WREXRENT Website Now Live!

We are delighted to announce the launch of our client WREXRENT’s new website! We have been working with WREXRENT’s sister company, Minera Roof Trusses, for over two years as their outsourced marketing department. Minera Roof Trusses kindly recommended us to WREXRENT and we were delighted to be invited to help develop WREXRENT as the preferred property rentals company in the Wrexham area.

Following an initial meeting with WREXRENT, which involved ascertaining their business requirements and objectives, we identified that a bespoke marketing package tailored to their exact needs and allowing them to spread the cost over 24 months would be the most suitable solution. They required a logo and website along with supporting marketing collateral, that was all factored into the marketing package we produced.

After refining their logo, we set to work on designing a fully responsive website that included a dedicated content management system (CMS) to enable the WREXRENT team to update their property listings at their own convenience. A key objective was to ensure that the website was visually engaging to fully showcase their property portfolio. Therefore, when designing and building the website, we ensured it was aesthetically pleasing to highlight their properties, whilst also being built with easy-to-use functionality and improved user experience with search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind.

We are very pleased with the overall appearance and functionality of WREXRENT’s new website and we look forward to continuing to work with the WREXRENT team to help them grow their business!

"A huge thank you to Staunton Rook for supporting us to create a modern website that we are very proud of. They have taken the time to understand our needs and have worked closely with us to add in features to create a truly enjoyable and navigable experience for our landlords and tenants."

Lexie Woolf, Lettings Coordinator

Visit the Website

Spreading a Little Hope with Children In Need.

We were incredibly proud to see our client, Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospice on Children In Need last week. At Staunton Rook, we are always keen to put our charity hats on to provide Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospice with any marketing support they require. Throughout the year we design and produce marketing material for their many successful and vital events as our way of supporting such an incredible cause.

The Hospice’s provide care and support to life-limited children, young people and their families from Shropshire, Cheshire, North and Mid Wales. They offer an extensive range of services including bereavement support, respite and end-of-life care at their hospices or within the family home.

After being introduced by Liam Payne on Children In Need, the tear-jerking story, told by an extremely brave Jac, explained the devastating and frightening night when his older sister Beca suffered a seizure that changed their family’s life forever.

As a result of Beca’s seizure, she sadly lost the ability to walk, talk or play with her younger brother Jac. However, Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith is a special place where Jac can meet friends and have fun. So far, £93,654 of donations have been received from the public, thanks to Children In Need, which will fund sibling support groups for children like Jac, so he can share his experience with friends going through similar situations.

If you would like to donate to Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospice, so they can continue to provide dedicated support to terminally ill children, young people and their families.

Make a Donation

Welcome to the Staunton Rook team, James!

Staunton Rook is proud to announce and welcome James Griffiths as our first ever apprentice. James will be responsible for assisting in the design and build of exhibition stands throughout Europe. James has attended various exhibitions this summer, in places such as France and Germany, to assist with the build of exhibition stands and to ensure the exhibition runs smoothly for our clients. He will also assist with developing marketing campaigns for our client’s ongoing marketing activity.

James is currently studying for a BA (Hons) in Business Management and Leadership at the University of Chester. James sees this as a great opportunity to be one of the first students to enrol onto the CMDA (Chartered Managers Degree Apprenticeship) scheme.

"I’m excited to take on the new role at Staunton Rook, as I enjoy being involved in new projects and seeing them develop from the design, right through to the end result. I’m thrilled to be able to apply my knowledge gained from my studies and put it into practice, along with gaining on the job experience whilst achieving my Chartered Manager status."

James

When James isn’t working he enjoys riding his mountain bike on challenging trails around the UK and traveling with his friends.

Welcome to the Staunton Rook team!

Introducing Chrysalis Recruitment Solutions

We are thrilled to announce that our new client, Chrysalis Recruitment Solutions are launching their brand-new recruitment agency right in the heart of Chester’s city centre.

After our initial meeting with the Managing Director, Marie Piercy, we created a bespoke Business Starter Marketing Package. This marketing package is ideal for start-up businesses as it includes brand identity, customer profiling, website design and build, initial search engine optimisation (SEO), on-going web support and stationery. The initial branding exercise is vitally important to ensure that the company has a strong presence in the competitive recruitment industry. This is why we developed a bold and vibrant brand identity that represents the company’s ethos of evolving together. These online and offline marketing tools help start-up companies to establish themselves as strong competitors in their industry, along with manageable monthly payments so that they can manage their costings from the outset.

