2. Contents
Welcome Words can unite
Recent clients 02 ING 20
What we do 03 InterfaceFLOR 21
Serimax 22
Words can engage Yell 23
Lloyd’s of London 05
The Met Office 06 Words can sell
The Soil Association 07 Abbey 25
Brecon Carreg 26
Words can inspire Citroen 27
Artis Education 09 GE Energy 28
The Eden Project 10 NFU Mutual 29
Hand Picked Hotels 11 Privilege 30
The Marriott Group 12
The Open University 13 Words can make
you smile
Words can inform Hamleys 32
BAA 15 Jordans Cereals 33
CAP 16 Kia 34
EFT 17 MilkLink 35
Hewlett Packard 18 Yeo Valley 36
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3. Words are where great communication
begins and ends. Whether online or
offline, your brand’s choice of words
can have a huge and lasting impact.
Words can engage, inspire, inform,
unite, sell and even make you smile.
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4. Ink is a team of writers, journalists
and tone of voice specialists who
make words work hard for your brand.
We help businesses shape the way they
write – developing and implementing
brand tone of voice, writing compelling
copy and making every letter count.
Starting here.
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5. Recent clients
Abbey Hamleys Orange
Accenture Hand Picked Hotels Oxford Brookes
AOL Haven Holidays Peugeot
Artis Education Heinz Privilege
BAA HP Regus
Barclays Hyundai RPS Group
Bounty ING Samsonite
BP ITV Serimax
Brecon Carreg InterfaceFLOR Shell
Business Link Jordans Cereals Soil Association
Citroen Kia Sony PlayStation
CAP Legal & General SWRDA
Dairy Crest Lloyd’s of London The Address
De Vere Venues Marriott Travis Perkins
DPWN Met Office Unilever
Eden Project Miele Vodafone
EFT MilkLink Wickes
Friends Provident Mitsubishi Yell
GE Energy NFU Mutual Yeo Valley
Halifax Open University Zurich
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6. What we do
Thinking Writing Training
Ad campaigns Advertorials Basic copywriting
Brand guidelines Annual reports Advanced copywriting
Creative concepts Brochures Tone of voice workshops
Direct mail Case studies Web writing workshops
Emailers Emailers
Copy management Letters
Naming Magazines
Strategy Microsites
Tone of voice Newsletters
Packaging
Plain English editing
Point of sale
Press releases
Prospectuses
Scripts
SEO copywriting
Straplines
Websites
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8. Lloyd’s
A bluffer’s guide
to insurance
Lloyd’s of London is one of the most renowned
and revered names in the City, but it’s also a
company shrouded in mystery: what do they do?
How do they work? And how are they funded?
We worked closely with the Lloyd’s team to
develop a short, snappy guide to the ins and
outs of their company. The copy had to be clear
and concise, but also engaging and, where
appropriate, playful.
“Lloyd’s is the world’s leading specialist
insurance market: a place where many talented
and experienced underwriters come together to
insure and reinsure risk. Behind the iconic glass
lifts, steel ducts and striking atrium is one of the
world’s most dynamic and unique organisations.”
A quick guide to Lloyd’s, Lloyd’s of London
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9. The Met Office The Met Office provides a broad range of
weather and climate change related services
Features range from celebrity interviews to
in-depth analyses of our changing weather
Getting under for the UK Government and organisations
around the world.
systems - and we recently won the pitch to
write this content for the next two years.
the weather Not only have we written several of their annual “Antarctica is the place to witness spectacular
reports, we also write Barometer, the Met Office’s weather phenomena such as haloes around the
quarterly magazine. This is packed with diverse sun and aurora in the night sky. As the last great
and engaging articles illustrating just how much wilderness, its pristine environment also acts
the weather impacts on all our lives. as a barometer for the world.”
Barometer, The Met Office
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10. The Soil Going organic is not just a worthy cause – it
also makes sound business sense. That was the
We’re not one to boast, but the client
said we did a fantastic job.
