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Paul Stratford
Digital Marketing, Creative Direction & Purposeful Design. Oh, & buying Apple products.
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Info
- Owner / Director, Pull Digital Internet marketing agencyMarketing and Advertising | Guildford, United Kingdom, GBSummaryOne of the managing partners of Pull Digital – Internet Marketing Agency near Guildford, UK.
Pull Digital provide design, development and SEO & Internet Marketing services for an international client base including 3M, Lee Cooper, Explore Adventure Holidays, the Design Council, Microsoft.Specialties: Design and Online Marketing. Ideas. Social Media StrategyExperience- Jan 2009 - PresentJoint Owner / Creative Director / Pull Digital LimitedPull Digital is an online marketing agency providing strategy, brand & design, website design and build, e-commerce development and ongoing Internet Marketing services. Clients include Lee Cooper, Design Council, 3M and Microsoft.
- Dec 1999 - Jan 2009Owner / Creative Director / Universal Pixel LimitedUp - a creative agency working in website and graphic design and website development.
Clients include: BBC, Sandoz, Microsoft and Sesame - Jan 1998 - Jan 1999Creative Services / ion river limitedResponsible for day to day management of creative team plus account management leading to business development.
Clients included the DFID, RUGBY WORLD CUP, COLIN MONTGOMERIE plus TEAM GB - OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION - Jul 1996 - Dec 1997Senior Creative / Williams LeaResponsible for internal Creative at Cable & Wireless, Texaco, Mercury One2One and Williams Lea
- Jan 1995 - Dec 1997Designer / Williams Lea
- 1993 - 1994Designer / Communications Project Limited
- Jan 1990 - Jan 1993Middleweight Designer / LCDAI joined as a middleweight designer in 1990 working directly with the creative director and senior designer.
I was responsible for learning and implementing 3B2 desktop publishing software long before Photoshop and Quark!
Responsible for the AA's 5 star travel brochures, AA Tracker brand and Thorn EMI campaigns.
Clients: AA automobile association, ADT, Sun MicroSytems and Thorn EMI - Apr 1986 - Aug 1989Junior Designer - Middleweight / Canon Davis Associates (CDa)I started here as junior designer, where I was fortunate to be offered an apprenticeship at age 16. In the same period I was studying a diploma in design for print which I completed in 1999.
In three years I learned the fundamentals of graphic design and advertising. I working in a team of 9 talented creatives for some great clients. Working on national campaigns for Peter Shee, Global exhbitions for Pepe Jeans, and even branding for BP.
Clients: BP, Pepe Jeans, Amstrad, Toshiba, Peter Shee,
Education-
1987 - 1990Guildford College of Technology
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1983 - 1987George Abbot School
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Tweets
- “@pulldigital Mark, our PPC Specialist - who has a certain resemblance to the mighty Hoff http://t.co/kwkeMi1A”
- Enjoyed @Specsavers Adverting today courtesy of Mail Online App #Funny #Fail #Advertising http://t.co/0iwyYfvV
- Our Top 10 Social Media Do's and Don'ts from Pull Digital - add your own here http://t.co/4whURqPUJan 26, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- At BolderTV today http://t.co/SGtFsthW in #Brighton discussing Motion DesignJan 18, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @tallmanlies Nice piece of beard-work. You are practically a creative type now.Jan 17, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Zak, the take away baby http://t.co/d0rc8cYL
- @EmmaTed Manoj did. (That may mean others didn't though). How's tricks? Are u still working?