Our in-house studio designed and developed Chrysalis Recruitment Solutions’ responsive website with easy-to-use navigation to encourage current and potential clients to learn more about the company and recruitment solutions they offer. The website is jam-packed with optimised content for SEO and has an aesthetically pleasing, professional appearance.

Alongside Chrysalis Recruitment Solutions’ responsive website design, we have also been working hard on their offline marketing collateral. This includes bespoke business cards, compliment slips and letterheads. Despite digital presence being the key lead in this day and age, it is still essential not to overlook your offline communication. By integrating online and offline marketing tools in a comprehensive marketing package, this allows the brand to have a strong, consistent presence across all platforms in order to make a professional first impression.

With Marie leading the company - along with their tried and tested values, company ethos and future goals; we are expecting great success for them in the future and we look forward to working with them again soon.

Introducing Our New Online Marketing Package

We are delighted to announce the latest addition to our selection of marketing packages. Our new Online Marketing Package has been designed with a digital marketing focus in mind. The digital landscape is becoming ever more popular, with Google now processing 3.5 billion searches a day and last year seeing an increase of 63% in mobile traffic. Therefore, businesses should take note that having an online presence is becoming increasingly important to grow brand awareness in order to gain new customers. We have incorporated the best online marketing tools into one fantastic package so that clients who are looking to raise their online profile will be equipped with the ideal online marketing services to do so.

The Online Marketing Package includes the creation of a brand identity, an effective website design and online communication tools. A well designed and technically sound website is crucial to a business’ online presence. It is likely that your website will be the first contact that many people have with your company, therefore, it is essential that your ‘virtual store front’ is impactful and resonates with your viewers.

Many factors need to be considered such as mobile responsiveness, shopping facilities and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO is particularly important for search engines to find and rank your website so that it appears high up on search engines such as Google. Our in-house studio has over 20 years’ experience in web design and programming, meaning we are perfectly suited to create a website from scratch in line with your branding so that it appeals to your target audience. Our marketing team are also highly adept at creating relevant and engaging content that is highly optimised for a professional and quality website. Ongoing SEO can be provided along with HTML email campaigns, social media marketing and Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising which all work excellently together to execute an effective online marketing strategy.

To read more about our new Online Marketing Package, please click here. You can contact us today for a free one hour consultation to discuss your online marketing needs – we are confident we can provide a strategy and programme of activity that will help you to grow your business.

Top Tips For Exhibitions & Events

We are very excited to be exhibiting at the Chester Business Show tomorrow! So, we thought we'd share a few top tips for companies to utilise when exhibiting at an event or exhibition.

1. Encourage visitors to visit the stand with an attractive stand design
2. Smile and interact with passers by
3. Have an enquiry form so you can collect visitor's details and remember the conversation afterwards
4. Ensure your website is up to date as visitors will view it afterwards
5. Have marketing collateral with you such as leaflets to hand out
6. Don't forget your business cards!
7. Attend an event with more than one person so that you have an opportunity to circle the event and network
8. Don't have all your freebies on display or you may have visitors popping by just for the giveaways
9. Follow up leads as soon as possible, we find that a great method to do this is sending a HTML email to all leads after the event
10. Utilise social media to keep your followers updated in real time about your event
11. Wear comfy shoes
12. A few nibbles and drinks go a long way!

We have planned and organised events and exhibitions for many of our clients, from booking their stand, formulating their marketing collateral right through to designing and building their stand. Read more about our events and exhibitions services here.

Staunton Rook are Exhibiting at the Chester Business Show Autumn 2017

We are very excited to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Chester Business Show at the Chester Racecourse on Thursday 5th October 2017. The event will see around 60 companies exhibiting alongside 20 fantastic workshops and seminars to attend. Staunton Rook invites guests to visit them at stand ZZ1 where our marketing team will be on hand to speak to visitors about how we can help your business grow. We have a range of marketing solutions for businesses that we are eager to talk to visitors about. Staunton Rook have found that clients prefer a structured service and have collated marketing packages that are not only bespoke to your needs, but can be managed in monthly payments making them extremely affordable.

