Blog


Easter Marketing Campaigns

Easter Marketing Campaigns

Easter is not just a time for promoting chocolate – with a bit of ingenuity, you can promote almost anything and give it an Easter twist. We take a look at some of the most entertaining Easter marketing promotions over the past few years.

Cadbury’s Creme eggs

Cadbury’s always come up with great ideas. Easter wouldn’t be Easter without creme eggs. Recent Easter promotions have included variations on Easter Egg hunts and how not to eat the eggs. In 2022, Cadbury’s created a special limited edition of half white and half milk chocolate creme eggs. If found, there was the chance to win £10,000 – but only if the finder managed to resist eating it.

Two short films were made showing customers trying not to eat the rare eggs – but viewers were left in the dark as to whether the eggs survived or not.

The resulting campaign captured consumer and media attention, with its promotional Instagram video enjoying over 32,000 views.

Equally attention grabbing were the Golden Goobilee celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Creme Eggs. It highlighted all the different ways that people have enjoyed the eggs – licking, dipping, baking, sharing encouraging as many people as possible to become directly involved in the birthday celebrations.

Walkers Savoury Easter Egg

Walkers Crisps are not a product most people would immediately associate with Easter, but it succeeded in arousing Easter attention with an innovative Savoury promotion. The company launched a Sensations Easter ‘Egg’ gift box which instead of a chocolate delight, contained Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli crisps, a bamboo sharing bowl, bottle of Malbec, two wine glasses and an Amazon Prime Video voucher. Quite simply, everything you needed for a lovely night in.

Deliveroo Dragon Eggs

The finale of Game of Thrones was irresistible for countless viewers at Easter 2019 – so Deliveroo cleverly linked into the hype with a range of limited edition Game of Thrones dragon eggs. Marked on the outside to look like dragon scales, these eggs proved extremely popular creating not just high sales, but massive publicity nationwide.

Carlsberg chocolate bars

Drinking a glass of Carlsberg took on a new meaning when Easter 2016 saw a lifesize, edible three metre deep pop up bar opening up in Shoreditch, London. This simple, eye-catching and extremely effective promotion went viral, especially since drinkers could enjoy their Carlsberg in a chocolate glass.

If you want to create your own Easter marketing promotion we can help

We can hire actors to hand out samples of your products dressed up as Easter Bunnies or hire sales staff to hand out Easter items whilst discussing your products. There is so much you can do.

If you have an idea and want to make it a reality then get in touch by giving us a call or completing the form below.

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your Phone number (required)

    Subject

    Your Message

    captcha

    Please complete the box below from the image above

    How to make your business stand out at food trade shows

    How to make your business stand out at food trade shows

    Trying to make your next trade show a stand out event? Offering food & drink is always a good way to attract people to your stand. All you need is some suitable products and some friendly staff, to make sure no one is missed.

    Offering company branded alcoholic drinks is always welcome but bear in mind that not everyone can drink alcohol. Offer a variety of interesting non-alcoholic drinks too. How about mocktails instead of cocktails? The unusual combinations make a good conversation starter. You can use experienced sampling staff or brand ambassadors for a reputable staffing agency.

    Customise some biscuits or cupcakes using themed packaging, or even creative ingredient combinations. Be creative and colourful – it helps to attract attention.

    Chocolates and confectionery are irresistible to virtually everyone! Have some sample produce available, and pre-wrapped versions ready to take away. Make sure your logo and brand name is prominently displayed on every item to ensure consumers remember who provided them.

    Lucious and succulent, squares of chocolaty brownies are hard to resist. Even the sight of left over crumbs in the container make passers lick their lips with anticipation.

    Jammy doughnuts can be a bit messy when you are at an exhibition, but pretty iced or covered doughnuts are often more acceptable. There are lots of flavour combinations that can be used to attract attention such as sprinkling with tiny sweets or dipping in melted chocolate. Putting them in little cake cases makes them easier to hold and eat without making a mess.

    Offering a handful of popcorn, especially if it has some unusual flavourings, encourages people to stop and chat at your stand. People like to try new things, and experimenting with flavours and ingredients is very much in vogue at the moment. You can even create small sample packages bearing your company logo and brand name for visitors to take away and try later.

    Holding a meeting on your stand?

