The first step for the new partnership was a brand vision workshop during which KISS Future’s Strategy Planner, Sarah Reakes, helped the group tease out their proposition, personality and brand essence.  Following this, the team at KISS developed a long list of potential names which answered the brief.  A second workshop was then held to shortlist and finally pinpoint the most appropriate name.  Pilot Fish Partnership was the clear winner in the process.

The name Pilot Fish clearly resonated well with all the partners explains Sarah, she said, “It perfectly reflects their brand personality and essence and was felt to standout in the financial services category.”

Once the name was finalised, KISS Communications then developed a Pilot Fish brand identity and marketing collateral and website (www.pilotfishpartnership.co.uk) to reflect the brand’s core values and personality.

Richard Jones, Partner at Pilot Fish Partnership, said “ It can be incredibly hard when you are very close to a project to identify a brand proposition and personality, let alone coming up independently with a name that reflects your organisation. We were delighted with the professionalism and creativity that KISS demonstrated during the workshops and are thrilled with our brand look and feel and thoroughly enjoyed working with KISS.”

KISS Future is available as a series of flexible structured modules over a pre-set timeframe or as a bespoke service.

Sarah Reakes, who regularly speaks at business events on KISS Future has over 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising both as client in a number of blue chip multi nationals such as Colgate-Palmolive and Nestlé, and more recently with advertising agencies such as Publicis and JWT.  Sarah began her career with United Biscuits in the UK but since then has worked in New Zealand, Australia, The Netherlands and Belgium.

If you are interested in finding a unique and inspiring vision for your business then call Sarah Reakes on 01223 911123 for an informal, no obligation chat or alternatively email sarah@kisscom.co.uk.

“Einstein once said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”, something that resonates well with our passion for not over complicating how we interact with each other, suppliers, partners and the work we do for clients.  KISS was founded on the ‘Keep it Simple’ philosophy and in an ever more uncertain, sometimes overwhelming and certainly hectic world, simplicity is an often under-appreciated value,” said Richard Bland, Creative Director at KISS Communications.

Everyone is invited to join The Art of Simplicity conversation…

• Pin something from The Art of Simplity Pinterest site
• Follow The Art of Simplity Twitter site
• Click here to view our simplicity e-newsletter
• Simplicity Survey – tell us all what you think

A recent survey conducted by Siegel+Gale (Global Brand Simplicity Index) found consumers were willing to pay a premium for brands that provide simple communications and experiences. The report which named Google as the number 1 simple brand also featured much loved UK brands John Lewis, Tesco and the BBC on the round up of the top 10.

The research claims that brands have much to gain by streamlining communications and services as consumers would pay between 2.7% and 5.3% or £2.75bn extra for simpler experiences. It also found that 88% of consumers were more likely to recommend a brand because it makes their customer experience simple.

“The campaign is an ongoing conversation as well as using research to gauge opinion amongst decision makers,” explains Richard.  “We want to stimulate debate and interest on the benefits of a ‘keep it simple’approach.”

Launched to celebrate success and achievement and boost business confidence in Hertfordshire, the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards consist of the following categories:

Entrepreneur of the Year

• Exporter of the Year
• Social Enterprise of the Year
• Community Champion
• Innovation through Technology
• Most Promising New Business
• Excellent in People Development
• Environment Award
• Excellent in Customer Service
• Lifetime Achievement
• Business of the Year

 Herts Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Tim Hutchings, said: “We have had an amazing response to these awards already but there is still time to get your entries in. Deadline for entries is 12 noon on Friday, 16 March, after which our panel of judges will create a short list of entrants.”   

PR Director at KISS Communications, Justine Smith believes the Awards could give Hertfordshire companies a real boost, “Winning awards is great PR for any organisation and offers a wide variety of opportunities for raising the profile and adding credibility and kudos to a business.”

All shortlisted entrants will be notified and invited to attend a Gala Dinner on 17 May 2012, being held at Porsche Showrooms in Hatfield.

Hertfordshire-based KISS Communications will provide a year’s worth of strategic marketing support to the winner of the Business of the Year. 

The award-winning agency works  with a broad range of blue chip companies including Johnson Matthey, Bosch, PlastiKote and Booking.com as well as successful SMEs such as Intergence, 8 Solutions, Real-Status and Cambridge Past, Present & Future.  

