Thursday, 28 March 2013
Have an Egg-cellent Easter Holiday!
Just a quick message to remind you that the agency will be closed for the Easter holidays from Friday 29th March until Monday 1st April.
The agency will be back open for business as usual from Tuesday 2nd April at 9am.
We hope you don't shell out too much on buying eggs and that you'll have an Egg-cellent holiday!
Happy Easter,
From all the team at Freestyle
The agency will be back open for business as usual from Tuesday 2nd April at 9am.
We hope you don't shell out too much on buying eggs and that you'll have an Egg-cellent holiday!
Happy Easter,
From all the team at Freestyle
Labels: Easter, Freestyle Marketing, Holiday
Monday, 14 January 2013
Happy New Brand!
What better time to review
your branding than the beginning of the New Year. It is a perfect time to look
back and assess just what value it added to your business, and possibly how
much more it could add in the future?
Perhaps it’s not just your
commercial brand you should be reflecting on, but your personal one too? Have
you been true to yourself over the past year? Have you worked to your full
potential and outwardly demonstrated to the world just what you’re made of? I
thought not. So now’s the time to put things right.
Branding is much more than the external manifestation of an identity. It goes deeper than your logo and corporate colours, and wider than the clothes you wear or car you choose to drive.
This year more than any
other you have the opportunity to go for gold, inspired perhaps by the
tremendous achievements of our Olympians this summer. Or are you content just
to coast along, after all it’s the taking part that matters isn’t it?
I suspect like me, you want
a little more out of life, and whilst taking part is fun winning is what really
matters. If you’re looking for that edge over your competitors, particularly in
a commodity market, what better way to achieve
it than refreshing your brand offering? Whether you are looking for an
‘evolution’ or a ‘revolution’, getting an expert opinion can pay dividends.
Corporate or personal
branding professionals will help you avoid the pitfalls and guide you through the
intricacies of your brand journey. Discover your brand DNA and you’ll have a
friend for life. Ignore it and you’ll be forever re-inventing yourself.
Brands are like people, they
evolve over time; they grow up; some never have the chance; some get abused;
others just get tired; some lose their way; some achieve greatness and others
simply fade into obscurity through lack of investment. What do you want to do
with yours?
Labels: Advertising, Brand, Branding, Corporate, Freestyle Marketing, Image, Logo, New Year, PR
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Why creativity should be a walk in the park
Alan Boyden gives his advice on how to spark your creativity!
Where do you get your inspiration from? Is it sitting at your desk staring at your computer screen? Surely not the best place to foster creativity and innovative thinking is it? Think about it, how many hours a day do you spend doing just that? I like to think that real creativity is born out of a more flexible approach, not sat at a desk all day.
Have
you noticed how much more productive you are after taking short breaks, or
having a chat with somebody over lunch about matters unrelated to your work?
How often do you work straight through the day and miss this opportunity?
My
best ideas come to me when I’m not at my desk, when I’m out and about, driving or
in the pub chatting, in the agency kitchen or even ‘shooting the breeze’ at the
water cooler with colleagues. My very best ideas however are when I've not got
a pen or phone to hand, usually when I’m in the shower or walking the dog!
I've never had a great work/life balance, but I’m pleased to say that I've finally
seen the light and I’m working hard at getting it right here at Freestyle. A
late convert, but its paying dividends already. Don’t put it off any longer,
try that early morning swim, a walk with the dog or perhaps a quick jog in the
woods? You’ll soon see why creativity and business really can be a walk in the
park.
Labels: Alan Boyden, Creativity, Freestyle, Ideas, Innovation, marketing, nottingham, PR, Productivity
Monday, 17 December 2012
Warmest Wishes...
Here at Freestyle we have a commitment to the environment by reducing waste and saving energy. We also have a commitment to those less fortunate than ourselves, so this year we are donating the savings, made by not printing and posting traditional cards, to a local charity here in Nottingham.
You can find out more about the charity by visiting www.emmanuelhouse.org.uk
Labels: Agency, Christmas, Emmanuel House, Freestyle, marketing, nottingham, PR
Friday, 14 December 2012
Do you really want to work part-time?
Alan Boyden offers his perspective on the world of entrepreneurship
Whenever
I’m approached for advice by budding entrepreneurs, they often ask me what prompted
me to set up in business? My answer is always the same – I wanted to work
part-time (and now I do… any twelve hours of the day I choose here at Freestyle).
