A design print blog for creative types
These useful, creative articles help you market your business. Our blog posts cover topics that can help marketing professionals, designers and agencies grow their own and their clients’ businesses online or via traditional marketing methods.
Be sure to join the updates list (in the sidebar) and get the latest articles first.
See what’s new…
The best Direct Mail vs Email Infographic – Powerful facts
Direct mail vs email is arguably one of the longest standing debates in marketing, this could be down to the constantly evolving industry and it's audiences. Today 70% of consumers reportedly feel like they receive too many emails, something we can probably all...
Streamline your franchise print buying with an online purchasing portal
An online purchasing portal could really help improve your marketing strategy and decrease your overheads An online purchasing portal (web-to-print system) is the perfect print management tool for maintaining brand values and cutting unnecessary print wastage. For...
Black Friday… the Proactive way!
We’re all starting to feel the festive feels here at Proactive Towers, and we want to pass that on to all our clients. We’ve decided to join in the Black Friday madness, but in a slightly different way. Our inboxes have all got a bit grabby with the demands to spend...
Multisite & franchise marketing is improved by technology
Using advances in online technology, maintains brand consistency and increases the effectiveness of your franchise marketing campaigns New technology makes life much easier for businesses that wish to excel with their franchise marketing. Increased connectivity,...
The future of direct mail campaigns in a increasingly digital age…
We recently asked a range of industry experts for their thoughts on the future of direct mail campaigns. Their overwhelming and perhaps not surprising conclusion was that, with the arrival of mass email marketing, direct mail has been in decline. In fact...
Follow Ginfusion’s print process journey to awesome bespoke packaging
Today Laura and I visited one of our production facilities in order to get a better understanding of the design and print process used to complete our client orders. As well as working within the marketing team at Proactive, I have recently started a small, one...
7 easy ways to maximise your print ROI (return on investment)?
Are you doing these things to maximise your print ROI? The aim with any marketing campaign is a high return on investment. The good news is there are some simple but essential steps you can take to boost your print ROI and reach your desired outcome,...
Ordering your branded Christmas printing has never been easier
Our new Christmas printing website is ready to help you get the best from your Christmas marketing this year Christmas is the perfect time for some spreading seasonal joy. For a business, it’s the ideal time to re-ignite relationships or simply say ‘thank you’ to your...
12 franchise business experts reveal how to remove business barriers
Advice on expanding your business from top franchise business experts Our recent article showing the record growth of the UK franchise industry, proves that franchises business models are almost recession proof. Due to this steady growth many people are turning to...
Would 409% return on your marketing investment be good enough?
If you could generate a 409% return on your marketing investment, how much money would you spend? As much as possible, right? For every £1,000 spent, you'd get £5,090 in return. I can't imagine being wealthy or drunk enough to think that was a bad idea. So...
Why franchise brand consistency is so important for business
Why is franchise brand consistency so important? Maintaining franchise brand consistency is one of the most important things to get right with your franchise marketing. Consistency throughout your brand helps you to attract new franchisees and customers. It is vital...
UK Franchise Industry growth in one simple Infographic
When we talk about franchises, it generally makes us think of those huge American food retailers such as McDonalds, Subway or Starbucks. However, in the last four years the UK franchise industry has grown by a incredible 10%, meaning the franchise industry now...
How to boost your company marketing with Google Street View Trusted
Google Street View Trusted (previously Google Business View) gives customers the ability to take a virtual tour of your business from their computer or tablet. Google changed to Google Street View Trusted in 2015 along with relaxing some of their policies around the...
Presentation folders – the best way to get your brand noticed!
Sending a presentation folder to your customers is a great way to put your brand in front of them. Could you ignore a perfectly produced business folder?
Buying business print – 10 top tips to get the best results
Assumption is the mother of all... problems, and this is so true when buying business print We ALL make assumptions when it comes to industries we are not familiar with. We've all seen those property renovation shows on TV, they are the perfect example of...
Calculate brochure weight and save on expensive mailing costs
Calculate your brochure weight and avoid over spending on postage If you're responsible for your company's direct marketing, it's important to consider your mailing pack or brochure weight in order to avoid exceeding a weight threshold, incurring additional postage...
