If you are a business in Basingstoke, why not enter your website for the Hampshire Web Awards 2008. The HantsWeb Awards give you the opportunity to pit your website against other local businesses, giving your business profile across Basingstoke and the whole of Hampshire.

For more information, why not visit the HantsWeb Awards website?

The Hantsweb Awards are run by Hampshire County Council and celebrate excellence in website design, accessibility and service. The awards are open to any website based in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Greenhouse Graphics, the current Basingstoke Environmental Business of the Year and Hampshire Sustainable Business of the Year, have recently upgraded their pre-press facilities with the installation of a £70,000 chemistry free plate-making facility which now means that their commercial printing process is completely hazardous waste free.

The company worked with Hazred, the government funded agency that aims to reduce hazardous waste emissions from SME’s, who confirmed the hazardous waste free status. This puts Greenhouse Graphics in a very small and elite group of print producers who can claim a ‘hazardous waste free’ status.

This investment fits perfectly within our ‘ecoprint-system4′ brand, which has proven extremely popular with customers looking for a sustainable supplier of graphic design, printing services and electronic media.

says MD Ian Crossley.

But the best part of this for our customers is that they are gaining cost savings on their purchases because we are not exposed to the very significant rises in Hazardous Waste disposal costs that are occurring and are likely to continue in the future. For businesses looking to save money, buy a sustainable product and gain the PR advantages associated with using our ‘ecoprint-system4′ brand, it really is a no-brainer.

Cognitive Sales, a sales and marketing consultancy based in Hook, Hampshire, today launched its on-line sales and marketing clinic, a confidential, reliable and cost effective service for SMEs across the UK who want to improve their sales results.

For a fee of £29, the on-line clinic allows companies to ask a question and get a guaranteed, comprehensive expert reply emailed back to them within 24hrs.

Cognitive works with growing companies across a broad range of sectors including: finance, IT, media, electronics, professional services and manufacturing.

Until the end of July, £5 of every fee will be donated to the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance charity, a charity that Cognitive has supported for a number of years.

Bryan McCrae, Managing Director of Cognitive, commented:

This quick and user-friendly service will provide SMEs with expert solutions to their sales and marketing problems and help them make more money.  At Cognitive we understand how getting your sales and marketing right is vital to the success of your business and we will help you get it right.

In the near future, Cognitive plans to compliment this service with a telephone based    coaching service and an internet based sales and marketing health-check.

Bryan McCrae, owner of Cognitive Sales, based in Hook, is celebrating the companies fifth birthday, having now worked with over forty companies in Hampshire, Berkshire and surrounding areas to help them improve their sales results.

After originally training a a psychologist, then working in IT for several years, Bryan combined over twenty years of award winning sales and marketing experience to create Cognitive Sales in 2003 with the objective of helping companies improve and grow their sales and marketing.

Unlike traditional training or coaching companies, Cognitive builds long term relationships with it’s clients to really understand what they are trying to achieve, builds an action plan to help them get there, then gets directly involved to help them achieve the goals and likes to be paid by results. Bryan commented

The fact that we are happy to put our money where or mouth is really appreciated by our clients, as it shows them how confident we are that we can help them achieve the results that they want. We’ve helped one client grow from £400k pa turnover to over £2.4m pa turnover on exactly this basis.

The list of clients that Cognitive Sales has helped vary from video production companies such as Web-Epics near Petersfield, that produce high quality cost-effective video marketing materials; to high tech IT companies such as Mwr InfoSecurity in Basingstoke who deliver a comprehensive range of IT security testing services.

As well as working directly with it’s clients, Cognitive Sales also supports Portsmouth University Enterprise Centre and often presents on sales and marketing topics for various organisations including Business Link, The British Psychological Society, the FSB and local Ecademy network meetings.

In the words of one happy client, Martin Shepherdley at Web-Epics: ”Bryan is a rare breed; a sales and marketing Titan !”

www.cogsales.com

Basingstoke design and web agency, The Escape, have bolstered their management team with the appointment of Ian Mumford as Creative Director.

Craig Killick, Managing Director of The Escape explains:

Our creative offering has developed rapidly over the past twelve months and we are now a more strategic agency. This requires us to take steps to continually raise our game and Ian is the perfect fit for The Escape. I am looking forward to the impact he will have on the future of our business moving forward.

Formerly of KAG, Ian has been working in the local design industry for over 10 years and joins The Escape at a time of diverse growth and expansion. He commented:

My aim is to ensure all existing and future clients know they are being looked after by a concept-led team, driven by the understanding that each client has individual business and marketing needs. I am dedicated to taking the creative direction of The Escape to a new level and excited by the challenge.

The Escape celebrates its tenth year in business during 2008 and has been based in Daneshill since 2001. As part of their growth plans they are looking to establish themselves as a recognised creative force in Hampshire. This has included campaigns for Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and more recently for Hampshire County Council although their clients are not just based locally with the company having recently implemented a web strategy for a Canadian A/V Distributor.

Steve is Dr Planet and he has always had his head in the stars! An entertainer of international experience for 38 years Steve has developed “Dr Planet” - a combination of musical culture and curriculum-based information on the solar system.

Steve is currently planning a tour of Europe in 2008 and has enlisted the support of the well-respected Headline Promotions, UK Press & Public Relations agency based in Basingstoke, to pave the way for that exciting new development in the exposure of Dr Planet to a whole new audience.

