[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]It’s always a pleasure when your client is open to big ideas and happy to pull out all the stops to make them happen. Thank you Kryolan; here’s to the next 200K followers.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”54789″ media_width_percent=”100″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Keep your eyes out on ITV1 in Yorkshire and the North West today for The Car People’s brand new campaign ad!

When we first began work on the campaign, our brief was to get across all the different things that make The Car People a positive, hassle-free experience, and all the ways in which they go the extra mile to help their customers. So, as well as focusing on the huge choice and high quality of the cars available to choose from, we needed to find a way to highlight how The Car People cater to a wide range of personalities and priorities.

From using technology like their Virtual Sales Advisor app, which allows visitors to access detailed specs and finance information about each car at the touch of a button, to pioneering an industry-defying loyalty programme, The Car People are constantly looking for ways to make any visit to one of their showrooms even better, and that means service tailored to your individual needs.

The new campaign is called ‘Meet The Car People People’ and shows off The Car People’s personal service in the form of six brand new characters, each of whom visit the showroom with their own priorities. From Savvy Simon (who wants to be certain his car has been quality checked to the highest standards) to Calm Colin (who appreciates the chilled out space to think and research), each approaches the showroom to find out that however they want to buy their car, The Car People is for people like them!

We have been working with our partners Finger Industries to bring the animated characters to life in the real world environment, alongside our famous Car People hero, Martyn. The first ad features three of the new characters, and the remaining three will star in their own ad later on in the year. The characters will also feature in an integrated campaign, across channels including; in-store, social, digital and outdoor.

So, next time you’re in the market for your next car, think about whether you’re a Techy Tina or a Value Valerie… either way, The Car People has something for you.

Did you know that those above their A game in the screen-printing world are known as Rockstars?

Last Wednesday I visited MagnaColours® HQ in Barnsley and had the pleasure of meeting a renowned screen-printing rockstar, who had flown all the way from Mexico to good ol’ Barnsley for an exclusive training day and factory tour. 

It was my first time at Magna’s HQ and it was great to have a behind-the-scenes look into their screen printing processes for some of their famous products including the GLITTER BASE AP, REFLECTIVE and GLOW range. 

The printers who ran the training day showcased their screen-printing talents effortlessly, giving us an in-depth insight into their inspiring screen-printing world.

All in all it was an extremely enjoyable day and with lots of upcoming developments in the pipeline for Magna, it wont be long until they set the screen-printing world on fire. Exciting times ahead… stay tuned!

Propaganda is proud to announce our continued support of CNG, the UK’s largest independent shipper of gas. The news follows a successful first year together, which has seen us help the Harrogate-based business launch its new brand and unveil its commitment to giving power – not just energy –  back to its SME customer-base.

The retention of Propaganda in a brand consultancy capacity throughout 2016 and into 2017 will ensure CNG continues to benefit from significant market insight, as the business enters an exciting period in its history.

CNG enlisted the help of Propaganda in 2014 as it looked to capitalise on the excellent reputation it had within the energy sector and grow its market share. Its success in the industry had been built on outstanding customer service and doing the right thing. But the wider market wasn’t aware of this, and that’s where we stepped in.

Through the development of a bold new CVI, brand strategy and corporate communications approach in 2015, CNG reaffirmed its position as one of the most trusted service providers in gas supply. This was underlined by key business milestones reached during that period, including surpassing one million customers across direct and wholesale customers. The brand also launched Bright Sparks, a primary school education programme designed to inspire and educate the next generation of energy users.

With a move into electricity on the horizon, as well as exciting plans to support its brokers even further, we’re looking forward to working with CNG, every step of the way.

We’ve been appointed to create a new online brand that helps individuals find work, get paid on time and to upskill so that they can ultimately earn more. The Yellow Rocket site is set to go-live in January 2017, targeting temporary workers in construction, healthcare, industrial and retail sectors.

The brand development programme included extensive research into the online job market, and looked closely at the evolving needs of employers, recruiters and those looking for employment. This allowed us to create a unique proposition, aimed at improving the experience for all parties.

Propaganda Director, Richard McMurrough, said: “The Yellow Rocket brand has been built using the insight we gained from the market. Online has revolutionised the way people look for jobs, but it has also seen a move towards a lack of trust and transparency. Whilst the online jobs market is huge, we found that temporary workers were often forgotten and underrepresented, despite being so crucial to the national economy. Taking this insight, we’ve arrived at a proposition that will set the bar in this sector.”

