Getting our clients’ messages across in a creative and impactful way has always been our aim to secure the best possible return on investment. A little known, but rapidly growing aspect of our business is PR and we’ve recently created a new microsite to promote it, which you can view here.

The mi PR microsite focuses on some recent PR challenges and achievements, to support the other disciplines that we provide to our clients ranging from design and advertising, to branding and digital communications.  Using this healthy blend of traditional and new media strategies, demonstrates our proven measurable results, whether we’re launching a new service, transforming a brand, or simply growing our clients’ bottom line.

And our successful re-assessment last week by an independent auditor confirms our continued accreditation of the Public Relations Association Consultancy Management Standard. The CMS comprises elements of ISO9001 and Investors in People to ensure that we continue to deliver top-class PR services.

We asked our clients to rate us across a number of important criteria and all responses were either ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’. See the single page summary here.

With clients perceiving MI as ‘Vibrant’, ‘Innovative’, ’Creative’, ‘Professional’ and ‘Fun’, we’re keen to maintain our reputation for high quality creative.  We were rated most highly on our Professionalism and Expertise as well as Service Levels, testament to which is this year we celebrate 10 years working with one of our clients. 

Ranked next in our survey were Quality of Work and Project Management, neither of which were felt to be compromised by delivering good Value, something we maintain without diminishing our core product.

A great start to the year …  but no time to rest on our laurels. We continue to strive for 100% satisfaction with our clients throughout 2012, and welcome ongoing feedback.

Points of View, written and designed by Soha residents, was chosen by Corporate Communications Magazine to be amongst five finalists for the best Annual Report by a non-profit organisation. We now go head-to-head with the likes of the BBC and St John Ambulance at the awards in London on 23 November. It’s a big ask, but it would be the icing on the cake after scoring 5 out of 5 in the NTOs report. We do enjoy working with Soha’s tenants each year even if it can involve climbing on to the roof of maintenance vans and storytelling!

Resident Involvement and Marketing Manager at Soha, Lisa Morris, said: “This is a huge accolade for the 25 residents who started the project as largely untrained amateurs. We commissioned Marketing Impact, to translate residents’ words and photography into a fully-fledged Annual Report, but without the residents’ ideas there would have been nothing for them to work on. 2011 is the fourth year that residents have led on the report – we believe firmly that an Annual Report shouldn’t be a ‘company makeover’ – residents need answers to their questions, not a report of what Soha wants the world to know.”

We’re excited to see that many of the John Lewis stores have taken on the new range of sewing craft kits produced by our client, Paper & String, and these are being rolled out nationally and online.

We designed the packaging for the current range which includes six easy to follow kits for creating such things as woodland friends, tree garlands and colourful cupcakes. Targeting a broad age profile, the designs were created for instant appeal to the young and not so young.

These popular kits with eye-catching designs and attractive packaging have made the sewing kits hugely successful. Plans are being discussed for exciting new varieties for next year. Watch this space …

There’s a lot of talk today about sustainability and environmental best practice, so it’s great to be acknowledged as an innovative leader who truly is ‘walking the talk’.  We were thrilled as Radian, one of our established housing clients, scooped the UK Gold Award at the 2011 Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.  This outstanding achievement recognises Radian’s success in retrofitting hard-to-treat homes to save energy, and the building of new homes to high environmental standards.

Like so many, housing providers have a huge environmental responsibility, with immense commitment to providing sustainable homes to tenants, which are affordable to heat – through renovating existing properties and developing new homes.  The awards are a great way to showcase practical solutions to combat climate change, rewarding outstanding and innovative low-carbon schemes in the UK and developing areas.  Radian has done just that; not only piloting new technologies which protect the environment and potentially improve people’s lives, but sharing its experience with others – which is what it’s all about.

Judges were impressed with Radian’s top-to-toe retrofits to older homes and high-grade eco builds, some of which are achieving the highest level of sustainability possible.  At the heart of its organisation, residents are benefitting from lower fuel bills since having their homes retrofitted with energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies – resulting in up to 88 per cent reductions in CO₂ emissions.

An occasion of sheer elation and overwhelming pride to receive this top accolade at the world’s leading green energy awards; Radian Chief Executive Lindsay Todd, and Sustainability and Innovation Manager at Radian, Paul Ciniglio, collected the award from Grand Designs presenter, Kevin McCloud.

