Posted at: 11:12 AM by Mark

For a while at Persona we've been bookmarking one website that never fails to inspire us all; designers, developers, and information architects alike. Even the boss can't get enough! Smashing Magazine is a resource that

"delivers useful and innovative information for designers and Web developers with the aim of informing readers about the latest trends and techniques in Web development: clearly, precisely and regularly."

And that it does! Acting as a handbook of all things web dev, the site consists of a collection of professional references and solutions on various topics of interest. With daily postings such as 40 Creative Layouts, CSS Expert Ideas and Usability Nightmares, there really is something for everyone and each post is always thoroughly researched, well presented and right at the forefront of what's going on in the industry. Having this sort of content to hand is a great timesaver and source of inspiration just when the creative juices are starting to dry up.

Download: 1920x1200 • 1680x1050 • 1280x800 • 1024x768

Download: 1920x1200 • 1680x1050 • 1280x800 • 1024x768

Download: 1920x1200 • 1680x1050 • 1280x800 • 1024x768

Each month Smashing Magazine post a collection of themed desktop wallpapers designed and submitted by their readers and we obligingly browse through and download our favourites. So this month we've decided to have a go ourselves and create a November wallpaper that we can submit to the magazine and which you can download here for your viewing pleasure. After all, it's better to give than to receive at this time of year (well, almost). Our effort is based around the magic of bonfire night and features some lovely geometric fireworks intended to provide you with a little warmth and enjoyment as you gaze at your screen; something we all need at the minute, brrr.

In the coming months we hope to create more wallpapers for you all, building up a little resource of our own and you never know, we may get some of them featured on the hallowed pages of Smashing magazine.

Labels: creative, downloads, illustration, persona, web design

Posted at: 11:04 AM by Hammad

Most of us use planes, trains and automobiles all the time, so we're used to things that go bump in the night.

This year, World Usability Day is on November 13th (don't worry, it's not a Friday!) and the topic is Transportation. Visit www.worldusabilityday.org and you'll be amazed at the number of events, webcasts and discussions taking place by some of the best thinkers out there on how the next generation of transport systems will be better for all of us.

Labels: experience, persona, usability, world usabilty day

Posted at: 4:14 PM by Mark

In the last few weeks I've done something I never thought I'd do, or even think I'd be interested in doing... I've joined the dark side! That's right; I've taken my first few tepid steps into the strange and daunting world of code.

Until now, developers have always been those geeks at the other end of the office, non-creatives permanently docked at their little PC stations consumed in page after page of coloured dots, colons and squiggly brackets. Like well oiled machines, they endlessly create, edit and refresh pages of code, only surfacing from their online havens and engaging in the real world for the occasional service or refuel. The distance between them and us has been understandably well observed and any contact confined to email. This is simply the way it's always been and is best for everyone concerned, right?

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little. After all, the pursuits of the two professions cannot be fully realised without our harmonious collaboration. Despite our fundamental creative and technical differences, we rely on each other for the success of each and every project we undertake. Without us creative types, developers have no page layouts to code away at all day and without their technical skills, we designers have no one to turn our works of art into something useful! Yet the journey of creating a web site always remains a process of two distinct and separate phases, design then development, in which the intricacies and limitations of both fields inevitably arise, occasionally causing friction and frustration for either camp dealing with the ignorance of the other. It is this lack of understanding about the each other's field that has prompted me to do learn more about the dark art.

I've realised that I will never fully understand the restrictions of the web and how that effects my precious design until I actually get my head stuck into some code and try to see things from the perspective of the poor old developer. For too long, I've just has to grumpily sigh and resign myself to defeat when Lewis comes and tells me that some part of my design just isn't possible to recreate or the primary font I've used will just look terrible in IE6! My well thought out and balanced response that "the web sucks" simply won't cut it anymore.

So with the Lewis' help and complete disregard for my previous bad experiences with linguistics (GSCE French and German), I've set about studying the languages of HTML and CSS, in a bid to broaden my horizons, understand how to code a web site and ultimately learn how to best optimise my future designs for web.

So far, I've been surprised how much I've enjoyed learning about elements, attributes and divs. At first it plays havoc on the eyes and is pretty taxing on the brain, but like with anything, putting the theory into practise and repeating tutorials is proving to be working well. I so far understand everything these languages have thrown at me and can rustle up a pretty basic but solid web site from scratch.

My only previous experience in building websites has been through Dreamweaver's "Design view" and that has always been a pretty frustrating one, with elements on a page jumping around when previewed, no matter what changes I seem to make. When creating pages using code, everything feels that little bit more deliberate and stable.

