Hippo Creative Solutions is a creative communications agency that provides support to clients across marketing strategy and planning, design, brand communications and digital media.
We become part of your team, gaining an in-depth understanding of your business and your customers to ensure that your communications are relevant, original and compelling. You'll find us creative, professional and approachable - when we work together, we should all enjoy the process!
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About Us
What can Hippo bring to your business?
How about understanding, creativity and personality?
We've been in business since 1992 and we've learned a lot in that time. In fact, we never stop listening and learning, which means our toolbox has expanded with the technologies that have changed the way that you can talk to your customers.
We understand why you need to communicate, what you need to say, and how best to deliver the message. Combine that understanding with our creativity and our friendly approach and you can see why we've earned a reputation as one of the most effective agencies in the North-East - and one of the easiest to work with.
To see how our understanding, creativity and personality produce positive results, look at our case studies. If you'd like to talk to our existing clients please let us know and we'll be happy to introduce you.
Design
To be effective, great ideas need great design. At Hippo, we start with strong ideas and present them in a compelling way that suits your brand, enhancing your image and awareness and prompting customers to act.
The way that your customers see your communications impacts on your brand, your reputation and your business. Whether it's your corporate identity, advertising, promotional material or digital media, you can rely on Hippo to create designs that are original, arresting and appropriate to your business. We'll develop a consistent communications platform so that your brand is portrayed in a professional, cohesive and relevant light.
Artwork
Good artwork demands attention to detail in typography, image manipulation and preparation for print or screen. Our artworkers have the technical know-how and passion (or perhaps it's pride) to deliver top quality artwork every time.
Art Direction
Once you've approved the concept, it's the art director's job to work with the designer and make it happen. That means managing artworkers, photographers, illustrators and copywriters to ensure that the designer's vision is translated into exactly what you're expecting. Hippo's art directors understand the potential, and constraints, of every discipline, enabling them to deliver effective results.
Copywriting
Our copywriters are highly skilled and remarkably adaptable: they adopt the language of your audience and constantly hone their words until you have headlines and content that are succinct, engaging, compelling and appropriate to your brand and your customers.
Research
Before we do anything, we take a long look at you and your customers. We ensure that we understand your marketing strategy (and contribute to it, if required). And we look at what your competitors are up to, identifying their strengths and weaknesses so that what we do for you will cut through the clutter and hit the target. If you already have corporate identity guidelines, we take them on board. We look at how the rest of your marketplace is communicating. And we consider carefully what language, both written and visual, will have the strongest appeal to your target market.
Digital
The Internet and associated technologies mean that the old constraints of geography and scale have been swept away. Most customers now welcome - even prefer - digital communications through the Internet, by email, SMS, DVD, CD and blogs. They may even transact with you over e-commerce sites, shopping at a time that suits them.
Hippo's combination of experience and expertise in interface design, coding and creating the online experience allows you to reach your customers in a professional, contemporary way, with a high level of relevant personalisation.
Research
Before incorporating digital communications into your campaigns, we research the marketplace and investigate the audience to understand their media consumption, technological preferences and the type of language that will make them respond. Armed with this information we will work with you to make informed decisions about the right digital solutions.
Experience Design
The interactivity possible with online experiences should be much more involving than the printed page. We combine visual design with multimedia features to create a look and feel that is a true reflection of your brand and message. We overlay this with a structure that makes navigation and interaction intuitive, to break down barriers and achieve engagement with your audience.
Development
Hippo's in-house skills experience and expertise, supplemented when necessary by trusted partners, will deliver excellent functionality, usability and reliability. We proactively explore opportunities to improve and our curiosity frequently leads us to discover new and interesting ways to add value through the considered and intelligent use of technology.
Services
Designing and building a website or other electronic communication platform is only the first step in digital marketing. At Hippo, we see the job as an ongoing programme and offer a range of support services: Our online marketing experience brings together a range of disciplines, including search engine optimisation, sponsored search, advertising and email. Training, support and maintenance are delivered via online support tools and direct contact with our team, helping you to maximise the return on your investment and benefit from your website's potential. When it comes to hosting, unlike some design agencies, we don't try to host your website (only professional hosting companies can offer the 24/7 backup your site needs) so we work with you to determine the best hosting arrangements and take care of the technicalities.
Direct
We no longer live in a one-size-fits-all world. The emergence of digital marketing and one-to-one communications allows you to speak to your customers as individuals, in print and electronically, with personalised messages and offers that are relevant, timely and appropriate.
Hippo has evolved with the technologies that allow this degree of personalisation and relevance. And, because our skills extend to every communication channel, we're perfectly placed to construct an integrated campaign whereby the synergies of consistent design and creative thinking lead to more effective marketing.
Integrated
It is no longer enough to use just a customer's name: digital print, the World Wide Web, emails and mobile communications can all deliver a virtually infinite selection of messages, images and colours that are appropriate to the individual customer. Hippo is not affiliated with any particular media - we'll use the right mix of channels to maximise the impact of the message.
Planning
The more you know about your customers' preferences, lifestage and buying history, the more you can tailor your communications. We'll work with your database to segment customers into as many groups as necessary to give each person a relevant and appropriate message, without over complicating things.
Fulfilment
Efficient delivery of your marketing communications depends on effective despatch. We'll always find the most appropriate and cost-effective route: whether it is hand-packed items by post, bulk mail in Mailsort order, email or SMS, we work with a network of trusted associates to relieve you of the task.
Data Sourcing
If you're looking for new customers, we'll help you to find them. List sourcing, for mail, email or mobile communications, is no longer a matter of buying a list and hoping for the best. Analysis of your existing customers can give you a detailed profile of who you need to reach, thus reducing wastage and accusations of 'junk' and 'spam', and giving you the best return on your investment.
Research
It's important to understand each segment of your audience. What are their preferences? What motivates them? How close are they to a choosing brand? What language do we need to employ when speaking to them? Your data can tell us much of this information. We'll also conduct further research as necessary.
Find Us
Hippo Creative Solutions Ltd.
2 Carlton Court, 5th Avenue, Team Valley,
Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE11 0AZ.
t: 0191 482 8830
f: 0191 482 8840
e: getresults@hippocreative.com