Association message that Soil Association Certification was
keen to tell businesses considering making the “The trend is clear. The organic market is
Green switch. Working to a tight deadline and budget,
we gave their existing brochures a lift. We added
expanding as consumers increasingly choose
health and beauty products made from natural
credentials in a couple of extra pages, rewrote some of the
headlines and suggested images to make the
ingredients. It seems now, more than ever, is the
time to go organic.”
concepts stronger and give the whole thing Introduction flyer, The Soil Association
a bit more punch.
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12. Artis Education Independent organisation Artis Education runs
tailored drama sessions and activities at schools
“A good quality performing arts education
can help children develop into well-rounded,
Use your to fire-up children’s imaginations and build their
self-esteem. It was our job to re-focus their
independent-minded people, and the schools
we work with often comment on the difference
imagination existing case studies to appeal to key decision
makers, such as head-teachers and education
we make.”
Introduction brochure, Artis Education
groups.
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13. Eden Project Taking on board Eden’s ethical message of –
‘your wallet is your weapon against waste and
They set the scene for the thousands of products
that are in some way ethical, locally made,
Eco-marketing climate change’ - we helped create a series of
inspiring point of sale lines. These accompanied
seasonal, recycled or recyclable. We had to
make sure the tone of voice was neither pushy
in a nutshell beautiful, real-life arty photographs printed
on large panels that were hung around the
nor preachy; but always enticing. In just a few
words we wanted to help, but not push, the Eden
Eden shop. Project’s visitors onto the green bandwagon.
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14. Hand Picked Hotels
A different breed
of hotel
We were asked to create brochure copy for
each Hand Picked Hotel – a collection of
unique country house hotels around the UK.
Visiting many of the destinations helped us
capture their individual personalities and
develop a warm, colloquial tone of voice which
we implemented across all 14 brochures. We’ve
since been asked to work on additional wedding
and spa literature.
“Here, at L’Horizon Hotel & Spa, the views are
just the beginning. Step inside and let our team
take the load off your shoulders, while you take
the weight off your feet.”
L’Horizon Hotel & Spa brochure,
Hand Picked Hotels
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15. Marriott Marriott International has almost 2,800 lodging
properties around the world. Seventy of these
to improved services and décor, our focus being
to express the individual appeal of each hotel
Broadening can be found throughout the UK and Ireland,
and each one has a different style, audience
while maintaining an overall tone of voice.
horizons and feel. We’ve been writing a broad range of
communications – brochures, intranet templates,
“Exchange the boardroom for the boardwalk,
the water cooler for a cool Sea Breeze cocktail.”
advertising and direct mail campaigns – across A World of Experiences brochure, Marriott Resorts
everything from new resorts and seasonal offers
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16. Open University
We mean business
As one of the biggest business schools in the
world, the Open University Management School
needed a credentials brochure that could pack
a punch. Ultimately, we needed to encourage
multinationals around the world to enrol their
employees on courses with the Management
School.
To convey the complex information while making
the whole piece readable, we developed a
concept-driven two-speed read approach. The
finished piece is a fitting introduction to a truly
pioneering organisation.
“Organisations around the world share many
challenges: the pressure of change and
globalisation; the drive for efficiency and return
on investment; and the race to gain and retain
the best talent. Facing these, the need for relevant,
focused learning is more pressing than ever.“
Credentials brochure, Open University
Business School
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18. BAA
High flying web copy
As the world’s leading airport company, BAA
needed a website that would do justice to its size.
But when we were first approached, their site was
falling short on a number of levels. We developed
a forward thinking, clear tone of voice in line
with the company’s values, then made sure
it was consistent across every page of the ‘CSR’,
‘About Us’ and ‘Media’ sections of the site.
