RamsdenDesigns

Advertising Revamp Experiments

I’m not very good at marketing and advertising. It probably has more to do with my lack of training in that area as opposed to me just being a dummy. But it’s something I’d like to get better at.

When I was doing some work experience as a photographers assistant…many moons ago…one of the photographers told me it’s ok to copy another photographers style. Not only would I put my own spin on it but it would give me the opportunity to learn lots of different techniques and ideas. Obviously, eventually you develop your own style, but how would you know what your style was until you tried out lots of different ones for size?

So using that idea I’ve started my own little fun experiment. I’m going to find ads I like and adapt them to fit Empire of Delight products. They won’t be ads I can use for the business but will be a great way to get my creative juices flowing and I’m hoping they’ll help me develop my own ideas.

So I’ll hopefully be featuring one every month, depending on time and what I find. First off, is an ad for a car I found.

Cute huh? And here’s my ad for Empire of Delight.

I like this. It doesn’t really fit the brands image but who knew an ad for soap could look so fashionable and sophisticated? How’s the swish reflection effect? I’m pretty pleased with that.

Things I Want You To Buy Me

I’m in a blogging slump. Is anyone really interested in the day to day details of my life? Who wants to know what I did today? Is baking ginger snap cookies worth blogging about and should I be happy or distraught that it was the high-light of my day?

Lets blog about shopping instead. This I can get excited about.

I would like to receive as a gift:

This limited edition print of a cup.

This picture of peacocks in a tree.

This utterly perfect print of a bird.

These super cute sock garters.

These yummy looking cookies.

Memorable Moments

I’m coming up close to Empire of Delight’s one year anniversary. That moment when I thought starting a proper business in my final year of uni was a good idea. Considering it’s been less than a year and now I have a fully featured collection and products in shops I think I’m doing great. I mean, it took Andrew Forrest three years to just get the money for his business, let alone sending the product off to his customers.

Probably not a good comparison.

I think you can click on it to get a better look.

Sneak Peak – New Soaps

Easter isn’t all chocolate eggs and fresh rain. It’s also the perfect, quiet day to get the creative juices flowing.

I’ve just finished the wrapping for two new soaps. The first is my famous 100% Olive Oil Soap which my parents make me deliver to them in bulk they like it so much. Mum has recently started using it as a shampoo and says her hair has never felt better.

The second is a Blackberry Soap which smells of fruit, lollies and a day of fun all at once. It really is divine, I adore it.

I am thrilled to pieces with the packaging. The olive oil soap has the cutest little creatures drawn on the wrapping and if you look carefully you can see a giraffe and bird. On top of the soap is the image of a whale which was almost the deciding factor when choosing the pattern. The blackberry soap has peacock feathers all over it; my favourite bird and the delicate colour and pattern go just perfectly with the scent.

Three more weeks however, dear reader, is how long you’ll have to wait before these are ready for sale.

Almost doesn’t seem fair.

Product Spotlight – Coffee Soap

 

A wonderful, gentle soap with no added extras or fancy ingredients, just good old fashioned moisturising soap. But don’t be fooled by it’s simple ingredients, this soap will take good care of your skin and the invigorating coffee fragrance will wake you up in no time.This is a big big bar of soap that will last and costs a measly $7.50. Buy it here.

Coffee Soap is packaged in a unique patterned paper and looks like a little present already. Leave it sitting on your bathroom sink if you dare, it smells divine. But trust me, you’ll be missing the best bits.

Ingredients

Olive oil: creates an extremely mild soap with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Sodium Hydroxide: the ingredient that turns oil into soap. While used in soapmaking, there is never any left in the finished product.

Coconut oil: an effective moisturiser for very dry skin.

Castor oil: a wonderful moisturiser and produces an amazing lather in soap.

Rice Bran Oil: a good source of Vitamin E, and antioxidants, and is particularly suited to sensitive, dry and mature skin types.

Fragrance Oil: only the highest quality fragrance oils are used. They must be skin safe and made in controlled environments that promote safety.

Weight: 270 grams

Making An Interesting Media Kit

I didn’t know whether to blog about this as I’d been back and forth in liking and loathing the idea. So today I just decided to like it and get over myself.

My agent is currently in possession of several media kits I made up which will be mailed or given to some influential Perth journalists and such. In the vain hope they will fall madly in love with Empire of Delight and feature me in a two page spread in their respective newspapers/magazines.

Obviously I’m setting the bar high.

So what are the lucky recipients getting? And just what do you put in a media kit anyway?

