting talk, this is the one for them. Guaranteed to stimulate people, even during the graveyard shift!

A little bit about DO A MADONNA …

Keeping your brand alive takes much more than plonking a new logo on a new brochure or website. You are your business and this ten-step book will help you on your way to business success. DO A MADONNA!™ is a handy-sized book which will help you discover the ten secrets of successful branding and it also contains tips on colour psychology, plus much more!

You will learn that even well known companies make branding blunders. DO A MADONNA!™ will teach you how to learn from their mistakes

It’s time to get your business into the groove. It’s time to Express Yourself! Soon your business will be good enough to grace the cover of Vogue!

Priced at only £10. Let Your journey to WORLD DOMINATION begin.

5% of all book profits go towards Madonna’s charity: http://www.raisingmalawi.org

Click to launch the full edition in a new window.

We've been shortlisted for The Southern Business Awards

It’s award time again! We’ve been shortlisted for the Southern Business Awards in the Small Business category which takes place at The Grand Hotel in Brighton on 3rd September 2010. We have some stiff competition as we are up against Denton Motors in Worthing, Newhaven Enterprise Centre, Shopper Anonymous, St Leonards-on-Sea and Cake Box in Hastings.

We are proud to of been shortlisted, and wish the best of British to all the companies that have also been shortlisted, particularly our client Proto Restaurant Group who are shortlisted for Employer of the Year.

You may remember that last year we were awarded the Business Marketing and Promotion Award 2010 in the Worthing Business Awards. We are very proud of our achievement and put it down to our ethos in business which is:

The Brand Surgery believes in the principle of ‘givers gain’. We give branding advice and give help to businesses by offering high-end branding services at realistic prices. Our tried and tested formula to marketing is ‘HONESTY’ and ‘HELPING OTHERS’. We help businesses and we put ourselves in their shoes. We believe that using honesty when helping our clients with their marketing and promotions is the way forward.

Clients we have helped are so pleased with our expertise that they have passed our name to other businesses that also want to grow. We have advised all of our clients that good branding, marketing and promotions are the key to standing out, especially when the economy is tough. Customers are going to buy from businesses that look professional and established. The customers that have taken our branding advice have thrived throughout the recession.

Everything we advise our clients to do we test on our business first – from website design, to logo design, to customer care to the envelopes we post our marketing packs in. ‘Give’ as you would like to ‘receive’ is our motto for helping businesses to grow.

If you like our business philosophy, then we would love to work with you.

Visit our website www.thebrandsurgery.co.uk or call 01903 824229.

DO A MADONNA website designed by The Brand Surgery

At long last, the original brand doctor, Vicky Vaughan’s book, ‘DO A MADONNA!‘ is complete. DO A MADONNA! is being printed right now!

DO A MADONNA! has had it’s first review.

“Everything in DO A MADONNA! is so true! I’ve read many other branding books, but DO A MADONNA! looks at branding in an entirely different way and it is so easy to digest. I work as part of the sales team for the Shropshire Star and I shall be recommending this book to all of my sales colleagues.” Debbie Marks-Rumble, Shropshire Star.

DO A MADONNA! focuses on keeping your brand alive. Vicky says: “It takes much more than plonking a new logo on a new brochure or website. You are your business and this ten-step book will help you on your way to business success. DO A MADONNA! is a handy-sized book which will help you discover the ten secrets of successful branding.

When you buy my book, you will also have access to the DO A MADONNA! toolbox which contains tips on colour psychology, plus much more! You will learn that even well known companies make branding blunders. DO A MADONNA! will teach you how to learn from their mistakes.

It’s time to get your business Into the Groove and Express Yourself! Once you’ve read the book and discovered the secret to branding, your business will be good enough to grace the cover of Vogue! Buy my book and let your journey to WORLD DOMINATION begin.”