    Bear in mind that exhibition halls can get very warm so offering participants some bottled water is always welcome.

    For longer meetings, have some fruit available too. A healthy option, it also adds a touch of much need liquid. Offer a variety so that people can choose what they prefer.

    GET IN TOUCH

      Your Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Your Phone number (required)

      Subject

      Your Message

      captcha

      Please complete the box below from the image above

      c

      Event Planning Tips

      Event Planning Tips

      Organising events can be stressful – but if you use our event planning tips, your task will instantly become much easier.

      The basic elements of any event planning are always the same, whether you are planning a charity event, a dance, business conference, exhibition stand or concert.

      Timescale

      Allow at least four to six months for your event planning. So start your work on your event as early as possible.

      Research the type of event you want to hold. Make sure it doesn’t clash with other company meetings, or major events such as a bank holiday!

      Identify the aim of the event

      Why are you planning the event? What’s the aim? What audience are you targeting? Having a clear aim from the beginning ensures you stay focused.

      Delegate

      Events are hard work. There is a lot of administration and organisation involved. You cannot do it on your own. You do need help. Create a team and delegate the different functions such as budgeting, publicity and venues. Hold regular team meetings to keep everyone up to date on what is happening and ensure nothing is missed.

      Create a Schedule

      Work out your schedule for the event. Know exactly when you need to have booked the venue, organise staffing, publicity, catering, security, speakers and other participants. Having a clear schedule ensures that you and all your team don’t miss any important elements.

      Budget

      Set out your budget and stick to it. Don’t let it slide, as spending can quickly spiral out of control. Identify how much you can spend on different functions such as hiring a venue and hiring staff. Be prepared to negotiate to get the best deal.

      Hire professional help

      If you need an extra pair of hands, even if just to cover breaks, toilet trips, etc. Or want experienced help rather than taking your own staff then you can use a professional event staffing agency.

      Have a back up plan

      Always expect things to go wrong, because something inevitably will. A speaker might have to cancel at the last minute, the caterers or venue encounter problems. There might a transport strike and more attendees than expected decide to use their own vehicles, which in turn may result in parking problems.

      Choose your venue carefully

      Make sure you have booked and confirmed your venue well in advance. Check out several venues before making your final decision. If you are worried about a venue, don’t take the risk. A good, reliable venue is crucial to the success of any event.

      Publicity

      Publicise your event as early as possible and maintain the impetus. It gets people interested, and encourages them to come. Talk to the media and get your message out on all your social media channels with plenty of eye catching visuals. Think about possible promotional activities, and search out every marketing opportunity.

      On the day

      Turn up well before the event starts. It will give you time to check that everything is on course, and no hitches have appeared. Relax and enjoy the event.

      Evaluation

      Seek as much feedback as you can from everyone involved. This will help you assess what can be improved for future events.

      GET IN TOUCH

        Your Name (required)

        Your Email (required)

        Your Phone number (required)

        Subject

        Your Message

        captcha

        Please complete the box below from the image above

        Sampling Staff Scotland

        Sampling Staff Scotland

        When the Mrs Bridges brand set out to expand its retail involvement, they knew that sampling was the best way to proceed. As soon as customers tasted the delicious preserves, they would immediately like them.

        Envisage undertook that first sampling campaign back in 2015. The impact was instant. Mrs Bridges experienced a rapid growth in sales within every retail outlet – and our partnership has continued ever since to bring Mrs Bridges delicious preserves to an ever wider audience.

        What makes Mrs Bridges so special?

        When organising the sampling campaign, this was one of the first questions we asked.

        The reasons were quickly apparent. Mrs Bridges has been supplying high quality conserves since 1938 and has steadily developed a range of over 60 products, many of which are seasonal specials.

        In keeping with their heritage, Mrs Bridges still use copper pans to make their produce. The pans are all steam heated, and a traditional rolling boil method is used to create the conserves. Only the finest ingredients are used. Fruit and sugar are slowly boiled in a copper pan to ensure that the flavours are fully released before being allowed to set. The pans themselves are made within the Dundee area, maintaining the local links and craftsmanship that are so important to Mrs Bridges.

        The result is a business which, although operating on a large scale, truly maintains its heritage. These are jams and conserves that are made by people, not by robot equipment.