The three marketing packages available are the Business Starter Package, the Business Growth Package and the Outsourced Marketing Department. These are not limited, and can be tailored to your specific business needs. The Business Starter Package can include the development of a business name, customer profiling, refining the brand, website design and build, SEO strategy and on-going support. This is perfect for start-up businesses or a business that wants a new brand identity. Optional extras that businesses may consider are social media management and marketing collateral such as leaflets and corporate brochures. The Business Growth Package is ideal for those who would like to implement a new marketing strategy and re-define their marketing objectives for rapid growth. Staunton Rook’s dedicated team will be able to implement a new effective strategy that will allow businesses to grow their existing client base using a range of marketing tools. The Outsourced Marketing Department package is exactly how it sounds. Rather than employing a marketing manager and assistant to look after your marketing activity, instead companies could have their initial strategy set up with Staunton Rook and then we can organise on-going maintenance and campaigns, which can be a fraction of the cost when paying in manageable monthly payments.

Tickets to the Chester Business Show are completely free and guests are invited to drop by stand ZZ1 during 10am until 3pm to speak to the Staunton Rook team about your marketing needs. If you would like to arrange a free one hour consultation then please call 01244 323250, alternatively you can use our contact form and a member of our friendly team will be in touch shortly.

Book your Tickets

A Grand Design - even by our standards!

We are so pleased for our client Minera Roof Trusses – this week saw their roof joists feature on the latest episode of Grand Designs! They supplied the joists for the project last year whilst it was being constructed and we even got the exciting opportunity to visit the project site with them during construction to see the joists in situ, meet the project owner and take some photography ready for us to put together an informative case study now that the episode has aired.

View the Project

Staunton Rook’s Top 5 things to do in Chester

Chester is a diverse and bustling town with lots of interesting heritage and culture. There is certainly no shortage of things to do in Chester, here are just a few of Staunton Rook’s favourites.

Chester Zoo

With over 15,000 animals to see, Chester Zoo is a fun-filled day out for families and people of all ages. Attracting more than 1.9 million visitors a year, Chester Zoo is one of Chester’s main tourist hotspots, especially as it has now has been named the third best zoo in the world! read more

Chester Cathedral

Originally constructed in the 12th century, the Chester Cathedral is one of Chester’s oldest buildings. The cathedral is a major heritage site and is a very important place in Chester’s history. read more

Chester Walls

The Chester city walls are the oldest structures in Chester. Built in the late 1st century as a defensive structure to protect Chester, these walls are arguably the most important pieces of Chester’s history still in existence today. read more

River Dee, Chester

The River Dee stretches between Wales and England and in total measures 70 miles in length. The River Dee has lots to offer from great fishing spots to boat rides and even water sports, there’s something for everyone and it is definitely worth the visit. read more

Chester Racecourse

Chester racecourse is said to be the oldest racecourse still in use in England with races dating back to the early 16th century. If you’re into horse racing, then Chester racecourse is definitely worth a visit and is only a short walk from the hotels and bars in the city centre. read more

Matthew joins Staunton Rook for some marketing work experience

This week, Staunton Rook took on a young student, Matt Jones, for a week’s work experience. Matt took an interest in marketing at college where he is currently about to go into his second year of A Levels. He is currently studying English Language and Media Studies as well as Geography and has a keen interest in writing and photography.

Matt wishes to gain experience in the field of marketing and learn more about the industry in general and about what we do here at Staunton Rook. He has been working closely with our team here and has produced a marketing plan, a brief and also a news article over the course of this week.

"I have really enjoyed my time here at Staunton Rook and I have learnt a lot about the marketing industry and the different aspects of it. I am thankful for this opportunity as it is a great thing to put on my CV and has also given me more of an idea of what I want to do as a future career. I would like to thank Rachael and the team for being so welcoming and helpful."

Adobe phases out Flash Player!

The Situation

Adobe Flash Player was introduced back in 1996. It quickly established its reputation, growing to become a dominant platform within the programming world. Over the years Flash has allowed us to play games, run applications and watch videos, however not all platforms support Flash. In fact, Apple’s Safari has never permitted the use of Flash, a major issue with Macs, iPhones and iPads becoming increasingly popular. Furthermore, Adobe Flash Player’s rival, HTML5, has been very popular since its release in 2014 and game developers are increasingly switching from Flash Player to HTML5 and reporting great results from doing so. With a downward trend in usage, coupled with newer alternatives entering the marketplace, it therefore comes as no surprise that Adobe have decided to terminate Flash Player by the end of 2020.