Needless to say, the time I've spent in code view has helped me appreciate the restrictions of the web in terms of the way different elements display on a page and how the medium is much more fluid than that of print design. I can't necessarily make every bit of design sit precisely where I want like I can in print, simply because of the organic nature of the web and the sheer number of variables there are (browsers, fold lines, anti-alias's etc). With each new web site I come to design, these are the sort of factors that I can keep in mind to make the whole process run a bit smoother and improve Lewis' quality of life.

Not only does my foray into uncharted technical territory help with the efficiency and enjoyment of the design and development process in the studio, it also helps me to expand my skill set and improve my employability in an industry where the role of the designer is becoming ever broader.

When studying graphic design at university, there is very little mention of designing for web, in fact there are entirely separate degrees dedicated to digital and multimedia design. My course focused entirely on conceptual "ideas" based print design, occasionally venturing into the worlds of advertising or packaging design. Yet this separation in design courses is not really mirrored in the real world, where many design/marketing agencies strive to meet the needs of clients wanting a range of services: branding, printed literature, web design and search marketing for example. Unless you happen to join a huge agency which has a team covering each of these bases and thus employ you solely for your branding abilities, then you're going to have to be able to branch out somewhat and adapt to the requirements of each individual project.

Many job descriptions for designers these days specify requirements for candidates to have experience and skills in both print and web design, and the relevant computer software for each. It would seem that knowledge of HTML, CSS and Flash etc. is becoming just as important as that of Adobe's Creative Suite and the print industry for those employing the next wave of graduates. For the purist designer who ignores this trend though, preferring to stick to their guns and the world of print, the opportunities may well become that little bit harder to find. This is an industry changing to meet the needs of those wanting to communicate their message, and with the web being at the forefront of the communication age, I for one am not going to rest on my laurels.

Labels: creative, css, persona, web design

Posted at: 9:03 AM by Hammad

We all have a love-hate relationship with IT and it's no different at Persona. Recently we've been victim of a few growing pains and so we're taking steps to ease the pain. In fact, we're not just going to ease it, we're going to flip it on its head and make it work harder for us!

Firstly, we're rolling out a new web deployment workflow, which will mean a faster, slicker and more robust process from development to staging and then live. The documentation and testing processes are also being vastly improved to give an even higher quality of output and service.

On a technical level, we're moving to Microsoft SQL Server 2008, upgrading our version control system to the latest Microsoft SourceSafe Server and integrating everything more efficiently with our Visual Studio development tools. By using integrated technologies make the most of our internal infrastructure and keep our costs low and efficiency high. That's what helps us stay commercially competitive as well as working to the best standards in the industry.

That's not all though. We're also trialling the growing emergence of 'virtualisation' technology for creating simulated production environments and also playing with Windows Server 2008. We've even been dabbling with some open-source CMS platforms on Java! - all part of our role to stay up to date and at the forefront of technology, so you don't have to.

Give us a ring anytime to chat about how these evolutions could benefit you.

Labels: cms, persona, servers, technical

Posted at: 3:51 PM by Hammad

With a new year, comes a new Persona web site, available for preview at:

www.per-so-na.com

We've designed the new site to be much fresher and brighter, whilst fully integrating our new 'Experience' division into the brand palette.

The site is made using our Content Management System (CMS) that will hopefully mean we can keep it updated more regularly than before. Still to come is a new blog, many more content pages and fresh work in the portfolio.

Feel free to have a browse around and let us know what you like/dislike. It's still in beta stage, so we might even be able to squeeze some suggestions into the final version.

Labels: cms, persona, technical, web site

Posted at: 6:13 PM by Hammad

Is there no end to our domination of the press?

Well, not just yet there isn't.

One of the UK's most popular trade magazines, 'Web Designer' (www.webdesignermag.co.uk) has a 3 page profile all about Persona.

The feature is in a team interview format; with Hammad, Lisa and Stuart sharing their thoughts on the recent Transformers/Toshiba project and Andy, Mark and Lewis discussing how the production went down.

Be sure to pick up a copy in your local WH Smiths before it's too late!

There is also still time to get a copy of .NET Magazine 168 - with a 6 page cover feature from Persona discussing online user experience.

http://www.netmag.co.uk/zine/podcast/episode-18

Labels: magazine, marketing, persona, podcast, pr, web design

Posted at: 3:39 PM by Vivienne

Firstly, a big thank you to everybody who came along to the party last week! Having looked through the feedback, it's great to see so many of you had a good time and picked up contacts and new business for yourselves. Just part of the service from your favourite marketing agency (you're very welcome by the way).

For those of you who couldn't come along, it's a real shame actually as it was a great chance to not only see some of our design work, but also meet the team and find out just what a real communications agency is all about.

You can all have a look at the pictures and video clips from the opening night party (maybe even spot yourself). If you're interested in gaining this kind of publicity for yourself, get in touch with us and we can discuss ideas over a coffee.

