Got a Kodak Zi6 HD digital camera and this is what I initially did with it.
Handy camera to have with you for conferences, events, personal activities and even a bicycle ride as you can see from my videos.
Maybe in the next post I’ll give you my thoughts on this little beauty, but at the moment I can’t say enough positive things about the Kodak Zi6.
Belfast Victoria Centre from Derek Hall on Vimeo.
Morning Cycle from Derek Hall on Vimeo.
Driving Around from Derek Hall on Vimeo.
For many creative people doing what they love doing, following their dream while earning a living is what life is all about. Finally free to be who they are, being as creative as possible, having escaped the boring aspects of the business world, that were perhaps the reasons for going it alone in the first place.
But as rewarding as working for yourself can be, there is also the danger that creativity could well be sidelined by having to do the business side of the company. Daily tasks like making other companies aware of your services and then dealing with clients once they are clients. Not to mention the accounting aspects and acting as your own IT department. All of this can be a daunting task for those mostly familiar with the creative side of the business. Especially if your used to having other departments to assist you in these other areas.
Most creative people don’t mind working endless hours on the particular area of their skill set, after all that is the part of the business they love. But often in the early days finances might well be committed to fitting out a premises, and purchasing marketing material, developing a brand, acquiring technology and finding some form of transport, which could force many to earn less than the minimum wage. Then there is meeting with clients and dealing with administrative tasks, all taking up a considerable amount of a day, not forgetting further time spent in following up leads for work, along with attracting new business while doing the work you have just brought in and getting paid. Well it’s never easy, and not always the part of the creative business everyone enjoys doing.
This is all challenging enough at the best of times, but now everyone has started to notice the current economic situation isn’t making life any easier for creatives, and for small businesses in general. But the great thing about creative people is that you can be creative, and its this thinking outside the box that will be effective in helping to not only survive, but to thrive in this climate.
As many of the subscribers here at Left Over GREY MATTER will already know EO Creative was created in response to many of the above concerns. Creative people such as copywriters, designers, developers, illustrators and animators are brilliant at what they do, producing outstanding creative work, after all for many they have spent their lives training to do just that. But there is often things that most agencies don’t prepare creative people to handle such as:
When EO Creative was set up it was the idea that creative people are different and therefore should be able to work different. After all with the available technologies why can’t we make the business work for us, and still give our clients outstanding work?
Communication and collaboration has been discussed here before and we have been featured in the Business Eye Magazine, Enterprise Nation, iGEN and in various other media about this subject. Why, because that is the secret – no one is an island and managing business relationships is critical to our success. It should be critical to all businesses and organisations a like.
At EO Creative I have developed a network of creative associates, some self employed, some not, other freelancing and others are full time or small business owners. But all strategic business partners and valued as such. We collaborate skills, present ourselves as one brand, selling ourselves, our work, all while managing clients expectations and dealing with any difficulties before they are a problem.
Because each person at EO Creative is working in the area they are best suited and yet also where they want to be. There is no waste of resources or time. Technology is at the forefront of how we work together and communicate, with many people in various locations. We like to borrow the term ‘Micro-Environments’, although this is a marketing term we view ourselves in our micro-environments as one organisation or more like an organism. Something that is alive and breathing, with new and fresh ideas exploding all the time, without the barrier of geography nor time zone restrictions
Our reputation online has been growing rapidly as we make use of the various avenues of communication available on the internet. We dare to dream up new ways of working with what is available, promoting what we do best without any hard selling.
‘Social Media ‘is a term banded about, but if social media is used properly it is the crucial answer to 21st century business success. If your reading this post and you are still working alone. Don’t let the challenges dampen your enthusiasm. Instead communicate with others and find ways to collaborate. We are living in a brave new world and anything is possible. There is room for everyone to do what they do best.
If you want to get in touch you are always welcome to contact me or become a part of our collaboration, and bring what you do to the virtual table at EO Creative.
EO Tweeting
Last year I was introduced to Linkedin which is powerful business networking site, though I found it very restrictive after being familiar with Facebook. However it had advantages of reaching the people you wanted to have in your network, you could say more quality over quantity. I suppose we at EO Creative have enjoy since conception marketing tool of social networking, but Linkedin appeared the only real option for B2B networking.