        The sampling campaign

        We needed to make sure that these messages of quality, heritage and tradition were clearly transmitted to the potential customers at the point of sampling. The sampling programme covers all kinds of retail outlets from garden centres, department stores to artisan suppliers.

        We began by trialling a variety of sampling programmes, before deciding that targeting festive events such as Valentines Day, Christmas, Easter by selling hampers offered the best results. Holding sampling programmes at these times encouraged instant sales, as well as encouraging on going sales since gift recipients kept coming back to buy individual products over a long period. Every sampling session immediately resulted in a massive increase in sales simply because people were instantly taken with the quality, flavour and taste of the conserves.

        Each day during the campaign, our sampling staff arrived ahead of time to set up a table in a key location. Jams, chutneys and associated products were temptingly laid out so that we could offer a variety of tastes and flavours to interested shoppers. We chatted about the product, and encouraged feedback. At the end of each day, our staff sent over a report highlighting shopper responses and feedback – as well as recording sales. The resultant report also included details of stand positioning within a store, and lots of images taken throughout the day. As a result, we could show how sales increased from day to day, with sales uptake rising from 50% in an existing store to 300% in new ones.

        This is a product that really sells itself. We maximised this by using experienced sampling staff who encouraged people to taste more than one variety, to talk about their reactions and seek out as much feedback as possible. An additional advantage was that our sampling staff were really enthusiastic about the brand, having been thoroughly briefed on the history, heritage and production methods. All the tasting was conducted in a thoroughly hygienic and inviting manner by well presented, courteous, friendly staff.

        Wherever in the UK , Mrs Bridges wants to enter a new market they know we can provide high quality sampling staff to match the quality of their brand. All they do is explain what they want, and leave us to do the rest knowing that sales are going to increase with a campaign that really works.

        GET IN TOUCH

          Your Name (required)

          Your Email (required)

          Your Phone number (required)

          Subject

          Your Message

          captcha

          Please complete the box below from the image above

          How can Professional, Promotional staff make a difference?

          How can Professional, Promotional staff make a difference?

          Many companies think that all professional promotional staff can do is hand out samples and leaflets. They couldn’t be more wrong.

          Hiring promotional staff can bring a tremendous impetus to your exhibition stand, show or event. These are people who are professionally trained, extremely knowledgeable with a wealth of experience spanning a variety of sectors who really know how to create a fantastic brand image.

          Take a close look at how they can make a difference and then contact us immediately to hire the best people in the industry.

          Before the event

          Our professional promotional staff can help with all the preparation work of setting up a stand, putting signage in place, organising the presentation of merchandise and literature. Remember that giveaway bags and samples need to be prepared in advance so as to save time on the day. Don’t forget too that all computers and interactive hardware need to be set up in advance and checked out to make sure there are no glitches. Our staff are well trained in these tasks, possessing appropriate qualifications in health and safety, food preparation – so they can even take over the essential task of providing basic hospitality.

          Data Capture

          Simply attracting people to your stand is not enough. You need to capture their contact details, especially if they are potentially serious customers. Our promotional staff are able to do this quickly and efficiently, making sure that no lead is missed.

          First impressions count

          First impressions count when it comes to exhibitions. Leaving visitors standing around, wondering who to approach or where to get information is guaranteed to ensure they go elsewhere. Our promotional staff make sure this doesn’t happen. Everyone is met and greeted and made to feel welcome. All queries are answered. No opportunity to promote your brand and services is missed.

          We can even provide staff with knowledge of other languages, if you are trying to attract overseas customers. Even if they are not fluent, our skilled staff will know enough of a language to conduct a basic conversation and deal with most queries. It leaves a great impression – and is good for sales!

          Planning events across more than one location?

          Are you planning to take guests from your stand to a meal elsewhere? Or perhaps take them to a separate room for a specific presentation? This is where our staff can help. By acting as tour leaders, they can quickly and efficiently channel visitors from one place to another making sure no one gets lost along the way.

          Post event

          Promotional work doesn’t end the moment the show ends. Our promotional staff can play an important role in helping cope with post event details such as collecting feedback, distributing final event literature. They can make sure visitors leave by the appropriate exit, and always say a friendly goodbye. Last but not least, our staff will tidy up the stand or conference area making sure that everything is neat and tidy.