- Becoming #1 Client with this delicious Gift from the Chef http://t.co/INhTeYpL
- @PullMarketing A killer in the making ... http://t.co/IDDP6kFU
- @pulldigital They said what...? Pull Digital staffers best faux pas 2011 http://t.co/mgOfdfeq”
- just received email from 'SantaClaus' with recruitment offer. Will recruiters stoop any lower than impersonating St Nicholas... #seasonal
- @PreziSupport is there any way to export as .mov, or .swf from my prezi file?Dec 12, 11 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- 'Grown ups' strike while children do real work http://t.co/woZEVdLZ
- Love is stronger than death http://t.co/za0C0S2Y by The The
- Can you draw? Easily find unicode illustrations using your own doodles http://t.co/FgfsZL67
- Google Remarketing. Explained. http://t.co/n7aernk8
- @SeanCornell For 5k, you can borrow mine for as long as you like :-)
- @pierskarsenbarg mmm. It does look appealing. Windows always does on day 1 though.
- @pierskarsenbarg You disgust me :-)
- How 100+ pages look plastered on our studio wall before re-architecture begins http://t.co/2vAAMtHV
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Checkins
- Royal Surrey HospitalEgerton Road
- Costa Coffee60-86 High St
- Cambio Italian Restaurant2-4 South Hill
- Pull Digital1a Chapel Lane
- Pull Digital1a Chapel Lane
- The Edgar Wallace40 Essex St
- Pull Digital1a Chapel Lane
- Gourmet Burger Kitchen10 Friary St.
- Talbot InnHigh Street
- The Inn on the LakeOckford Road
- The Inn on the LakeOckford Road
- The Inn on the LakeOckford Road
- Pull Digital1a Chapel Lane
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Posts
- Nov 23, 11
No explanation, I just wanted to fill 10 minutes of time and created a Google Cap for New Yorkers. or not... - Feb 10, 11
30 years, man and boy…
I'm plagued with visions of printers with corny CMYK logos, and milky-white, prison-grade silk paper. Dusty 'print-consultants' with husky voices, steering creative’s away from ‘tricky’ or expensive’ ideas. Online, most printer’s websites generally support this crusty, industrial and unglamorous image too. Imagewise Digital Print looked no different from the pack and conversely, the truth was sensationally different.
In the twelve years I’ve used them they have never missed a ridiculous deadline. Ever! They say “Yes” to everything complex or implausible I’ve ever requested and then deliver it early. I’ve been known to ask for weird papers, daft cutter guides, Foil blocked cover over board books, Spot UV, Pantones which an average digital printer would and should say No to.
In fact they actively encourage and promote difficult techniques to keep themselves pioneering - which made me think … Are most designers creative enough to use them and if that was the case, what a fortunate position to be in as a creative …
Firstly, I wanted Imagewise to have a CMS based website and keep demonstrating latest news & techniques whilst conveying the heritage of being the South’s first Indigo Digital Printer. Secondly, I wanted them to appear design-focused and score highly on Search. And thirdly I wanted to create mechanisms to convert visitors to make contact & experience the friendly helpful service that makes print buying a pleasure not a chore.
This conversion architecture, or funnelling takes place by way of a challenge: ‘Creative’s required’ and ‘Challenge us on your project’ are two key messages that reverse the designer/printer relationship and deliver the theme of being no ordinary printer – one that actively wants to work on challenging and creative work.
I want to thank Imagewise for letting me take their precious, hard earned brand – develop it, build a new website and promote it to everyone we know. Show them your approval, by challenging them at Http://www.Imagewise-digitalprinting.co.uk
Paul
- Jan 29, 11
Surrey estate agent inspires Designer!
I saw this fantastic poster today on Surrey & Hants new office window. Its inspiring that someone took the effort to produce this and demonstrate a problem that's affecting nearly every UK business I've ever spoken to. So thank you Surrey & Hants, here's a link to your site and best of luck with the new office: http://www.surreyandhants.co.uk/A gift ... really!
The same problem with BT has happened to me three times in 5 years, so it's time to help other businesses at the mercy of BT. With the tough economic climate it simply isn't fair to have this battle during every business relocation. So I'm offering this FREE Downloadable Poster in PDF format. Click the following link and it will download to your desktop. It can be printed any size you like, then simply printout and apply your company logo, and using a marker pen add your web address and temporary contact number.Using this for Social Media Optimisation
If you display your posters in your windows it will help show the scale of the problem. Please take photos of your posters and businesses and add them to Facebook and send them to your local paper. talk about it on twitter and use the hashtag #BTvictims Eventually BT may be forced to recognise their monopoly-like hold must be matched with better service.Calling alternative UK telecoms suppliers ...