Visit www.baa.com and www.baa.com/
annualreview07
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19. Committee Let’s face it; in their bid to promote the ‘best’
new products and services, some companies
The challenge was to get cynical marketing
teams to change their ways. We came up with
of Advertising can get carried away. To protect consumers, the
UK’s advertising industry is subject to a code
a bold, playful concept and a series of headlines
to promote this service at the International DM
Practices of practice set out by the Advertising Standards
Agency and regulated by CAP. To encourage
Fair. Attended by over 8,000 people, our words
raised the profile of CAP and helped save DM
Getting the more compliant DM and advertising, CAP offers
a free ‘copy advice’ service.
houses a few costly blushes. Find out more at
www.cap.org.uk.
word out
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20. EFT Energy Financing Team is a unique energy
trading and investment group. As a relatively
“As competition increases and markets evolve,
EFT is developing and broadening its portfolio
Channelling young company, we needed to express their
dynamism while also presenting them as
of products and services. Through relentless
innovation, the group is meeting the growth in
our energy established and professional. In their most
recent annual report we captured this essence
demand from both customers and counterparts,
and offering more choice.”
with an inspiring and confident tone of voice. EFT Group Annual Review 2006/2007
This was paired with real life case studies that
gave an insight into the EFT approach.
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21. HP ‘We need a technical expert to write articles
about our blade servers’ was the challenge HP
Working to tight deadlines, we researched and
wrote articles aimed at IT managers. After
Making the put to us. Each weekly piece had to demonstrate
in-depth practical knowledge of the blade
a successful first run, we now write the articles
on a weekly basis and have been involved in
technical server series, its cutting-edge benefits and
current market trends. Our IT-savvy scribes
wider global, DM and e-marketing campaigns.
readable developed ideas and concepts for a number
of features for HP’s website.
Visit: http://h41112.www4.hp.com/promo/
blades-community/eur/en/r/index.html
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22. Words can…
Unite
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23. ING It’s easy for internal communications to become
tired and dull. So, together with a team of
“Despite current criticism surrounding China,
foreign financial institutions still see the country
Taking on designers, we worked on concepts to breathe
new life into ING’s employee magazine, ING
as a major growth opportunity and they are
vying with each other to cherry-pick attractive
the world matters. With a clear structure of news, main
features and snappy articles, we gave their
Chinese partners from an ever-shrinking pool.”
July/August 2008 article, ING matters magazine
communication a style that reflected their values
of openness and honesty. It was a hit, and now
we research and write over 50% of the content
every other month.
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24. InterfaceFLOR
Walking the talk
InterfaceFLOR designs and manufactures a huge
range of floor coverings, but at the heart of their
organisation runs an impressive commitment
to real, sustainable practices. So when they
launched a new socially and environmentally
sound product, they wanted to tell the full story –
engaging the audience with a frank, straight-
talking tone of voice.
“As a manufacturing company, our environmental
impact has always been a prime concern, yet
we were also interested in addressing the social
aspects of sustainability through product
development. As this was an unknown area,
we weren’t sure where to start. Thankfully,
inspiration was at hand.”
Fairworks, Inspirations, InterfaceFLOR
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25. Serimax Serimax is one of the world’s leading welding
companies. A giant in their market, they needed
We then set to work writing the entire website
from scratch, developing a clear, consistent tone
Breaking a brand and website that truly reflected their
global ambitions. Cue ink. We began by
of voice that would work for both the contributors
and the diverse audiences. The website was very
the language interviewing key Serimax employees around
the world from Africa and Singapore to the
well received and we’ve since been asked to work
on case studies for their corporate brochure.
barrier US and France. Visit www.serimax.com.
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26. Yell Commuting can be a struggle: cramped
conditions, unreliable trains and that strange
We developed concepts, snappy headline options
and body copy for a series of posters that were
Get on board smell. For their new recruitment campaign,
Yell.com wanted to let commuters know they
strategically placed trackside on platforms and
online. Our eye-catching work wooed commuters
didn’t have to follow the crowd – or jeopardise from across London, encouraging them to take
a high-flying career. their career in exciting new directions.