Everything came together brilliantly and there are a few special mentions due:

• The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress for coming along to show their support
• John and the team at Badgemaster for making some fantastic guest badges for the party.
• Tom and the Urban Planters board of directors for showcasing the TFT Tree and also giving so generously of their time
• Jeanne and Tony from View from the Top for the gallery space
• Aquila for the fantastic Lebanese buffet
• The Persona Creative team - Viv, Andy, Hammad, Matt, Nina, Lewis, Mark, Kim and Lisa. Great job from everybody involved!

Labels: event, gallery, media, persona, pr

Posted at: 10:34 AM by Vivienne

The table below shows how the Persona Creative newsletter performed over the 12 editions in 2006

One of the most effective ways to analyse the success of an email campaign is by looking at the percentage of people who opened it.

Anything over 25% is generally considered to be good, with 30% being the benchmark we should all try to achieve. Over the course of 12 months, the Persona Creative email averaged over 50% - 20% higher than the benchmarks! Not only this, but the open rate never dropped below 40%, so the average is based on consistent performance rather than a few good months bumping up the statistics.

Due to the positive feedback we receive on each email, we believe the high open rate is due to the quality of the content and also the high build quality of the HTML; reducing the number of spam filters it triggers.

The chart below shows our open rate performance against that of industry averages.

With printed Direct Mail, it is commonly accepted that a 1% response from a campaign is what we should aim for. For example, if we send out 10,000 flyers in the post, we should hope to get 100 people to respond in some way.

With email, the percentages for response a bit higher, but are dropping all the time as email overload becomes more of a problem for our inboxes. Over the course of 2006, the industry average is 15%, but the Persona Creative average click rate is over 25%! Again, this is an excellent sign that the content we produce for the email not only engages our readers, but encourages them to read more.

Email campaigns produced and managed by Persona Creative for our clients produce similar statistics, so if you want to make the most of this marketing channel, it's worth talking to us.

You can also have a look at the industry tables below to see what benchmarks you can aim for in your own campaign. Of course, we can help you get there if needed.

Labels: analysis, campaign, digital, email, media, persona

Posted at: 10:32 AM by Vivienne

To combat the post holiday blues and also celebrate the start of our third year, we're taking over The View from the Top gallery in Nottingham City Centre to hold an exhibition of our creative work - with a VIP-only preview party on the 30th of this month.

The exhibition will showcase all the different types of communication work we produce. Everything from web sites, brand identities and publicity events will be on display and you can get a real sense of how Digital, Brand and Media make up an integrated marketing strategy.

Anybody can come along to the exhibition itself between 31 Jan and 4 Feb, but if you haven't received your VIP invite in the post for the party, be sure to email viv@personacreative.com to request one. Hurry though, as spaces are very limited indeed.

Look forward to seeing you at the party, but if you can't make it - feel free to drop by the exhibition between 31 Jan and 4 Feb anyway.

Labels: event, gallery, media, nottingham, persona

Posted at: 10:30 AM by Hammad

Just like we did 12 months ago, we're making three predictions for the year ahead - which should help you focus your 2007 marketing plans.

Poor quality digital marketing will no longer be acceptable

The Internet and the associated outlets for digital marketing are well and truly mature. Any organisation who thinks they can either use it as a place to experiment or cut corners is far behind the times. All of us who consume digital media (such as Internet, Email and mobile content) do so on a regular basis - and we switch off from anything of poor quality quicker than any other area of media.

Because digital content gives us so much control, we can choose to consume it or avoid it very easily. The old marketing concepts of forcing the marketing message in front of the public just don't work online. A poorly designed web site that never gets updated is as useful to a brand as a home made brochure that's 5 years old. Similarly, email newsletters or direct campaigns that are badly constructed, trigger junk mail filters and don't comply with data protection are a huge risk to those who think amateurism is acceptable. Not only can your recipients unsubscribe from your mailings, but they can report you for abuse and also get you blacklisted on a global scale. A scary thought, but only if you don't take the delivery seriously in the first place.

The advice we are giving for 2007 is this: If you're not going to do a professional job with online media, don't bother at all. Poor quality will no longer just be ignored from customers, but it will simply not be acceptable for any organisation wanting to be taken seriously.

Depending on whether you are a 'cup half full' or 'cup half empty' type of marketer; you'll see this as either an opportunity or a set back. Which one are you?

Companies will start to take their brand seriously again

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of talk about branding being a dead end - consumers are so fickle that they have no loyalty to anybody. This is not strictly true; yes we are less brand loyal than before, but the main concepts of branding are as important as ever and professional organistions are re-investing in their brands in droves.

There is no denying that people like consistency, familiarity and value - something that your brand activity can help you deliver either consciously or subconsciously to your audience. If you haven't made any specific steps to build your brand before (or it's been a while since you took a look at it), 2007 is a good time to give it some thought. As your organisation has no doubt grown and evolved, have the brand values changed? Maybe the emotional response your branding provokes doesn't match up with where you are heading, or you need your brand to drive you forward rather than hold you back.