Designing business cards for printing: 5 helpful design tips
Designing business cards for print is easy! Right? Proactive print thousands of business cards for clients every week. We see lots of artwork come through the studio in varying degrees of quality. Generally, our customers have a good understanding of how to design...
How to improve your site’s user experience with design
Five ways design can enhance your websites user experience Whether your business has a bricks and mortar presence or is purely online, your website is a crucial component of its brand. The growth of the internet and of smartphones has meant that a website is not only...
New centralised marketing system reduces franchisee mailing errors
Using a centralised marketing system to manage your direct mail is once more becoming a popular way to help promote your business. However, with direct mails’ resurgence, customers now expect more from campaigns, better quality, creative design, enticing offers and...
How can my franchise save money? Top franchise advice!
How can your franchise save money? Cliff gives you some top advice in this open letter to franchise and multisite business managers. Dear [ insert your name here ], Do you have a franchise or multi-site business in the UK? Do you identify with any of these common...
Premium Paper: Choose the best paper for your print project
Premium Paper: Choose the best paper for your print project Paper is one of the fundamental things you should consider when embarking on any print project. The quality of the paper is as important as your content, typeface, layout and ink – it is after all the bit you...
The 11 best printing blogs (in our opinion)
Focus on printing blogs It's no secret that buying print can be a minefield. Fortunately, there are a wealth of print geeks in the world who share their knowledge via their printing blogs, for FREE! Whether it's getting your artwork supplied correctly when printing a...
13 direct marketing experts reveal their predictions for the future of direct mail
Plan your future campaigns with the help of these direct marketing experts. Marketers are often predicting the future, the ever changing needs of the consumer and how they can appeal to these. We've tracked down a range of direct marketing experts for their...
UK letterhead legal requirements – a quick guide to help you get it right
TIME SENSITIVE OFFER 50% Off Stationery Design Professional stationery design at half price when you request a quote below, but hurry this is a limited offer and can be withdrawn at any time. We can help you achieve amazing looking stationery for any...
Effective Trade Show Stands: Plan a Killer Exhibit!
Effective trade show stands are all about planning and here we've done the leg work for you. So many exhibitors, so much noise, so much competition — just how can you make crowds stop at your stand? Trying to create effective trade show stands can be daunting: follow...
Effective Brochure Design: Everything you need to know!
Effective Brochure Design: Everything you need to know! Online marketing isn’t everything, bring some life to your offline business with effective brochure design. At Proactive we understand how appealing the world of digital marketing is, it’s cheap, cheerful, often...
10 super, easy ways you can improve your direct mail copy
How can you improve you direct mail copy to boost your ROI? Seasoned pros may baulk at the prospect, but there's never a bad time to brush up on the basics of direct marketing / direct mail. Here's a coffee-break reminder on how to maximise response with your direct...
16 ways to improve your franchise management
Franchise management and marketing can be tricky to balance but these tips could help you improve your network and attract new prospects As a successful franchise business owner you’ll be used to leading both staff and franchisees. You’re constantly re-evaluating...
Direct mail ROI – Measure and make the most of your campaign
Make The Most Of It: Direct Mail ROI In the last of this series on direct mail, we’ve focused on maximising your Direct Mail ROI (Return On Investment). The previous three parts have discussed: Part 1: (Direct mail advertising – the top five reasons to start a...
Direct mail campaign planning: get your mail-out right!
Direct mail campaign planning, a guide to getting your campaign right. Previously we’ve discussed why the time is right for direct mail, and how to organise your ideas into an effective brief. Now we’re getting into the detail of effective direct mail campaign...
Pinning your direct mail ideas down: nailing the brief
Direct Mail Ideas... In the first part of this series, we talked through the reasons why direct mail can be crucial to your marketing campaigns. Unlike digital marketing direct mail cannot be tweaked, edited and reposted, so a well-planned, well-executed direct mail...
Direct mail advertising – the top 5 reasons to start a campaign
5 reasons to consider direct mail advertising How do you get compelling, targeted information straight in front of your audience? The answer used to be direct mail advertising. A well-designed, persuasive mailing sent to the right people was the way to boost sales or...
The 17 best franchise marketing blogs you must read in 2017
The 17 best franchise marketing blogs and resources to help transform your business. If you are looking for practical, insightful and educational articles and resources on running a franchise or multisite business then this is the place for you. Here are the 17 best...