Then I started exploring Twitter and like many others, first viewed Twitter as a fairly useless marketing tool in the business to business marketing box. How could a few words telling people what you are ‘doing now’ help grow your brand or build your reputation? But, I have to eat my words, I was wrong. As many of you who know us, we are not likely to sit by the sideline, instead we dived into the Twitter pool a little while back and swam with the Tweeters. And now we are converts to the marketing potential for B2B through the Twitter platform. There is a lot to be gained from twittering and much for business marketing.
Feel free to follow our tweets on Twitter and see what we mean at http://twitter.com/EO_Creative
As part of Enterprise Week EO Creative has been invited to participant by Newtownabbey Borough Council in their programme ‘Make Your Mark Challenge’. My role is to judge a competition being held for 15 local schools. It will happen in the Northern Regional College on Monday 17 November. The panel will consist of 3 judges including Jo Cameron from TV show The Apprentice.
The Apprentice star Jo Cameron will be in town on during the week for Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Business Networking Event, which is running as part of the Enterprise Week (17-21 November). Jo will be sharing her extensive business knowledge and providing advice on how to survive adversity, through her unique ‘Bouncebackability’ process. Guests at the event will have the opportunity to network with representatives from other local businesses.
I am looking forward to being apart of the week and meeting with Jo Cameron, so check back as I will post an update of the ‘Make Your Mark Challenge’ and Jo’s ‘Bouncebackability’ event.
Over the summer we were asked to be part of an article to be featured in local magazine Business Eye, regarding our innovative method of working. It appears that our choice to invest in technology rather than shiny, slick office space has been viewed as the wise choice, as many other type of business are opting for similar solutions. So with the summer at an end, at last the article has been published in Aug/Sept edition and we thought we might share the article here on the blog in case you have not had a chance to get your copy.
Feel free to view case studies of our work at EO Creatve or contact us to request a brochure and discuss your business/project in greater depth. All information regarding our practices and approach can be found at the same address, along with the contact details.
Exciting things are happening in Whiteabbey Village in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. As part of a partnership between the EU and Newtownabbey Borough Council, we were asked to design a brand identity for Whiteabbey Village. Part of the brief was to make the village more attractive to tourists, businesses and residents. Recent surveys and research showed that Whiteabbey was in danger of becoming a commuter bypassed village. Yet anyone who know the area would find this surprising as there are many businesses, services and leisure facilities available.
With the whole project we have been working with the idea that people currently travel in a straight line from Carrickfergus to Belfast and in reverse each day, but the challenge is to encourage these commuters to turn off at Whiteabbey Village. However following various focus groups and meetings we have discovered there is much more to Whiteabbey than simply shopping and recreation offered in the village area. Therefore this concept began with looking at a combination of the historical aspects of Whiteabbey, and as an area of growing commercial attractions in a modern Village.
Starting with the stain glass window in Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church, we began developing a formal logo that would represent the established history and yet fit with the new growing area. Thus we developed the W and V into a symbol, although it began as a reflection of the Church Window, it developed into a symbol of growth and natural developments sprouting from within the village area.
Recently there is a popular trend of searching the likes of Google Maps for directions, and we took this idea of searching for Whiteabbey Village, and marking a line between the two points from start to final destination. This line you create takes you away from a straight line, and gives a shape to your movement. So taking your line of movement and allowing the idea to evolve we developed line drawing illustrations for the various elements on offer, such as food, drink, dry-cleaning, hair salons and coffee shops to name but a few. The concept will develop over time to create an illustration on each banner of the various services available and with the tag line, “Find your place in Whiteabbey.
With the choice of colour it was important to reflect the rich quality of the area and also demonstrate the growing aspirations of various businesses and residents. Whiteabbey Village is quite a trendy and affluent area and we feel these contemporary colours capture these elements, and be open to experimentation and combinations.
The local Shoreline Festival was a tremendous success this year again, despite the rainy weather. There was a fantastic array of entertainment lined up for the holiday weekend of August 23 to 25 at Loughshore Park, Jordanstown. One of the main attractions was Brian Houston on the Saturday evening, drawing a sizeable crowd donned the rain in ponchos to see Brian and his band perform an amazing set.
EO have been involved with the Shoreline Festival now for the second year, since we developed new branding for the festival. The design has played an important part in the growth of attendance and the overall attraction.