What Is Going to Happen

Over three years ago 80% of users would encounter Flash whilst surfing the web, but it has now drastically fallen to 17%, a figure that is expected to decline further, especially as newer programmes such as HTML5 has proven to have better security. To successfully make the web Flash-free, Adobe have been working closely with other giants on the web, including Apple, Microsoft, Google and Facebook, ensuring there will be a smooth transition. Microsoft and Google have already incorporated ‘Click-to-Run’ and ‘Click-to-Play’ features respectively, both features ensure that Flash no longer runs by default except for within a handful of whitelisted sites including BBC iPlayer, Facebook and Amazon. A user must specifically opt to enable Flash on a site-by-site basis if they believe the plug in to be secure. Support will still be available however this will gradually reduce and more sites will migrate to the use of HTML5, YouTube having made the leap earlier this year. The transition will be ongoing until late 2020 when Flash Player will be disabled completely and sites that have failed to act will then contain elements that are no longer visible or supported and Flash Player will simply be remembered for the legacy that it is.

What You Can Do

The first thing to do is to establish if your website currently uses Flash Player – you can do this by clicking on the link here.

If your website does contain Flash, do not panic we can help.

To help businesses with the transition we are offering companies with websites that still use Flash an incentive to update their website to ensure they are in line with modern standards of web design and programming. To celebrate the 21 years of Adobe Flash Player, we are offering 21% off the cost of a new website. This is a great opportunity to upgrade to the latest technologies and give your potential clients the best impression of you, ultimately generating business. We have years of experience when it comes to designing and developing websites, so please do not hesitate to contact us for a ‘Free One Hour Consultation’ to discuss your website.

To claim this offer simply call us on 01244 323250 and speak to a member of our friendly team, alternatively you can complete our contact form and we will reply at the earliest opportunity.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please enquire for details.

5 Benefits of Effective Web Design

When was the last time you updated your website? When was the last time you checked its appearance and functionality on a phone? Does your website automatically adjust to different devices, whether it be smartphones or tablets? We have noticed through our website reports for clients, that customers are now viewing websites progressively more on phones and tablets. Although desktop is generally the dominant platform, it is becoming increasingly more important to ensure your website is optimised for viewing on any device, this is called responsive web design. The web design process should also consider search engine optimisation (SEO), as factors like website speed and usability can affect your rankings on Google. There are many benefits in having a website which is designed and programmed effectively, here are our top 5:

1. Your website should be user friendly, which it should include clear, easy to use navigation so you can go from the homepage to the products page within 1 or 2 clicks. A responsive and user friendly web design will be praised by Google and you are more likely to appear higher in the rankings.
2. Responsive web design isn’t just about responding to a device’s size, it also includes how long it takes to load and perform. If your website is slow then users will generally go elsewhere.
3. Since 2015, mobile traffic has been found to have grown over 74%. This is one significant reason to ensure your website is optimised for mobile traffic.
4. Not everyone is on the same web browser, so web development needs to ensure a website can respond to different platforms just as efficiently, whether it be Google Chrome, Safari or Microsoft Edge. Google rewards you for this and it is another way to boost your website ranking.
5. Increase your return on investment with happier customers. If customers can navigate and purchase smoothly and efficiently on any device, then they will be more likely to visit your website again.

The creation of a website can be separated into three main categories. Number one is the design of the site, how it will look, how it communicates your core messages to your target market and ultimately how it drives them to take action and purchase your products/services. The initial design is fundamental to the success of the overall site so we ensure this process is given the time it deserves. The second category is the build, as the website needs to be programmed properly for optimum success. Our web developers have had plenty of experience in creating a variety of sites, from a simple 8 page website to creating a fully functional e-commerce website. You can be confident that we will supply you with a technologically current website that conforms to the latest standards. The final category is the consideration of SEO and the management of the website post launch. There are many SEO factors that are considered during the build, but there also factors after the site is launched that need ongoing monitoring to ensure the site is continuously optimised. We can advise on a case by case basis, depending upon the unique requirements of your business and the industry in which you operate.