And it doesn’t stop there.  Radian will invest its prize money on expanding their research and experience in implementing carbon efficiency measures in new and existing housing stock, to further benefit more and more residents.

A real inspiration!

As an agency with clients across many sectors, we’re continually working on a whole host of diverse projects and campaigns, which are independently exciting and inspiring.  We really get to spread our creative wings, so to speak, as each brief is different and deserving of fresh, unique consideration.

To ensure we deliver the ideal solution to best answer the client’s aims and objectives, we use our process driven approach, Think – Create – Deliver.

Think – Without quality thinking time spent at the initial stage, the creative and implementation recommendations will not necessarily be the best approach.  It’s important to get to know the client, their marketplace, customers and competitors, as well as the specific project challenge(s).

Create – Armed with an intimate knowledge of the clients’ requirements, allows for the creation of winning and successful solutions that exceed the objectives.

Deliver – The best thinking and exciting creative is nothing without solid, detailed delivery.  Thorough planning and account management ensures that every element has been considered from initial brief to implementation.

Simple, yet effective!

Photography is a big part of what we do.  With all of our design and the creation of any form of communication, we bring together effective and captivating copy, headlines and slogans, with eye-catching imagery and illustrations.  We ensure each element, individually or together, complements the key messages and output.

A good photograph can speak volumes.  It is visually appealing, it establishes a sense of realism, something the audience can relate to, and it evokes intrigue and interest, which collectively are invaluable.

We have put together a photography guide, for anyone who wants to improve or sharpen their technique.  Whether snapped on the simplest camera or crafted on the finest professional model, the art of creating a good photograph is all about light.  To create any picture you must control the quantity of light, while composing the shot with precision.  It’s also important that you review your shots and learn from your mistakes, immediately after you have taken your photo.

A poor quality shot can be personally disappointing and frustrating, and has potential to distract from its intended purpose.  It can leave the finished product unconnected and possibly mislead your audience.

Anyone can take a good photo, it just takes a little know how, patience and imagination.  It’s about finding the right perspective.  Once you have done that, you immediately engage with your audience and draw them one step closer to the story and key messages.

To get your hands on a copy click here

Decisions about value for money are a daily reality in all our lives. We are constantly choosing which items or services to buy, and judging the right balance for between quality and cost… spending less, spending well and spending wisely.

This means not only measuring the cost of goods and services but also taking account of the mix of cost with quality, resource use, fitness for purpose and timeliness to judge whether or not, together, they constitute good value.

During these challenging economic times, competition is fierce. Clients want the best value for their money and may view a lesser quality service or product to be a better overall value than a higher quality, higher priced service.

The perceived value of a service in a client’s eyes will increase if they’re provided with a solution that exceeds expectations, and this can happen when we have a clear understanding of our clients’ market. Everyone appreciates help without hassle.

We consider value to be high when a balance has been achieved between relatively low costs, high productivity and successful outcomes.  Value isn’t about cuts and should be a method of underpinning everything we do as a company, from performance management to procurement, and planning to consultation.

In their review of the annual reports submitted by HAs, ALMOs and councils, the NTO’s overall assessment of the first year annual reports supplied was “that on average they are just below adequate”. However, the Regenda ‘R Factor’ report was the first of only three to be presented as an example of an “imaginative design concept”, whilst the Soha report was one of only four reports from 259 of those selected by the TSA to receive full marks! Yet another of our reports (Paragon) also received special mention for its design features.

Download a copy of the NTO’s Summary Report here, or Full Report here.

We are particularly proud due to the high level of involvement we had in these reports. Starting the ball rolling with inclusive and innovative workshops to inspire and motivate, we worked with residents and staff to fully understand what it is that they want from their annual report. Ensuring a positive outcome, we always walk away from these workshops with a clear idea of what the residents want and a few good ideas of how to deliver it.
Many HAs were not able to produce reports to the TSA’s deadlines due to the additional work that the introduction of their set of standards involved. Here at MI, all the HA reports we were involved with last year were delivered before the deadline and designed with the highest amount of creativity permitted by the clients’ briefs.

For more information about our award-winning work with residents within social housing please go to our social housing microsite, email steve@marketing-impact.co.uk or feel free to call us for a chat on 020 8399 7400.