Sarah Reakes, Strategy Planner at KISS Communications gave a talk at the Herts Chamber of Commerce’s recent networking breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Stevenage on 7 March.  Her inspiring presentation on ‘Going for growth in 2012’ was well received by the packed audience.

Based in Cambridge, the Foundation provides an efficient and simple way of connecting local donors with good causes that matter in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Since 2004 the Foundation has distributed just under £5 million in grants and built a unique knowledge of local charitable projects and supporters including private individuals and companies such as Cheffins, Ridgeons, Marshall, Mills & Reeve, Bidwells and AmeyCespa.  

The organisation was keen to appoint a PR agency with a strong reputation in results-driven media relations.  Jane Darlington, CEO at Cambridgeshire Community Foundation explains, “We have worked with KISS Public Relations’ sister company KISS Communications in the past and have always been impressed with their approach to communications and their passion for keeping things simple.  KISS Public Relations has a good reputation in the Cambridgeshire region and we are looking forward to working with the team.”

Jane continued “Over the coming months we will be announcing match funds from both local and national sources benefiting both donors and local charities. We are keen to engage with the local community via PR to increase knowledge of these funds. KISS will play a key part in helping us to communicate with local charities and groups about the funding opportunities available.”

Justine Smith, PR Director at KISS Public Relations said: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Cambridgeshire Community Foundation; they are a fantastic organisation that is making a real difference by increasing donations for local charities and community groups.  Our remit will be to raise the Foundation’s profile to a larger geographical area and engage via traditional media as well as social publishing.”

For more information on Cambridgeshire Community Foundation visit http://www.cambscf.org.uk/

Commenting on the findings Laura Brown, social media expert at KISS Public Relations said: “Social media holds fantastic opportunities for SMEs, and often these advantages are overlooked because of basic fears stopping companies from taking the leap.”

She continued, “Social media bridges the gap between the customer and company and provides invaluable insight and feedback and helps to build a brand with little media spend and considerable impact through continual engagement. The advantages must not be overlooked.”

To help businesses manage their social media activity KISS Public Relations has developed 7 top tips for increasing success while ensuring maximum efficiency with the time restraints many are faced with:

1) Engage and interact

Think of your page as an interactive platform for communities of people with the same interest. Ensure your content empowers your followers and customers through co-creation, engagement and interaction and most importantly listen!

2) You don’t have to have your own social media department!

There are plenty of tricks that can reduce your time and make social media a great deal easier, for example tools and applications such as TweetDeck and HowSociable? are excellent; Simply search social media devices and take your pick!

3) Multiple platforms

New channels are constantly emerging and companies need to be fully engaged with their market to anticipate which platforms they should be communicating on. By relying solely on one platform communication opportunities will be missed.

What works for one company won’t necessarily work for another. Experiment; see what works for your company and connect with a variety of users and audiences on different platforms.

4) Offer incentives

Your incentives should be clear to your audience, something as simple as breaking news may be enough to entice some followers; however it’s important to think outside the box. Different offers will work with different audiences, there is no right answer and may often be a case of trial and error.

5) Do not fear conversation

Conversations are the real currency! Many companies fear the move to social media as there is a clear shift in power towards the consumer; perhaps they fear the risk of transparent criticism. However what many fail to grasp is these online conversations are happening whether they are present or not.  Those with conflicting viewpoints are just as important as those raving about your company; good social media strategy encourages the right sort of conversations.

6) Create demand

Research suggests that any word of mouth marketing is highly persuasive and therefore one of the most powerful forces in the marketplace. People can often be skeptical of what you tell them or show them; however they often believe what their friends tell them, this is where the power of social media lies.

Inform people prior to a launch of new products and services to create excitement. By doing this, the demand is there before the product has even been launched. 

7) Get the balance right

Social media should be fun so enjoy it! Engagement should be a continual process and needs to be done with confidence, if companies try to keep too much control the strategy will struggle to work to any great success. It’s about getting the balance right between business and fun.

Follow KISS on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/kisstalk, and keep up-to-date with the industry social media news by following Laura at https://twitter.com/#!/KISS_SocialM.

33% of professionals stated they would be exploiting networking opportunities, followed by 19% of respondents who said they would be developing new products and services in order to increase business.

The research, which questioned over 100 professionals in January 2012, also found that only 3% of professionals planned to cut prices as a strategy for increasing sales over the next twelve months.

