N-Vision Receive Support Through SENWs Business Assistance Programme
8th March 2012
Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind has a proud 100 year history. Recognising that only a small percentage of people are totally ‘blind’ and most are visually impaired, the company limited by guarantee began trading with a new name, N-Vision, in 2010. Its board and management identified a need to strengthen in marketing and sought help.
Via the Intermediate Business Assistance (IBA) programme through Social Enterprise North West and delivered locally by Social Enterprise Lancashire Network, Selnet, and funded by the European Regional Development Fund, N-Vision were able to access professional marketing advice from social enterprise, Tick the Publicity Box cic and its director, Alistair Clarke.
Through their marketing committee, Alistair steered N-Vision into organising a profile-raising event. As N-Vision is working towards a new multi-million pound Low Vision centre, the event was focused on unveiling plans for the new build. The team at N-Vision worked extremely hard for six months on the project, arranging display boards of their history, commissioning a model of the building from Blackpool and the Fylde College and even making a huge cake in the shape of the building design.
The event, on 24 Feb 2012, was attended by local civic dignitaries and opened by patron and former footballer Jimmy Armfield CBE DL. Importantly, it was covered live by the local commercial radio station, Radio Wave, the local newspaper, The Gazette and on BBC Radio Lancashire to raise the profile of N-Vision locally and regionally.
Alistair also identified that the range of marketing material produced by N-Vision lacked consistency in terms of messaging, design and cross-promotion to other services.
To correct this, a gloss folder of loose inserts on all of their services was proposed by Alistair, to give a professional and consistent image. Although the folder project was largely separate to the IBA, Alistair’s costs were able to be kept to a minimum as both projects (event and folder) ran concurrently. That way, more of N-Vision’s funds were able to be spent on marketing materials rather than advice. A simple management charge for arranging professional design, photography, text writing and printing was made. Note the white text, 16 point, on a blue background to ensure accessibility.
