28th October 2020
Howell & Hicks is a graphic design agency based in Deal on the Kent coast.
We asked Jen at Howell & Hicks Creative to answer a few questions for us...
Why is Howell & Hicks Creative keen to work with Pink in particular?
We've been fans of Produced in Kent since we designed the very first 'Kent Food Trail’ leaflets over 10 years ago.
PinK has always made a big contribution to Kent's economy, but the current business climate makes its work - supporting and promoting 300+ quality producers, retailers, hospitality and associate/service companies - even more vital and valuable, and we look forward to becoming an active part of this exciting community.
Pink members are faced with many challenges post-Covid: no physical events to meet customers and buyers, lost B2B trade, threats of further lockdowns, a potential hard Brexit – how important is a good brand in this volatile economic climate?
Whatever the economic climate, businesses that look unique, professional and consistent perform better than those that don't.
When your brand is 'strong', customers will search for your name - instead of the generic sector/service description. And that strength means you can usually grow your market share vs. your competitors, while charging a price premium.
By understanding our clients’ specific business situations, we can help them to 1) define, establish, and protect their visual brand, and 2) identify the most effective marketing channels to achieve the best results.
What positives have come out of the Covid crisis that you feel our members, with your support, can build on going forward?
The sense of community surprised and inspired us. During lockdown, we donated branding and design services to Deal Delivers (https://dealdelivers.com), and it's great to see the scheme, and all the participating businesses, going from strength-to-strength.
Hopefully Pink will be a friendly and supportive community too, and while we can't always produce design work for free, we'll happily share our expertise with members - either by answering any creative questions, or by working with them as their long-term design partners - keeping their businesses looking their best and persuading people to fall in love with their brands.
We've been very lucky to attract some new clients during 2020, proving that the most forward-thinking businesses are still investing in their brands. Thankfully, their recent Google and Facebook reviews suggest they feel lucky to be working with us too, so we would love to build on that reputation for creativity, service and value, via future collaborations with PinK and its members.
