SupportingCarGurus® withtheir UK successPAGE 6

12,000 feet in the airfor The Big Cat SanctuaryPAGE 2

Celebrating British manufacturingPA G E 3

‘Spruce up’ your Christmas marketingPA G E 8

Creating continuous improvementPA G E 7

Simple, contemporary anda synergy across all divisions in the group

B U S I N E S SL E A D E R S B U L L E T I NMARKETING GROWTH STRATEGIES AND SUCCESS STORIES

I S S U E 0 0 4 - Q 4 2 0 1 9

How BISON helped Chartway Group strengthen their brand PAGE 4

WELCOME TO THE BISON BUSINESS LEADERS BULLETIN

British Manufacturing:Celebrating 25 Years at BISON

I first joined our family-owned business as a school leaver a quarter of a century ago. Mobile phones had only just hit the scene, faxing was the ‘in’ thing andWet Wet Wet were number one with Love is All Around. There was no internet and people were prepared to wait for quality.

Things have come a long way since 1994 whenI began work at our former paper agency in BISON House, Maidstone. My Dad, Les Bidewell, who established the company in 1976, taught me about paper and print manufacturing on a big scale.

I worked with international paper mills, print plants and the biggest publishers and merchants in the UK, liaising on times and specifications for high paper volumes – our biggest single order being 1,000 tonnes! We produced a lot of great work, but one regular contract that always stuck with me was the Longman Dictionaries – during the 90s, before Google, they were seen in pretty much every home and office.

When the mobile phone revolution caught on,client demands increased and lead times reduced.All of a sudden, everything was needed yesterday.

During the 90s the print-on-demand business almost doubled in size each year. We broughtin-house our creative design and adjacent services – large format printing, signage,vehicle décor, fulfilment and mailings –we invested heavily in machines, people, training and development.

The demand for space grew; in 2015 we moved toa larger home. Within two weeks we secured a project that we couldn’t have delivered in our old HQ.

Fast forward to today ... we’re proud to be part of the British manufacturing success story.

Britain has such a long history of manufacturingand innovation, yet if we’re to believe everythingwe read British producers are becoming an endangered species. We’re very much of theglass half-full perspective, especially becausewe believe the outlook for the sector is bright.

Britain remains the eighth biggest industrial nation, and manufacturing employs some 2.6m workers, with the industry growing,yes growing, every year since 1948! If current growth trends continue, then the UK is forecast to be in the top five nations by 2022*.

Being in an industry filled with rich heritage that boasts amazing, globally-recognised brands suchas Jaguar, JCB and Aston Martin is an inspiration.

Our offering and promise to growth-minded businesses is greater than ever. We can define, create and manufacture quality for our clients,all in-house.

Looking ahead to the next 25 years ...

Whatever the challenges may be, we’ll continueto go to extraordinary lengths for our clients, adapting, diversifying and being the fuel thatignites business growth.

Best wishes, Mark BidewellManaging Director

2015

Present Day

*The

man

ufac

ture

r.com

Jenna, Mark and Kai skydived from 12,000 feet to raise funds for our charity of the year and inspirational client, The Big Cat Sanctuary.The sponsored event was part of a year-long programme of activities and competitions which have so far raised over £4,750 for this worthy cause.

BISON’S LION HEARTS

30 1 6 2 2 6 7 7 5 4 1

SIMPLE, CONTEMPORARYAND A SYNERGY ACROSSALL DIVISIONS IN THE GROUPBISON SUCCESS STORY: CHARTWAY GROUP

WHAT THEY SAY

“We were reaching our tenth anniversary and upon reflecting on the business it became apparent that our brand identity might need modernising. It hadn’t been reviewed sincewe were founded - a time when the business was a lot different to today, hence reachingout to BISON for a brand review.

One of my main concerns about the processwas that the board of directors wouldn’t agree, as all had a difference of opinion. BISON pulled all the ideas together and presented options that resulted in a brand that we are all proudof and that exceeded our expectations.

Our new identity is simple, modern and contemporary, BISON has successfully managed to create a synergy across all divisions: Chartway Construction and Westerhill Homes, as well as parent company Chartway Group.”

Paul SafaGroup Finance DirectorChartway Group

Businesses with a growth mindset always striveto improve; Chartway is no exception to that rule.In their first ten years they’d already reached anannual turnover of £90 million and a reputationas a leading player in building and construction services. As they embarked on their second decadein operation, they wanted to build on this success.

The Kent-based one-stop shop asked for our help in formulating a plan to achieve their aspiration. The first step was to reposition as a more premium brand and invest in a new identity.

DEFINE During the discovery process, we invited thesenior management team to join our explorationinto Chartway’s existing position where weconducted site visits and a brand asset audit,using THE BISON BRANDING BLUEPRINT. We found that Chartway wanted a clean and contemporary look for their new branding, but theywere also keen to retain elements of their visualidentity, such as their blue colour palette, which communicates their values of professionalism and reliability. Chartway also asked us for additional brand identities for two key divisions within the Chartway Group: its private homes arm, Westerhill Homes,and Chartway Construction.