Increase website conversion right now with 131 useful tips
Increase website conversion right now with 131 useful tips We have compiled a comprehensive list of 131 tips to increase website conversion on your website. You’ve poured oceans of sweat and tears into your new website, but it is not delivering. Short of starting all...
7 simple restaurant menu design tips to whet your appetite
Make your customers mouths water with these simple restaurant menu design tips First impressions count! Designing a functional and user friendly menu for your restaurant is crucial, so taking the time to get the design and aesthetic right is really important to ensure...
Learn the secrets of designing a bespoke Christmas card
We reveal the design and print secrets behind this years bespoke Christmas card... We thought it'd be a great idea to show you some of the process behind our 2016 Christmas campaign. In our interview with studio manager Jon Orpwood, he reveals the the creative...
How to boost your business with branded promotional products
How to boost your business with branded promotional products The term branded promotional products often gives connotations to an overflowing draw, or pot of dubious quality branded pens, stress balls and other equally ‘throw away’ freebies. However used strategically...
Download our ultimate promotional scratch card guide
Your easy to use promotional scratch card guide Ever gone into a local shop for a carton of milk and come away with milk plus a scratch card? No one can resist the lure of a scratch card. Here in the UK, the National Lottery run a number of scratch card games with...
Browns use a scratch card marketing campaign for big relaunch
Launching a rebrand can be a difficult and daunting task, how do you generate hype and familiarity around your new look? At Proactive marketing we like to make the process as easy and stress free as possible for you. Here's a great example of how to creatively...
Experienced scratch card printers get the best results
How to find scratch card printers you can trust... Finding the right scratch card printers can be hard, at Proactive marketing we have developed a sister company specifically for printing scratch cards, we call it www.printscratchcards.com. The company is UK based and...
Steps to a successful logo redesign
Perfect your logo redesign If you are one of the many businesses about to refresh their identity and undertake a logo redesign, this post could help you boost your company's identity with a comprehensive checklist of criteria to plan your brand refresh. You might also...
Print vs Digital: How to design mixed media marketing campaigns
Print vs digital design has become the hot topic of conversation but should we refocus and make it about print and digital design in unison? – We think so, mixed media marketing campaigns are the future of modern marketing. Marketing is one of those industries that is...
Cheap print is not all it’s cracked up to be!
Cheap print is not always the most cheerful option In today’s world there are so many cheap print options available, however a little research will usually uncover that cheap is actually not the most cost effective option. Cheap print jobs often turn out to be poor...
Christmas Printing – get the best results for your festive campaign.
Christmas Printing - get the best results for your festive campaign. Never underestimate the power of saying thank you with a simple card. Remembering your customers and thanking them for their valued business is a great way to reinvigorate your client base over the...
Leaflet marketing distribution: how to get the best marketing ROI
Leaflet distribution: how to get the best marketing ROI Last week we discussed effective leaflet design, in this third and final article in our leaflet marketing series, we consider the all-important process of leaflet marketing distribution. Your leaflet campaign may...
Boost your direct marketing with effective leaflet design.
Boost your direct marketing with effective leaflet design. Previously we discussed how to research and plan your leaflet marketing campaign. Here we consider the next step in a successful leaflet marketing campaign – effective leaflet design. When designing your...
Why is SEO website design so important for my business?
Why is SEO website design so important for my business? (SEO is an acronym that stands for Search Engine Optimisation. This is the name that is given to any activity undertaken with the intention of improving the ranking of a website within a search engine.) SEO...
Leaflet marketing: all you need to know to optimise your campaign
Looking to start a leaflet marketing campaign? In recent years the surge of marketing solutions offered via the internet has made some businesses question the relevance of leaflet marketing. However, when used in the correct way, leafleting remains one of the most...
5 Reasons why you should never use free website builder programs
You'll thank us for these 5 reasons not to use free website builder programs. If you’re thinking of using free website builder programs to build your next site, you might want to think again. Research by Adobe has found that people are far more likely to pay attention...
Is Print Marketing Obsolete in a Digital Age?
Is Print Marketing Obsolete in a Digital Age? The rise of digital marketing has convinced some in the industry that print advertising is about as relevant as cassette tapes or VHS. A more appropriate comparison might be vinyl, however Vinyl had been consigned to music...
