Allen Design Group News Feed

Putting the polish into Limebanana's website - Putting the polish into Limebanana's website

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:14:44 GMT

Due to be launched this April - a terrific new website for Limebanana, suppliers of quality oak furniture with an elegant, modern twist. This is part of an inspired re-brand to reflect our client’s contemporary approach to a highly traditional craft.

Art Director Andrew Brown was heavily involved with the photography featuring both product and lifestyle shots for Limebanana’s prominent online base. So far, results are breathtaking, testifying to the skills of our digital team and proving an exciting challenge all round.

All Change - All Change

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:11:04 GMT

Is Allen Design Group a hotbed of secret train-spotters? Rumours are flying almost as fast as Virgin trains, thanks to the miles of railway recently travelled by our intrepid crew - all in the name of research, you understand.

The truth is we’ve been working on behalf of our long-standing client Network Rail, visiting each of their 17 major stations throughout the UK to update on-station mapping and signage. Working with the National retail team we’ve also been looking at improving retail signage with proposals drawn from our many years’ experience within the retail and shopping centre sector. In future, we’ll focus on a softer, lifestyle approach to which today’s railway passengers can relate.

With ideas successfully implemented at Manchester we now hope to focus on London Bridge, Paddington and Liverpool Street.

Networking pays off for Lisa - Networking pays off for Lisa

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:07:37 GMT

Fresh from a 3-day visit to Manchester our New Business Manager Lisa Fisher has been filling her address book with interesting new contacts made at the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) Exhibition held on the 3rd-5th March.

Outgoing Lisa is a great ambassador for Allen Design, raising our profile considerably during this key event in the retail calendar, and it certainly proved a welcome experience for her. "This was the first time that I have attended a BCSC event,” she says, “I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable, and it was good to meet so many shopping centre managers under one roof!"

Delegates were pleased to meet Lisa too, and certainly impressed by our portfolio. In the last six months we’ve added three new shopping centers to our list – Whitgift, St Nicholas and Surrey Quays.

A marketing medical for Covidien - A marketing medical for Covidien

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:56:54 GMT

Covidien, formerly known as Tyco, has recently undergone a total re-brand, aimed at repositioning their medical division.

Having worked with the company's UK sales & marketing team in Gosforth, Hampshire, For 5 years our design team have recently completed their new ‘Brand Central’ accreditation - a pan European initiative to ensure consistency of style and message throughout the company.

Consequently, we are now equipped to continue providing them with a range of marketing collateral and a complete exhibition service.

Where there's a Will - Where there's a Will

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:55:58 GMT

Online designer/developer Will Barron has been with the Allen Design Group for nearly 2 years, joining us after stints with a couple of agencies in his home town, Sheffield. With a BTech and HND in Multimedia Design under his belt, he is a gifted, highly valued member of our digital team, designing, building and developing websites for a whole raft of accounts.

Recent projects include a new website for Whitgift Shopping Centre featuring stunning animations, and updates to the Lotus Sports Cadena website which, for sheer functionality and complex applications, is pretty hard to beat.

But then, Will is usually ahead of his game, being a keen ice hockey player. He also enjoys snowboarding and exploring the countryside on his mountain bike, keeping himself fit for the next online challenge.

Good news travels fast - Good news travels fast

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:29:56 GMT

Even in this high-tech multimedia age, there's nothing like word of mouth when it comes to winning new business.

Recently acquired clients Surrey Quays Shopping Centre were so impressed by our first campaign for their Christmas run up, they recommended us to their neighbours, Surrey Quays Leisure Park. As a result, from now on we'll be providing marketing collateral for the park with its 9-screen UCI cinema, bingo, ten-pin bowling and video games, plus a host of cafes, bars and favourite eateries such as Pizza Hut and Fatty Arbuckle. Well, visitors need sustenance after all those activities!

Not that we’ll have time to try them out ourselves, because our 2008 schedules for both the Shopping Centre and Leisure Park are packed with major promotions we can hardly wait to get our teeth into. Looks like we’re in for a busy year again!

Starting a whole new underground movement - Starting a whole new underground movement

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:20:57 GMT

What better way to celebrate another year than with another great win! After pitching against stiff competition last month, Allen Design Group have landed The London Basement Company, specialist contractors who create new space for top – end properties by burrowing to the bottom!

The London Basement Company was first established in 1962 as a conventional construction firm, but 20 years later, realised the enormous potential of basement excavations, particularly for Grade A premises. Since then, they have never looked back. Being leaders in the field the company they wanted to capitalise on their hard – earned reputation and have commissioned The Allen Design Group to create premium level communications to put them one step ahead of the competition.

'The company were particularly impressed with our in-depth research, encompassing core values, who they are and where they are going'. Said Lisa Fisher – New Business Manager.

For our part, this is a fresh departure, allowing us to blend an aspirational, lifestyle approach with our vast experience of property development. In future, we’ll be handling every aspect of the clients marketing, including their website, and enjoying a whole new dimension geared towards the luxury sector. Creatively too the promises to be genuinely satisfying, as the company has given us carte blanche to come up with ideas that are fresh, inventive and inspired.

Highly Recommended - Winning the account after yet another recommendation.

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:43:52 GMT

Winning the account after yet another recommendation, we're still glowing after heaps of praise from our new client, Bracknell Town Centre.

Allen Design Group were referred to Bracknell by the Enterprise Company, (an existing client who appointed us last summer) and we soon got down to serious preparation for the pitch. All our hard work has evidently paid off, however, as the 3 concepts we created were greeted with tremendous enthusiasm. Despite stiff competition from rival agencies including the incumbent, Bracknell's marketing team were really impressed with our carefully conceived presentation, which, according to Consumer Promotions Executive Louise Wright-Wastell was not only creative, but well thought out, made good use of our research, identified our challenges, and delivered thought-provoking concepts.

Now officially appointed by Bracknell Town Centre, we're working on marketing strategy in line with their brief - to develop awareness of their brand, accentuate what the centre has to offer in the 'here and now', and raise its profile. Two routes are being developed for the 2008/09 campaign, both encouraging local residents to take a fresh look at their town centre as a more convenient and enjoyable place to shop, supported by the full Monty - from press ads and posters to bus sides and pull up banners.

Wifi for Rivergate gets everyone talking - Wifi for Rivergate gets everyone talking

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:40:39 GMT

Communication is the name of the game and our specialist team has recently installed a new WiFi network at Rivergate Shopping Centre in Irvine, Scotland, which visitors can access from anywhere in the centre - particularly the on-site cafés. Now shoppers can enjoy a welcome cuppa while surfing the internet in comfort.

Already the most technologically advanced shopping centre in the UK (thanks to Allen Design Group), Rivergate are also set on being the first to host a Shopping Centre Extranet, so have asked us to create a special online forum for tenants and centre management. Look forward to the launch of this exciting new development early in the year.

The sweet smell of success - The sweet smell of success

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:32:56 GMT

Allen Design Group provide a 5 star service, making our fine collection of marketing and design strategies the natural choice for Kenneth Turner, a leading brand for fragrance, flowers and homewares.

Invited to invigorate the client’s broad range of marketing materials, we’ll be producing the complete raft of multimedia tools from brochures to online store. This is a welcome challenge for our creatives, who, along with our techno team, are heavily involved in re-designing the existing website to include an effective online purchasing platform to attract more traffic and sales A nice one for our portfolio too.

Founder Kenneth began by creating exquisite floral displays in Mayfair. Since then, the company has grown and diversified, providing a plethora of luxurious treats such as scented candles, bath and beauty products, gifts and accessories - most of which can be found at London’s flagship store, Harrods.