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28. Abbey It all began when we won a pitch to develop
Abbey’s tone of voice and write their entire suite
“This simple step-by-step guide takes you
through everything you need to do when buying
Right on of in-branch literature. A big hit, we’ve since
worked with almost every department within the
your first home. With our support, you could be
stepping over the threshold sooner than you
the money company, helping them to speak in one unified
voice while keeping their language fresh,
think.”
First time buyers guide, Abbey
positive and confident. Visit www.abbey.com.
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29. Brecon Carreg
Water, water,
everywhere
The bottled water market is, excuse the pun,
becoming rather saturated. Brecon Carreg
have been bottling natural mineral water in the
Brecon Beacons National Park for years. And
to give their products a bit more ‘stand-out’, we
were asked to develop copy for their consumer
literature.
Working with the design agency 6721, we
developed concepts for a flyer and wrote copy
to complement their brand and tone of voice.
We avoided the much-trampled ‘pure’ approach
associated with many other water products and
instead chose a quirkier route that had real
character and verve.
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30. Citroen From its special edition ranges to the latest
models, Citroën is really going places. It just
“A stylish little number. Small yet spacious.
Functional and beautiful. Highly dynamic while
Much more needed a number of promotional brochures
to appeal to specific audiences and drive the
still low on emissions. The Citroen C1 Code city
car ticks all the boxes, delivering everything
than A to B message home. We developed a unique style
and individual personality for each car –
you’ll need in one compact package.”
C1 brochure, Citroen
balancing technical information with engaging,
lifestyle-led copy.
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31. GE Energy How do you express green credentials in simple,
original, memorable terms? GE Energy
The company’s Jenbacher division designs
high efficiency, low-cost engines and generators.
Clean, green, manufactures advanced power systems and
energy services in partnership with governments,
We developed a series of ads that would
communicate the company’s green ethos. The
innovative communities and suppliers around the world. language needed to be witty but also to the
point. The resulting ads are refreshingly direct,
machines bringing out the environmental focus of GE’s
groundbreaking work.
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32. NFU Mutual As one of the UK’s largest insurers of managed
estates, it’s important that NFU Mutual gets the
We’ve helped NFU Mutual set the tone for their
communications to each audience and also
Speaking their tone right. In addition to large estate owners,
their audience includes businesses, IFAs, farmers
written a range of their marketing materials,
including ads, brochures, internal
language and individual customers. communications and direct mail.
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33. Privilege ‘You don’t have to be posh to be Privileged’,
perfectly set the tone for this straight–talking
“Burst pipes, storm damage, broken windows,
damaged locks – there are times when you need
Insurance insurance company. Capturing the essence of
Privilege in words, we’ve since continued and
help fast. But you don’t want to end up being
overcharged by tradesmen just because it’s
with flair developed the style of the above-the-line
advertising through direct mail, door-drops
an emergency.”
Policy and summary booklet, Privilege
and letters.
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34. Words can…
Make you smile
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35. Hamleys Creating quality children’s toys and games
may seem like (groan) child’s play, but getting
When London’s most famous toyshop, Hamleys,
wanted to refresh their range of own-brand
The name them to stand out on the crowded shelf can be
a major challenge.
product packaging, we were asked to help them
achieve that eye-catching appeal. The real
game creative challenge was capturing the features,
benefits and excitement of each product in line
with a specific age group and within a very
limited word count.
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36. Jordans Cereals When Jordans Cereals decided to modernise
their image, they asked us to re-write their site
Movies, daily blog-style news, healthy advice,
competitions, recipes and articles about
Words good and e-newsletters in time for the launch of their
new muesli range. To appeal to a younger
Jordans’ 150 year history were condensed
into readable and easy-to-navigate chunks.
enough to eat audience, the tone of voice needed to convey a
personable, ‘relaxed expertise’ - encompassing
Interaction was also key - with ‘Friends of
Jordans’ registering on-site every few minutes.