Yellow Rocket Managing Director, Craig Vallis, said: “We wanted to create a new type of business that championed the temporary worker. Yellow Rocket will be a breath of fresh air, in a sector that is traditionally very tough on people, and notoriously difficult to navigate. Propaganda’s rigorous Discovery process unearthed new possibilities and opportunities, and I’m excited at the prospect of the launch in January 2017.”

Did you know that exploring different relaxation techniques could help you attain a state of calmness, reducing levels of pain, anxiety, stress and anger? They can also decrease muscle tension, lower blood pressure and slow heart and breathing rates.

Neal & Wolf recently launched their new home and spa collection, Elysian. As part of the launch, we wrote four easy to follow guidelines on how to achieve the ultimate relaxation using the new Elysian products. Each guideline has been shared on the Neal & Wolf blog accompanied by simple, branded infographics on their social media platforms. Here’s a sneak peek…

Guide 1: A mini meditation session – to clear your mind, boost energy levels and access a sense of tranquility and peace no matter what’s going on around you.

Guide 2: Stress-busting hand reflexology on-the-go – using your hand reflex points to relieve common symptoms of a hectic lifestyle and give you an overall stress busting and altogether calming result in less than 10 minutes.

Guide 3: Calming Hand & Arm Massage – a 5minute arm and hand massage for instant relaxation and tension relief.

Guide 4: Beat stress – top tips for creating a relaxing environment applying ancient Feng Shui wisdom to your home and space.

For more relaxation tips, blissful mantras or to read the guidelines in full, visit the Neal & Wolf blog at: www.nealandwolf.com/blog.

When professional haircare brand Neal and Wolf wanted to expand their offer into home and spa, it was a challenge we couldn’t wait to get involved in. With a creative brief centred around bringing the scent and quality the brand has become known for, to a new and exciting market, the Elysian range was born.

The collection includes luxury items such as a candle and reed diffuser as well as a brand new hand and body lotion, meaning customers can treat their skin to the same levels of luxury and indulgence as has been a mark of the brand.

Following on from creative concept development, and a wide-ranging brief to develop a new identity, including packaging and POS, we’ve also been establishing the brand through social media and blogs. This has helped in positioning the products as the perfect relaxation experience.

It was important to maintain the luxury feel of the Neal and Wolf brand throughout the Elysian range, which included designing the packaging for the new products, in-keeping with the tone set in previous campaigns. We developed a luxury spa feel to the creative, including referencing the ingredients used in the products.

Elysian launched in salons and spas this month, accompanying its already established haircare range ahead of the busy Christmas sales period.

Propaganda recently worked with Boost, the Yorkshire-based drinks company, to create an eye-catching design for its latest product, Protein Boost – a tasty and convenient milk protein drink. And we can’t get enough of it!

In today’s health-conscious society, the general public’s appetite for protein has never been stronger. The worldwide protein industry is expected to be worth £8bn by the end of 2017 but, until recently, it’s been dominated by products designed only for the most hardened gym-goers (the type that could rip a phone book without breaking a sweat).

The reality is, thanks to the emergence of budget gyms and the rise of gym-spirational Instagram accounts, health and wellbeing has been democratised. The public’s understanding of protein as healthy fuel, not just something Arnie puts on his Weetabix, has increased. With modern life being oh-so busy, protein reigns supreme as the new go-to foodstuff that will keep you topped up for longer, without the need of a guilt-ridden shuffle down the crisp aisle. But the new protein-packed snacks currently emerging in major national retailers are still expensive and detached from the real-life needs of consumers.

It’s against this backdrop that Boost, a long-standing champion of the independent retailer, developed Protein Boost – an affordable protein drink that’s designed for busy people who simply want a healthier snack alternative, not biceps the size of Popeye’s PT.

Boost asked Propaganda to develop packaging designs for two flavours (the equally delicious chocolate and strawberry – don’t ask us to choose our favourite), as well as the on-pack messaging ahead of roll-out. The result? Protein Boost: a pocket-sized protein pal designed to get you through the day.

The Car People is celebrating a 16% boost in referrals and repeat custom, following on from the success of its strategic loyalty programme, Friends.