Brand value is something we are always passionate about at Persona, so we'd be more than happy to discuss your brand with you to see where you can take it next.

Online PR will become even more sought after than printed PR

Most of the large media groups are falling over themselves to be seen as pioneers and leaders online. Rupert Murdochs purchase of MySpace has given News Corporation a massive lead in the social networking space, with everybody trying to copy and catch up. Googles purchase of YouTube and ITV snapping up Friends Reunited are another two examples of media might and their attempts to 'buy' public interest.

However the so called "Web 2.0 boom" shapes up, online PR outlets are plenty; with publications such as the Sun reporting over a billion readers last year! Column inches in print will always be important and add that extra level of credibility compared to online, but organisations hoping to actually get value from their publicity (rather than an ego boost by seeing their name in print) would be well advised to focus on Internet based publicity.

We recommend developing your PR strategy to include consistent submissions to RSS news feeds and web publications. Making sure you are syndicating your regular news via your own RSS feed is also very easy now, so make sure you are giving people access to this. Online PR also allows us to easily track the coverage you are getting; by using search engines to keep on top of where your content is being indexed and linked from.

But what of last years predictions? Read on...

Did mobile marketing actually come of age?

There is no denying it now - nearly everybody in the UK not only has a mobile phone and most of them are Internet capable. The only problem seems to be the network providers are still charging a small fortune for getting online whilst on the move. More and more of us are adopting PDA style phones (such as a Blackberry or Windows Mobile) and whilst mobile web hasn't quite taken off, the importance of email in your pocket is an area not to be ignored - and is the best place to start thinking about your mobile marketing strategy.

For many businesses, SMS/MMS marketing campaigns just aren't practical. The message costs and the lack of data can be prohibitive and most people just don't want to get messages sent to their personal phone. Email however is a little different. If you already have a well managed email contact database (You do have one don't you?) then these recipients are already warm to campaigns you send out; all you have to do now is tailor the content to be a little more mobile friendly.

Some quick tips on how to do this include:

• Keep your opening quick and to the point. Many mobile email clients default to the first 5kb of the message (or just the headers) - make is stand out!
• Pay attention to your text-only email - many mobiles won't display the pretty HTML version, so make sure you are getting the most out of your content by making it accessible to all.
• Use a simple, clear layout for your text-only email; this will prevent any ugly formatting appearing on different phones.
• Provide a link to your web site; even better if it browses well on a mobile!

There is enough momentum and user take up to start testing the waters with mobile marketing in 2007 and those who do will reap the benefits. It's a great way to show your customers and contacts that you are innovating and working to keep your services relevant and accessible to them.

A few other things you could talk to us about include:

• Mobile-friendly web services and content
• Text and Multimedia Message services
• Building your mobile database now, for campaign delivery later

We're already working on our own mobile marketing strategy as well as a few pilot projects, so if you want to stand out from the crowd, come and join in the discussions by dropping us an email/call.

Is ethical marketing and consumerism being taken seriously?

2006 was a big one for eco-friendly issues as well as ethical consumerism in general. Jamie Olivers well publicised lobbying for healthy meals wasn't the only major shift. The Conservative Party have adopted a Tree for their new logo, fast food advertising has been kerbed and supermarkets are falling over themselves to distance their brands from plastic bags and anything that doesn't suite our GDA for food consumption.

It's not just the retailers getting in on the act either. Bio-fuels and recycling are now accessible to all of us; in business and at home.

In 2006, we worked with a number of our clients to promote their ethical brand values. East Midlands Centre for constructing the Built Environment (EMCBE) gave huge support to sustainability in the construction trade and we helped them publicise the agenda. Urban Planters, the UK's largest interior landscaping company also flexed their ethical muscles by promoting the health benefits of planting in offices and are now making big strides to help publicise their impact on reducing carbon footprint. We're also working with another client to help publicise their long history in professional products that deliver the results - whilst being environmentally friendly as an added extra. Sustainability is a buzz word we keep coming across these days and the public are opening their ears to it.

Along with a major launch by the Carbon Trust, there has been some major happenings in this subject over the last year and we predict that not only will the trend continue in 2007, but consumers will genuinely start to adopt ethical brands, products and services as a viable alternative.

Given that we backed this idea from the beginning, we're in a good position to help advise you on both how you can adopt a more ethical approach to your communications as well as provide the same assurance as we do with all of our advice - that it's based on our experience, facts and ability rather than personal or biased opinions.

Has the boom in digital marketing led to more integrated campaigns?

Undoubtedly! the lines between digital campaigns and traditional media campaigns (above, through and under the line) are blurring more and more all the time. It's commonly accepted that the digital space will become the centre piece of almost all media activity and some would argue that this is already the case.