Jordans’ passion for their products and belief For a premium breakfast brand, using the web
that natural food is better for everyone and the has proved to be a great way of getting into
environment. people’s hearts, minds and cereal bowls.
Visit www.jordanscereals.co.uk
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37. Kia Standing out from the crowd is a challenge for
any car brand – but Kia’s approach is so unique,
E3 is their full service digital agency, and we
work with them to keep Kia’s fun tone of voice
Thinking on you can’t help but notice. While most car
manufacturers need twisty mountain lanes and
alive online. Over the past few months we’ve
written emailers, web banners and landing sites
the move erupting volcanoes to impress customers, Kia
takes a different approach – they recently ran
to support their TV ad campaigns – all in their
signature cheeky tones. www.kia.co.uk.
a mock ‘60s slasher movie’ TV ad featuring
a mad cartoon axeman... surely a first in the
automotive sector?
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38. MilkLink Buying milk is hardly the most exciting activity
in the world, but we’ve been helping shake
We’ve written quirky packaging copy,
advertorials, website copy and brand guidelines.
Getting in things up a bit. Working with MilkLink, the UK’s
largest co-operative of dairy farmers, we’ve
We’ve even donned our wellies and visited the
farmers to see the human side of the company.
the mood helped launch Moo, a bright new brand for the
dairy sector.
Moo can now be found milking it in Sainsbury’s,
Waitrose, Morrisons and Tesco stores across the
UK. Visit www.moomilk.co.uk.
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39. Yeo Valley
Dairy with a difference
These days, organic produce has a fair slice of
the market. So when we were asked to write a
12 page booklet for Yeo Valley Organic, we knew
we needed to help them stand out from the herd.
We described the lifecycle of their cheeses, from
field to cow to consumer – with a twist. Worms,
butterflies and cows did the talking, and the
playful, upbeat tone appealed to both adults
and children. We’ve since been involved in
naming and concept work for Yeo Valley, as well
as signing and communications for major events
like the Glastonbury Festival… you could say it’s
a natural progression.
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40. And a few final
Words…
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41. “Over the past few years ink have become a valuable partner for
Abbey, helping us breathe life into our literature - they’ve made
our communications consistent, creative and engaging, which is
no easy task in our sector.” Lucinda Parish, Group Communications
Manager, Abbey
“Ink was a fantastic find and much more than just a copywriting
agency. They have helped us craft messages and structure internal
documents and tools. Feedback has been excellent from staff and
management alike.” Penny Lawson, Head of Internal
Communications, ITV
“Thank you and the rest of the ink team for the high quality copy
and the quick turnaround.” Nicky Rodwell, Account Manager, Soup
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42. “With ink we get copy of a consistently high standard, delivered
on time week after week. They are a company we can really
depend on.” Nigel Bridgeman, Marketing Manager for EMEA, HP
“Often when dealing with other companies and writers, they don’t
quite live up to your expectations, but with ink they do. They are
seriously talented copywriters.” Kate Langham, InterfaceFLOR
“We really value our relationship with ink, they are an amazing
organisation and set a very high standard for anyone else we work
alongside.” Sarah Tempest, Senior writer / Editor, The Met Office
And finally, thank-you to the agencies we’ve worked with on many
of these projects: 6721, Addison, Bentley Holland, Bright Blue Day,
Calver Roots & Madge, Daemon Spinner, E3 Media, Jory & Co.,
Mango, Mytton Williams, Pexton Searle, Publicis, Robson Dowry,
Sampson May, Soup, Vivid and Wardour Design and Publishing.
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43. To find out how we could help
your words work harder,
email info@inkcopywriters.com,
visit www.inkcopywriters.com,
or call us on 01225 731 373.
You never know, it could be
the start of something special.
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