M&S really emphasise the traditional side of Christmas in their mince pie packaging with a lesson on the history of the mince pie, classic type-faces and a rather busy cover image, suggesting anything but the stream-lined, minimalist look currently in vogue (in advertising). The pies themselves are topped with snowflakes, that even, like paper snowflakes, have cutouts in the centre. These are largely filled with sugar, but do afford a glimpse of dark mincemeat. The judges felt that the cog-like decoration at the edges of the pies (rather squarer than conventional fluting), in combination with the snowflake, gave a slightly nautical feel, which felt a little too harsh for a mince pie. However, all the decoration was well-formed, and consistently, and the pies were evenly baked across the dozen we sampled. Overall the judges average score for appearance was 7.5/10, which was a good score, but far from the highest we have given.

Once the judges bit into the pie they were in heaven, with the exception of those who dislike particularly sweet things, because these pies are very sweet. However, unlike most of the mince pies we have sampled, this sweetness came almost entirely from the mincemeat and not from the pastry, which was crumbly and buttery. Some judges felt that crumbly pastry was not appropriate for a mince pie and marked it down accordingly, but they were in the minority.  Our average score for the pastry was a creditable 3.5/5 (4th highest). For flavour the mincemeat scored second only to ASDA, with an average score of 4.2/5 (ASDA 4.3/5), largely because the taste of brandy was fairly dominant, but unlike many other pies, was definitely a brandy flavour and not some indeterminable alcohol.

The texture average score was on a par with Sainsburys and ASDA, at 7.4/10 (Sainsburys 7.5/10, ASDA 7.4/10). James (judge) gave the texture a staggering 10/10 because he felt the pastry and mincemeat balanced each other nicely. A feeling shared by most of the judges, although not quite as enthusiastically.

These were our most expensive mince pies at £2.69 per box, but with an average score of 7.4/10 for value for money (no pie has yet scored more than 8/10 here), the judges really felt that you wouldn’t be wasting your money here.

Of course, if you want to read a glowing review of the M&S mince pies you’ll undoubtedly find one, but for us the pie scored a total of 331/440. Finally, the words of Pie Sponsor, Jon:

“According to the box artwork it’s good luck to have a mince pie on each of the 12 days of Christmas, and while these weren’t exceptional, I’d be happy snacking on these any time.”

. . . . . . . . . .

AND THE JUDGES’ RESULTS ARE:

Marks & Spencer Luxury Deep Filled Mince Pies £2.69		RICHARD Appearance: 7/10 Texture: 9/10 Taste (mincemeat): 5/5 Taste (pastry): 4/5 Value for money: 6/10		NICK Appearance: 6/10 Texture: 6/10 Taste (mincemeat): 5/5 Taste (pastry): 2/5 Value for money: 6/10		SARAH Appearance: 8/10 Texture: 8/10 Taste (mincemeat): 5/5 Taste (pastry): 5/5 Value for money: 9/10
ROB Appearance: 7/10 Texture: 7/10 Taste (mincemeat): 3/5 Taste (pastry): 4/5 Value for money: 7/10		RALPH Appearance: 8/10 Texture: 8.5/10 Taste (mincemeat): 5/5 Taste (pastry): 4/5 Value for money: 8.5/10		GAVIN Appearance: 7/10 Texture: 7/10 Taste (mincemeat): 4/5 Taste (pastry): 4/5 Value for money: 9/10		JAMES Appearance: 8/10 Texture: 10/10 Taste (mincemeat): 5/5 Taste (pastry): 5/5 Value for money: 9/10
MANDY Appearance: 8/10 Texture: 7/10 Taste (mincemeat): 3/5 Taste (pastry): 3/5 Value for money: 7/10		JON Appearance: 8/10 Texture: 7/10 Taste (mincemeat): 4/5 Taste (pastry): 4/5 Value for money: 8/10		KAREN Appearance: 9/10 Texture: 7/10 Taste (mincemeat): 5/5 Taste (pastry): 1/5 Value for money: 7/10		TINA Appearance: 7/10 Texture: 5/10 Taste (mincemeat): 2/5 Taste (pastry): 3/5 Value for money: 5/10

. . . . . . . . . .

CASUAL PIE-STANDER COMMENTS:

Ralph says: “A smashing pie!”

. . . . . . . . . .

For us at Purple Frog the phrase ‘going down the tubes’ has a new meaning because last week on the 9th November, we spent the entire day doing just that and it was all my fault… erm,  I mean idea.

We wanted a Sue Ryder BigWigs Challenge that the whole company could take part in – something that meant we could all pull together on. But visiting 270 tube stations in one day is a lot of work, so splitting into teams seemed like a good way to make it an achievable goal.