          GET IN TOUCH

            Your Name (required)

            Your Email (required)

            Your Phone number (required)

            Subject

            Your Message

            captcha

            Please complete the box below from the image above

            With the cost of living increasing temporary work could be an option

            With the cost of living increasing temporary work could be an option

            With prices inexorably rising, alongside higher energy bills, more and more people are becoming worried about stretching existing incomes to pay for even basic expenses. With dark winter nights requiring greater energy usage and Christmas expenses on the horizon, trying to cope financially is a serious problem.

            Seeking additional temporary work is an option that is worth considering. A few hours extra each week, can make all the difference when it comes to finding money for living expenses. It can also bring in extra money to cover sudden expenses, or act as a way of providing useful cash to put aside for paying bills.

            An added advantage is the fact that taking on extra work can also lead to new opportunities. You can learn new skills, find new interests and discover unexpected career opportunities.

            Ever thought of becoming an extra in a film?

            Britain has a very vibrant film industry, and there is a constant demand for extras willing to participate in crowd scenes. Then there are the numerous promotional films created by companies for advertising purposes or to highlight new services. All too frequently, these films require ordinary people to appear in the background.

            Product launches often require people to hand out samples in store, encouraging consumers to try something new. This may only involve a few hours work. Exhibitions too require lots of additional staff as demonstrators, people who can meet and greet visitors, hospitality staff, set up and take down stands. Promotional staff are always in demand at venues nationwide.

            Just think too of the numbers of car park attendants and stewards needed at special events such as the various winter Lumieres, concerts, Christmas festivals and fayres. Organising vehicles going in and out of the car parks, especially when it is dark, can be a crucial task as it can involve dealing with hundreds of vehicles over a few hours. If it is not organised properly, all kinds of access problems can occur.

            Fancy being Santa Claus?

            Just think back to last Christmas when there was a shortage of Santa’s in some areas. Demand for people who can take on the role of Santa Claus is always high. Santa’s are not just needed in store, but also at charity events, steam train rides, special promotions, even visiting homes and business events. Then there are his helpers – the elves and Mrs Claus. Many bookings for Santa Claus often require extra people to take on the such roles in order to manage queues.

            Clearly there are a lot of opportunities for versatile people, willing to work a few extra hours.

            Work out what hours you can spare for some additional work. It may be a few hours at the weekend or in the evening. Some people may have time during weekdays such as retired people, or when working shifts.

            Students looking for extra cash can gain valuable work experience in many different sectors by taking on additional casual, or semi-regular work.

            Experience is not always essential for people willing to work as marshals, car parking attendants, extras on film productions, product demonstrators and event staff. This type of work can involve anything from a few hours to a day or more.

            Take a look at the Envisage website and see just what is on offer. You will need to fill in our form in order to join the database. We are happy to talk you through the opportunities to identify what type of jobs would suit you. Just get in touch now and see how we can work together.

            GET IN TOUCH

              Your Name (required)

              Your Email (required)

              Your Phone number (required)

              Subject

              Your Message

              captcha

              Please complete the box below from the image above

              Top Promotional Staff in Scotland

              Top Promotional Staff in Scotland

              Ensure your product launch, conference or exhibition is a total success by hiring top quality promotional staff who can interact confidently with everyone.

              Well-trained promotional staff make sure that guests are always confidently welcomed, and questions answered. As a result, they leave guests happy and with a good impression of your business.

              So what makes them so successful at their job?

              Promotional staff experienced in working at events like exhibitions and product launches possess a natural ability to interact confidently. Always well presented and professional in their outlook and appearance, they are polite, well mannered and discreet.

              Promotional staff possess outstanding personalities capable of taking the initiative when necessary, as well as working as part of a team. They are flexible and able to adapt to any theme or situation.

              Promotional staff can deal with problems. No matter how well organised an event, some problems invariably arise. A good, high quality promotional person can think on their feet and identify potential problems before they become a serious issue.

              All good professional promotional staff members arrive fully trained. They have the skills and background to deal with all situations from promoting a product during a launch to chatting to guests at a conference. By undertaking background research on the company and the products before they arrive, they will be able to deal confidently with any queries that arise.