Well, I thought I’d blog a little on what I did and perhaps it will inspire you.

Media kits are often just a folder with sheets of paper in them. Obviously the paper has information on it but what about the folder? Perhaps you’re bored with the idea of just sending a folder. Or maybe you’d like to include a sample of your product like I did. I already had some boxes in my possession. They’re the boxes I use for gift wrapping and I chose clear lids for this project.

Pictured above is the box presentation. It just has a simple sticker I use for my product boxes on it. Those stickers are particularly shiny and of great quality so it looks really nice.

Media kits can contain a lot or a little information. Obviously you’ll need at least the basics. I made a little booklet to keep my information in, you can buy the instructions from marcadeartspress who have a shop on Etsy. It’s available in a downloadable pdf. I altered the pattern size so it fitted my box which was relatively easy to do.

The pages can be added in as you need them and easily changed.

So what information do you put in a media kit? First, add a cover page. What’s your company name? Do you have a logo? Add it here.

If you feel like it, put a contents page in next.

Then I added a short introduction page. It sums up quickly what your brand is all about and makes it easy for journalists to quickly summarise who you are.

Add some customer quotes.

Then a more extensive history. I chose first person for my about page, it’ll mean journalists have quotes they can use if they want to (for their two page spread).

Don’t forget the product shots. The best ones you have, make them look as good as possible.

 

Finally add a CD which has your catalogue and/or high resolution images. I made a little pocket for the CD, I think it looks cute.

And of course, make sure you add a sample for them. Everyone loves a freebie and it gives them a chance to see close up just how fantastic your products are.

And that concludes my super duper media kit tutorial. I hope it helps you.

Free Four-Fold Downloadable Christmas Cards

I was making some Christmas cards yesterday and thought you might like them as well.

Love Hearts Card

Christmas Scarf Card

Heart Card

Directions:

1. Click on the links above…marvel at the prettiness (view the whole page…all the magic happens in the lower half).
2. Print desired card.
3. Fold paper in half with image on outside, fold in half again.
4. Give to a loved one and bask in their delight.

Revisiting Some Favourites

Occasionally I’ll go through my Favourites list on Etsy and remind myself why they were favourites in the first place.

Magnum Ice Cream USB Flash Drive, La-Te-Da Ornate Mirror

Plum Poppy Clutch Purse with Silk Lining, necklush

Wing and Petal Strand, I want to rock with you

1 Corinthians 13 - Love is Patient, Lightness

for the other-DRAWING FOR A CURE, Studio Doll – Scarlet

of blossom bells and sultry things, Burkhalter Rose

I Wanna Be Kat Macleod

When I become wildly successful and my luxury products are sold everywhere I’m going to commission Kat Macleod to design the packaging for a collection.

Blogtoberfest Day 28 – The Day I Began Ticking Off My To-Do List

The fact that I made a to-do list and am making it the highlight of this post shows how thrilling my life is.

The pic below I made at uni for an assignment and printed out an extra copy for myself. Today I hung it up in Little J’s bedroom and for fun took a photo of it.

It’s a movie poster for a made up movie staring of course Little J and introducing, in his very first major motion picture, the talented Tiger as himself. I’m quite become with the poster myself. It’s all sweetness and goodness, just the way kids movies should be. There are no aliens or wise cracking rude little buggers, and definitely no tiny little outfits a la Bratz. Of course the movie is going to be a block buster, after all Colin Firth (that casting was just for me) and Emma Thompson are in it. So there’s bound to be a little Jane Austen influence. Or if you’re a bit younger, say aged around eight, perhaps the duo represent a more Nanny McPhee style.

One for Little C is in the works and is quietly being thought about. If she could just sit still for more than a second I might be able to get a semi decent photo of her.

Dora the Explorer has taken center stage in our house lately. Little C has a new persona and goes by the name Dora and has managed to kidnap Diago’s pet Baby Jaguar and transform it into a stuffed toy kitten. Little J and I have been regulated to the roles of Swiper, Boots and Map…depending on the whims of Dora.

Now my head is clear of all things university related I’ve realised just how many hours there are in the day. Filling them isn’t a problem however. It’s amazing how much time one can spend sweeping floors, wiping bench tops and singing nursery rhymes so two year olds have something to dance to. So before I completely lose myself to running the house and start subscribing to Martha Stewart magazines I’ve written out a substantial to-do list for the business and have been working to tick each task off.

When something interesting is ticked off you can be sure I’ll post about it right here.