Is your company suffering from outdated branding?
Is your brand suffering from outdated branding? Every morning you get up and dressed. The clothes, glasses and hairdo you choose are all a representation of your style, personality, values, likes and dislikes. It’s not often we find introverts choosing to wear bold,...
10 secrets on how to easily reduce business printing costs
Are you looking to reduce business printing costs? Whether it be leaflets, flyers, business cards or letterheads, print media is still an important part of many businesses marketing strategies. However, it’s important to reduce business printing costs for a multitude...
How to use print media to promote your website
Have you ever thought of using print media to promote your website? Once upon a time not that long ago it was left to expert marketing professionals to promote your business brand through newspapers, magazines, radio and even television. These days many SMEs rely on...
How to use print finish effects to boost your designs!
Use different print finish effects to enhance your printed media. You’ve spent hours working on the design of your brochure, and it looks pretty good on the screen. But how about on paper? How can you elevate your promotional content so that it leaves prospective...
How to create a guaranteed killer email campaign, it’s so easy!
A killer email campaign, requires killer design! As a marketing specialist, you are the master of juggling a multitude of tasks at one time. From adverts to social media, you do it all during your busy day. Email still remains top of the list for ways to reach...
Hiring a website designer? 33 easy questions you need to ask.
Thinking of hiring a website designer? Business owners are a busy lot. From serving their customers to networking, finance, and HR, there’s always something important to do. With research showing that only 40% of U.K. businesses have a website, it seems that getting...
22 simple print terminology phrases you need to know
Print terminology made easy Your expertise is in marketing, not printing, yet much of your work involves printing promotional material. You don’t need a degree in print processes to make sense of print terminology: You just need our handy guide. Below are 22 of the...
7 common mistakes to avoid when hiring web design companies
Nervous when it come to hiring web design companies? Hiring web design companies can be a tricky business, your website is the public face of your business, so making sure it represents you accurately can be crucial to your brand's success. One way to ensure it does...
Make scratch card marketing your most powerful tool
Scratch card marketing can often be overlooked, so we've outlined everything you need to know to create a killer campaign. We are big fans of scratch cards as a marketing tool. They help you attract new customers, they engage existing clients, and they...
6 bold, practical business card ideas to win you new business
Struggling for practical, stand out business card ideas that don't break the bank? Think of your business card as a tiny promotional powerhouse in your pocket. In the right designer’s hands, your business card ideas can take flight and create the perfect first...
Christmas card printing is really easy, learn how you can do it
The whole of the Proactive team get involved in this years christmas card printing project Christmas card printing, Done! Christmas has finally hit us head on in the Proactive Office. Our Christmas greetings cards are designed, printed, signed and mailed. Lights are...
The print handbook gets a thumbs up from us!
Recommended: The Print Handbook Designing for print can be a tricky business. Matching what you see on screen to a commercially printed end product is never as simple as pressing the 'print' button. Even with graphic design training and years of printing experience,...
Hurry! The content marketing bandwagon is leaving without you.
Content marketing is bringing me out in a rash A client told me recently that she was putting some of her marketing on hold because they needed to "get to grips with content marketing before they targeted new clients". No, no no. ALL marketing is content marketing. If...
Thinking of running national holiday inspired scratch card campaigns?
Halloween inspired scratch card campaigns We're often asked to create festive themed Scratch Cards for our clients. Previously one client wanted to tap into the excitement and build up around halloween. This client came to us with only this very basic idea and asked...
Promotional printing, Branded Stationery can make a difference
Promotional printing for Mycronic Increase awareness of your company brand with promotional printing. According to the British Promotional Merchandise Association (BMPA) research, 84% percent of people believe that branded promotional printing will increase the...
Printing business cards for 10+ employees – a time drain & expensive? There is a solution…
Business cards. That everyday essential but a right pain in the proverbial to sort out… or are they?
We have posted before about how business cards are your most powerful marketing tool, so finding a way to make ordering them easy and affordable would be the Holy Grail, right?
6 Tips For Using Up Your Business Reply Envelope Stock
You are probably aware of the Royal Mail Response Service changes that took place in November 2013 but put it to the back of your mind when you realised you had until November of this year to use up the last of your old envelope stock (which is what we did!).