There is a purposeful space at the foot of the poster where I'm hoping for support from the major UK telecoms providers interested in offering printing cost assistance for some giant A1 & A2 versions of these posters - in exchange for adding their adverts and support to the poster. I want to know and share all the other options businesses may have.Download & print the small PDF file here (348kb):
http://bit.ly/hHNuk8Paul
- Jan 06, 11
If you are working on your social media strategy for 2011, then make sure you know the content of this superb presentation by DreamGrow.
- Dec 09, 10
I heard the term 'biscuit pushers' this week - a reference given to project managers who do little more than smile and push the biscuits across the table.
I've been lucky enough to work with some great project managers. Gantt charts, schedules, cms training, proposals, and a Prince2 qualification are good basics. When to deploy the Jaffa cakes has never really been an issue.
One project manager I know believes they should be involved with creative. I like to know they are doing something more than shuffling dishes of biccies but I'm not sure leading on creative is a worthwhile use of time.
If a designer needs creative direction its surely from a creative director? If a project manager wants to get involved, either the designer isn't up to scratch, the brief is weak, or a creative director is needed too? What's your view?
- Dec 02, 10
I feel a little gulity about a little stunt we pulled today ...
The divide in our business between profitability and loss is a fine one which is easily tipped by say, 30 calls in one day for something we don't want. Well 30 phone calls is exactly what we received in one single day last month from various recruiters trying to sell us a developer. Our contact details were picked up on an advert we placed on econsultancy, which read amongst other points "No agencies please".
Imagine the response if we had put "Are you an Agency? Got some spare time? - Please Call us"?
The last time we used a recruiter the experience was costly, but worthwhile. The guy we hired was talented, experienced and just what the business required. He came through a recruiter and we dutifully paid £000's for the support. We felt we had found a useful, but expensive resource to help us grow. The employee left after a year and I can only guess it was via the assistance of a recruiter - possibly even the same one I wonder?
Loyalty
So for recruiters - who is the client. I want to know where commitment is directed? If I was a recruiter, it would be great business to find some talented people - Sell them in, take my huge fee and straight away start finding them a new position. Have a few staff on my books and keep the circle of recurring deception going. I guess this would make me a Pimp, or People Trafficker though wouldn't it?My answer?
Don't use recruiters. So we spent £400 on targeted Adverts in specific locations - and you know what, we downloaded around 6 great CV's and hired the best of the lot. We only had to look through 6 CV's and do 4 interviews. Simple, effective and cheap. What wasn't so positive was the daily barrage of recruiters calling all the staff here and using up literally hours trying to explain that they aren't recruiters, but in fact consultants, specialists, headhunters or some such nonsense. And they wouldn't take No for an answer. We even tried slamming the phone down, but they would call back and ask for someone else!Soon we had a database of at least 50 who had called. Is a database of 50 recruiters valuable? We tried to find out. So today when a recruitment-consultant-specialist-advisor-headhunter called 'John' called we politely declined and asked if he would like to join our database. "Its a valuable database, tried, tested and very fresh from the last month". "Being part of this database would bring your details in front of some of the most hungry and successful local recruitment companies". Of course, who would miss an offer like that?
Now he has accepted the offer, we will of course keep him up to date with regular mailings, and ensure he also receives our valuable newsletter and receives offers from some very, very targeted partners, friends, data-farms, time-wasters, and just about anyone who asks us.
