2020 has been a tough and challenging for us all. The spread of the COVID19 virus has caused a ripple effect in our daily lives where activities we once found unusual, have become the new norm. These include wearing a face mask, social distancing and rushing to stores before the national curfew begins. 
 
We at Apple Print & Creative, gathered together (in a safe way) to create a symbolic moment of blasting year 2020 away. We literally did this through the use of party poppers! Some of us gathered, socially distanced because safety comes first, and used shiny and colourful party poppers to great effect. They were handed out one by one and before you knew it, the noise “Bang” was symphonised around us. It was both exciting and terrifying.
 
Year 2020 has not been the best but stay positive and stay strong for 2021. 

AUTHOR: JOY DIDEOLA
​DATE: 22 DECEMBER 2020

2020 has been a turbulent year for us all due to covid 19 and it has changed how we go through our daily life. Things such as a national lockdown or wearing a facemask has become our new norm. I am sure you can agree that these changes have been something to adjust to. It gives pleasure for us to globally celebrate the new breakthrough of a vaccine. With year 2021 approaching just around the corner, we can look forward to creating a more positive year. We give you tips for your business to thrive through 2021, where you can create a positive business for a positive new year. 

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​Changes have been made due to covid 19. Moving into 2021, it is these changes that will need to be embraced in order to stay ahead. Market trends change all the time, so this hopefully won’t be too much of a task. With an eye for catching unique opportunities to move your business forward, and a mind for brainstorming the possibilities of dominating the market, your business should thrive.  

Customer experience is always the forefront of impressions when it comes to your business. Good customer experience can range from having a user-friendly website to friendly communication from staff. Post covid 19, 59% of consumers cared more about customer experience before they decided what company to buy from. This is an example of how powerful customer experience will be in dictating purchases in year 2021. If this is something you are already doing for your business, then keep up the good work. Afterall happy customers, happy business.​

​We will use an analogy to explain this. Let us pretend that data is gold. Effort needs to be used in order to find the data which is gold. At first you are unaware of where the gold is, so you make hit and miss mining attempts to find it. When you find a gold mine, you know you have found a winner. Data needs to be collected overtime in order to make determinations for the best direction to take your business where you are more likely to increase conversion rates. 

​Real time customer service is being able to engage with customers without delay. This is a form of providing a good customer experience and using data for effective decision making. This can be done from taking a proactive approach in ensuring enough staff are available on popularly used platforms, to offering self-service to customers in order for them to complete the service without the wait for staff. Not only will real time service make your customers happier, it will also benefit your business. If your business has not incorporated this yet, now is the time to!

​Most of all, don’t forget to enjoy the new year! If your business is oozing with happiness, it will surely rub off on to your customers. A saying goes, work hard play hard. We say, enjoy 2021.

​AUTHOR: JOY DIDEOLA
​DATE: 10 DECEMBER 2020

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​​We feel very fortunate to have welcomed an apprentice and 8 new starters to the business since lockdown. 

It was a great opportunity to touch base and give shout outs to jobs well done across the business despite the hurdles we have all been met with. 
Thanks to Bonsai, our new event platform, and some trusty wi-fi, the team could finally meet as a whole.

Onward and upward!





AUTHOR:  ANDREW WATTS
DATE:  23 OCTOBER 2020
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5. Add some comic relief

​Infuse your content with lighter segments to break up the content and keep it fun!

• Why shy away from virtual fatigue? It’s not a secret, we all know it happens, you can make light of it with your audience and acknowledge you’ll be doing your best to combat it!
• Add some humour in to your presentation - throw in some puns, memes, dad jokes – wouldn’t you enjoy that if you were in the audience?!
• Maybe open segments with an interesting/surprising fact (on or off topic!) or a joke.
• Make it interactive with the chats and polls! Why not make them a bit silly with some funny opinion polls or quiz questions?!

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AUTHOR:  CAITLIN V.
DATE:  20TH AUGUST 2020

     
​​We all know that, in this sea of zoom calls and virtual events that is 2020, it can sometimes be tricky to maintain our full focus and concentration for the entirety of these sessions and to remain, well, present. 
 
We’ve been working with our clients on ways to make virtual meetings and events more exciting, interactive and engaging, to combat virtual fatigue!

One way we have found to keep our guests on their toes and actively engaged in our sessions is to plan surprise parcels & presents to open throughout the event agenda- because who doesn’t love a gift-wrapped surprise in the post?!

And rather than just a ‘thank you’ present for attending, we’ve been linking these parcels to the event itself, sending (sometimes vaguely with a little imagination!) on-topic gifts and treats to open - 
 
EMEA update? Different region-appropriate continental snacks for everyone to open together and enjoy during each session!
 