Most companies taking advantage of digital marketing are not limiting their campaigns to online only. The upsurge of YouTube has allowed small and large organisations alike to produce and distribute video content to the masses; often using this as an extension to TV adverts or printed campaigns that lead people online.

The message is clear - integrating your campaign across all the available media helps gets better results. Brands that are seen to have a consistent message and encourage their customers to engage with them are seeing their customer loyalty and retention stay strong.

Labels: branding, digital, marketing, media, mobile, persona, pr, prediction

Posted at: 8:04 AM by Hammad

The creativity of Nottingham has never been more apparent than from the phenomenal success of the city's living legend - Sir Paul Smith.

Following in the footsteps of Sir Paul's fantastic designs and more charitable work to develop the Spirit of Enterprise, Nottinghamshire Business Ventures (NBV) have very kindly selected Persona Creative to present a series of marketing workshops to help businesses of all types achieve their potential through effective communication.

There are 3 sessions planned over the coming months:

1. Branding & Communication, Wednesday 6th December, 2006. 9:30-12:30. The Sir Paul Smith suite, NBV's Mercury House. NOW BOOKING! Call 0115 9648200

Hosted by NBV at their business incubation facility, it's only fitting that the suite opened by the city's undisputed king of style be used to discuss branding to all those keen to stand out from the crowd.

2. PR & Publicity, View from the top gallery, down the road from Paul Smith's flagship Nottingham store.

As well as the workshop early in 2007, the gallery will be dedicated to a display of the best work from Persona Creative and there will be an opening night party too! The party will be strictly guest-list only, but if you're not on the list, you can still visit the gallery exhibition for a week, or register yourself to attend the workshop. More details coming your way soon.

3. Digital Marketing & Strategy, Paul Smith digital screen 4, Broadway Cinema, Nottingham

The newly refurbished cinema has a fantastic digital projection screen, that we're planning to use during the workshop to create an interactive session never before seen! Details are still very hush-hush, so watch out for more information in 2007.

Bookings are only being taken for the first event at this time, for which you can contact NBV on 0115 9648200 or Persona Creative on 0115 9484454. Places are £15 per person (including light refreshments) and are very limited (as you'd expect for such exclusivity), so jump the queue by booking early - it gets offered to everybody else next week, so hurry!

Labels: persona

Posted at: 11:46 PM by Hammad

The extension of our Graduate Training Scheme for 2006 means we're also now looking for a technical genius in ASP.NET / SQL.

If you're keen to be a web developer, but the thought of a corporate office full of geeks puts you off, this role could be just for you as we're a fun, vibrant creative agency.

You'll need to be savvy with ASP.NET in either C# or VB.NET (we don't mind which) and have sound knowledge of how to work on data-driven web content.

Typical projects include:

• Design & Development of simple web databases
• Page presentation code (HTML & CSS)
• Code behind pages
• Sending emails from ASP.NET
• Producing high quality pages (W3C compliant)
• Developing new online functionality
• Working on CMS templates

You'll be able to focus on your code, as design and graphic work will be taken care of by other members of our skilled team.

Distinct advantages when applying will be technical knowledge of using IIS on Windows 2003 as well as adminstering SQL Server. Not essential to the role, but would give you more opportunity to grow into a lead role.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a web design role, but rather a technical development role. We use Microsoft Technologies exclusively, so do not apply if your skills are in PHP, Java/JSP etc.

How to apply:

Please do not apply if you are NOT local to Nottinghamshire or the surrounding counties , as we don't expect somebody to commute or relocate for this role (even if you are willing to); besides we like to have after work beverages and we want you to come too!

If you have the skills above and are local to Nottingham, then send us an updated copy of your CV, along with examples URLs and your salary expections. Send your application to careers@personacreative.com.

Good luck!

N.B. No recruitment agencies please.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 11:25 PM by Hammad

Our 2006 graduate scheme for new design talent has gone so well, we've extended it to the technical team. We're looking for a new front-end web developer to join us in putting together some exciting web projects.

If you've always fancied yourself as a web whiz and have the HTML skills to prove it, get in touch with us with sample web URLs and you could be working on these projects:

• Creating new web sites for our clients
• Updating/Editing pages on existing sites
• Improving/Adding features to web pages
• Optimising HTML for Search Engines (SEO)
• Creating Search Marketing landing pages
• Managing the Persona web sites

Whilst you'll be using Dreamweaver, you'll be expected to be HTML whiz too. Diving in and out of the code to tweak it to perfection will become your mastercraft; if it isn't already.