My aim? Hopefully we can help these recruiters get a job. A proper one. One that doesn't cost UK industry and where they can be proud of what they do. A job that doesn't make employees seem overly expensive and take 15% of someone else's salary
- Nov 25, 10
Ive just received a large and heavy package, with poorly designed and thought-through branding – ‘No Compromise’ with a lovely little ‘CO2’ insignia. So I wrote back to Arjo Wiggins with the following message:
I recently received the 'NO COMPROMISE' pack and felt really disheartened. I appreciate you have to reach creatives and make them aware of new materials and innovations, but I'm unsure this was the best tactic.
No Compromise with the CO2 insignia is a witty touch. For the record, I think I like the ‘Viking’ and ‘Tattoo’ ranges. But overall, the package seemed like an incomprehensible and random collection of junk mail. The standard of design and creative was akin to the pizza flyers I receive on a daily basis - but I do share your problem with reaching the right people with something meaningful and eye-catching.
As an agency we don't commission much print these days, but when we do, it has to be something of real value. In the past we had a representative who would visit us with the latest samples, show passion, talk about how others are using the ranges and ask if we had any problems. In fact, she helped us manage a dispute with a printer - resulting in a refund to us.
What suits one agency, may not suit another and representatives are able to tailor the approach accordingly. I will happily receive visits from representatives showing off new ranges but please don't send me the equivalent of a tree in pizza-style flyers and call it NO2 Compromise - I would rather compromise and wait until someone can visit, call, email or any other modern Carbon-saving option you may adopt.
Thank you for reading and understanding my request
- Nov 22, 10
I’ve been reading with interest and asking colleagues about their views on ‘free pitching’ this week after visiting www.no-spec.com - a forum for designers to unite with each other against free pitching. One internal discussion on the subject, included a theoretical game of ‘What would you do for £1million?’ – and answers mostly involved public nudity. I guess the concept of running naked down Oxford Street seems palatable with a guaranteed outcome of £1m - although I would question who puts up this metaphorical £1m and what their motivation might be?This supports my view about Free pitching. I don’t believe there is a valuable item or service offered for ‘Free’. I’ve owned ballpoint pens advertising double glazing and I've experienced ‘executive’ stress-toys and ‘highly visual’ drinks mats promoting home insurance or website hosting. They all took up valuable space on my desktop where I could have had something more worthwhile… Chocolate digestives & a mug of tea would have made worthy replacements for that space.And the same is true with pitching. A successful agency, winning new clients on reputation and results is chaotically busy. At Pull Digital it’s certainly true. It's no accident our clients have more successful campaigns. Every piece of our work we produce for them is realised through collaborative discussion where we learn more about their business and learn how marketing, design & development affects their businesses. We ask questions, we experiment and we analyse the results. Together.
For our clients, it’s more than a financial investment – it’s an exchange of experiences, transparent discussion and ultimately a partnership where knowledge is shared and ideas are shaped together. Compare this to a free model offered by other agencies and you have to ask who’s paying for all that time? Will it be you once they have won your account? Will they be as focused on your account when they are pitching to newer, shinier clients? - Nov 21, 10
I attended the 2nd Monthly South Coast Design Forum (SCDF) on Friday 19th, with thanks to Peter Spence. A whole raft of relevant creatives from PR, Copywriting to Photography, Design and New media in a pub setting - discussing topics we care about.
'Offline', informal, networking events like this appear to be growing - I love the way they break down the guarded way we creatives work against each other. With added transparency and collaborative working, these type of events will educate us all on successful techniques, improving the minimum level that our peers work at and ultimately raise the value of our profession which has ben knocked by Free-Pitching, easy-entrance to market and a lack of decent budget.
- Nov 17, 10
I love this following quote from a marketing expert upon me asking for a brief "Although I can't design, I do know what is and isn't good and therefore what the client needs - I just can't draw it".
Shortly followed by "I find it difficult to explain what I mean because I cant use Photoshop, it's easier if I find something similar and just show you".
Interesting view on design: Copy something you like, choose some nice colours and find a graphic designer who can paint it for you.
P.