Printing bespoke scratch cards
We recently completed a bespoke scratch card job for a new client. They are a chain of breakfast cafes and have a new location opening soon. They were looking for a fun way to advertise the new restaurant to clients at their current locations. They planned to give the scratch cards to customers with their bills.
Company brochure printing on a budget
Evolution of a company brochure We recently printed a company brochure for an exhibition of contemporary artists in London. We first spoke to the client around 5 months before the date of going to print, and during that time the specification of their order evolved as...
Embossed business cards make a real impact for Eco Bourne
Standing proud with embossed business cards Eco Bourne, wanted a product that they could hand out to their customers at a specialist eco exhibition. They wanted a card that would stand out and embody their company ethos, so we recommended embossed business cards as a...
www.yourphysioplan.com scratch card design drives customers to their website
"We need a scratch card design that will bring customers to our website"Our client required a promotional item for a corporate event they were attending. Time was short, and budget was specific. Designing a scratch card game seemed a viable option for speed and...
Airbnb logo redesign
Airbnb logo redesign causes a stir online This week, the Airbnb logo redesign caused a huge stir online. Many commentators were suggesting that the logo represented female sexual organs, whilst others suggested it strongly resembled another companies branding,...
Self-publishing: an eight step checklist.
Getting ready to self publish can be a daunting prospect. Follow this simple checklist to break down the process into manageable tasks. Write your manuscript and format it in a digital document, i.e. Word. If you have written it by hand, there are programs...
Banner stand printing – 5 tips for a memorable message
Get seen at tradeshows with banner stand printing We print a variety of exhibition and trade show items for our clients: from name badges to pens and notepads, but the one thing we do recommend for your stand or booth is banner printing or roller banner stand...
Self publishing – Is it the way forward?
Self-publishing is a something of a controversial subject among aspiring authors. Publishing your own work is always a risk, but historically, without the security net of a publishing house behind you to promote and defend your work, it can be an even more daunting...
Perforated business cards – just the ticket!
Die-cut, perforated business cards, shaped like old fashioned cinema tickets We recently completed an interesting perforated business card project for Olivia Denne, a local media student. Olivia needed something to handout to her peers and potential clients at an...
Custom printed laser cut wedding invitations
Weddings. Expensive old things. I’m in the middle of planning mine (or ours, I should say) at the moment and it amazes me how much time and money it sucks up. However being in the business of print and design, the wedding invitations were something I couldn’t scrimp on. Taking inspiration from all over the place, I had managed to build up a vague picture of how I wanted it to look – in my head…
Case study: silk leaflets and spot UV business cards
Spot uv business cards and silk leaflets Sylvan Therapies required spot UV business cards and silk leaflets, to promote awareness of her hypnotherapy services. We invited her to the Bournemouth design studio to review a range of samples. We had pre-selected the most...
Charity printing and design project for local charity
We’ve just received another fantastic testimonial from one of our clients, the London-based charity, ‘Care’ www.care.org.uk
We were asked to produce some new branding for this customer based around euthanasia and end of life issues. They required logo and design for 50,000 12pp booklets.
Veterinary logo rebrand helps to create a professional new image
We’ve just completed a rebrand for a new vet customer. The business has been recently taken over by new management who were keen to see a much fresher, colourful and friendly look and feel applied to their new branding.
Hardback presentation book – designed and printed in two days!
Aura Consulting use hard back presentation book to pitch for new business We recently completed another interesting job for our one of our longest standing clients. This was a time sensitive job required for a last minute pitch. And typically we dropped everything and...
VAT on printing – Is my printing subject to VAT?
VAT on printing is determined by a set of factors The VAT on printing business changes according to some quite loosely termed rules from HMRC. Some printed matter are zero-rated VAT and others are not, but what's affected and what isn't? Having moved to the mainland...
Catalogue Printing, Design and Direct mail
We print catalogues for a lot of customers and we've just completed the Spring/Summer 2014 catalogue for our longest standing client www.saharalondon.com and couldn't wait to show you. We always work directly with Sahara in-house, taking our designers to their...
Z fold leaflet printing
We’ve been working with Improve International for over 5 years, so when they recently branched out into the Southern hemisphere and decided to target a new market in Australia and New Zealand we were their first port of call for designing a new veterinary CPD brochure and organising the printing of the document for them.