You'll take designs from the creative team and produce them in Accessibile web pages; using W3C Standards and using tools like Bobby/Watchfire to validate. Of course, this will mean keeping up to date with changes and new technologies and improving yourself all the time, whilst being a crucial part of the team.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is NOT a web / graphic design role, nor is it a technical back-end web development role. This role will be 100% focused on web page production and optimisation in HTML & CSS, with any skills in ASP.NET useful, but not essential. Web designs will be provided from the creative team. Photoshop / ImageReady skills in processing web-optimised graphics would be advantageous, but not essential.

How to apply:

Firstly, you should be local to Nottinghamshire or the surrounding counties already. As this is a graduate role, relocating or long-distance commuting won't be feasible. If you aren't able to work in Nottingham city centre already, the role probably isn't for you; besides we want you to come out with us and have some fun!

If you ARE local, that's a great start. Send an email to careers@personacreative.com with your updated CV and sample web site URLs.

NO DECENT URLS = REJECTED.

Finally, if you wish to be contacted regarding your application, tell us your salary expections and current availability.

Good luck!

N.B. No recruitment agencies, please.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 4:40 PM by Vivienne

Following our 2006 PR Survey, we're delighted to announce the winner of a Persona managed campaign is Cornelius & Co - a growing practice, headed by Director Sarah Cornelius.

When told that the practice had won, Sarah had this to say:

"I'm delighted we have been chosen - we never win anything! I'm looking forward to working with Persona to improve our PR activity as we certainly have a lot to shout about and want more people to hear about it."

We're now going to work with Sarah and the rest of the Cornelius team to produce a PR campaign, using the elements of our new Basics service. Following that, we'll be managing media communications for a period of time to generate promotional exposure for them.

Commiserations to our survey responses that didn't win this time, but the good news is we've read and analysed everybody's views and as a result have created a series of new services to help get you started in Digital, Brand and Media activity - Basics, from Persona Creative.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 5:00 PM by Hammad

Photography at Persona Creative is booming!

In the last 12 months, we've grown our photography services to an enviable level and are working on some of the most exciting projects out there, including:

• Custom brand shoots
• Desktop product photography
• Location based lifestyle shoots

Not only do we have plenty of great photographic projects to work on, but with the addition of a new photographer to our roster, we're hoping to grow it even further. With an existing mini-studio on site already, we're looking to open a much bigger studio in future along with a more diverse range of services and equipment. If you want to be a part of something bigger, this is your chance to get in early.

We're looking for raw talent in the domain of commercial photography. As a genuine full service agency, we work on everything from web sites and advertising to brochures and exhibitions. All the time, growing and creating our clients brands in the most eye catching ways.

If you are a skilled photographer local to Nottingham, we'd be interested to hear from you. Skills we're looking for include:

• Knowledge of using and designing studio lighting setups
• Creative lens and filter use
• Advanced Adobe Photoshop post-production techniques

Naturally, you'll be expected to know your way around a professional Digital SLR camera. We are Nikon based and have various cameras and lenses, but if you have your own Canon kit you'd prefer to use - hey, we're not going to restrict your creative freedom!

In addition to working on great projects for some amazing client briefs, you'll be a part of the fun Persona team. With a city centre location, fantastic studio and print/production facilities - you'd be hard pushed to find a better place to excel as a professional commercial photographer.

To apply for work with us, send us examples of your work along with work experience and salary details to careers@personacreative.com. We'll then get in touch to arrange a chat over a drink.

NOTE: Experience in wedding, architectural and consumer portraiture is not suitable for our range, so please only include commercial product and lifestyle examples.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 4:09 PM by Hammad

It's that time again - when all those bright-eyed design graduates are starting to think about getting a job. Well if you happen to be one of the talented ones, Persona Creative could be the place for you.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Macromedia Dreamweaver MX
• Paper & Pencil Sketching & Illustration

You'll also be savvy with Microsoft Office, in particular Word and PowerPoint formatting. Don't worry if you're not - it's not hard and you'll pick it up quickly. We always look for those who are keen to learn and develop their skills, so if you can prove your ability to do this you'll be fine.

We do use a few other programs, which if you know how to use would be great; otherwise you can learn on the job.

• Macromedia Flash MX
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Acrobat
• Microsoft Visio

What you can expect

We have a great studio right in the city centre of Nottingham, fully equipped with an in-house photography studio, large format proof printing and more IT than you can shake your pencil at.

We're Windows PC based and standardise on Adobe Creative Suite 2 and Macromedia MX. You'll be part of a very fun and talented team and will get the chance to work on live client briefs as well as grow the Persona brand - which we're very passionate about.

Projects we work on include everything from creating exciting new brand identities and literature to web site design and online advertising.

How to apply

To be considered for our graduate programme, you'll need a portfolio of your work. This will need to show your creative style and range of skills.

In the first instance, email us a few example images and a short summary of who you are (tell us about your personality, rather than your CV). Include any information about work experience, qualifications and salary expectations to increase your chances of making the shortlist.

We'll then get in touch and invite you in for an informal interview and a coffee and see if we click.

