Thursday, 29 January 2015

Finally, a marketing tool that actually works!

In an over-saturated and technology driven world, how do you market yourself and drive business? With the rise of social media many believe that online marketing is key to reach potential customers, however traditional methods of print and advertising still have a place. It's all about balance.

Adcore Creative celebrates 25 years in business this year and like many graphic design studios aims to be continually pro-active and forward thinking in our approach to marketing. Sometimes easier said than done; daily commitments and deadlines still need to be met. In order to grow the seed must be nurtured.

After a team brainstorming session we concluded that maybe we should concentrate on our existing clients and potential customers in and around our surrounding area. Situated in the heart of Carlton and on the fringe of the CBD, we find ourselves perfectly situated and surrounded by new business. It occurred to us that many may not know that there was an established creative design studio right there on their doorstep.

Initially, we updated our signage with refreshed branding and a clear message letting passers by know exactly who we are and what we do. In order to gain attention we designed an eye catching and thought provoking 'A Frame' to sit on the footpath outside the studio.
            
Front of the 'A-frame', a simple 'Hello' attracts attention
Back of the 'A-frame', eye-catching bold graphics with the marketing message 'Shape your 2015 with Adcore Creative'

To our delight many people stopped took notice, smiled and some even took photographs (hopefully making way into a facebook, instagram or twitter account). Our clever marketing strategy payed off when the phone rang and a new client was gained, how did they find us? The 'A-frame' situated on the footpath. Finally, a marketing tool that actually works! 
How many Christmas cards did you receive this year? Not many I'm sure. We have all become complacent and let's say a little lazy in reaching out to those around us. A simple message received in the mail speaks volumes. We decided to send out a special Christmas card to all our existing clients re-enforcing that yes you are indeed special to us and we value your continued professional relationship. 
 Personalised message inside 
Design was carried onto the envelope


The design of the card followed on from the 'A-frame' with the tag line 'Shape your 2015 with Adcore Creative'. Upon receiving the card many of our existing clients called to say thank you. We have all become reliant on email and rarely speak to our clients. The days of jumping from one meeting to next are over but are we losing touch with our valued customers? A simple call to say "Hello, how are you?" "What have you been working on?" can lead to "Actually, I was thinking of doing...can you help with that?" Testament enough to say that sometimes the old principles of marketing really do work. Invest in your existing clients and embrace those around you, you never know it may just work.

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

The Design Files Open House.

Photos from Broadsheet, photographer Peter Tarasiuk

If you were lucky enough to visit The Design Files Open House over the weekend you were in for an inspiring visual treat! This was the fourth installment for Lucy Feagin - the editor and founder of one of our, and Australia's favourite blogs The Design Files.

This year Lucy converted an airy, multi-level industrial warehouse in Smith Street Collingwood, into a space that showcased the wares of more than 70 artists, designers and creative brands.

As in past years, everything was for sale. With local artists such as Moya Delaney, who stiches together old parachutes and flags to produce large-scale light fittings, to homewares by Marble Basics and my personal favourite - gorgeous kids and adults bed line and homewares by Hunting for George.

This year also marked a new venture for Lucy, she collaborated with potter Robert Gordon Australia to produce a range of exclusive (and stunning) tableware and vases, her first product collaboration.

We hope you enjoyed it!

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Christmas card inspiration.

Can you believe it's that time of the year again! 

Inspired by some beautifully designed Christmas cards, that are both stylish but with a little humour, we are getting into the spirit.

Two companies that we are loving at the moment are - The Adventures Of and the Hungry Workshop.

The Adventures Of is a husband and wife design and stationery studio who 'make greeting cards to put smiles on faces and art prints in invite happiness into a room'.

The Hungry Workshop is a favourite of ours (we've featured them here before and you can buy from here), their whimsical letterpress cards are sure to bring a smile to your face. 

And for something new for your Christmas tree, we can't go past these laser cut thick black card graphic decorations from The Minimalist

Stay tuned for a sneak peak at our own Adcore Christmas card coming soon!













Monday, 17 November 2014

Four&Sons Magazine.






As avid dog lovers here at Adcore, we are excited to see the end result of a stunning magazine come together from a friend of ours - Marta Roca from Four&Sons.

I've been a big fan and a keen supporter of this Melbourne online publication (www.fourandsons.com) since they launched in 2011. This beautifully presented website describes itself as a space where 'dogs and culture collide' and has been an ongoing labour of love for Marta. Four&Sons shares stories and interviews with creative dog lovers the world over, for whom creativity and canine companionship is inseparable.

As told by Marta "Four&Sons came about as a way to cover art, design, fashion, music and lifestyle, Four&Sons brings together an eclectic mix of inspiring 'dog-centric' content to dog-lovers passionate about culture and creativity. Curated with a strong editorial approach and written by people who find dogs a constant source of inspiration."

The second issue of the magazine is just as stunning as the first, it's such a well executed, clever, engaging and thoughtfully produced publication. Whats not to love about this! 

You can pre-order the magazine on the Four&Sons website www.fourandsons.com for $20 (plus postage and handling).


Thursday, 18 September 2014

Small Business BIG Marketing


On the 28th of August we attended the Small Business BIG Marketing event 
which was part of the Small Business Festival Victoria.

The Small Business BIG Marketing brings together the experiences and expertise of Australia’s leading marketers, brand developers, designers and researchers.

This year we were lucky enough hear from Carolyn Miller from the Gruen Planet and Dr Ken Cato AO (our hero) from Cato Brand Partners talk about their experiences in small business and marketing. 

Ken Cato’s advice “Have confidence to be who you think you are” and Carolyn Miller’s “Reframe your problems into positives” are two important tips we took away from the day.

The Small Business Festival ran from the 1-31 of August, it aims to inspire and teach people new skills to help start or grown their small business. If you didn’t get a chance to go this year, make sure you put it on the to-do-list in 2015. 

Dr Ken Cato (Cato Brand Partners) inspiring the audience.
Photo courtesy of Small Business Festival facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFestVic
Carolyn Miller 
Photo courtesy of Small Business Festival facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFestVic
The panel answering questions from the crowd
Photo courtesy of Small Business Festival facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFestVic
The captive audience (can you spot us?)
Photo courtesy of Small Business Festival facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFestVic
Photo courtesy of Small Business Festival facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SmallBizFestVic

Tuesday, 29 July 2014

New work in the studio.


One of our clients recently engaged us to create an extensive campaign for an internal project.
Included in the collateral that we designed for them were roll up banners, a tote bag holding a pen, passport holder and notepad, as well as an email awareness campaign, posters and banner ads.

It was a great project to work on and the campaign was a success.

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Easter Love.




If you are looking for a last minute Easter treat, we are very excited by Beci Orpin's collaboration with KoKo Black. Not only is she an incredibly talented illustrator and designer, but to mix her beautifully whimsical illustrations with chocolate, it's a dream present. See more of why we are so inspired by Beci here: www.beciorpin.com.

Have a great Easter!