Folded business cards are awesome customer brochures
Take a look at this project we recently completed for a client. We were asked to design and print a folded business card that was brand consistent with the company image.
The cards are printed on 400gsm silk and have 4 printed pages with a folded size of 85mm x 55mm.
Valentines themed scratch cards win the hearts of diners
Seasonal promotions are a great way to generate interest in your business. This valentines themed scratch card is no exception. Just Falafel, a franchise business with several restaurants in London wanted to offer free food products and a hotel stay in Greenwich and...
Pet health care pack – A5, 6 pocket presentation folder
We work with lots of vets through our sister company VetSuccess, providing a full-service design and print solution for busy practice owners. We generally start from scratch with their branding if they need that and in some cases we will use existing branding to...
Case study: wooden business cards
Statistics show that within seconds of handing your business cards to someone, they have already made up their mind about your and your company or profession based on the design and the specification of the card.
Case study: high quality duplexed business card design
Our client’s head of marketing originally got in touch after a recommendation from a new member of staff who had worked with us on another project before joining the company.
We started by producing their business cards to the same specification they had used with a previous supplier.
Artwork guide: presentation folders
It’s a Friday afternoon and one of our clients has placed an order for presentation folders. The email comes through with the artwork that they have created and… oh, it’s not in the right format for our production team and we have twenty minutes to fix it! At...
3 Ways to lose customers – lessons in what not to do
At the weekend my wife and I took our two year old for a walk on the beach. Not the crisp, fresh walk on the beach we’d hoped for… more of a pouring with rain, blowing a gale, soaked-to-the-skin kind of walk. He loved it.
A guide to moving offices for SMEs
Moving offices is a tricky, and often underrated, process during the relocation, up or downsize of your business. Once you have selected a location with great transport links, accessible parking, local amenities and a ‘pool’ of potential clients or employees, planning will be the key to how smooth and successful the move actually goes. Use the guide below in advance to ensure an (almost) stress free day.
Complete your festive printing now! Why wait?
I know we’ve only just started packing away our shorts and flip flops but you can never be too prepared for – I’ve got to say it, sorry – Christmas. Christmas can be an excellent time of year to reward your biggest clients whilst reminding the smaller ones of your existence and offering them an incentive to buy from you over the season. Below is a list of the top Festive printing and marketing ideas for your company this Christmas.
Direct mail case study: Direct mail letter with peel & reveal
The brief: produce a direct mail piece to increase engagement and drive traffic to a website where they could enjoy a free trial in an online game.
The solution: working with the client we incorporated a peel & reveal sticker into a letter, folded and enclosed into a C5 window envelope.
Make business cards your most powerful marketing tool
New businesses will often see the printing of their business cards as an essential step in their development, but will often fail to recognise it as a marketing opportunity. Why? A business card contains all vital details of a company or an individual worker and is an easy reference for someone to establish contact at any time, which is not always guaranteed by information displayed digitally.
Print scratch cards and be a winner too!
Just a few short weeks ago the process of printing scratch cards was shrouded in mystery for me. Many of our customers choose to print scratch cards and I thought that they were produced by magic, or if not magic, then by a very complicated and expensive process....
A novice’s guide to binding
Before I joined the team at Proactive I had never given binding a second thought, but if you’re printing a brochure it could be just as important a factor as your paper type to give your project the right look (and budget). Perfect...
Special print finishes add quality and make print look amazing
So, you have designed and put together the perfect marketing package to promote yourself and your business.
Now what? How do you make your awesome designs, stand out from all the other awesome designs out there?
Well, perhaps you could consider the range of finishes that are available to you, which will help to make your material stand out from the crowd. A few examples are as follows;
Things to consider when you use recycled paper for your printing
Using recycled paper could be damaging the planet more than you know. We are all aware of the effect our actions have on the environment, especially when it comes to recycling. So you'd think that buying recycled paper for our brochures, flyers and office printers...
Printing presentation folders makes a terrific first impression
This post has been updated. Printing presentation folders could help you to hook your next customer Making a good first impression is a cliché, isn't it? Printing presentation folders as part of your marketing arsenal could be a quick win when it comes to making the...