Another important consideration is whether you want a content managed site. Content management allows you, the owner of the website, to have control over the content after the build process is complete. We have found this a great way to work with our clients as they can update their news feed and blogs when they choose. Here at Staunton Rook, we have had years of experience designing and developing websites for a wide variety of clients. If you are looking for a new, fresh approach to update your current website, or need a brand new website that will engage your customers and generate leads, then contact us today to arrange a free 1 hour consultation.

Liven up your Facebook Pages account!

Facebook have launched the ability to upload a video to use as the cover on your Pages account. This is a great opportunity for you to create a more engaging experience and provide users with more of an insight into your brand. Rather than a still image, you can now upload a video that can be 20 – 90 seconds long and should be at least 820 x 312 pixels. Once you have created your video, you will then need to go to your Facebook business profile page and select the option to upload a video where the cover photo is.

We have recently uploaded our new cover video which has been adapted from our website. We have done this in order to be brand consistent across different platforms to ensure we remain loyal to our brand identity, something to always bear in mind when creating new concepts across different channels. Take a look and let us know what you think!

View Our Facebook Page

A successful event for our client, Vortex Global

Last week our client Vortex Global were exhibiting in Cologne, Germany at the VICTAM FVG Select 2017 conference/exhibition, organised by VICTAM International BV. The exhibition is a great way for the company to connect with global businesses and prospective clients that work in the dry bulk components industry. They were able to participate in industry conferences, whilst also networking with colleagues and clients who require the wide range of valves that Vortex supply for dry particle processing.

We were responsible for booking, organising, design, logistics, build and breakdown of stands for the company. It is very important to ensure a cohesive plan is in place for events and exhibitions in order to have the best possible representation on the day. This is why planning and organising takes place months in advance to enable each company to have effective communication that will be engaging, from sparking interest to ultimately capturing the lead.

The event produced many successful leads and new opportunities on the horizon. Vortex Global also have other upcoming tradeshows this year which include PPMA in Birmingham, UK and POWTECH in Nuremburg, Germany.

A Brand New Brand Identity for Ellice Francis

We were recently approached by a new client, Ellice Francis, who has a background in the recruitment investment industry, and is now looking to establish their own business. Following an initial meeting we established that one of our tailored marketing packages would be ideal for them as not only does it allow for manageable monthly payments, which is perfect for start-ups who are looking to spread their costs, but it enables the provision of a marketing programme that is bespoke to the client’s needs. The marketing package will include the creation of a brand identity and a cohesive marketing plan that will be the foundation of their strategy going forwards equipping them with a strong marketing presence from the start in order to allow for growth in the future.

Initially, Ellice Francis had a logo in place, however, we suggested that a stronger, more powerful logo was needed in order to truly reflect the culture of the company and enable them to stand out in the marketplace. Once we understood their values, character and culture embarked upon a branding exercise whereby we produced a variety of options and logo styles which were carefully narrowed down to provide a core selection for Ellice Francis to view. They opted for a logo compromising of a device including an interconnecting E and F that emulates stability, structure and a close fitting partnership – values which are at the epicentre of Ellice Francis. The inclusion of the strapline Recruitment Investment also reinforces the core operating activity of the company. We believe this will strongly position them as a competent and respected company in their sector and we are excited to help their business grow and reach its maximum potential.

At Staunton Rook we understand the importance of corporate branding and how it reflects the brand’s personality, helps the businesses grow and contributes to a company’s marketing objectives. Please get in touch if you would like to enquire about our marketing packages or corporate branding on 01244 323250.

Everything you need to know about the latest Instagram updates

Last week Instagram announced new features that include ‘Face Filters’ and videos that have the ability to ‘Rewind’, ‘Boomerang’ and go ‘Hands-Free’. These features are very similar to Snapchat, which has been vastly popular with a steady growth of users, but has now been exceeded by Instagram Stories, with over 200 million daily active users. This is a significant growth as Instagram Stories have only been available since August 2016 and Snapchat has been available since 2011. Although these new features may not lead people to leave Snapchat, it does mean people are less likely to download Snapchat in the first place if they already have Instagram. It has also been found that when Instagram Stories first launched, users now consume over 70% more data than before, but this is partly due to the amount of data Instagram consumes.

