Get to know Marketing Intern: Raggy Media

Over the past 6 months we have had the pleasure of working with Harry (Raggy Media) a student based at Sheffield UTC college. Harry has assisted our in-house marketing team in building a library of film and photography suitable to share on the Loxleys website and social media. We recently had a catch up with Harry to discuss how he was finding his placement at Loxleys and to share his plans for the future are.

What is your role at Loxleys?

At Loxleys, I carry out the role of Marketing intern, in this role I use my skills in photography, videography and graphic design to share updates with Loxleys new and existing customers. I assist Heather in scheduling content for social media, Loxleys’ website and email newsletters, with the aim of gaining engagement and attention, which will hopefully translate into sales.

What Skills Have You Gained/ Built Upon?

The most notable skill improvement since I started my placement at Loxleys is in my photography. Compared to my first photos at Loxleys, I am now able to position greetings cards and frame images in such a way that they are visually appealing. After being at Loxleys for a few months I have been able to gain a deep understanding into how social media can be used to effectively market a brand and establish/ represent a brand identity.

What Project Are You Most Proud of So Far?

Within Loxleys, I would have to say that my proudest project is the interview blog and Instagram post we created in collaboration with Dialectable. Creating this post required understanding of brand identity to be able to simultaneously represent the two brands involved (Loxleys and Dialectable) using their brand colours.

Outside of Loxleys, my favourite project is currently in the works, it is a short film I am producing as a part of my technical media coursework at UTC Sheffield (this short film is currently advertised on my Instagram page @raggy_media). Loxleys flexibility in my work placement schedule has allowed me to put as much effort into what I produce for them as personal projects or coursework without being stretched too thinly.

What are your next steps?

After my time at Loxleys comes to an end, and once I have finished my college education, I plan on going to University to pursue a BA in Film and Television Production and potentially even an MA in Documentary Production.

My work placement at Loxleys has already significantly increased the skills I will need for the future, they have given me access to this wealth of information on social media strategy and plenty of opportunities to put my skills into practice. The media I have produced for Loxleys has been added to both my digital and physical portfolios, which I will be using in applications to university and future careers.

From your experience what are the benefits of work placements?

Work experience offers a unique experience that the regular education system doesn’t. It enables you to explore the industry you want to work in and get a better understanding of roles and responsibilities. For me it has been a great start into entering a serious career that I have any passion in.

I would highly recommend anyone who is given the opportunity to enter work experience to do it. Especially at Loxleys, the staff (even outside of the department I work in) are friendly and approachable and always willing to help.

We’d like to share our thanks with Harry for taking the time to answer our questions and for his continued hard work as a valued member of the Loxleys marketing team. If you are feeling inspired to get involved with Loxleys and would like more details on work experience placements please contact [email protected]

If you would like to follow Harrys journey please follow him on social media or Youtube:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raggy_media/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RaggyMedia

Please take a moment to watch Harrys’ latest project, a short film called ‘Another Cuppa’ https://shorturl.at/tAHIR

Photos taken by Harry @Raggy_media for Loxleys, 2023

Dialectable – Born and Bred in Yorkshire

Recently we had a catch up with Yorkshire Legend, Julia owner of Dialectable. Julia has generously shared her experience of becoming an established greeting card and gift designer. Discussing her design influences, love for language and the building blocks of her Yorkshire brand.  

Dialectable was started in September 2013 from a love for language and local dialects. Within 6 months the first range was created, launched and retailer ready.  Almost 10 years on Dialectable has grown to a range of over 200 greeting card designs along with mugs, notebooks and even Jams! A one stop shop for Yorkshire lads and lasses!

The Interview:

All things Yorkshire…

What’s the best thing about being based in Sheffield? 

The humour of locals, and the proximity of Peaks. 

If you could collaborate with any other Yorkshire business, who would it be and why? 

Yorkshire Tea. That would be a collaboration made in heaven. Nowt goes with our mugs better than Yorkshire tea. 

What other Sheffield based independents/creators do you admire? 

Pete McKee, James Green, Richard Hawley. 

What is your favourite Yorkshire phrase? 

Anything with ‘shite’ in it! 

What is your favourite Yorkshire food? 

Yorkshire Pudding 

All things Greeting Cards..

As the business owner, what does a day at Dialectable look like? 

Every day is different. The basics are always fulfilling retail and trade orders. We do all the warehousing aspects directly from our office in Heeley now, so that side of things can be busy. It often means we barely have a square inch that isn’t covered with cardboard.  

I’m also ordering, projecting, preparing marketing campaigns, doing artwork..all sorts of stuff. 

My office manager Sarah is a total legend though, and she mops up loads of the graft. We get on great and I don’t know what I’d do without her. 

Where are you from and how does this influence your work? 

Hull. Definitely an influence as Hull dialect is very unique and different to the rest of Yorkshire. I’m now a hybrid of East and South Yorkshire after having lived in Sheff for 30+ years. The Hull accent is a bit of a talking point, as its flat vowel sounds are really distinctive. Maybe that’s where my interest started. Yorkshire people are very patriotic about their county and proud of their accents. It seemed right and proper to offer a card and gift line that reflected that. 

Where do you find inspiration for your designs? 

I think that colour is just about my favourite thing. I also love fonts. So Dialectable was kind of born out of being passionate about both. I love retro poster design and bold graphics. Classic Penguin book covers from the 50s and 60s are wonderful and definitely inspired me. 

What makes Dialectable unique? 

The products are humorous but the designs are classic and quality is premium.  Sometimes cards and gifts that are considered ‘fun’ can also be a bit naff.  We pride ourselves on being amusing and tasteful at the same time. 

What is your proudest business moment? 

