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

Talent Within You

The Brand Surgery have launched Talent Within You. Mike Pisko and Vicky Vaughan have joined forces and are raising sponsorship for young hopefuls. Talent Within You is a brand spanking new idea which will help change the lives of young people across Britain. After years of watching depressing news stories on antisocial behaviour and street crime,we had a brainwave after watching Britain’s Got Talent. “We believe that everybody has a talent within them and it is only a matter of finding it. Talent Within You has been launched to help discover that special something – whatever it may be. We can help and encourage children and their parents to unleash that talent.

The organisation,Talent Within You, has been set up to provide help, support and sponsorship for children to take their talent to the next level, and we are starting now! Our first hopeful is Jack Ford who is a lively, young teenager from Worthing. He used to spend most of his free time in front of the TV playing computer games, until one day something changed his life forever. It was his sister’s birthday and the family went ice skating. Jack didn’t want to go, but had no choice in the matter. After five minutes on the ice there was no stopping him as he had found his talent. Unknown to Jack, watching in the wings was four times World and European figure skater champion, Dianne Towler. Dianne spotted Jack’s raw talent and is now coaching him. Jack could potentially become the British champion this year, and the ultimate aim is to win gold at the 2014 Winter Olympic games.

Judith is an Inspiration to all parents

Vicky met Jack’s mother, Judith, last year and discovered how dedicated she was in helping Jack achieve his dreams. Judith took Jack ice training to Guildford Spectrum each day at 5am and Vicky thought that Judith was an inspiration to other parents. Talent Within You is dedicated to help Jack fulfil his potential and raise his profile.

With our help, Jack is opening the annual Worthing ice skating rink on 30th January at 11am with an exclusive ice dance routine to show the people of Worthing his special talent. The ice rink has been organised and financed by the Worthing Town Centre Initiative in Partnership with Worthing Borough Council. Talent Within You have also organised Todd Carty to open the ice rink, skate with Jack and to launch Talent Within You, and helping Jack by opening the show.

Local businesses – Jack and others need your help

This is a great opportunity for local businesses and the public to help with the career of an up-and-coming young star from Worthing. We need help in the form of sponsorship and donations in order to help Jack and others like Jack and their training and development. For full details on how you can help, please email info@talentwithinyou.org. If you know any children with talent that need our help, please feel free to contact us at info@talentwithinyou.org or visit the Talent Within You website.

Brand New CMS bespoke website for Talent Within You

The Brand Surgery have designed the Talent Within You brand image including the logo and the temporary website page. We are in the process of building a brand new CMS website for Talent Within You. We have also created the press releases, and organised bringing Todd on board. If you would like to launch a company, product or service. Give us a call on 01903 824230.

Jack Ford with Pru and dali

Brand New Wish Financial website

As a new year begins, a brand new website is launched for our client, Wish Financial. Wish Financial approached us in Autumn 2009 and briefed us to design a sleek, contemporary, fresh corporate website, keeping to Wish’s existing corporate identity. Wish’s brand colour is a rich purple – purple is a great business colour because of the colour psychology connected with it. Purple represents royalty and wealth. It is also a spiritual colour, so needs to be used wisely to ensure it compliments the industry it is presenting, in this case finance.

Wish specialise in the following areas:

• Mortgages
• General Insurance
• Commercial Solutions
• Personal Protection
• Savings & Investments
• Retirement Planning

Wish have over 30 years of collective experience in financial planning and it was this experience we feel we successful incorporated within the website design. We have also designed Wish’s corporate brochure, estate agent leaflet and posters, which have all been signed off and are being printed as we speak. The marketing collateral we have designed reflects Wish’s website branding, creating a strong and memorable corporate identity.

Why not use the new year as an excuse to refresh your website and brochure. Give us a call on 01903  824229 to see what we can do for you. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here is a testimonial letter from our client, Robb Harris, Astute Investment Planning!

Dear Vicky

The invitations for Benn’s party were just perfect. On a business note, I would like to say that I have received a number of compliments regarding my stationery. I have been told that the branding looks extremely professional, fresh, modern and striking. I would have no question in recommending your services to anyone who is seeking either a rebrand or a start up.
Kind regards
Robb Harris

Need we say more?

Astute Investment logo design and corporate identity

Worthing RFC and The Brand Surgery

We are pleased to announce that we have just signed contracts and will be working with Worthing Rugby Club. This means that we will be offering all sponsors, friends and colleagues of Worthing Rugby Club a one hour session of  branding advice absolutely free!

Networking your way to Success

As part of our commitment to help local clubs and organisations, we will also be helping Worthing Rugby Club to find new sponsors by promoting this amazing new package. If, like us, you consider business networking to be one of the most effective methods of gaining business, you should give us a call and we can tell you more about this amazing package.

This package promotes an old saying: Givers Gain. It is only open to businesses who are prepared to GIVE an incentive to Worthing Rugby Club members, friends and colleagues. Giving to receive is an excellent way of marketing your business, and the package below means that you can get everything below for just £650 if you are prepared to offer an incentive to Worthing Rugby Club members, friends and colleagues. The only tiny catch is that we would need a commitment in the way of part payment (deposit) by Friday 18th December.

