Facebook Busy

Over here at the collective, we are quite hot on our social media. Massive fans of twitter, 4sq addicts and enough knowledge of Facebook to send you to sleep!

And it has been a normal busy month helping clients out with their facebook projects / campaigns. This is a few things that have gone live this month.

For more information about our social media projects, or anything else we do then please just give us a shout. Always happy to discuss.

2012 and all that

The headlines scream doom and gloom as we start 2012. Going to be a tough year. High employment, high cost of living and lots of crap to deal with.

Pretty much the same as last year then. And the year before.

I always have the same answer prepared when a client asks how things are. Its ok, could be better. We are surviving. Just need to keep going, keep being positive, good customer service, keep getting the work in and all that!

And to a point, that is a bit of the truth, but not the full truth. Because actually we a doing alright.

We are winning new business, new clients are coming on board and the last few months have been some of our best. I just don't like to talk about.

Why, you ask. Be proud, be positive. There is a bit, where I don't want to say too much just in case it comes crashing down around me in 3 months time. I also don't want to take my foot of the gas. I have a very high work ethic and I am not the type to ease off, just because we have had a good few months. I also don't want others to get the impression we are showing off. I know from other people / designers / agencies that it is tough out there and we aren't the type of agency to show off.

However, I do think this year, maybe I should start being a bit more honest and promoting our success's. We have a great little agency and have all worked bloody hard of the last few years to get to this point. So, lets start talking about!

Our review of 2011

Some things that made our year!!!

1. Surving… again!
2. The new Blippar app. Brilliant and the future.
3. New Linkedin app. At last a social media app that has design at its heart!
4. Winning the wowcher pitch
5. Launching An Afternoon in the pub and bloody loving it.
6. Working with and for co-deal. A great idea and are expecting big things for 2012
7. Upgrading the Macs in the office with all new shiny software and applications
8. Finding and visiting the Hospital Club. A lovely place for a beer. Should we take membership in 2012?
9. Using the icanhire website to hire a van. A great automated system
10. Flipboard for the iPad and now for the iPhone. Brilliant.
11. Winning so many new clients and making new friends. BagThat, Carol Newland, Mercer & Hole and JCA to name just a few.
12. The collective summer and christmas parties. We still know how to party!
13. Getting my thoughts on twitter published.
14. Completed the 92 challenge.
15. Welcoming Mr Lovett back in the studio.
16. The night at the museum
17. Frozen Planet - great TV
18. The DWA darts night. Only semi finals this year, but good fun none the less.
19. Launching the Private Home website
20. Launching the Mercer & Hole website
21. Launching the Celerant website
22. Writing more blogs
23. Adding to our Social Media portfolio - a big growth area for us!
24. Finally get settled in the new office
25. Politely telling a client that because she shouted at us, we will not being doing her design work again. Good luck!
26. Keeping clients happy with our lottery ticket reward programme
27. The work we did for Bright Networks.
28. Jesus Christ Fenton
29. Although one of the hardest working years in collective history, it was probably my favourite.
30. We started adding PR to one of our service offerings.
31. Scrabble on the iPad was a big part of our evenings out.
32. CardMunch for Linkedin app - Brilliant
33. The Senna film. Amazing!
34. Finally getting to watch live tennis. Wimbledon and almost Queens Club...
35. The comedy delights of Vicky Arlidge.

Blippar

Right then. A blog post about Blippar. Here we go.

We first became aware of the wonderful world of Blippar a couple of months back when this introductory video was posted on twitter http://blippar.com/

After watching, everyone in the studio automatically downloaded the app and started blipping.

The idea behind Blippar is simple, augmented reality advertising. Through the magic 'lens' on the app, you can enhance the world around you with virtual, instant information and entertainment. By blipping, you are automatically connected to a web link, video, game, coupon or a special 3D product experience.

Unlike its slightly weaker and less effective little brother, the QR code, Blippar really does enhance the users experience with the advert or product, and unlike the QR code, Blippar is the first universal augmented reality platform that is aimed directly at advertisers.

Lets take the Tesco logo for an example. Find the price drop logo in a paper, in store or online and hover your magic 'lens' over it.

The first thing you notice, apart from the festive music in the background, are the animated icons floating above the advert. You then have the choice to watch their Christmas advert, find the nearest store, or shop on the online Christmas Zone. There are of course links to their available social media.

Some of the other products which have really taken advantage of Blippar are Walkers, Cadburys, Marmite, Waitrose, Heinz and one of my favourites, the new Jurassic Park poster advertising.

To really experience how Blippar works, don't just read this, download Blippar and get blipping!

Video Inforgraphic - The World of Social Media

Nice video infographic

Simply, a great deal

We came across co-deal one Sunday evening, when a message came through asking for helping printing and delivery business cards. It was for someone local and I thought why not. Happy to help and you never know.

And that as you say was the start of a beautiful relationship.

It was only recently that I spent the afternoon in the pub with co-deal watching a Spurs game. That is the kind of client we like. 



But back to business. co-deal is in a nutshell, a group discount website for businesses. If you are a start up or SME then you can get any number of different deals to help your company. Anything from a great website offer to a discount on accountancy costs. Deals go on each week, and there are either a limited number available, or you have a set time to purchase, and you end up saving money on things your company needs. Very simple and very easy. And I am sure someone said that all the best business ideas are just that!



So, what started as a quick business card job has evolved into 2 different business streams. Firstly we are proud to help co-deal with any of their design and marketing requests. Whatever they throw at us, we are more than happy to assist and add their name to our client list.



Secondly, we are equally happy and excited to be on their supplier list. We have a number of deals on the site, ranging from logo design to website development. We also have a unique deal - you can have one of our designers for a day, at a discounted rate. Happy to say we have had a few take us up on that offer. It is a great win-win situation. We can offer our design and marketing services at a discounted rate, while getting exposure to a whole new range of clients and industries. The fact that we are supporting co-deal in the early stages of their growth is an added bonus.


If you want to know more, then please drop us a line, or for more from co-deal and the current deals on offer, check out their site - http://www.co-deal.co.uk/

Or follow them on twitter - @co_deal


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Foursquare - infographics

Everyone knows I am a big fan of foursquare. The proof is in my profile.

However this "small" post is not about the location based social media app. This is about their infographics that they use to promote their services / usage / promotions.

Really nice, well designed pieces, which I am not sure they get credit for. We are big fans of infographics at the collective and I think these are some of the best we have come cross.

You can find most of their infographics on their blog - http://blog.foursquare.com/ but below is some examples.