Unsworth Sugden Blog

The foundations of any company’s business model, irrespective of their size or sector, are formed by their corporate identity and brand positioning. This is somewhat common knowledge but of increasing importance as marketing budgets are tightened.

Establishing a strong, well known identity is not an easy task but the gains of successfully doing so are prosperous. Recent weeks have seen Apple overtake Microsoft as the most valuable technology producing company thanks to its extensive profits.

Effective communication of Apple’s identity and product lines means very few would fail to recognise their logo, associate them as a leader of ground breaking home and office technology or name any of its products. Mass enthusiasm surrounds Apple’s identity as consumers aim to get their hands on the technology and suppliers compete to sell it. 

The question that dominates in the current economic climate is where do you prioritise your marketing communications spending to raise the profile of your organisation? An especially tough decision when tight budgets increase the pressure for clearly visible results.  

Such budget management is even more difficult with specialised communication agencies competing for a large share. Full service agencies offer an attractive means of consolidating marketing, advertising and public relations under one roof with many also having a digital arm to coincide with the expanding opportunities offered by interactive media thus offering multi platform reach.

Using such agencies allows all areas of your marketing strategy to be easily co-ordinated to communicate consistent, clear and direct messages. These are key to any branding campaign as the profiles and values expressed build a relationship between the audience and your corporate, product and/or service identity; an awareness that encourages future business.

The communication of success stories and strong products and/or services through PR, advertising and marketing alongside an establishing identity further enhances brand strength. A strength which continues to grow as awareness of your brand does, opening more opportunities for future business and expansion.

Such growth reflects the need for the continuous management of your identity and brand positioning. Once established, they need to prosper through regular up to date communication rather than fade into the background if they are to be successful.  

This is as time consuming as it sounds but it is essential. Again a full service agency can be of great use here as they can tailor and progress communication activity across all areas with this purpose in mind.  

Although just the roots of marketing activity, it offers the foundations from which future campaigns can be built. Once established, corporate identity is further enhanced by all positive future communication increasing business opportunities and therefore providing significant returns on investments in it. 

Unsworth Sugden’s advertising division and digital marketing division, US Digital, have combined their specialities to great effect for the Woodland Trust. Their knowledge of advertising and the importance of utilising a strong online presence has allowed the Woodland Trust to find the right candidates for numerous positions.

Thanks to an effective combination of print, website design and website development, the Woodland Trust was inundated with strong, high quality applicants. This proves the internet has not yet completely outdated print and that the qualities of both can be used to great affect.  

Unsworth Sugden’s web division, USdigital has launched a new website for Midland Handling Equipment. Midland Handling Equipment based in Leicestershire specialise in the design, manufacture and installation of numerous conveyor systems, including overhead chain conveyors, belt, slat, power and roller conveyors. The new website design can be seen at www.mhel.co.uk USdigital will also be helping MHE with its digital marketing strategy, which will include an SEO and email marketing campaign.

Unsworth Sugden’s web division, USdigital, has launched two new company websites in the past few weeks. New individually designed websites for the materials handling equipment specialists, Midland Handling Equipment and the leading UK hardwood bus shelter manufacturer Littlethorpe have both proved a huge hit.

Why not check out the new websites at www.mhel.co.uk and www.bus-shelters.co.uk

Marina (centre) receiving her award from Colleen Marples from CDS Global (left) and Hannah Elwell, Unsworth Sugden (right)

The PR department is celebrating this week as one of its recruits picked up a 1st class degree from De Montfort University as well as two student prizes!

All our congratulations go to Marina Boor who on top of graduating, has earned herself the title of Best International Marketing and Business Student and picked up first prize in the Employeer Award for Performance in the Workplace during her year with the company in 2007/08.

Well done Marina!

We’ve just finished work on a new microsite which lives as part of the main Barratt Homes’ website.

The microsite is based around Vizion - a superior apartment development based in Milton Keynes.

The dedicated microsite was developed as it was felt that we could really make more of a song and dance about why people should consider moving there. It called for something more than the standard page offered up on the Barratt site essentially.

Many people commute from Milton Keynes to the London area, and Vizion is positioned just a couple of minutes from the motorway. Also there is the new The Hub just over the road which offers a great selection of bars, cafes and restaurants. (It’s pretty good, I’ve been down there to check it out.)

We’ve started targeting the website with our traditional press ads we produce for Barratt, and so far the response has been great!

Visit the new site - www.barratthomes.co.uk/vizionliving

After the launch of our new Unsworth Sugden website, the next important step for us was to launch this blog.

Blogging is all the rage at the moment, both with companies and individuals. Why have we decided to do one? The answer is simple - it keeps our website looking bang up-to-date, and also keeps current and future clients informed on what’s happening within the company, whether it be work related or just fun and games.

Regular updating this way means your site never gathers dust, and doesn’t become one of those company sites that makes you wonder if the site was updated in 1998 or 2008. Do they still offer Free Widget Cleaning? Is that special offer on Widget Maintenance still current?

Remember, the first step to a potential sale is often through your website.

Administration is simple, members of staff can login and add a story through the web interface with just a few simple clicks. When it only takes minutes to update, keeping the stories fresh on a weekly basis becomes a whole lot easier.

So, the lesson, if you haven’t already gathered from my subtle persuasion - get a blog!

Unsworth Sugden’s web division USdigital has designed an exciting new microsite for housebuilder Barratt Homes’ Milton Keynes development, Vizion. 

Vizion is a flagship development with over 307 luxury apartments, situated in the centre of Milton Keynes. The website will promote the great location and attractive lifestyle that Vizion offers. A major selling point is its close proximity to the bars and restaurants at ‘The Hub MK’ and the nearby shopping centres. The development is likely to attract a lot of interest from homebuyers from outside the area, who may well be unfamiliar with Milton Keynes. The website will be showcasing all of the exciting new things Milton Keynes has to offer.

The microsite will be promoted by both press and online advertising.

website link to follow shortly….

Web design is crucial; no one wants a 2nd rate, pedestrian looking website. However, there is little point in having an all singing, all dancing website if no one is accessing it.

Without a method of directing traffic to your site, it will achieve nothing. No matter how informative the website is, or how great the design looks, your website will be unlikely to generate new business or sales enquiries.

Website Traffic can be generated in 6 main ways:

1. Search Engine Optimisation
2. Online advertising
3. Press Advertising and PR stories
4. Pay per Click Advertising
5. Email Marketing
6. Internet Users directly accessing your website

Search Engine Optimisation is considered by many as the most important method in getting traffic to your website. To maintain an effective SEO strategy, it must be performed on an ongoing basis.

While press advertising is seeing a decline, online advertising is proving more popular. Web banners and skyscrapers are important digital marketing tools in getting the internet user to jump onto your website.
If you are looking to get your website onto the first page of Google and generate instant traffic to your site then Pay Per Click Advertising is often a good answer - however this can prove expensive in the long run!

Email marketing is good at getting repeat visitors to your website. Emailing your database and directing people onto your website from their inbox, often through special promotions is an excellent way of generating site traffic.

Remember people won’t just stumble across your website. You must actively market it.

Web design is important. But so is website traffic!!!