My team was the ever-ready Emily King from Sue Ryder Nettlebed, and photographer Mike ‘knows-no’ Fear and after a very early breakfast, we met up with the other teams at All Bar One in Leicester Square, grabbed a bucket and were off and running. Or more accurately, sitting – on a Tube train all the way down to Heathrow’s Terminal 4 where we hopped off, unfurled our sponsors banner (thanks to Motts Travel), emailed it back to HQ, tweeted our visit, and hopped back on again. First one down, 21 to go…

After a minor security scare at Terminal 5 (never leave your Jon unattended) and a diplomatic incident (sorry Poland) we were lucky to spot Jennifer Aniston sipping coffee from the Orange Giraffe. Sadly, my initial hopes for a ‘Jonifer’ relationship were dashed – it wasn’t her. Though both she and the coffee were very nice…

We moved on, sampling the delights of Hounslow, South Ealing and Acton Town, pressing cards into the hands of travellers and receiving odd glances in return. Maybe it was our day-glo hoodies…

By around 2.30 in the afternoon we were flagging, so we stopped off at restaurant LaLa in Hammersmith, where a good time and a great meal were had by all – a much needed chance to recharge body and iPhone battery. The last half of the journey involved our secret challenge – a visit to Harrods to scam a free goody-bag. Using our limitless charm we were able to speak to some very nice people in the basement who put us in touch with the Harrods Charity Manager – hopefully we’ll get a bag in the future for us to raffle off.

After that it was back underground and with a quick visit to Piccadilly Circus, which always looks spectacular at night, it was back to Leicester Square – job done. It was certainly a long day, but also great fun and at the time of writing we’ve raised around £7,000.

I’ll leave you with a challenge of your own; I’d dearly love someone reading this to take up the Sue Ryder BigWigs Challenge for next year. What you do is completely up to you, and how much time you devote to the cause is also down to you and your colleagues. I cannot guarantee how much money you’ll raise. What I can guarantee you is two things: firstly, and most importantly it’s for a good cause, and every penny you raise or donate is needed, and will be spent wisely by the carers at Sue Ryder hospices. Secondly, I can absolutely guarantee that the BigWigs experience is one which will benefit your company – it’s a great team-building exercise, a morale booster and (depending on what you do of course) is enormously enjoyable.

Get your thinking caps on for next year.

Jon.

Foursquare. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Foursquare is a smartphone-based game. With social media elements similar to that of Facebook and Twitter, it allows you to visit and ‘Check-in’ at locations across the globe, earning points for doing so.

You can share that check-in with others who also use Foursquare and very quickly, as we have discovered here at Purple Frog, an addictive little competition builds up as you try to earn the most points amongst your friends.

As you begin to check-in at different locations such as restaurants, cinemas or offices you’ll also begin to earn ‘badges’ – again, another competitive element that encourages you to try to collect the most amongst your group of players. You can also become ‘Mayor’ of that location if you are the most frequent visitor out of all Foursquare players. And it’s here where for businesses it becomes more than just a game.

For the savvy social-media-aware business, having, being aware of, and owning a location on Foursquare can be advantageous, particularly if you are a business with a high footfall. As your Foursquare-using clients compete and become Mayors of your location, it’s possible to reward them – with what is up to you, but it could be a discount perhaps, or a free gift. Rewards, known as ‘Specials’ and not all necessarily requiring Mayorship, will be highlighted as being nearby when users are viewing potential check-in locations. All are possible ways to increase visitor rates.

Businesses or brands that rely less on visitor numbers can also use Foursquare to increase awareness by constructing a ‘brand page’. Foursquare allows users to leave ‘tips’ both positive and negative (another reason why it’s good to be aware of your business Foursquare location) and brands can do the same – while your tip must be about the location itself rather than a blatant plug for you, if your business has a particular environmentally-friendly ethos for example, you may wish to leave tips at locations that hold and reflect those same ideals. Users can then ‘follow’ your brand, visit your brand page, and see all of the other locations you’ve left tips at. Links to Twitter, Facebook and your own website extend the reach of Foursquare exponentially, keeping your followers aware of all your Foursquare exploits.

Several brands globally have begun to harness the power of Foursquare in more proactive ways. Not long ago Jimmy Choo invited followers to find them as they checked into locations all over London, with the first to arrive within a certain timescale being presented with a free pair of shoes. In Germany, an enterprising dog-food manufacturer got users to check-in at bus-stop adshels, rewarding their dogs with an automated feed of tasty treats.

