From the category archives:

testimonials

We have just found out that Flourish have been awarded Best Prestige Design in printing.com’s Annual Design Awards. The competition which pulls together top talent from more than 300 design agencies has been running for six years now, and Flourish (and Guildford printing.com) have won no less than four awards in that time.

We’re delighted that the Wedding Community’s brochure has won because it’s a piece that we planned, copywrote, designed and printed. We also created the branding for the company, which only launched back in October, so to have picked up an award so soon is a huge accolade!

Huge pat on the back to all the team that worked on this, especially designers Chloe and Rob.

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in About us, Branding, Graphic Design, testimonials

An exhausted Matt Pereira has just returned from the three day National Wedding Show at London’s Olympia, and as we helped him plan, design and style his stand, I couldn’t resist sharing the gorgeous photos with you.

Matt has exhibited at the National Wedding Show for several years now, and has always had a professional looking stand, but he was looking to up his game this year and make sure his stand reflected the way we’ve developed his brand identity recently. Gone are the plain walls covered in dozens of images; and in their place beautifully wallpapered MDF courtesy of Laura Ashley and a select number of stunning photographs in matching frames.

We’ve put a lot of thought into how we styled the stand. Matt has always had a real-life bride on his stand, which has been a fabulous crowd-pleaser and also provided testimonials on tap. So we made sure that he took a bride along again.

We also thought creatively about the whole look and feel. And thanks to Laura Ashley and an early morning flit to Kempton Antiques Market, Matt and I sourced some fitting furniture, and best of all, vintage suitcases and books! The suitcases add a touch of “manly glamour” to the whole stand, whilst also being a nod to Matt as a destination wedding photographer.

Matt placed photo books on the edges of the stand for passers by to flick through and was under strict instructions to relax when the visitors were touching them – however greasy their fingers might be! A lot of photographers tend to get quite territorial (understandably) when people are flicking through their expensive albums. But I think if you want to create a warm and welcoming vibe then you have to get over the chocolate fingers and accept that you’re likely to have to write off the album as an exhibition expense.

The details made a big difference. We didn’t want to go girly on the styling, so we took inspiration from Matt’s brochure which is all textured paper, leather and “wallpaper”. The books are perfect for the Autumnal colour personality and work really well with the suitcases. The blocks add to the tone and the coffee table is so much more full of personality than one of the standard Ikea units Matt was using previously.

Engaging with the visitors (well done with the hands off the album too Matt!)

Kate, the gorgeous bride in the pic above was on the stand on Saturday in her wedding dress, ready to gush about Matt. And I always think that people respond really well to seeing the “real thing” alongside the wedding photos.

We wanted a bit of a unique giveaway so Matt hand-baked (and iced) biscuits which he cellophane wrapped and tied with ribbon (grosgrain as specified by me!).

And of the biscuits Matt said:

“Cookies went down a treat, and it was great that I had handmade them (and badly iced them) as it was a good talking point”

It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Matt on this stand because he’s taken our vision and followed it through right down to the last detail. And because of that he has a really coherent stand.

It’s too early to tell how just how much of an impact this has made on his sales, as wedding photography tends to be a bit more of a consultative sell. But his leads were up by 500% on last year and we have created a cracker of a communication plan to ensure that he maximises on the potential of each and every one of his leads. I’ll keep you posted!

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in Branding, Case Studies, Exhibitions, Graphic Design, In The Studio This Week, Low Cost Marketing, testimonials

Client news… Run to Live awarded small business of the year!

February 20, 2010

I get a lot of satisfaction from working with business startups. There’s something so rewarding about creating an entire brand from scratch and working with the business owner as they take their baby from concept to substantial “proper business” territory. And the idealism and enthusiasm that comes as standard with most entrepreneurs looking to set [...]

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We’re rebranding!

November 10, 2009

I've long believed that branding is about more than your logo and your company name. Your brand is who you are. It's what people know about you, how they react to you and what they have experienced with you. And I've always been very confident that Guildford printing.com has a strong brand. Our clients and [...]

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In the studio this week… A banner for the Guildford Flames

October 5, 2009

I've got to be honest, it was the client feedback more than the artwork that prompted me to share this artwork with you, I'm a sucker for a great testimonial! but here goes…

One of our clients, Hi Spec Electrics needed a banner for a Guildford Flames tournament, and asked us to step in to help. [...]

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12 mistakes that most small businesses make when they exhibit: download your free eBook today!

October 5, 2009

Most small businesses pour thousands of pounds into exhibitions every year and fail to walk away with a single client. And yet when they're done properly exhibitions can help you build your database, boost your brand awareness and develop relationships with your clients. I've used exhibitions as a fundamental part of my marketing plan to [...]

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Wow! Thanks Bernay!

January 7, 2009

Over the past couple of months we've been working with the very fabulous Bernay Laity at in:colour. in:colour is the UK's leading colour consultancy and helps individuals and companies communicate more effectively through colour. I have to say, it's been absolutely fascinating stuff, and we shall be signing up to Bernay's next Colour in:communication course!
Anyway, [...]

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A very happy lady

May 1, 2008

“Fiona, Rob and the Team at printing.com. A great big Thank You for the superb leaflets. Even my 18 year old son approved, praise indeed! I’ll be back for business cards. Regards, Gerry” Gerry Beattie, Windlesham Accupuncture

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Wow! Thank you Anna!

March 28, 2008

“Aside from the fact that they’ve produced some beautiful letterheads and business cards for me, what I really value about Printing.com is the fact that they don’t just do printing. They recognise that before printing anything, they have to understand their clients’ business and their brand and create some great designs and copy to [...]

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