DO A MADONNA! is very reasonably priced at JUST £9 and 5% of all book profits go towards Madonna’s charity: http://www.raisingmalawi.org

Go to www.doamadonna.com to pre-order your book. There will shortly be an e-book version of DO A MADONNA!

If you would like to have some personal branding advice, call Vicky Vaughan at The Brand Surgery, branding agency in West Sussex on 01903 824229.

To get in the mood for Christmas, we have launched our new marketing bundles of joy! There is something for everyone: retail, start-ups, exhibitions and flyer bundles. All our bundles include BESPOKE design and print.

If you would like to add something to your marketing bundle which is not listed – no problem – call us on 01903 824229 and we can quote separately. Don’t forget, we can also help you with:

• Websites (from simple 3 page websites to complex CMS and ecommerce)
• Copywriting
• Blog writing
• Enewsletters
• Printed newsletters and magazines

The bundles are listed below, or you can click on the image above. Please note that all bundle prices exclude VAT and delivery. Our usual design terms and conditions apply which will be supplied upon request.

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Retail Bundle (ONLY £950 including design & print)

retail bundle

• 2 x A1 posters (200gsm silk, Single sided print. Add one more poster. Add £25 to bundle cost)
• Eco flex pavement stand (aluminium panel, double sided print)
• 500 business cards (400gsm matt laminated, double sided print)
• 1000 A6 flyers (300gsm silk, double sided print)
• ADD LOGO DESIGN! Only £495 extra
• Call us on 01903 824229

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Startup Bundle (ONLY £1350 including design & print and logo design)

Startup bundle

• BESPOKE LOGO DESIGN included
• 500 A6 flyers (300gsm silk, Double sided print, Go 1000. Add £50 to bundle price)
• 500 A4 lettterheads (120gsm bond, single sided print, go 1000 + £30 to bundle price)
• 500 business cards (400gsm matt laminated, double sided print)
• 500 DL compslips (120gsm bond, single sided print. Go 1000 + £30 to bundle price)
• Luxury roll-up banner (850 x 2000mm Add light for £40 extra on bundle price)
• Call us on 01903 824229

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Exhibition Bundle (ONLY £900 including design & print)

Exhibition bundle

• Roll-up banner – standard (EuroStand 850 x 2000mm, Sandtex graphic. Go delux add £75 to bundle price)
• 1000 business cards (400gsm matt laminated, double sided print)
• 1000 A6 flyers (300gsm silk, double sided print. Go to 5000, add £50 to bundle price)
• Call us on 01903 824229

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Flyer Bundle (ONLY £795 including design and print)

Flyer bundle

• 1000 A6 flyers (120gsm bond, single sided print. Go A5. Only £85 extra)
• 50 A3 posters (170gsm silk, single sided print Go 100, add  £45 extra)
• 500 Business cards (400gsm matt laminated, double sided. 2nd set only £55 extra)
• ADD LOGO DESIGN (Add £495 to bundle price)
• Call us on 01903 824229

Call us on 01903 824229 BEFORE Thursday December 17th to order your amazing marketing bundle of joy!

I have always wanted to find an excuse to mention the gorgeous Nigel Harman (ex Dennis Junior from EastEnders) in The Brand Surgery blog. Now I have the chance! As part of my birthday celebrations, I was treated to an evening at London’s West End (at the Trafalgar Studios), to watch Public Property, starring Nigel Harman, Robert Daws and Steven Webb.

What a night! Now as you know my book is about to be published, and I have been researching brand promise. My trip to London yesterday meant I used an number of services, from Network South East to the wonderful All Star Lanes, to the wonderful facilities of the Trafalgar Studios (previously the Whitehall).

Bare Minimum

Public Property is theatre stripped back to it’s bare minimum. The actors use only a few props and no scenery. Unfortunately Nigel is not stripped down to bare minimum, but his acting made up for that. In brief, Nigel plays Larry De Vries, a PR man who is looking after a client called Geoffrey Hammond who gets photographed in a dodgy situation with a 16 year old northern lad called Jamie played by Steven Webb. Is Larry really looking after his client or looking after No. 1? I will say no more. You need to click here to see the official review …

Now, I am not one for watching plays, however, in my opinion, Public Property is an act of genius. I normally need the stimulation of music, singing, dancing, scenery and acting of a West End muscial to keep my interest. However, Public Property was over far too quickly! I wanted this public performance to last forever.