              Good communication skills enable the promotional staff to engage easily with guests, persuading them to try a new product, service or to visit specific areas within an exhibition area.

              Friendly, approachable, outgoing and confident; using high quality promotional staff can really make a difference to any event. The best staff will be immediately part of your team from the moment they arrive, fully informed and ready to go.

              Why not contact us now to discuss how our high quality promotional staff can help at your next event?

              All you have to do is phone, email or fill in the form below. With thousands of suitable staff on our database, we can guarantee supplying the exact type of promotional staff you need within a specific locality.

              GET IN TOUCH

                Your Name (required)

                Your Email (required)

                Your Phone number (required)

                Subject

                Your Message

                captcha

                Please complete the box below from the image above

                Hire Mystery Shoppers in Scotland

                Hire Mystery Shoppers in Scotland

                Searching for mystery shoppers to test out your services or products? Look no further. With over 30,000 mystery shoppers on the Envisage database we can provide the perfect match for any customer profile you require.

                Whatever you need, we can provide it. Our mystery shoppers can deal with online shopping, over the phone or face to face in retail stores.

                Reports and feedback are provided in any format you require. Envisage is a very flexible organisation and we know just how important it is to get the information you require in the right format. Our aim is to make information gathering as easy as possible.

                Top tips for mystery shopping

                Mystery shopping is very successful – all types of companies use it. More than 50,000 mystery shopping sessions take place within the UK every month.

                What to know how your competitors compare? Mystery shoppers are frequently assigned to monitor one or two competitors during a specific trading period. They provide essential feedback reporting both negative and positive experiences.

                Check out your own customer service operation. Poor customer service impacts on your business. Negative reports can be devastating. Mystery Shoppers can quietly check out service levels and see how they match your required standards.

                What can Mystery shoppers do to help your market research?

                The answer is simple – everything! Take a look at some of the tasks we have undertaken:

                • Monitoring customer service on exhibition stands
                • Checking out competitors
                • Providing temporary office workers to check out if company mission statements were being followed
                • Visiting restaurants and retail outlets and reporting back on their experiences
                • Testing cosmetics and other products
                • Testing different buying processes to identify which were the most successful

                Our mystery shoppers can deal with all kinds of products and services. We had a record company contact us and ask for mystery shoppers to check out buying processes across various music sites. The results enabled them to identify which site was perfect for their business and thus promote that service.

                Whatever your industry or service, we can certainly help you.

                Complete the form below or give us a ring on 0844 800 0071 to discuss your requirements.

                GET IN TOUCH

                  Your Name (required)

                  Your Email (required)

                  Your Phone number (required)

                  Subject

                  Your Message

                  captcha

                  Please complete the box below from the image above

                  Creating a good Exhibition Stand Team

                  Creating a good Exhibition Stand Team

                  Creating a good Exhibition Stand TeamAre you looking for an exhibition stand team that is efficient, reliable, enthusiastic, friendly as well as understanding your brand, product and service?

                  It might sound a tall order – but it is achievable. With a little bit of thought and preparation, you can create the perfect mix of people for your exhibition stand.

                  How can this be done? The answer is preparation and forethought.

                  Stand preparations

                  Begin preparing well in advance of the event. Remember that your brand will be on display and you want to make sure it is well presented. Think about what mix of talent and skills your ideal exhibition team will require.

                  Remember that no two events are ever the same. You have to treat each exhibition individually. There will be a slightly different audience at each one. The team you used at your last exhibition might not be suitable for the next one. It is important to choose your team with a specific exhibition in mind.

                  What key skills will be needed?

                  Exhibition team members need to be:

                  • Approachable – they need to be able to pull people from the aisles and into your stand
                  • Decisive – they know what key questions to ask and when to do so
                  • Knowledgeable – they really know your product and service
                  • Conversation – They can identify leads and undertake conversations that will allow you to follow up the leads afterwards
                  • Tact – they can recognise when it is time to move someone on, so as to give more time to interested buyers

                  Exhibition stand numbers – As exhibition recruitment specialists, we often get asked how many people should be in a team.

                  To make an effective decision, you have to look at the exact needs of your stand. The bigger your stand, the more people you will need. Likewise, the bigger and more important the trade show, greater numbers of team members will be required.