Of course Foursquare isn’t the only answer to all of your marketing and social-media needs, but with over 10million users worldwide it could be part of the answer. Purple Frog is the first creative agency to have a brand page on Foursquare, and in the space of less than 6 months and without a particularly devious masterplan in mind we’ve attracted around 200 followers – followers who have in some cases checked-in to many of the locations we’ve left tips at. By visiting our brand page they’ve learnt more about us, where we go, what we do, and our clients.

As smartphone ownership continues to grow in the UK, Foursquare’s influence as part of a cohesive marketing strategy using offline and online methods will surely grow too.

If you’d like to visit our Foursquare page, just visit https://foursquare.com/purplefroguk

A key marketing strategy for Siemens is the trade-in promotion – highlighting the improved performance and energy-savings that modern Siemens appliances can bring to the home.

The Brief

Clear and up-front use of monetary values was one of Siemens’ foremost concerns. Secondary messaging had to explain how this value was calculated, while also referring to the energy-efficiency benefits of Siemens’ appliances.

The Solution

The simplest solution is often the best, and in this instance Siemens felt it to be true – clear headlines coupled with bold colours made for a very straightforward suite of POS material including:

• poster
• ceiling hanger
• tentcards
• stickers in 2 size formats

Within the UK, the Home Appliances division is continuing to build its customer awareness and market share.

The Brief

The brief was to build upon the groundwork put in by Purple Frog during the course of 2010 which began to increase consumer awareness, while implementing a new brand design aesthetic. A link to the current television advertising campaign was a mandatory element for the press campaign.

The Solution

An analysis of consumer feedback resulted in the current press campaign featuring straight-to-the-point headlines coupled with a pay-off line referencing the ‘This is the Life’ theme from the TV campaign. The body copy follows this approach with a more descriptive and shorter style than previously employed.

The Outcome

Independent surveys indicate that Siemens’ brand value growth has grown consistently on a month by month basis since Purple Frog’s involvement.

Specialties
Strong conceptual thought, visualisation skills, copywriting, attention-to-detail, art direction.

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Lucy Switchgear recently exhibited in Beijing with the aid of a stand designed by Purple Frog. The EP China exhibition is the largest and most reputable electrical power and trade fair in China, and as world experts in electrical distribution products Lucy Switchgear attended with a stand designed to showcase one of their latest products in one of the fastest growing markets in the world.

The stand was structured to feature both Chinese and English text while providing a central focus point for the new Aegis product. 2 large monitors above head height drew attention to the stand, while a further, larger screen mounted on the rear wall provided further detail. Space was also given to a reception desk, information panels and computer terminal.

With over 26,000 visitors from 54 countries attending the show, the Lucy Switchgear team pronounced the show a successful one and aim to continue their success in China by being present when the show moves to Shanghai in September this year.

You can find out more about Lucy Switchgear at www.lucyswitchgear.com

Picture the scene – a lonely windswept field in the middle of nowhere. Two lost and frozen figures huddled together for warmth hoping for rescue. And two dogs…

On the way back from a client yesterday, eagle-eyed account manager Sam spotted 2 small blobs in a field she was passing. Ever eager to investigate field-based blobs Sam executed a handbrake turn and on further investigation found two shivering and whining dogs trapped behind a fence. Hoping that they belonged to a farmer, but fearing otherwise, Sam returned to Purple Frog.

But a rescue mission was soon mounted as Sam and Jon ventured into the night and found the two dogs still there. After a bit of petting (the dogs of course), they called the number on the collar of the larger animal and spoke to the anxious owner. The dogs were in obvious distress, particularly the larger one, so while waiting for the owner, Jon hopped over the gate. The dogs, sensing an intelligence of equal measure was now with them, calmed down and soon two happy dogs were reunited with a very happy and relieved owner as our intrepid heroes melted away into the night with warm hearts and cold fingers.

This story is currently under negotiation for the book rights. A feature film is also being discussed with a view for release in 2012.

Springboard is a national independent charity specialising in opening the door to opportunity within the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry, providing life, vocational and social skills, and advice to enable people to prosper and improve their chances of economic well-being. In Dornoch and the Highlands Springboard has had an active team for seven years, encouraging unemployed and disadvantaged local people to find productive and rewarding careers in local tourism and leisure industries.

Purple Frog’s latest campaign work for Springboard Highlands & Islands involved a local maildrop backed up by an Adshel poster. Focused on the advantages offered by signing up with Springboard, an opportunity which allows the unemployed to keep all of their current benefits, the campaign used clear and bold graphics to quickly communicate the February commencement of a local course. The early feedback from this campaign has been extremely positive, with Springboard’s Jenifer Cameron commenting that “it was our most successful recruitment to date”.

More information on Springboard can be found at www.springboarduk.org.uk