Instagram have also introduced personalised hashtag stickers, new drawing tools and image ‘collections’, but what use are these new features for businesses? Well, collections, which is similar to saving images on Pinterest, allows you to create collections for a range of possibilities such as user generated content and to create groups of your own posts. Instagram have also announced updates to the Explore tab which enables more users to see your posts. For example, you can also add a location sticker, this will then be added to ‘Location Stories’ which can be viewed when someone searches for the location or clicks on a user’s sticker, but, if your location is set to private only your followers will be allowed to view your posts. This is also the case for ‘Hashtag Stories’ that allows you to create a hashtag sticker and then search other users doing the same.

With over 95 million photos shared every day, Instagram have now enabled their website to be more like the app experience in order to widen the user base. However, the most exciting new fact for businesses is that there are now 700 million users on Instagram and 1 million advertisers every month. This is why companies should be considering Instagram Adverts as a quality platform to reach your target audience as it makes their way as a serious competitor on the paid social scene.

Check out our latest posts here @staunton_rook.

A Bee-autiful Leaflet Design!

We have recently completed a leaflet design for our long-standing client, Redrow. The idea of the leaflet is to encourage people to be more bumblebee-friendly in and around Redrow’s new unique development, Saxon Brook. The leaflet provides the new residents with information relating to the bumblebee population and encourages them to explore the specially created Bumblebee Trail which runs through the development. During the creative process we worked closely with Redrow’s Marketing Manager in order to define the elements and ensure accurate and meaningful content was included in the leaflet.

Initially, we produced several leaflet design options including a honeycombed shaped leaflet, a maltese cross mailer design and the traditional roll fold leaflet which Redrow decided on as it was cost-effective, user friendly and appropriate for the concept of this particular leaflet. Our team researched, developed and carefully created copy and sourced imagery in order to deliver a quality end product which satisfied the client brief. Our studio got the opportunity to exert their artistic talents in creating the illustrated map showing the route of the Bumblebee Trail through Saxon Brook.

We believe the concept is a great idea and we hope the leaflet design inspires many people to be more aware of our dwindling pollinators and create inviting gardens in which they can survive and thrive.

A Stunning Stand Design for the Chelsea Flower Show

We have recently finished designing a fresh, contemporary display stand design for our client, Mark Stoddart International Designer. As Mark is exhibiting his exquisite bronze sculpture designs at the Chelsea Flower Show, we wanted to create something traditional that would emphasises the bronze sculpture designs in the right setting. We decided to use the concept of an orangery so that it would have a vibrant yet homely feel, so that clients can imagine the unique pieces in their own home. The Chelsea Flower Show begins tomorrow and you can visit Mark at stand 475!

We have lots of experience organising events and exhibitions for our clients and can manage the whole process from sourcing the right event, choosing the right location at the event and creating innovative concepts to use as a display.

Eye-Catching Marketing Collateral for iPEP

We are very proud of our newly designed presentation wallets and leaflets for our client at iPEP. iPEPlanner is a planner, tracker and assessment tool for teachers that allows them an easy to use platform when delivering PE lessons. After designing and developing their website, we wanted to ensure their print material would reflect their website and portray their main benefits. Leaflet design is a great cost effective way for businesses to communicate useful information about their service and includes a clear call to action. The presentation wallets are also a great way to present leaflets and other print material, such as business cards and brochures, when visiting potential customers. We are thrilled that iPEP are happy with their new marketing collateral and we look forward to working with all our clients on projects all shapes and sizes in order to help their business grow.

Success for Rotex

Staunton Rook’s Director, Stewart Thompson, has attended the 8th edition of SOLIDS Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany on 10th and 11th May. Stewart is attending the exhibition with our client, Rotex, in order to demonstrate Rotex’s latest technologies that include their highly efficient and ergonomic designed equipment. The exhibition holds over 500 exhibitors that will showcase the latest innovations, trends and technologies and is co-located with RECYCLING TECHNIK Dortmund. SOLIDS Dortmund is one of the leading trade shows for powder and bulk solids technologies in the country and enables companies to display their equipment so trade visitors can find the latest products and solutions for storing and packaging, alongside solutions for topical issues such as the environment and safety. Staunton Rook designed the banner graphics that are on display, which can be seen in the image. Stewart has reported that it has been a huge success for Rotex and they have received plenty of enquires.

Congratulations to our client, Vortex Global, on winning SHAPA Company of the Year Award!