Send your applications to careers@personacreative.com

Good Luck

Labels: creative, media, persona

Posted at: 11:42 AM by Vivienne

You may be aware we recently conducted a media survey which set out to understand the obstacles facing businesses across the East Midlands in getting their news into the press. The survey attracted 290 responses from businesses of all sizes, with some very interesting results; so first of all before we get started the team here at Persona would like to say a big thank you to all who participated.

To keep it simple we've split the survey into Key Performance Indicators:

Company Status

Two-thirds of the businesses who completed the survey had up to 5 employees, an early indicator that small businesses are in need of press exposure to continue to grow. Out of all the industries responding to the survey, the largest number came from the creative industries who clearly feel PR is essential to the survival of their business; whereas others such as professionals (accountants and solicitors) and the service industry (lifestyle management, cleaners and hair & beauty) were unsure of the importance of PR.

Exposure

Not surprisingly, over a third of companies said they needed more local PR, and of those 10% stated they found local media to be biased towards a chosen few. What did come as a surprise was a mere 2% said that local media helped them get their message across. As local PR is evidently hard to crack, 54% businesses who took part in the survey are focusing their activity on attaining press coverage through trade and national publications. Encouragingly, indicators show that many of you are excited and motivated to continue press activity, but approximately the same numbers need to build a bigger list of media contacts as the press aren't publishing enough of your stories; in the same breathe 86% feel as though you're getting your fair share of PR as are your competitors.

Out of all the various channels PR activity 43% focused directly on printed media content such as press releases, interviews and case studies; whilst 4% uses broadcasting through radio and TV to get their message across.

Blogs and Podcasting have yet to feature significantly, whether this is because businesses aren't aware of the benefits it can bring and how it can be integrated into pr campaigns; in either case, it's an unexploited area that could be a good way to open your media dialogue with a quicker turnaround too.

Time

A whopping 97% of those surveyed manage their PR in-house, but allocating enough quality time is the biggest stumbling block facing businesses who conduct their own pr campaigns. Those most affected are companies employing 5 or less, with 5% afraid of making mistakes and feeling they may damage any future media penetration.

Interestingly businesses who conducted their PR in-house, only 19% were satisfied with their efforts. What's concerning is that 58% weren't sure of the ROI, which is a strong indicator that if you're going to devote so much effort to authoring &: distributing press releases and building relationships with the press, you need to monitor how effective your time is being spent because your time is valuable.

Budget

Responses to this ranged from not having one at all, knowing how to set one aside or worried about "losing" money through paying for PR services which fail to deliver coverage. However when it comes down to allocating funds for PR campaigns 42% of businesses allowed for a budget of £1,000 or less for a year. The underlying tone from those with smaller budgets indicate being cautious of its effectiveness or were disappointed it didn't generate the traffic they were hoping for.

However a third didn't physically pay for pr services but conducted their own campaigns in house of which 19% were satisfied with the result while the remaining were disappointed or unsure of the worth of effort. Keeping a tight hold on the campaign spend was spilt with over half within budget; some companies weren't sure if they were within budget or not. It seems as though a handful of businesses saw PR activity to be worth the cost as they went over budget to capture further media traction.

PR Agencies

Three-quarters of those questioned believe the media respond better to pr professionals with almost the same numbers never using an agency or an agent. Good news for PR professionals, 93% think that we're a worthy investment because it's what we do and we do it well.

Summary

Businesses, no matter what size clearly recognise the importance of PR. What this survey has highlighted is that valuable time of business owners / managers is being spent focusing on generating press coverage for their company, some have had success and some have not. Whatever the outcome, time is money and the saving you've in theory made at what cost has this been to your business? Budgets have been an issue, for some it's knowing how to budget properly or not even having one at all - if you're not sure speak to a professional and get a clear idea of what it is you want to achieve and how you're going to do it.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 9:22 AM by Hammad

As regular visitors to our site may have noticed, we've made some subtle tweaks to some of the pages on the Persona Creative web site. This isn't just a playful tinkering, but all part of our plans to make our site more accessible.

So, what does that mean and why are we bothering?

Well first of all, making an effort to make our web site more accessibile to viewers is just common sense. It's also the law.

The changes we have made now ensure that the main Persona Creative web site complies to the industry standard guidelines on accessibility - also known as the W3C Accessibility Guidelines. There are three levels of compliance that can be achieved

1. Basic steps taken
2. A good level of conformance to recommendations
3. High levels of accessibility compliance

Guess what? Those tiny tweaks we've made mean that the site passes the checks to level 3!

It's not over yet though. Now beings the more painstaking process of manual checks for best practice; but we have no doubt we'll be able to take as many of the recommendations on board and make the site even better.

Who'd have thought a design agency could have an eye-catching web site as well as valid XHTML code and W3C Accessibility compliance to level 3?