Despite the UK’s current strained relationship with Europe, only 6% of businesses admitted they were reconsidering which export markets to target as a result.  12% stated they may review in the future, with 40% confidently unperturbed by events in Europe.

Encouragingly the research also found the majority of respondents at 72% stated that the potential changes to the UK’s relationship with Europe had not impacted on their overall marketing strategy, with just 8% of businesses having held back on investment in marketing.

Simon Fryer, Managing Director at integrated marketing agency KISS Communications said, “The new year has definitely started with a degree of optimism despite all the doom and gloom we read about in the media.  Our research has shown that businesses are looking at the most effective vehicles for growing their bottom line and we are pleased to see that companies recognise the benefits that marketing can have on growth and sales.”

KISS Communications recently voted the No. 2 marketing agency in the East of England by Business Weekly is committed to helping businesses deliver insightful communications. Last month the agency announced its support of the Herts Chamber of Commerce Inspiring Hertfordshire 2012 Awards, and is set to provide the winner of the ‘Business of the Year’ Award with the prize of twelve months PR and marketing support. They join the University of Hertfordshire and Exemplas as key sponsors of the event.

The win is the latest in a series of new account appointments for KISS Public Relations consumer division and has further strengthened the agency’s successful food sector which includes most recently, Bokomo, one of the UK’s leading breakfast cereal manufacturers owned by the second largest food company in South Africa, and award winning Essex farm shop, Calcott Hall. 

Justine Smith, PR Director at KISS Public Relations said: “The Old Spring is a popular, well-established pub and is well respected and loved by Cambridge residents.  Our remit will be to raise its profile to a larger geographical area and engage with consumers using traditional media as well as social publishing to increase awareness and build relationships.”

The Old Spring is one of the most popular pubs in Cambridge and has a reputation for quality and service.  All its food is freshly made on site by head chef, Bevan Griffiths and his team of five chefs using predominately local ingredients.

Steve Murphy, owner of The Old Spring offered the account up for tender, choosing KISS Public Relations following the agency’s creative recommendations.  Steve said, “KISS impressed me with its understanding of how my business worked and its ideas for raising The Old Spring’s profile in Cambridge and the surrounding areas.  KISS responded quickly to my enquiry, producing an outline PR plan within a few days.  The whole team was also very approachable and I am looking forward to getting started with KISS Public Relations and putting my business on the map.”

A subsidiary of award-winning KISS Communications, voted No 2 marketing agency in the East of England by Business Weekly last month, KISS Public Relations is dedicated to delivering insightful communications.  Working with blue chip companies and successful SMEs, the agency offers a number of key services as standard, which according to Justine is a key differentiator.  She explains, “In the current climate, clients want two things: results and value for money.  We are a very results driven organisation and constantly strive to meet our clients’ business objectives, providing detailed PR evaluation on a monthly basis as standard.”

Justine continued, “We’re also very conscious that our clients often have to justify PR to shareholders and investors so detailed monthly reports outlining all activity for the month are issued as standard at KISS.  It sounds simple, but it’s astonishing how few agencies provide this level of reporting and evidence of return on investment to clients.”

For more information on The Old Spring visit www.theoldspring.co.uk.

“Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are all great at engaging with audiences but Google+ is taking social media to the next level,” explains Justine. 

“The most important driver for people using Google+ is integration.  Google will build Google+ social networking features and a wide variety of tools into virtually all of its existing online services including its core products – such as Gmail and YouTube  ensuring the platform’s staying power.  The company is also investing resources into changing the way people share information on the web and the Google team is proactively responding to user feedback and suggestions on their Google+ page, suggesting that more updates are in the pipeline.”

Search is another key differentiator according to Justine.  “Introduced in September 2011, Google announced it was bringing its full search product to Google+, significantly improving user’s ability to find things within the new social network.  Users are now able to search not just people, but also topics, relevant posts and content from around the web.  Google will also be able to provide more personalised search results for users by tapping into content from Google+, for example photos, news and comments that are posted on the network. 

“This offers organisations from blue chip multinationals and public sector organisations to small start-ups and charities with huge opportunities for engaging and influencing.   Incorporating interesting and lively video content, special offers and promotions, and regular updates will also help to create successful Google+ pages.