They challenged us to develop three logosthat would look both distinct and from thesame family, whilst conveying the samevalues, professionalism and quality.

CREATE Equipped with our findings from the discovery process,we explored a range of options, including styles and tones, all of which showcase a high-quality positioning, and then developed creative concepts for the three Chartway Group brands.

The chosen branding is built around a square, which represents the important house-building attributesof strength and stability, reassuring the high standardof workmanship.

The square can be easily transferred across all businesses, along with the colour palette andtypography, to build strong recall and a uniformed look. We also made sure that the new logos were sharp enough to make a strong impact on van livery and HQ signage.

MAKE We rolled out the three new brand identities across their marketing collateral, including stationery, signage, social

media and their fleet of over twenty-five vehicles. In line with Chartway’s repositioning to a premium brand, we proposed a superior finish for all their assets, including premium textured business cards with a luxury foil finish.

We implemented a solution to allow the team to call off their business cards at short notice without compromising on the look or feel. It was important that the Chartway team were proud of their new-look branding, and so we recommended high impact solutions for the HQ signage that help Chartway stand out from the crowd, as well as creating an impression with which the team and clients alike would want to associate.

We delivered:

• New brand identity• Brand guidelines• Stationery, including letterheads,

compliment slips and notepads• Bespoke luxury business cards• Leaflets• Roller banners• External signage• Graphics for the office, fleet and hoardings• Design templates for adverts, social media

and letterheads

ACHIEVE Since the launch of the rebrand, Chartway have gone from strength to strength. The new, consistent brand identity has been a breath of fresh air that has unitedthe group. Its simple, contemporary look has given Chartway a brand they can be proud of as they work towards achieving their aspirational goals for their next ten years.

BEFORE

Brand Guidelines

Site Flags Brochures

Roller Banners HQ SignageBusiness Cards

4 5M A D E B Y B I S O N . C O . U K 0 1 6 2 2 6 7 7 5 4 1

SUPPORTING CARGURUS® WITH THEIR UK SUCCESS – ANNOUNCING THE ‘TOP RATED DEALER AWARDS’

CarGurus®, the online automotive marketplace, created by theco-founder of TripAdvisor, has taken the UK by storm since its UK launch in 2015. Following huge success in the U.S. as the #1 auto shopping site, CarGurus has become the fastest growing car shopping site in theUK*. BISON are proud trusted advisers and enjoy adding value to individual projects to maximise CarGurus’ success.

Based on reviews from car buyers across the country, the annual‘Top Rated Dealer Awards’recognise those dealershipswho provide exceptional customerservice and deliver an excellent buying experience. For their third annual awards, CarGurus’ video captured some of their dealerships receiving a hand-delivered award from the team.

From the plaques themselves right through to the fully wrapped promotional van, BISON helped CarGurus present a strong brand identity for the video shoot.

What we did

From the concept phase, BISON worked with the CarGurus team and designed a more modern take for their 2019 award plaques which had a handy multi-fix solution. CarGurus showed considerationfor their dealerships by supplyinga plaque that could either behung on the wall or stand-up proudly on their receptiondesk. The award reinforces customer confidence. BISON created a secure packaging solution to distribute the awards to dealers across the country. The anticipation of opening an intriguing, bulky package was heightened with a personalised digitally foiled ‘congratulations’ card celebrating the dealership’s high rating. CarGurus value their clients and believe it is important to give deserved recognition – these extra special touches, such as the bespoke plaques and their names in silver foil showcases this.The CarGurus team personally*w

ww

.car

guru

s.co

.uk

visited some of their clients,in a branded, attention-grabbing van, with a film crew to capture the event.

We provided the vehicle for their video shoot day, including the creative design and production of the full wrap, (turning a silver vehicle blue!) to make a big impact and to celebrate the‘Top Rated Dealer Awards.’ The vehicle made a great focal point for the video and the CarGurus team felt energised and confident when hand delivering the awards.

What they said:

“Big shout out to BISON – thanks again for all your help on this campaign. Having a partner that is so resourceful, creative, able and willing to take on challenges, come up with new ideas and always deliver is just what we need on our continued mission to growand break into new markets.”

SarahCunningham

Head of B2B Marketing EU, CarGurus

Before

MARK’S

RECOMMENDATION

Paul Akers, one of the world’s top thought leaders, uses 2 Second Lean to simplify the Japanese principle of kaizen, or continuous improvement. His approach makes everything more efficient by reducing waste.

Prior to reading 2 Second Lean, I thought the lean concept sucked the fun and creativity out of business, but Paul andhis team challenged my perceptionand turned this idea upside down.