Themed event? On-theme fun gifts, maybe linking to each session with a pun-tastic title!
 
Of course, different situations and budgets will suit different ideas – but even something as simple as envelopes with the next activity, talking point, a fun fact, or a joke inside (…maybe with something sweet in there as a treaty bonus!) still adds a tangible, interactive (and maybe tasty!) experience to your virtual events. 
 
We like to think outside the box, so - believe it or not - inflatable flamingos, biscuits and sun cream, along with some pretzels, glow sticks and picnic blankets, are just some of the surprises we’ve managed to work into our zoom meetings!
 
What not try this for your next virtual event or meeting? Just an idea to inject some real-life, gift-wrapped fun into our virtual reality!

Send an email to the team at info@appleprintmarketing.co.uk and we'll help you build the best box for your guests!

Hi there! Great to see you.
 
We believe every business deserves to emerge from lockdown like a phoenix from the ashes. (I mean c’mon, who wouldn’t want to be released back into the world with a whole new image?!) But how does one go about such a majestic transition? Where do you start? 
(Hint: it’s not buying feathers in bulk on Amazon)
 
Branding!
 
Lucky for you, our stellar in-house graphic designers have cleverly crafted a simple guide to help steer you in the right direction if you’re looking for a post-lockdown facelift.

You can download here, or follow the infographic below :) 

​Want to cut to the chase?
Get in touch with the studio directly to get some input tailored specifically to your brand by emailing    info@appleprintmarketing.co.uk

When people think of promotional products the first thing that comes to mind is usually something along the lines of a simple branded notebook or pen. Don’t get us wrong, branded pens and pads are great but there are THOUSANDS of new and innovative products that work even better for you when it comes to getting your brand out there and seen.
 
In our experience, the quirkier the better!
 
Another assumption is that promotional merchandise is just for the office. FALSE! There are plenty of promotional items that are desirable enough to take pride of place at home.
 
Here are a few of our favourites:
 

• A white noise speaker with a built-in wireless charger
• Coollux (the ultimate promotional product in our eyes) which is a wine cooler. This not only cools down your ‘Pinot’ but is also a lamp and powerful wireless speaker (cool right?!).

 
We think promotional merchandise can be as creative as you want it to be, with the option to have bespoke products made to suit you, why not push the boundaries? We know that promotional merch isn’t something that will just be thrown away, it will be something that sits on your customer’s desk, nightstand or in their car. This acts as a constant reminder of you and your company. So, it is super important that the merchandise you give to your customers represents your brand and its beliefs!
 
If you have a company mascot or logo that you would like brought to life, why not consider having a product bespoke made? From having a stress ball in the shape of your logo to a USB in the shape of the products you sell, there are loads more ways to incorporate your logo onto promotional merchandise, than you might think.

AP&C Events Team here with an update on some of the exciting new additions tips and tricks we’ve had underway in the world of virtual events:
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The events industry has changed dramatically in the wake of the Covid19 outbreak- extending far beyond the popular festivals, long-awaited weddings and garden grilling.

Corporate outings, summits, product launches and workshops have all come to a sharp halt.
​As part of a busy and growing Events Team, we found ourselves facing empty calendars.
 
Collectively as a population, job stability and financial security has been a shared concern as we’ve navigated these new and uncertain times – and as Event Managers without any events, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t initially anxious as to what the ‘new normal’ held for us.
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We had to learn fast, plan and adapt to our new working environment. What had been future plans to virtualise and stream our events became an immediate necessity. Right away, we dove into researching virtual event communication platforms and equipment, learning how to maximise their potential. Taking to webinars and demos, studying the various ways to engage audiences online became our primary focus.

​Identifying the smaller details that make a big difference to virtual events has been of paramount importance to ensure we maximise the value we can bring to our clients. Key areas of focus for our research have been how to -

After producing new strategies and workflows for different event briefs so far, we’re continuing to work hard to expand upon our skills to adapt to this new way of managing events.
 
The AP&C Team as a whole have been working hard to assist each other across departments – many of which have seen an increase in demand in this unforeseen climate. Now more than ever we have banded together (whilst apart) to share roles, ideas and skills to adapt the business to this new situation. This experience has been an incredible exercise in teamwork and interdepartmental cohesion!
 
Although the way we are working may have changed in ways we didn’t expect this year, from this has come a diverse new set of skills, greater adaptability and, ultimately, a stronger team.
 
Hoping you are all staying well, thanks for reading -
AP&C Events Team
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