Staunton Rook are proud to announce that our client, Vortex Global, have won the SHAPA Company of the Year Award. Vortex Global were shortlisted as a finalist earlier this year by Solids Handling and Processing Association (SHAPA). The awards took place on Tuesday 25th April at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. The award recognises companies that have shown high achievement in sales and the industry’s best practices. Vortex, who first started making valves in Salina Kansas back in 1977, first began their European operation in 2006 with few prospects and no previous sales in Europe. In the past six years Vortex have experienced a vast amount of growth in the UK and announced a record growth of 44% last year. Vortex now operates in over 50 countries and is the world’s leading specialists in handling dry bulk solids.

Staunton Rook have assisted Vortex with their marketing activities in Europe for a number of years with offline marketing such as Trade Exhibitions across Europe. We wish Vortex Global a huge congratulations on their well-deserved Company of the Year Award.

Pictured left to right: Julia Schaberg, Mark Schaberg, P.E. (Vortex, Chief Engineer) Travis Young (Vortex, Executive Vice President), Melanie Young, Julie Whitehead, Stewart Thompson (Staunton Rook, Managing Director)

The Importance of SEO

In this ever growing digital age, SEO has become a vital aspect for a company’s online marketing strategy. However, regularly clients that approach us for digital marketing advice don’t know what SEO consists of.

Search Engine Optimisation encompasses a variety of tools that will boost your website so that it appears higher in the search results of Google. Google uses algorithms that crawl webpages to find sites that have the most significant websites for searched terms. Research has found that 95.3% of the top clicks go to the first four results, this is one significant reason to optimise your website in order for it to appear on the first page of Google.

One of the most important factors that can help your SEO is your content. Creating unique, relevant content that engages readers is exactly what Google rewards, and now Google’s algorithm even understands synonyms. However, filling your content full of keywords is not the way to go and if you overuse them you will in fact be penalised. A few other SEO tools that are used to help optimise a website include relevant link building, local SEO and ensuring an excellent user experience.

We have recently launched our client’s website, Camper Rent UK, in 2016. Throughout the web design and content creation process we always take SEO tools into account. Initially, Camper Rent UK were not showing on the first few pages of Google, but only 3 months later the site has proven to be a success with it now being on the first page of Google. It is now at the top of the first page for many popular search terms, even beating their long-standing competitor.

Staunton Rook offer initial SEO audits of your site to understand how it is currently performing, we consider where there is room for improvement and then we can continue to work with you to maintain and improve your SEO position. Get in touch today to find out how we can help with your SEO requirements.

Welcome Cassy!

We are excited to announce a new addition to our team as Cassy Grandidge joins us in the position of Digital Marketing Account Executive. With previous marketing agency experience, along with a Masters in Marketing degree, Cassy is perfectly placed to join the Staunton Rook team and add value to our client’s marketing campaigns.

Cassy’s experience entails managing client accounts and online marketing strategies and is looking forward to getting stuck into the new role that will focus on areas of marketing development and creative concepts for client campaigns. She states: ‘I’m thrilled to start at Staunton Rook, as I enjoy working on client strategies, whether it be offline or online marketing. Seeing a project start as a creative concept and then seeing the results is what really motivates me.’

When Cassy isn’t working she enjoys long walks in the countryside with her dog, and planning her next travel experience!

Welcome to the Staunton Rook team!

We are hiring!

Digital Marketing Account Executive

A Chester based Marketing Services agency is looking for an enthusiastic and hardworking marketing executive to join their team. The role will involve responsibility for managing key client accounts, this will include focusing on areas of marketing strategy from marketing strategy planning, creative concepts, development and final execution. The successful candidate will be working within the account management team under the Account Director assisting with carrying out various tasks to help drive individual client campaigns forward.

Staunton Rook’s New Look

Staunton Rook have been undergoing some exciting changes and we are now delighted to announce the launch of our new website! The new site has been designed with you in mind, so not only does it look great, but it highlights the range of our marketing services and keeps you updated with our portfolio of work.

Our Studio Manager, Mark Roberts, said:

"I’m very proud of Staunton Rook’s new web design as it is one of the most technically sound sites we have developed, and I look forward to developing many more for future clients"

Mark has over 20 years’ experience in the design industry and his expertise is always a vital part of the process when creating professional web design and implementing offline and online marketing.