In all seriousness, running your own business is never the easy option, especially
during those tough early days when cash is not flowing as regularly as it was when
you were employed. Even once you've got over the so called “five year trading hurdle”
it is not always plain sailing. The challenges don’t go away; they just change
as your business develops. Perhaps by
this point you've hired or fired a number of staff? You've won (and lost) a few
contracts and you’re starting to wonder if it is all worth the extra effort? It
always is.I've met very few entrepreneurs who having once tasted self employment, would not go back to being employed again. Many of course are forced back to employment for a period of time for financial survival, but often find themselves frustrated by the restrictions of corporate life. They long for the precarious (yet perhaps more fulfilling and exciting) world of entrepreneurship. So from my observations it seems that once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.
So,
are entrepreneurs born or made? I still find it odd how universities can offer
degrees in entrepreneurship, if the lecturers were so good why aren't they all
multimillionaires? Maybe some of them are and just prefer academic life to
sailing around the world on large yachts? Or are the very best entrepreneurs
those who have graduated from the University
of Life
Labels: Alan Boyden, Entrepreneurship, Freestyle, marketing, nottingham, PR
Monday, 12 November 2012
The Ex Factor
Managing Director Alan Boyden shares his thoughts on business partnerships
"I
was reminded by an ex-colleague of a blog that I wrote back in June 2012, in
which I paralleled marriage to business partnerships. The irony of it was not
missed by him as I had recently announced my “divorce” in the business press.
So what of the Ex? The truth of the matter is that you have to move on. You’ll
never get anywhere if you’re constantly looking in the rear view mirror. I’m
pleased to say that I managed my business “divorce” (after eighteen years
together) without too much acrimony and the offspring seem to have come out of
it relatively un-scared too.
I've spoken to a number of entrepreneurs who have also sold their businesses
recently and the common factor seems to be not what happened leading up to or
during the deal, but what they did in the intervening period between selling
and starting up again. One of them referred to this as a period of “limbo”,
another was in a “commercial wilderness”.
Personally
it was a period of trepidation mixed with great excitement - an opportunity to
take time out to reflect on what you really want out of life. They all agreed
that at times during this “limbo” period you can easily slip into a negative
mind-set, over- reflecting and hankering after commercial stimulation.
So
what to do after this period of new found freedom? For me, it was obvious, I
wanted to stay in the same line of business, and for others there was nothing
more certain than they wanted a complete change. And most have done just that,
moving from a successful finance business to run a chain of restaurants.
Another from logistics to IT and another from property to sign manufacturing. Each
to his or her own I say. I've found my niche in marketing comms and “I’m
sticking to the knitting”.
I
was fortunate that an opportunity came my way to work with a fantastic team of
talented individuals here at Freestyle that I first met over 25 years ago. I
may have chosen to stick at what I know best, rather than spreading my entrepreneurial
wings like others, but it feels good to be back, and there’s certainly no
looking back. The only Ex factor in my business life now is the Excitement factor."
Labels: Alan Boyden, Business, Freestyle Marketing, Partnership
Monday, 8 October 2012
Nottingham Entrepreneur Alan Boyden Joins Freestyle
The Freestyle team has welcomed Nottingham entrepreneur and founder of bcsAgency, Alan Boyden to its board of directors.
Alan will take the helm as
Managing Director, assuming the responsibilities of Freestyle’s previous
Managing Director Ed Watson who now moves up to be Chairman of the
Company.
 |
| Freestyle Directors Board (L-R) Tim Phillips, Des Buchanan and Alan Boyden |
Creative Director, Tim
Phillips and Des Buchanan, Commercial Director founded Freestyle Marketing Communications
Limited along with Ed Watson back in 1991.
“Having clocked up over 21 years at the helm, Ed deserves a break from the front line, but will remain actively involved with the agency’s clients at a more strategic level,” Des explains.
Alan will bring his extensive
management experience and impressive contact network to Freestyle, to help us
with our next stage of growth.
“The time was right for me to move on from my former agency, having come of age 18 years on from its formation as an MBO from Grey Midlands. I am looking forward to getting back to my roots in advertising, whilst helping Freestyle develop its Public Relations, Social Media and Digital Marketing skills,” Alan comments.
The team look forward to
working closely with Alan and developing the business further.
Labels: Agency, Alan Boyden, Digital, Freestyle Marketing, Managing Director, marketing, nottingham, PR, Social Media
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