Maybe being shortlisted for Gift of the Year the first time I applied. But actually I just love it when I’m working a stand and I hear people killing themselves laughing as they browse the cards. And then they say something like “‘av you come up with this?… it’s brilliant!”. Those moments are the best 🙂 

Do you have any tips for designing greetings cards? 

If you have an idea, draft it and keep reworking until it’s 110%. My design looks simple, but it wasn’t simple to create. I had the concept – but I had to harness it in a design that would work over and over again and stand the test of time. And whenever I do something slightly different with it – I have to rework it  billions of times until I know it’s perfect. 

A huge thank you to Julia for her time and honest answers. We love seeing Julia’s iconic (and sometimes very cheeky) designs pass through our printers here at Loxleys. The added benefits of being just around the corner means Dialectable is able to collect their latest greetings cards hot of the press, printed, banded and ready to go.

Shop the Dialectable chuffin’ great shop here: www.dialectable.co.uk

Your printing is in safe hands at Loxleys

An insight into our history with RoSPA safety posters

Founded in 1854 by The Loxley Brothers William and Edward, Loxleys has a long and diverse history in UK print production. Over the past 160 years Loxleys have adapted to offer a range of printed items including stationery, magazines and catalogues and product packaging. Leading to our current specialism as a greeting card manufacturer turning over 150 million cards a year from our Sheffield factory.

By the 1930’s Loxleys had built a strong reputation for high-speed and high-quality print production with factories in both London and Sheffield, making us the printer of choice for many businesses including Rowntree’s, Batchelors and RoSPA (The Royal society for the Prevention of Accidents). Loxleys Sheffield based factory handled the production and distribution of RoSPA posters up and down the UK until the early 90’s, proving to be a very reliable and efficient partner.

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RoSPA are an independent charity who focus on promoting safety in the home, on the road and in the work place. You may have come across RoSPA through their development of the green cross code, tufty the squirrel and workplace health & safety posters.

The charity are most renowned for their striking early poster designs, combining typography, illustration, and photography. Created by artists such as Leonard Cusden, Peter Ray, Roland Davies and Tom Eckersley. The eye catching posters play a significant role in the development of graphic design in the UK, along with giving an insight into social concerns and developments from the times they were produced.

As long-standing partners of RoSPA we are lucky enough to have a handful of the original artwork here at Loxleys (see below) and have recently had them verified and valued by Sheffield auction gallery. We plan to keep them safe in our archives, as an invaluable piece of Loxleys company history.

RoSPA are a fascinating part of Loxleys background, highlighting the companies versatility and ambition within the print industry. Loxleys has a long, proud history – surviving both world wars, two site fires and more recently a global pandemic. We hope to be a leading name in the print industry for many years to come and look forward to adding to the Loxleys legacy.

If you’d like to learn more about Rospa please visit – Rospa.com/about-us/history/posters

Information sourced from Paul Rennie ‘Safety First- Vintage posters from RoSPA’s archive.’

A special thanks to Sheffield Auction Gallery for their time and research.

Celebrating our Customer Survey 2023

Loxleys have conducted an annual survey for the past 8+ years with the aim of actively responding to customer feedback to make improvements across the business. The 2023 survey results have continued a positive trend across our production services and has also bought to our attention areas we can improve on over the next 12 months.

This years most poignant feedback is that, for the fourth year in a row, all survey participants said they would recommend our services to others. The team at Loxleys are constantly working to maintain this position, as a reliable and reputable printer, with the hope of continuing our 100% customer satisfaction streak for many years to come.

A huge thank you to all our customers that took part in the 2023 survey and for the invaluable feedback shared. Every response is taken into account and goes towards improving Loxleys services across all areas of the business including communication, production and sustainable practises.

The infographic below shares the results we are most proud of from this years survey along with our favourite customer comments.

PG Live 2023

PG Live - London Design Centre, Event Entrance

And that’s a wrap for another fabulous PG Live! Over the past 15 years the PG Live tradeshow has been a crucial touchpoint for the greeting card industry and 2023 was no different. The two day show on the 6th-7th July provided the perfect opportunity for the Loxleys team to catch up with our industry partners and build new connections with a whole host of publishers, distributers and designers. This years show saw over 200 talented exhibitors along with a bunch of big characters including tatty teddy, forever friends, teenage mutant ninja turtles and even the changing rooms icon himself, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen!

Here’s what Heather, our marketing co-ordinator had to say on the event ‘Visiting PG for the first time has been such a fun experience, I’m excited to be a part of such an inspiring and uplifting industry. My favourite part of the show was meeting the designers in the springboard area who are just starting out developing their brands and seeing their different approaches to greetings card design. I can’t wait to go back again next year!’

This year’s PG live was a great opportunity for our team to share Loxleys latest updates for 2023, including our recent investment in paper banding and our growing range of environmentally friendly production choices. The show also acted as a re-launch for our updated digital print team which has developed leaps and bounds in the past 12 months.

Reflecting on the event, our team noted more designers than ever prioritising sustainable choices from board type, to printing and postage, renewing our belief that this is the most crucial area to invest in over the coming months and years. Our digital team also noted an increase in creative start-up businesses taking the first steps into the greeting card industry, from these conversations we have begun to look at how we can better support their growth sharing our industry knowledge through customer service, easy to understand sample packs and developing a more user-friendly website.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Jakki, Warren and the rest of the PG Live team for hosting another incredible and inspiring show, with a wonderful atmosphere, food and entertainment. The insight from both visitors and fellow exhibitors at PG Live has given us invaluable inspiration and a re-newed love for all things greetings cards. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

If you’d like to know more about PG Live or are interested in registering for 2024 please visit: www.progressivegreetingslive.com