Pure Genius Branding

The superb acting in Public Property, plus the captivating dark comedy script draw you in. The script is hilarious, moving and pleasantly shocking! The writer is Sam Peter Jackson and his expertise in script writing, plus the excellent direction, production and management, and the closeness of me and the actors (espeically Nigel Harman) means I now have a new past time – watching plays!

This whole show is excellent branding as far as The Brand Surgery are concerned. The customer care of the staff at Trafalgar Studios, the ambience of the venue, the programme and clever script means that Trafalgar Studio will receive my repeat custom. Just today, I have enthusiastically promoted Public Property to at least 20 clients, colleagues, friends and family.

Just think … If your business gave a performance that deserved an upstanding ovation, just like Public Property, you would be well on you way to world dominance! My trip to Trafalgar Studio has made me an avid fan of theatre and I will now be a regular customer.

If you would like a confidential, free chat about brand creation and brand management, please call Vicky on 01903 824229.

Credits for my day of great brand experience:

Sam Peter Jackson: Creator of Public Property
Nigel Harman: Actor
Richard Dawes: Actor
Steven Webb: Actor
Helen Goddard: Design
Hannah Berrigan’s: Production

Top Tip – Public Property is on for another 2 weeks. Don’t miss it!

The Brand Surgery rates Benefit cosmetics packaging as the best cosmetic packaging by far!

OMG! We love Benefit cosmetics packaging! It’s not just fantastically sexy, it delivers what the packaging promises.

Okay, so we’ve been a bit slow updating our blog, the reason is that I have been celebrating my 40th birthday in true style, being Queen Victoria – I received two weeks of birthday celebrations. One of the many gorgeous birthday gifts I received was this Sexy Starlet cosmetic set by Benefit. Now, I have been mesmorised by the Benefit counter in Boots many times – the packaging design draws me in, and I find I just stare at it for yonkie yoodles. How I maintain self-control mystifies me. Or is it that I am determined not to be won over by packaging? I used to wonder if the product inside was as good as the packaging design promises.

FACT: Benefit cosmetics is truly as sexy as it’s packaging

Hooray! For once I have not been disappointed. Benefit cosmetics are as gorgeous as their packaging. The Foundation Faker is orgasmic – it feels lovely when you apply it – it beats my two ‘expensive’ foundations by miles. The CORALista blusher is to die for – the colour lights up my face – even at 40! And the BADgal lash mascara … Well I haven’t tried this yet, as I am using up an older mascara, but I may just have to be a BADgal and bin the old mascaras. Sorry landfill

What is it that makes Benefit packaging so sexy, irresistable and so god damn cute?

Maybe it’s the pink – we all know that The Brand Surgery love a strong dose of bright pink! Now, we constantly educate our clients to keep their branding consistent, yet Benefit packaging design is different on each product. How many different fonts can one brand include on their packaging? Their designers are breaking all the rules of good design – but the broken rules work so incredibly well. I get excited just by looking at the packaging, it hypotises me – it is irresistably retro – and I have now been converted into a 40 year old Benefit girl – that is a Benefit cosmetics girl – not a benefits girl!

The Brand Surgery ranking table has never looked so healthy. The only points lost were due to Benefit not stating whether the products were recyclable. Giving that most the Benefit products being made of card – we guess they can be recycled. If anyone at Benefit reads this – it would be good to have the recycling logo on the box to encourage people to recycle. Having said that, I can’t bring myself to throw away the packaging. I keep all the products in their cute, sexy little boxes Well done to everyone at Benefit!

Take a look at the Benefit website where you can find out where your nearest store is.