                  Most customers who are really interested in your product will be prepared to wait for a minute or so to allow staff to find the right person for them to talk to. But this only works if you have a professional team on site able to identify and help such customers so that they are not left waiting too long.

                  What is most important is the quality of your team members, rather than the exact numbers. Having quality staff means that no potential sales opportunity is missed.

                  During the event

                  • Make sure your team is working effectively during the exhibition.
                  • Apart from talking to potential customers, they should
                  • Be familiar with every part of the stand, and able to deal with any queries such as where marketing materials can be found, or Wi-fi log in details
                  • Undertake basic maintenance. Stands can quickly become untidy and unattractive with empty cups left lying around, piles of brochures knocked over or mixed up. Every team member should be prepared to tidy up instantly they see something out of place.

                  What they shouldn’t do!

                  • Stand in a huddle and chat among themselves. It gives a very unfriendly, unapproachable impression to visitors
                  • Block the main entrance point to the stand. This prevents people seeing what’s on offer and can deter visitors. Staff should always stand towards the back of the stand if they are not dealing with a customer.
                  • Pouncing on people. Give passers by time to browse, don’t jump on them immediately they approach the stand.
                  • Eating, drinking and chatting on the phone. This can create a very unprofessional appearance. Eat and drink away from the stand, or out of sight. Business and personal calls should not be taken while working on an exhibition display stand. It suggests that visitors are less important than your phone call. Organise a timetable for break periods – everyone needs a few minutes peace to re-energise ready to deal with more visitors.

                  Finding the right exhibition staff is easy. Just contact us. We will do the rest!

                  GET IN TOUCH

                    Your Name (required)

                    Your Email (required)

                    Your Phone number (required)

                    Subject

                    Your Message

                    captcha

                    Please complete the box below from the image above

                    Why is product testing important?

                    Why is product testing important?

                    Developing new products can be enthralling, seeing an idea come to fruition. But it is not enough to simply be offering something new. You have to actually make sure that people want it and need it!

                    Launching something new is not enough to guarantee success. Most new products disappear fast within months of being introduced into the market. Quite apart from the problems of making sure it has a real purpose in the marketplace, there are issues of sales & marketing to be considered as well as quality control. On top of that are the unexpected hazards, the problems beyond anyone’s control. Just think of all those products being launched in March 2020 – their chances of success were immediately scuppered due to Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns changed worldwide trading patterns literally overnight.

                    Reducing those odds, and pushing them in your favour is essential. It can be done but you do need to plan ahead.

                    You might think your product is perfect and that it fills a hitherto unfilled niche. But does it? It is all too easy to look at a new product through rose-filled glasses. Obtaining unbiased, independent views from a wide range of potential users can make a dramatic difference.

                    Hire some product testers – the more the better

                    Product testers take on one of the least known roles within manufacturing, sales and marketing business strategies. They will take your product and test it thoroughly. For example, we have been requested to test out new ranges of trainers – and our testers have done so with great gusto wearing them in all types of environments as well as playing sports. It is not just footwear that has been subjected to such detailed testing – we have tested cosmetics, clothes, food, confectionery, beverages, services of all kinds. We have even explored the intricacies of online ordering systems. Having undertaken these detailed tests, our product testers submit totally independent reviews.

                    Sometimes those reviews can make unpleasant reading. No one likes to discover that their beloved product is poor quality, tastes horrible, is unusable. But receiving such news can prevent you from making a costly mistake. Discovering there are such problems means you have time to make changes, improve quality, packaging and develop a product that people actually want. Result – a product that stands a good chance of survival.

                    When the product is finally launched, companies can concentrate on growing sales rather than fighting rear-guard actions.

                    Talk to us now about how our product testers can help your business

                    Why not talk to us about our product testing panels? We can provide the answers you need to make your launch a success. With a database of over 30,000 people nationwide, we can provide suitable testers in any locality, matching all requirements for gender, age, size, geography, interests.

                    We can help with:

                    • Product testing
                    • Website testing
                    • Surveys
                    • Pricing research
                    • Market research
                    • Brand research
                    • Usability Feedback

                    GET IN TOUCH

                      Your Name (required)

                      Your Email (required)

                      Your Phone number (required)

                      Subject

                      Your Message

                      captcha

                      Please complete the box below from the image above