The potential for using this in advertising campaigns, brochures is very interesting, results can also be measured through the hits on the web page.

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There are numerous benefits as to why you should consider ‘Open Source’ technology over ‘Proprietary’ CMS, the main being the issue of licensing and updates. Whether your using Word Press, Joomla or Drupal, these ‘Open Source’ solutions carry a GNU General Public License negating the need for costly annual renewal or support contracts.

Consider this, would you buy a car from a small company operated from a shed, or would you go to a main stream dealer with a worldwide support network. Obviously the second choice would be more secure and less risky although you would be surprised at just how many ‘Agencies’ will push their own CMS solutions over ‘Open source’.

It’s Good to see that ‘Open Source’ is becoming the trusted solution in CMS

I was pleasantly surprised to see that ‘The White House’ has now adopted a new ‘Open source’ CMS website (Drupal) which goes to show that if the US government can trust in this technology, then perhaps you should too.

So apart from the benefits of worldwide support networks, extensive pre-configured plug-ins and modules, reduced site development times, ease of updating, improved search engine optimisation (SEO), and regular enhancements and updates. Why would you choose ‘Open source’?

• Read the full article here

For more information on how we can roll out an ‘Open Source’ CMS solution for your organisation, whether from scratch or from an existing non ‘Open Source’ solution call us on 023 9248 6566, or fill out the contact form below.

Many campaigns are flawed from the offset; the problem is that people do not think of combining one single source of data throughout their entire campaign. Instead they rather employ multiple agencies to cater for the individual marketing activities, thus increasing the overall costs. In some cases this can be more than double.

The Issues with current multiple target audience campaigns

The issue here is that when running a single campaign aimed at multiple audiences (e.g. print, website, email etc) the data has to be integrated in order for the next phase of the campaign to work.

The solution

Using the Xerox XMPIE solution ‘Cross Media Marketing’ campaigns are now simplified using simplified API’s (Application Programming Interface). This takes your campaign to market using a single data source. The advantages are quicker campaign development times over conventional methods, along with real time data being gathered, generated and reused for follow up campaigns.

The whole process is automated and may be reused, tweaked and even re designed in a fraction of the time it would take to do this to each individual campaign.

The system generates customer specific web pages, personalised printed materials, personalised emails and personalised SMS all on the fly.

So if you have a campaign, anything from billing applications through to complete event management or even product/service interactive promotion then ‘Cross Media Marketing’ is for you.

For more information on ‘Cross Media Marketing’ and what it can do to for your business contact us 023 9248 6566 or simply fill out our enquiry form.

See there latest audition at www.timesonline.co.uk

Now who am I to say these lads are neither good nor bad but based upon statistics I’d probably say that at least 5-15% of the following these lads generate from the X Factor must in someway, shape or form be influential to various companies marketing practices. ‘Traffic, it’s all about the traffic’, so hopefully when you do arrive at our site you’ll see exactly what we have to offer as an all inclusive design, advertising and marketing agency. I can assure you there will be no red faux leather clad guys in our office singing Britney Spears.

To find out how to generate more traffic to your website contact us at The Owen Agency on 02392 486566 or fill out the contact form below.

In short the government has sold off data of vehicle makes, registration numbers and colours, and combined these details with a personalised message for the drivers via five strategically placed number plate recognition cameras mounted on the Advertising Billboards.

The way it works:

“Each billboard was connected to a number plate recognition camera and computer that would search a copy of the DVLA database for the car’s make and model. “Oil Company Name” would then flash an oil recommendation on the billboard’s digital display, along with the registration number, in an attempt to grab drivers’ attention” – copy courtesy of www.theregister.co.uk

Read the full article here.

Very clever and well done for the ingenious idea which is likely to be used in other similar ad campaigns across the country.

Now at the Owen Agency we won’t delve into your personal data like, what colour pants you’re wearing, or you bank account details. What we will do though is combine your data into cross media marketing activities and use this to address your clientele directly. Less cost, no embarrassments and direct cross media interactivity, what more could any marketing manager want.

For more information on how the Owen Agency can help you with your entire marketing campaign call us 023 9248 6566,visit us at www.theowenagency.co.uk or follow us on twitter ‘theowenagency’.