John Hicks, Managing Director of Headline Promotions said:

Dr Planet plans to continue to update his travels through the solar system on his website which Headline Promotions, Press & PR will help promote across Europe! We are delighted at this opportunity to work with such a renowned, globe-trotting, educator and entertainer.

Dr. Planet captures the children’s imagination with clever lyrics, catchy songs that combine useful information with having fun. Music is a common denominator that can be used to convey subject material as well as the pure enjoyment derived from listening and participating.As a world traveled and now, interplanetary musician Steve has found the response to music is the same everywhere, creating an impact that has no bounds or limitations. Music presented in a variety of styles and forms also enhances the discovery of the art itself.

Combined with curriculum based subject matter makes it all the more special. Further details about Dr Planet can be found at www.dr-planet.com

Basingstoke brand communications agency, Nine, won two Awards at the recent Field Marketing & Brand Experience Awards 2007.

The Awards recognise excellence in the areas of field marketing and brand communication, and are highly contended. They were given at a glittering ceremony in London on Wednesday night.

Nine won Gold in the category of Most Effective Roadshow Campaign, and were also voted Brand Performer of the Year in the Most Effective Brand Strategy category. Nine’s Director, Chris Cook, said

We are delighted to have won these awards for our work on the launch of the new Volvo C30 earlier this year. We already knew that our campaign was extremely successful for our clients’ at Volvo, and was very well received by the general public, but we’re thrilled that the campaign has now been recognised by our marketing peers, especially in the face of some very stiff competition.

The Free Will Tour campaign launched the new Volvo C30 to consumers across the country over a six week period in March and April this year. Anita Fox, Head of Marketing Communications at Volvo Car UK said:

The Free Will Tour far exceeded our expectations. It has positioned Volvo, and the New C30, as a relevant, credible and desirable choice amongst a target audience that we have previously struggled to attract to the brand.

Real world business process automation delivered by Magellan has successfully placed them into the finalist selection for this year’s INSPIRE ‘E-Business of the Year’ award. The winner will be announced during the Gala Award Dinner on November 27th at the Hampshire Centre Court Hotel.

This is a fantastic achievement for us; we have been working in Basingstoke for many years but have never put ourselves forward for such awards until now.

Damian Hessian, Managing Director speaks proudly.

We have built a business model around solving problems associated with supply chain delivery. Our on-demand model offers our clients a zero inventory and zero obsolescence approach for the production of all marketing and educational related materials.

Magellan’s ECOS system is a web-based platform which is customised to suit individual client requirements. The solution enables organisations to offer their employees & partners the ability to order everything from Marketing Collateral, Training Courseware Material, Corporate Stationery and Merchandise through a single webstore interface. Magellan also provides training programmes and ongoing technical support to assist their clients.

Our system provides extensive benefits to our clients as well as improving internal processes for our own company, for example; fulfilment of customer orders requires less manpower due to the automated process. One of the most useful features is ECOS’s ability to report on stock levels which enables us to predict for the future. This in turn allows us to only produce stock as and when needed, enforcing own on-demand business model

Magellan packaging have recently launch their metal packaging range which has really taken off. Damian Hessian, Managing Director said:

We are very excited about this innovative range; its uniqueness has the ability to literally WOW clients. Metal provides a smart, contemporary and long lasting impression that will add value to your product

Metal packaging has many distinctive characteristics, clients can choose from brushed or gloss finishing, which they can then screen or litho print, add embossing or die-cut windows. To finish it off there is the ability to add handles, hinges and magnetic openings. You can also combine the metal with other materials to create whole new look. A popular style is the display boxes which combines both colourful leatherette and foam inner. These can then be used to hold CDs, brochures and perhaps a promotional gift.

Georgina Pearce, Marketing Manager, explains:

It’s all about getting your packaging to stand out, first impressions count and to achieve this you need to be different. There are so many possibilities to customise metal packaging that it instantly gives you a high impact, high valued finished product

Metal packaging is so versatile it can be used for multi-media, product launches, binders, promotional gifts or it can even be used to package luxury goods like beauty treatments or perfumes. For more information about metal or bespoke packaging please visit the Magellan packaging website or call 01256 681100 for a quotation.

Magellan Duplication based in Basingstoke is making a splash within the music market, they are hitting the social network sites with a music band competition on Facebook.

So if aspiring music bands want to spread the sound of their music and become the next Arctic Monkeys or Klaxons, then to enter simply join the Magellan duplication group on Facebook and post a link to the submitted track, upload it on the Magellan website or send a file of up to 5Mb in size to marketing@magellanworld.com

The next step is to spread the word via social networks. To make votes count anyone voting must add Magellan duplication as a friend on Facebook - so the more friends who get involved the better the chance of winning.

The winner will be selected from the artists who have the most votes during a specified period during December 2007.

The winner will receive 100 professionally produced CDs in jewel cases with printed inserts. The CDs will be printed via thermal re- transfer which is the same quality as any CD you purchase in HMV.

The top 20 entries (based on voting) will appear on a compilation CD which will be sent out to a list of A&R contacts in the UK music industry.

Visit the Magellan website for more information & competition rules on the Magellan music band competition including the prizes.