Another way that businesses using Google+ can benefit is by connecting their Google+ account with their Google AdWords account. Research has proven time and time again that people respect recommendations, especially from family and friends. Therefore it’s essential brands show how many +1 their ads receive, prompting searchers to either +1 the ad or click the link”.

She continued, “One of the best things about Google+ is its simplicity and ease of use.  Here at KISS Public Relations we have seen a lot of interest from clients keen for us to set up a Google+ page.  There is a huge growth in social publishing; pushing beyond the standard press release and looking for additional ways and means to engage with key audiences.  The ability to offer up something to audiences that is unique and unpredictable is the most successful way to engage. Ensuring that your Google+ pages are on message and integrated with the rest of your business’s social media, branding, advertising and PR is critical.”

Visit KISS Communications on Google+.

Simon Fryer, Managing Director at KISS Communications said, “It’s a real honour for us to be involved in recognising the achievements and successes of businesses in our region.  We are very much looking forward to working with the lucky winner of the Business of the Year category over a twelve month period and being able to demonstrate the impact that an effective marketing strategy can have on the success of a business.”

Simon continued, “KISS works with a broad range of blue chip companies including Johnson Matthey, Bosch, PlastiKote and Booking.com as well as successful SMEs such as Intergence, 8 Solutions, Real-Status and Cambridge Past, Present & Future.   One thing all these companies have in common is that they all understand the benefit PR and marketing can have on their bottom line.  In the current economic climate, businesses need to engage with their audiences in order to stimulate interest and drive sales.”

Yolanda Rugg, Commercial Director at Herts Chamber of Commerce is delighted to have KISS on board for the launch of these exciting new awards.  She commented, “The Chamber is thrilled to have such a dynamic and creative marketing agency sponsor the ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards’. Offering a prize that has such a tangible benefit to the winner of ‘Business of the Year’ is very exciting.” 

Open to businesses, social enterprises and individuals, the Awards will celebrate inspirational actions and outstanding achievements.  The Awards will culminate in a gala dinner on 17 May at Porsche Hatfield.  Entry forms can be downloaded from www.hertschamber.com.  The closing date is noon on Friday 16 March 2012.

KISS Communications recently launched KISS Future, a simple, affordable and structured service to define, focus and position aspiring brands to drive business.   Competitive advantage, increased customer loyalty and higher margins are just some of the key benefits that KISS Future can bring to the winner.  The new service has already been successfully used by a number of KISS Communications’ clients.

According to the Editor of Business Weekly, Tony Quested, “Economic downturns call for innovation and KISS has delivered it in spades. The agency has remained vibrant regardless of the economic chaos in the background and has come up with some novel ways of promoting clients.  Managing director Simon Fryer is the kind of leader that inspires clients, stimulating them through stasis and coaxing them through to brighter climes.”

KISS Communications competed against hundreds of PR, advertising, marketing, and design agencies across Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Suffolk and Norfolk in the fiercely competitive ‘Image Makers’ category.

Managing Director at KISS Communications, Simon Fryer said “Recognising the importance of brand and image is critical in these difficult economic times and KISS has been relentless in the quest to provide marketing solutions to give clients competitive market advantage and increased customer loyalty.  We are passionate about injecting pace and stimulating businesses to drive growth.  Being acknowledged for this success by the team at Business Weekly is fantastic and was only achieved by the dedicated, dynamic and creative team we have at KISS Communications.” 

Richard Bland, Creative Director at KISS, added, “As an agency we are constantly looking at new services to help support our clients.  Following the launch of KISS Public Relations, we set up KISS Future in the last quarter of 2011, a simple, affordable and structured service to define, focus and position aspiring brands to drive business growth.  This has really hit a cord with businesses and has been instrumental in helping us to secure a number of exciting new account wins.”

Richard continued, “We are pleased to have been voted No.2 this year, especially when our competition have all been around far longer. But we are all committed to working hard to achieve the No. 1 slot. As Avis once said, because we are number two, we try harder.”

The agency works with a mixture of blue chip, successful SMEs and interesting start ups, including Bosch, Booking.com, Johnson Matthey, SISK, PlastiKote, One Nucleus, 8 Solutions, Real Status and Intergence. The company provides strategy, branding, advertising, design, digital, exhibitions and public relations services. If your business would like to talk to Simon Fryer about how KISS Communications could help you in 2012 please contact him directly on simon@kisscom.co.uk.