Advertising agencies in 1969 produced creative work in a very crude and manual way compared to today. Today you have multi-talented graphic designers operating a multi-faceted Applemac computer.

In 1969 Applemacs were not around. In the creative department would be visualisers (designers), art directors and copywriters, all overseen by a creative director.

In the art studio would be paste-up / finished artists, layout artists, typographers, lettering artists, illustrators, airbrush artists and in some studios, photographic retouch artists. Many of the skills mentioned are today carried out by one designer at a Mac. Visualisers and Art Directors would create designs on a layout pad using Magic Markers (Felt Tip Pens). They would start by creating thumbnail scribble ideas which would then be worked-up into finished visuals.

It took a very skilled talent to create an image using felt tip pens that emulated what the finished product would look like.
With the copywriter’s input, messaging would be added by hand, written in felt tip pen depicting the font style intended to be used.
The Creative Director would then make sure the creative visuals were ‘bang-on message’ before they were mounted, sometimes into a heavy presentation paper folder or onto board.

Every agency had their own house colour for the material used. The finish of the presentation visuals was of paramount importance and therefore immaculate, with the agency logo strategically placed as presentation was everything. The Creative Director would then present them together with an Account Handler or Account Director, to the client.

Putting together design proposals for a pitch, was sometimes an exciting affair for the creative and studio team. You could be working on the pitch late into the evening but would be rewarded by an Account Executive supplying you with beer and steak sandwiches. To get home, taxis would be provided free of charge.

Once design proposals were approved, a layout artist would produce a working layout for the studio guys using either felt tip pens or Rotring Ink Pens on layout paper or semi transparent typo paper. This is also the point where a Typographer would produce a working layout of the type to be used, by using similar materials as the layout artist. Typographers would use reference books of various type styles and sizes to work out how the type would fit the layout by using a type scale (Ruler).

The specified type layout, along with the typed up copy, would then go out to a Typesetting company for the type to be set.  The typesetting would come back on paper set in the font size and style as specified by the typographer. In London, typesetting companies had to offer a 2 hour turn-around service to be competitive.

Deadlines were always an issue, therefore deadlines had to be met. Somethings never change!

This is the point where the black and white finished artwork would commence.
A paste-up artist would paste the typesetting onto CS10 Board in the position of the layout using Cow Gum.
Some artist would take great delight in entertaining other artist by blowing cigarette smoke into an opened tin of Cow Gum, which resulted in a huge bubble erupting, looking something like an atomic mushroom.

Later Cow Gum was replaced with Spray Mount. A toxic substance in an aerosol can which necessitated being used in a spray booth with an extractor fan.
Any line work for rules, boxes etc were immaculately drawn by the finished artist. Finish was paramount again with no ragged lines allowed. A scalpel could be used to clean up corners etc.

Display lettering for headings etc could be hand drawn by a lettering artist or could be outsourced to a headline typesetter. Headline setting was produced photographically as a black and white print called a Bromide.  The printed setting was adjusted manually by a finished / lettering artist who would have an eye for layout.
Kerning is the word used today for letter spacing adjustment. Black and white lettering or illustrations had to be outsourced to a photographic studio to supply a black and white print to the size required for the finished artwork. A scaling disc would be used to work out the percentage reduction required. A few years later these photographic companies were made redundant because studios installed their own Agfa repro cameras and dark rooms, thereby producing their own photographic bromide prints.

The finished artwork board was completed with pasted-up typesetting, black line work drawn, headline photographic prints in position, picture boxes drawn with a trace position guide for the size and position of a picture. Taped over the board was semi-transparent paper, onto which would be specified in felt tip pen, which areas were in colour. Any colour tint areas had to be specified with a percentage tint, using a cmyk colour tint specifying book.
The board was covered in coloured cover paper which was affixed by a flap over onto the back and attached by masking tape. The flap had to be mitered at 45˚, any excess tape could be rolled into a ball and flicked with a ruler at an artist you wanted to annoy.

The completed artwork would then go to a Repro Company who would produce a proof of the artwork, followed by negative films of each of the 4 colours, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black from which printers plates would be made.
Today, artwork up to the point of going to print, can be produced by one person and without the need for cumbersome hard copy artwork. Artwork can be sent to print on disc or electronically on line.
1969 - Those were the days!

Article: Tony Eaton