20
| P2P Magazine | Winter 2016
01732 759725
Notebooks & Pads
THE ART AND SCIENCE
OF COLOUR
Darryl Corbin-Jones,
Sales Marketing
Manager,
Pukka Pads
“The colourful Pukka Brights range
will continue to be a popular line for
us in 2016 (Neon Brights with colour
contrasts of citrus green, orange, yellow,
blue and pink was a big seller for Pukka
Pads in 2015), but you can expect to
see them soften as the year progresses.
Modern and simple, bright pastels will
be introduced to complement bolder
colours.
“In complete contrast, we are very
excited by the luxury Noir range from
Concord. These intense black pads are
so elegant and cool, with a touch of
warmth and luxury from the metallic
gold accents.
“On the theme of colour, the Pukka
Pad range of coloured papers has stood
out as an exceptional product in the
field of Dyslexia. People who suffer with
Dyslexia experience a visual disturbance
that affects their reading accuracy and
speed. Ophthalmic tests have shown that
different coloured paper can produce
a significant improvement in reading,
note taking and spelling. Our range
now boasts six coloured paper pads to
support this research and improve the
quality of life for its users.”
Customer communications
FROM MULTI-CHANNEL
TO OMNI-CHANNEL
Phil Hutchison,
Marketing Manager,
Neopost
“In 2015, companies started waking up
to the fact that digital communication
is a key component of business growth.
As such, businesses have slowly shifted
from a communication strategy that
only includes physical mail to one that
incorporates some – if not all – digital
channels. Email and social media are
increasingly being used alongside
traditional post to connect with
customers and, as such, many companies
are benefiting from increased engagement
and strengthened relationships.
“For small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) especially, adopting digital tools
is increasingly being seen as a way
to level the playing field with larger
counterparts. The past year has seen a
plethora of new options for businesses,
stretching from internet-connected
franking machines to cloud-based
applications, making it much easier for
them to increase the effectiveness of
their communication strategies.
“In 2016, businesses will go one
step further and slowly shift from a
multi-channel to an omni-channel
communication strategy. Indeed, it will
no longer be enough just to offer a
variety of different channels.
“How businesses engage with their
customers – or potential customers – is of
paramount importance. From using paper
or email, to talking across social platforms,
there are a myriad of options out there
that companies will be able to use to
strike a connection. However, in order to
do this effectively, there needs to be a
seamless integration so that customers
can enjoy a single, unified experience
across all channels. As customer
engagement becomes increasingly
important to the bottom line, this goal
will become top of the agenda for growing
businesses over the next year.”
Stationery & office products
QUALITY AND DESIGN
Lianna Fletcher,
Marketing Manager,
Maped Helix
“There has been a shift towards retailers
listing own label office products.We have
also noticed the trend of brands ‘cost-
cutting’ by moving to manufacturers that
offer lower spec/cost with their ‘wrap’
on it.
“Maped are a true manufacturer of
office products and have a complete
Maped Office range.We design the
product and then manufacture within
our own factories.We have 100% control
over the production and quality of the
items, being able to pull products at any
point to check their quality.
Yes, we do manufacture outside the
UK, but having our own factories in
France, China and South America, we
are not funding a middle man’s margin.
This means we can put more into our
product design and quality and be just as
competitive as other leading brands.
“We see ourselves as a brand that
manufactures to create a point of
difference with our products, offering a
premium feel at an affordable price.
“There was a slight move towards
the coloured office in 2015. However, a
national stationers recently confirmed
that standard colours are still driving
volume. There has also been huge
demand for supermarkets to list more
office products.We are growing our
Maped Office ranges with all leading
supermarkets, and this year will be
offering a wider depth of range than ever
before.
PREDICTIONS
...continued
Phil Hutchison,
Marketing Manager,
Neopost
There has
been huge
demand for
supermarkets to
list more office
products