- Funny what's possible when you know what you're doing (potential clients and competitors take note)

Labels: persona

Posted at: 10:37 AM by Hammad

We've finally managed to squeeze in a few minutes of time to give the blog a lick of paint.

We've had great feedback for the blog from all sorts of people - clients, suppliers and even random visitors - but we think we can do even better. So, we've changed the page design a little to make it easier to read and follow the post history. We've also added a new backdrop image, that retains our Red, Green & Blue brand, but doesn't take away to much focus from the content.

Finally, we've enabled the comment feature, so you can add your feedback to any of the posts you find interesting. This feature will be opened up further soon, so keep an eye out for it (although we'll let you know of course :)

There are lots of more exciting new features under development, both for the blog and the main Persona Creative web site.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 5:36 PM by Hammad

We are looking for a new team member to get involved with the more technical side of our web projects.

Core skills you must have:

• ASP.NET (Either VB.NET or C#)
• SQL Server (Admin & Code)
• Raw HTML and CSS

Ideally, you will be used to working in a web development environment - using IIS development servers and Visual SourceSafe.

To apply, send us an email to careers@personacreative.com with your CV and URL's - stating what parts of the development you were involved in. You will need to be within commuting distance of our studio in Nottingham.

One final note - we don't use PHP, JSP or CGI, so please don't apply if this is your core skill area.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 2:10 PM by Hammad

Ok, so we are working on a major UK brand (re)launch and are in need of a seriously talented Flash designer.

Ideally, we need somebody local to Nottingham (or within commuting distance) as we're already working on other parts of the project.

Stuff you can expect:

• Viral games
• Product tours
• Advertising

There are also LOADS of other Flash projects on the go, so there is plenty to get your teeth into.

So, if you're bored working at some other crummy agency - give us a ring and come and have some fun whilst you work :)

Labels: persona

Posted at: 9:54 AM by Hammad

Our in-house studio is in need of additional love and care from a talented young digital photographer.

The studio is set up for object/product shoots, executive portraiture and abstract work - which we use on a wide variety of projects. You can check it out for yourself at http://studio.personacreative.com

We think this is a pretty good opportunity, as we're looking to find somebody to take full control of the studio and ultimately our photography service. That means you can get involved in marketing the studio and indeed building up a mini-business within Persona Creative.

Not only do you get full access to a studio - we'll give you a high spec PC for editing, complete with graphics tablet and large format printer. It's a digital photographers paradise - do you have the talent to take it on?

Send us your CV and a link to your online portfolio and we'll get in touch to discuss things further.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 11:43 AM by Hammad

Please welcome our newest team member - Palm Olive

Palm Olive has been flown in especially from the Far-East and suspended above our stairwell - forming a canopy in the landing.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 3:15 PM by Hammad

UPDATE: The tree now has a name. Say hello to Sideshow Bob (click play to see why)

After months of waiting, we've just had our first tropical tree delivered to the studio!

We've all very excited with our new 'Cycas Rumphii' - sourced directly from it's native habitat in the Pacific Islands. The planter was commissioned by our studio director as a custom build to match the new flooring in the conference room and is made from aluminium.

At 2m tall, everybody here is loving this baby! It's a great mood lifter and makes our homely studio even more of a nice place to spend the day :)

Our floating tree will be up on the blog soon too - check back soon for details.

Labels: persona

Posted at: 2:51 PM by Hammad

We're working on a new portal project. In fact it's a really exciting project and we're hoping it's going to be a pretty big deal.

The project team consists of an information architect, web editors, ad sales execs and designers - we're looking for two new contractors to join the team at our Nottingham studio.

• Sharepoint Developer (Portal Server 2003 customisation and config)
• Systems Administrator (Win2003 security / active directory , SQL Server, IIS, DNS and DMZ)

If you have these skills (or know somebody who does), then get CVs over to careers@personacreative.com

Labels: persona

Posted at: 12:00 PM by Vivienne

Following a feedback session with our clients, partners and industry peers, we've updated our brand statement.

We've set free New Media, Marketing & PR and embraced Digital, Brand, Media to clearly define our integrated services.

Our services in web production, mobile and e-marketing are very much about the digital world and everything it covers. That's why we replaced New Media with Digital; it's not new anymore and it's here to stay.

We've also erased the broad definition of Marketing as it was simply too wide a topic and doesn't say enough about what we do. Communications produced by Persona Creative are always rooted in branding (which we love doing) and because we act as stewards for our clients, the focus has to remain on Brand.

Last but by no means least, we have extended PR to cover our entire Media function; whether it's in an editorial capacity or media planning for campaigns and publicity. In addition to this we have a number of projects bubbling under the surface that will offer much more than traditional PR.

So the final result is:

Persona Creative: Digital, Brand, Media

What do you think?

Labels: persona