1. A large pitch-side, pitch-facing advertising billboard (3,000mm x 1,000mm) in a premium location, guaranteeing you maximum exposure and community kudos
2. Run regular seminars and workshops, including ‘Questions and Answers’ opportunities with our corporate members
3. Exclusive access to the club’s membership database for private mail-shots and promoting special offers such as additional discounts and incentives
4. Direct access, via networking, to our corporate partners such as ARGYLL, Mortgages Options, Michael Jones, Yeomans, Winner Plant Hire and Splash FM to name but a few
5. Exclusive access to corporate partners on your company headed paper. An opportunity for offers, promotions and incentives, which you are free to change as you see fit – nothing has to be set in stone!
6. Direct access, four times a year, to the entire club/commercial membership database via an electronic ehack newsletter, which is also offered as an easy-to-navigate online magazine – two excellent viewing options for both club, community and corporate members. You will be allocated space in this online magazine for advertising, advertorials, editorials, competitions and reader-offers
7. Facilities for displaying promotional material on match-days, social and corporate events
8. Access to our mini, junior and youth members (over 500 children are registered to play for the club) – over 1,000 parents many of which are local company Directors and business owners with a high disposable income
9. Use of the Worthing RFC crest and Raiders (1st XV) brand, plus action-shot images, in your marketing and promotional material, including website (artwork is subject to written sign-off from the club)
10. Your logo, company profile and web link featured on the club’s official website, ensuring maximum traffic generation (please consult www.worthingrfc.com)
11. Permission to display your company brochures, flyers, business cards and other point-of-sale material strategically within the clubhouse, which is used by over 2,000 visitors per week. Visitors are able to read or take away your promotional material and then contact your organisation at a later date
12. Two match-day passes for the whole of the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons
13. Quarterly business networking events, including refreshments, at the rugby club and other prestigious local venues
14. Players’ and coaches’ endorsements including appearances at your corporate events such as business-networking meetings and exhibitions (subject to availability)
15. Use of the clubhouse and club facilities for your own corporate events, meetings and private functions at heavily discounted/preferential rates
16. The opportunity to purchase tickets for rugby internationals (subject to availability), including the Autumn Internationals and RBS 6-Nations Internationals

The Brand Surgery will not make a bean out of this! We are simply helping a non-profit organisation in hard times! In our opinion, this offer is too good to miss.

Call Vicky on 01903 824229 for further details.

Use colours to increase your sales

Used correctly, colours can significantly increase your sales.

Used correctly, colours can boost your sales. It’s all to do with colour psychology and colour symbolism. If you didn’t know this – colour symbolism is to do with association (colour links to traditions and religions). Whereas colour psychology is how light reflects off objects. Both colour symbolism and colour psychology will have a significant impact on the sales of your business.

If you are setting up in business and are planning to go global, then you should think carefully about colour. Positive colours in the UK can be negative abroad and vice versa. Therefore, your colour choice is as important as your company name. For example, in China, black can mean trust and high quality. In Britain we wear black for mourning, yet we also wear black dresses for celebrating.

True Blue
You should never use blue for food packaging, but blue is great for solicitors and accountants. Why? Blue is the colour of mould and poisonous berries. People on diets would do well to replace their refrigerator light bulb with a blue light bulb – the blue light will suppress your appetite.

On the positive side, blue is the colour of nature. Think of the sky and the sea, which is calming and we feel safe when the sky and sea are blue. Police (worldwide) wear dark blue uniforms. Blue is a great colour for people in authority and if you want to evoke a feeling of trust.

Think Pink
You may have noticed that we like the colour pink here! Pink is a great colour and it has even been known to reduce the feeling of violence as it is a calming colour. In Texas, prison cells are painted pink and inmates wear pink to calm them down – and this includes the male inmates!

With the above in mind, you need to pay particular attention to the colour of your corporate branding including websites, exhibition stands and marketing collateral. If you would like to know more about how correct use of colour can improve your sales, call Vicky at The Brand Surgery on 01903  824229.

The Brand Surgery meets Todd Carty

Todd Carty is a good example of how one can adapt oneself to attract a particular target audience. From a heart throb in “Grange Hill”, to a 13-year stint as Mark Fowler in “EastEnders”, to a dodgy copper PC Gabriel Kent in ITV’s “The Bill”, to ice skating spectacular in “Dancing on Ice”. In between, Todd Carty has worked on radio, stage and has been directing and producing programmes such as “Doctors” and “The Perfect Burger”.

Does your company branding appeal to both ends of the spectrum?

Is your company branding as flexible as Todd Carty? Depending on your company’s services and products, it may need to appeal to a wide range of demographics. Take a theatre producing its bi-annual theatre programme or website: The design would need to appeal to customers wanting to see a Shakespeare performance through to the latest comedy – perhaps Eddie Izzard. Some people may want to see both! How do you know what design and wording appeals to your customers? Simple. It’s called research.

If you don’t have time to do the research, then leave it to us. Before our brand doctors and nurses even start on writing copy, designing brochures or corporate identity – we spend time looking at your competition and studying your target market, so you know that your marketing collateral will tick the boxes, and achieve sales.

If you would like to find out more about your target market and competitor research, call us on 01903  824229.

The silly season has arrived! We have decided not to send paper Christmas cards this year! Instead, we are saving the planet with these silly video greetings from Jib Jab.

Don’t forget our wonderful pre-Christmas offers. You will have bundles of fun! Click here to see these amazing marketing offers – only valid until this Friday. They include design and print – including posters, roll-up banners, flyers, leaflets, stationery and logo design. You can also add our business website design and development packages to these bundles.

You can always reserve these packages by paying a small deposit now and starting them in the new year when you’ve had a good rest. So if your business could do with a freshen up, give us a call on 01903 824229.

Click on the arrow to see our special Christmas greeting. Enjoy the festivities!

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.

____________________________________________________________

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

____________________________________________________________

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

____________________________________________________________

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

____________________________________________________________

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.