For a full update on how the festival was received check out Council Feedback
Branding of iGEN
One of the most frequent mistakes businesses of all sizes make is in not accurately assessing their ability to create professional marketing material. Often the owner might do-it them selves, the budget might be on a shoestring or they simply don’t realise the importance of good design. But the plain truth is that without creative marketing, customers can become confused and driven away, often without the business owner being aware of it. However, what is even more important than the marketing material is the branding or corporate identity of the company.
In February issue of ‘The Marketer’ official magazine of The Chartered Institute of Marketing. There is an article entitled ‘Coming back from rock bottom’, were turnaround specialist Theo Paphitis, the entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den panellist, is quoted in saying “he wouldn’t touch a failing company that didn’t have a brand”. He is noted for breathing new life into ailing companies Ryman and Red Letter Days, but he makes it clear that without their brand they would have been beyond redemption.
However, not all graphic design agencies our created equal, and finding the right firm for your business needs depends on a variety of factors. It is vital that you find a company that you can trust and who view themselves as part of your team. After all, your an expert at your own business and you want a consultancy that will share your desire to communicate your product or service.
Here are some reasons to commission a good graphic design consultancy.
1. Saves you time.
Creative consultancies are experts at communicating and thinking differently. They know how to design materials that will attract attention from your target market while visually conveying your business image. When you take advantage of this type of expertise, you get your project completed in a professional manner without wasting your own valuable time.
2. Make your organisation distinctive.
Good graphic design will quickly communicate your marketing message to your customers. They should be able to get an impression of your organisation and a feel for what your core values are by looking at your marketing material. Designers are creatives by nature and are experienced in manipulating colours, fonts and imagery in order to create a perception for what your company has to offer and build reliability in your brand.
3. Get noticed.
It is a known fact that Americans are hit with over 3,000 attempts daily to grab their attention. The right design solution ensure your message stands out, rather than getting over looked.
4. A level of professionalism.
What every designer and creative consult looks to deliver is design that will add a level of professionalism, to elevate your business and build a brand. Design consultants will do more than make your company look good, they will ensure clients and suppliers take you seriously.
5. Result-driven design.
Many businesses understand the need for design and marketing tools in their business, but are not sure where to start. A good consultant will provide more than just design, they should be able to assist you and your staff organise your thoughts. Gathering this information that can be turned into eye-catching, result-driven design.
6. Strengths and faults.
A good consultancy should be part of your team, but they are also in a position to be objective. Many business people are too close to their business, making it difficult to see the strength and faults of their organisation. Instead they should be able to really understand how best to sell the business, the image, the products or services. Designing your branding material for maximum results.
Regardless of size, having a great product or service isn’t enough. Its all about brand.
Examples of our work can be found at our corporate website eo-creative
Recently I mentioned that we at EO Creative would be featured in Northern Ireland’s local magazine Business Eye. However, to our surprise a small part of the article has been featured at Enterprise Nation’s website who also thought our working environments were worth discussion.
Feel free to check out their article entitled ‘Making Connections’.
Derek Hall
Not often do we get a chance to blog with reference to published news stories about our own company, but we wanted to share with you our clients and friends this news story. In the forthcoming edition of Business Eye Magazine we at EO Creative have been featured regarding our use of technology to assist us in collaboration, business economics and overall efficiency.
The featured article asked us to discuss our unique method of working practices and the types of software and hardware that assists us in achieving a better work/life balance. As you have read before at ‘Left over GREY MATTER’, we value our time with clients, but we also place a great deal of value upon being apart of the world outside the studio and time spent with our families.
If you do fancy checking out the article, it is in the August issue and should be somewhere in the technology section. Thanks to Business Eye and Matthew Scott at EG Consulting, for this opportunity to discuss our part in this new wave of original thinking for working environments. It was a pleasure to share our insights and hopefully other companies might find it an interesting solution to their own working practices.
If you would like to discover further how we work, or feel that our advice or services might just be what your looking for to assist your company in communicating better. Feel free to drop me an email at the usual address, I would only be too happy to work with you and your company.
Derek
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Great Site. Was added to mybookmarks. Greetings From USA.
lengthy and in depth article but full of useful information
Hi Dawn, Thank you for your warm comment. I took a break from blogging for a while, I guess I was
This is really useful stuff and thanks for the great links included too. Good to see you back up
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