The cornerstone of the business’ proposition is the ‘hassle-free experience’ – turning the industry stereotype of rushed sales and pushy salespeople on its head and offering exceptional choice, value and service instead. The company’s ability to build relationships with its customers has meant that over half of their sales come from repeat customers and recommendations, and – according to independent review site, Reevoo – 95% of customers would buy from them again.

In 2014 we recognised the value in The Car People’s loyal customer following and identified an opportunity to help cement those relationships. In order to acknowledge the value of each individual customer and thank them for choosing us, Propaganda and The Car People developed a loyalty club, Friends. The programme rewards customers with special offers and discounts on motoring essentials and additional services like ‘Friends-lend’, which allows customers to rent accessories like sat navs and bike racks free of charge. In an ever more crowded and expensive environment – both on and offline – Friends was designed to encourage repeat custom and referrals by maintaining a special relationship with customers long after they had driven their car away from the showroom.

The Friends loyalty club has just celebrated its first birthday and, in its inaugural year, has been met with glowing reviews from customers who have been impressed with The Car People’s efforts to keep them close. We are delighted to join The Car People in celebrating this most recent demonstration of Friends’ value to customers, the brand, and the bottom line. The programme continues to evolve and grow, and we have lots of exciting plans in store for 2017.

In our latest work for Southerns, we’ll be undertaking a Brand Health, following an exciting few years for the business, which has seen turnover forecast to multiply by four.

We first worked with the Leeds based business in 2014, when we undertook a Brand Discovery. The resulting strategic shift and rebrand laid the foundations for the subsequent growth of the business, PE investment and acquisitions.

Over the past 18 months, Southerns has acquired a competitor in the North West, integrated Ralph Capper, a premium furniture consultancy, and made a further acquisition to strengthen its position in the market.

In the past six months in particular, Propaganda has been working on the Ralph Capper brand, helping to position their premium offer alongside the established Southerns’ business.

The Brand Health that Propaganda is set to undertake, will look at all the Southerns Group businesses to understand how they compliment each other, and fit into a complex and evolving marketplace. The business is in a period of rapid growth, and Propaganda’s work will help guide their strategic direction at this exciting time.

Last week, the Propaganda team headed north, to the picturesque market town of Richmond, for a brand photoshoot for Rural Insurance – the UK’s fastest growing agricultural insurer.

September in the British countryside is a hive of activity. As the rest of the nation tries to shake off the post-holiday blues, farmers the length and breadth of this green and pleasant land are working hard to reap the benefits of their harvest, making the most of the late summer sun. And the weather Gods were on our side as we travelled the North Yorkshire countryside to capture the rural economy at its absolute best.

A Brand Discovery earlier in the year highlighted an opportunity for Rural to represent the modern rural economy; one that’s evolving, diversifying and specialising. And we didn’t have to travel far to see it in action. From combined harvesters guided by GPS to NFC-tagged sheep, innovation was everywhere we turned.

It’s not just in agriculture that things are changing. Across the rural economy businesses are diversifying to thrive. Farm shops, camp sites and cafes were also on the agenda as we sought to represent the many different businesses Rural supports every day.

As the rest of the market talks about protection and preservation, Rural’s aim is to turn the conversation to the future, and the opportunities on offer within our countryside. The brand shoot will be used across all Rural brand communications as it continues on its journey to becoming the most forward-thinking insurer in its field (sorry!).

After an action-packed two days where we covered 300 miles of country lanes, visited ten buzzing locations and consumed countless bacon sandwiches, we headed back to the city confident that the truth is out there, and it’s much more diverse than you might think.

On Monday our team were in the historic town of Saltaire shooting the latest ‘Get the Look’ styles for professional hair care client Neal & Wolf.

Working with the very talented stylists at Cross and Co. hair salon, we created four Christmas party hair styles, aptly named Seasonal Sleek, Divine Curls, Yule-tied and the Festive Braid.

The final looks will be used to create in-salon postcards to accompany the new Christmas campaign that is due to launch on the 1^st October.

Customers are able to pick up these postcards in salons in order to learn how to create their perfect festive party styles at home. The postcards are a great device to drive in-salon traffic to the website and to Neal & Wolf’s social channels in order increase online spend and generate brand presence.

Christmas for Neal and Wolf encourages customers to not only gift their loved ones with gorgeous products, but inspires confidence in themselves to look their ultimate best for party season.