Staunton Rook’s Account Director, Rachael Battersby, is also very pleased with the new look:

"I believe a company needs a website that represents them, and our new style better reflects our marketing services and brand, whilst also showing our potential"

Rachael is one of the main driving forces behind marketing strategy and always aims to go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations.

Here at Staunton Rook, we work alongside clients as an extension of the team to ensure our clients have full access to our experienced marketing team, so we are always on hand when needed. Whether it is implementing social media marketing, email marketing, advertisement, or developing a range of the marketing mix, Staunton Rook offer bespoke packages to suit your needs in the most cost-effective way.

Our three most popular packages include the Business Starter Package, the Business Growth Package, and the Outsourced Marketing Department package which is for those who need full support. We aim to implement a marketing strategy to suit your brand using the most effective services, which could range from digital marketing to direct marketing. Whatever your needs, Staunton Rook are a marketing agency that offer a marketing plan tailored to you.

Please take a look around our new website and let us know what you think on our Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

An Emoji Takeover

Have you jumped onto the emoji hype yet? If you haven’t then you are seriously missing out and we don’t just mean on the latest fad, but emoji’s are taking marketing campaigns by storm. Emoji’s are gaining popularity amongst numerous revolutionary brands to communicate with their audiences by enhancing their brand building.

An incredible 92% of people use emoji’s with over 30% exercising them countlessly throughout the day reported by Emogi Research Team. It’s been said that emoji-based marketing campaigns have amplified by 777% year-over-year and the results say it all.

Appboy’s study reported that using emoji’s on twitter has resulted in 25.4% more engagement, Facebook likes have increased by 57%, with a 33% rise in comments and shares. Virtually 50% of every comment on Instagram contains an emoji - which could be why Oxford Dictionaries chose an emoji (the tears of joy emoji to be exact) as their ‘2015 Word of the Year’.

Kanye West believes emoji’s are the “language of the future” and his theory might be correct with the recent involvement in celebrities such as Kim Kardashian who was one of the first to unveil her Kimoji icons further increasing the popularity. With this in mind, statistics from Appboy show brands have tapped into emoji-marketing to stay current, with 72% of 18 – 25 year olds finding it easier to express emotion via emoji rather than words; emoji’s breaks the callous persona of digital commination.

Brands can use emoji’s successfully by sticking with their key factors which are; audience, tone of voice and identity and it is essential that they understand meaning behind emoji’s otherwise it can gather negative attention and even alienate followers.

The world of emoji’s is constantly evolving with the likes of Sony’s ‘emojimovie’ and Penguin Random House obtaining the rights to ‘the emoji story’ book, we will continue to watch as emoji’s develop into the future of digital communication.

The Power Of Facebook

There is no doubt that Social Media Marketing has now become a very important tool to communicate with your target audience and aid the growth and development of your business but there is one social media giant that is arguably the most important of all – Facebook. With over a 1.7 billion monthly active users spending on an average of 20 minutes per day on the site you can see why Facebook is a powerful platform for any business. Offering fantastic opportunities to generate word of ‘mouse’, build brand awareness and proactively engage and communicate with your target audience. If you don’t currently have a business Facebook page – it’s definitely time you did! We have assisted many clients with the design and creation of their business Facebook page, follower growth and paid advertising plus we can even fully manage your activity and create a social media content plan to ensure you are regularly communicating and engaging with your followers. Recently we were tasked with the page set-up and follower growth of our new client, Camper Rent UK. In just two months we grew Facebook follower numbers from 0 to over 1,400 and achieved over 31,000 engagements via Facebook advertising and promotion. If you need any help setting up, managing or promoting your business on Facebook get in touch with a member of the team today on 01244 323250.

Making The Right Impression

We are proud to have worked with our long-term client, Redrow in the design and creation of their “Working Wardrobe” uniform brochure. The brochure, which will be used to set the Redrow standard for all their Sales Consultants across the UK will not only showcase the new stylish and professional uniform but also reinforce Redrow’s brand values. The clean design and format is image lead and features genuine Redrow staff members modelling the various uniform options. Inspirational quotes are included throughout the brochure from Sales Consultants to Sales Directors complement the imagery and personalise the content. We couldn’t be more pleased within the final product and look forward to working with Redrow again in the near future.