We often go through life letting little things bug us. These small annoyances canbe quickly fixed and instantly improveour home and work lives. For example,at the gym recently I had a major panic whilst on the treadmill because the clock on the wall said 7.45 am and I hada meeting at 8.00 am. Thankfully, it turned out the clock was nearly one hour fast!But the damage was done – the shock had taken the spring out of my stepand caused unnecessary cognitive strain.

After my workout I took the clock from the wall and changed it. ‘Cheers mate,’ said the guy on the treadmill next to me,‘that’s been bugging me for weeks.’This small improvement not onlyimproved future workouts, butalso had a positive impact on others.

There are eight wastes that canbe found in everything we do:

CREATING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT2 SECOND LEAN BY PAUL AKERS

Watch the video of the teamin action: www.wi.st/2lAEFSe

We delivered:

• Creative design• Fully branded vehicle wrap• 1:1 customer care• Full colour acrylic plaque with

multi-fix solution• Personalised digital silver foiled

‘congratulations’ cards• Window stickers• Mailing solution for plaques

As Paul Akers says, ‘Finding the waste component is not a burden, it’s a game – a giant scavenger hunt.’ The magic behind the concept is that over time looking for two-second improvements becomes second nature and we continually find ways to remove waste.

Inspired and informed by the Toyota Production System (TPS), Paul’s lean business, FastCap, has grown from his garage to a multi-million dollar enterprise, he launches around twenty new innovative products a year and has been awarded Business of the Year multiple times. The company has built a cultureof lean thinking with its highly effective daily morning meetings.

Lean has four key objectives for improvement. It is vital that any change is not at the mercy of another objective:

1. Safety

2. Quality

3. Simplicity

4. Speed

BISON lean in

Team BISON embraced 2 SecondLean, reading a chapter a day together.Our number-one priority is to ensurethat everything has a positive impacton our clients. The beauty of lean isit can be harnessed by all departments – for example our Client Success Advisers refine our systems to deliver to clientsa faster, more helpful service, whilst our production department uses leanto enhance quality processes.

Lean is a culture and a community – we are especially keen to work with other people on this journey. If you are interested, or are already leaning in,we would love to talk!

Call 01622 677 541 or emailmark@madebybison.co.uk

DefectsOver-ProductionWaitingNon-Utilised Talent TransportationInventoryMotionExtra-Processing

70 1 6 2 2 6 7 7 5 4 16 M A D E B Y B I S O N . C O . U K

‘SPRUCE UP’ YOUR CHRISTMAS MARKETING

A time to rekindle connections and show clients you appreciate their custom.

This festive season let your customers know how much you value them.With a seasonal message or thoughtfulgift you can show off your brand’s personality, and product offering,just in time for the new year. 2020 also heralds the beginning ofa new decade. The roaring 1920swill be remembered for the Jazz Ageand flappers, but what will the 2020slook like? Mark the start of a new era,and capture the moment, with a positive and optimistic message. Here are our favourite seasonal marketing ideas:

BRANDED CHRISTMAS CARDS

To make your company Christmas card stand out from the crowd we recommend the power of three:1. Personal message2. Quality finish, like digital foil3. Design that speaks volumes

MEET THE TEAM

CLAIRE BROMLEYClient Success Adviser

KAIBOHANNONLarge Format Specialist

JENNA BIDEWELLClient Success Manager

MARK BIDEWELLManaging Director

CHRISCASSProduction Manager

MATTBARNESHead of Creative

ALEXDRURYPrint Finisher

COME AND SEE US

BISON create and produce innovative and bespoke printed graphics for brand communication. Come and visit us to meet our friendly, dynamic team and to find out how we can help you achieve your growth goals.

To arrange a visit please call Jenna or Claire today on:

hello@madebybison.co.uk | www.madebybison.co.ukUnit 3-4 Tovil Green Business Park, Maidstone ME15 6TA

01622 677 541

PREMIUM GIFT BOXES

Spoil your high-value customers with memorable, bespoke gift boxes that create intrigue and strengthen your brand. Pictured left, we designed, printed and finished glossy seasonal packaging with a fun branded gift, which the recipients were delighted to receive.

THOUGHTFUL GIFTS

Raise a smile, or a thank you tweet, with a personalised bauble, bottle of bubbly, branded cupcake, stylish stationery and many more possibilities! We can source the gifts and packaging, print the gift card and fulfil it too.

CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR

To put your brand top of mind send something fun, like 2020 vision goggles to help see in the new year, or give a practical gift like a wall planner, or diary, for the year ahead. Helping you grow, stand out and breakthrough the noise.

Thank, wow and create happy,loyal customers this Christmas.Call us on 01622 677 541

2020Year Planner

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MT_BISON_2020_WallPlanner_v1.indd 1

30/07/2019 09:59

FREE 2020 BISONYEAR PLANNER!

Start 2020 as you mean to go on, bright and organised! Call us on 01622 677 541 for your own BISON wall planner so you are primed for the year ahead.

BrandedBauble & Gift Box

Digitally Foiled Christmas Card

Personalisedfoiled gift tags

M A D E B Y B I S O N . C O . U K