Creative Direction | Auckland | RiKmedia

Creative Direction

The world of social media, indeed the online world generally, moves faster then any other form of promotion or advertising ever before. In addition, it is interactive and responsive. Who hasn't heard of stories going "viral", meaning they are viewed and often commented on by millions of people around the world. Creating content that gains the attention of those millions, or more often the more important thousands, that might be potential customers, is essential to business today. Encouraging users to pick up & share that content, exponentially reaching a huge audience, is the aim of social media marketing. But ultimately, it all boils down to results. So, monitoring the progress and results from any campaign is crucial.

Different social media sites have different characteristics and different audiences, and it is important to match the content with the outlet. Creating & placing attractive content is key and is the difference between being proactive (going out and grabbing your audience) and reactive (blindly monitoring online ad click-throughs). There is no one-size-fits-all approach. We can help you build a content and online marketing strategy that is suitable for your business. It could be an extremely simple one that you carry out yourself, or it might require expert help in certain areas. Whatever it is, we can make sure it is monitored and results-focused.

Where the actual computer server hosting your website is physically located in the world can be important, but more important is the organisation managing it. "Uptime" is crucial, because if your website becomes unavailable too often, it can have an impact on your reputation.

SEO can help the major search engines, which use 'spiders' to crawl through web to index it, not only find your site but assess & classify its relevance and importance. When constructing your site, it is crucial to structure the information both in a way that people can understand, but also in a way that these 'spiders' can interpret. Without this, your website will never appear high on the all-important search results rankings. Unfortunately, the search engines keep changing the rules, so SEO is not a one-off task, it needs constant attention.

Talking always helps. Discussing a business' position & aspirations up front always helps to throw light on the best possible path ahead. As an ex Company Director in the UK responsible for millions of pounds & hundreds of staff, RiK is well acquainted with the pointy end of commerce. He can usually help to throw light on issues & suggest innovative directions and strategies. Talking never hurts & is usually free!

Creative Writing

Sentence creation is a craft. Many bemoan the inherent lack of 'good' English in today's online communications, let alone the dramatic foreshortening of words. This, however, simply indicates that they are not the intended target audience for those missives. The English language (and most of the others) is developing all the time. The OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY introduces hundreds of new entries every month! Language evolves because new requirements and trends emerge. Whether it is fashion or necessity, it is imperative to use the very best words and phrases to communicate with your audience. If you can evoke emotions through words that then lead to actions, you have triumphed.
When you combine simple, fabulous design with simple, succinct words, you have a dynamic pairing. Words can either support graphic or photographic representation, or they can be supported by visual clues. If neither purpose is being served, they don't belong. It matters little whether it is a promotional flyer or a billboard, the principle remains true.

A great website is the product of close collaboration between those who have the best skills in design, photography, writing, marketing & technology (and customer service!). It is not primarily a technical task any longer, and there are many tools that will allow you to create simple websites yourself. However, as with all marketing & promotional material, the very best results can only usually be achieved by those skilled in the crafts.

The very first question we would ask of you is "why?". Not because you shouldn't create (or update) a website, but because you should definitely know why you are doing it. From there, we can help you work your way through the maze of modern online life.

Brand & Identity

A brand is more than just a logo. It encompasses how & where that logo is used, and how it can be manipulated. It includes the colours, typography, shapes, images & placement of the logo and all related material. These are some of the things we can help with directly. A brand also includes the values for which it stands, the integrity of the company it represents, and the position in the market it is preceived to have by its customers. Most of this is achieved over time, but can be helped by good social media campaigning.

At its core, e-commerce is simply selling goods & services online. One basic element that a great number of people forget is firstly to identify your potential customers & then decide which products or services would be most attractive to them. The whole business process of identification & clarification of items for sale is just the start of an online strategy that requires not only great presentation and technical delivery (the bit we can play a major part in) but also supply chain management and responsive customer service.

Some businesses do find that they struggle in the online world, compared to bricks and mortar, because customer expectations are so different. Indeed, finding & keeping those customers can be a challenge, which is where a great social media marketing strategy can make all the difference. With nearly 2 million New Zealanders shopping online (NIELSON ONLINE RETAIL REPORT) it is not a market to ignore. In traditional terms in the High Street, footfall & passing trade were crucial - location in other words. In the digital world, location simply means how effectively you can directly whisper into someone's ear and get them to pass the message on. We are expert whisperers!

For commercial pricing, please just contact me with a brief & I will provide you with an estimate.

For Lifestyle pricing, also contact me, but this page might give you a flavour.

Web
Analytics