Little Owl Childcare

The Challenge

Little Owl Childcare is a very successful business, having built up an excellent reputation in the local area over the years.

Our client came to us through a recommendation, initially needing help to promote the new day care centre they were opening in Cannock, with a view to also updating their website.

With additional locations and services added over a period of time and the business looking to grow, the client was looking for help in the planning and organising of the business and marketing. They knew what they wanted to achieve but didn’t know how to go about it.

Marketing Consultancy

Our initial marketing consultations enabled us to understand Little Owl Childcare’s business requirements, goals and objectives, and work out a strategy to achieve these.

Whilst promotion of the Cannock Day Care Nursery and a website redesign were imminent, our business consultations highlighted that our client was firstly looking to reposition the business.

Looking at the disparity of their current marketing materials, we agreed that we needed to provide a coherent and professional presentation of the business, to increase visibility and recognition of all Little Owl Childcare communications and services to build on the existing reputation and show the business had developed.

Company Structure

The first stage to help both ourselves and our client understand their business offering was to map out their company structure.

They offer lots of childcare sessions at different settings, so we gathered all of the relevant information and organised it into a simple company structure.

By separating the services into Community, Schools, Woodland and Day Care, we would be able to move to the next step and plan the marketing to the target audience our client was looking to attract. This also helped with identifying the costs and profit centres in the business and enabled the client to restructure resources and services at various locations.

Branding

When our client came to us, there was no consistency with the use of their logo and owls.

We worked with them to create a corporate Brand ID logo, with individual service offering logos underneath.

The corporate logo enabled Little Owl Childcare to reposition themselves professionally, then the service logos clearly defined their different offerings, with room for further provisions to be added on.

From the brand development, we created a suitable strapline for the business that aligns itself with their offering, their services and the target audience.

The Funding & Fees section was added to help answer any questions prospective parents, guardians or carers may have, therefore creating a positive user journey.

The Blog page is a great way for Little Owl Childcare to communicate with existing and new clients, and the training that we delivered has enabled the client to regularly update this page with newsletters, latest updates, events and important information.

The training we gave also means the client is able to add or update changes to any of their sessions.

The website is filled with images of Little Owl’s children taking part in activities, playing and having fun. We created a brief for the client to supply us with specific photos to complement the content areas, then we retouched and edited the images to ensure a high-quality finish.

Stationery

Branded stationery was essential for our client to present themselves in a professional manner, as they send out communications on a daily basis, to schools, parents, guardians and carers.

We applied the brand style to the stationery design. We included all four services on there to encourage upselling and cross-selling within the business. The Ofsted logo was included on all stationery elements to show credibility, then the owl was incorporated into the business card design to show creativity and a friendly approach.

Banners

We created a number of banners, to promote Little Owl Childcare and its childcare provisions in general, then more specifically, their Cannock Day Care Nursery.

With the size of the banners, people often think that you can include lots of information on them. However, it is vital to include only the key messages, to ensure the banner is eye-catching and the information is retained.

We visited the sites where the banners were to be fitted, measured up, and considered who would be passing by, and how. This information allowed us to design banners that were fit-for-purpose and encouraged enquiries.

Print, Production & Fulfilment

Stationery

It was vital that our client had printed stationery, to hand out business cards at events they attend, plus any opportune encounters and meetings.

Our quick-turnaround production meant that they were able to present themselves as the rebranded Little Owl Childcare almost immediately.

Flyers/Posters/Banners

After designing several promotional flyers, posters and banners, we also produced all of these items, in a variety of sizes and quantities.

We managed the whole print process to ensure that all jobs were of the highest quality, at reasonable prices.

Copywriting

We are not only a design company – we are a marketing agency. Copywriting is one of our key services, to ensure that whatever we create not only looks good, but gets the key messages across to our clients’ target audience, to encourage them to buy their services or products.

Creating the copy was the starting point for all Little Owl Childcare promotional materials. Working to a variety of specifications, we wrote targeted content for the flyers, banners and posters, before creating an attractive design for each.

We also worked with the client to create copy for the website that would attract, engage, convince and convert customers. We supplied our client with a detailed brief to follow for content, and worked with them at every step of the way to review and make suggestions for improvement. Once we had all the information required, we were able to create key messages, introductory text and calls to action.

An inbound web enquiry the very afternoon the new site went live. Positive feedback form existing customers and an increase in all areas of potential customers looking for the best care for their children.

The work we have done with Little Owl Childcare has helped them to understand who they are as a business and what they offer. As well as creating a coherent business model, the rebrand now positions our client more professionally and represents how they have developed since they set up.

Our client now has increased visibility and recognition in the local area, and our work has helped put them on the map for childcare in the region.

Enquiries continue to increase across all the settings, and the Cannock Day Care Nursery places are filling quickly.

“I would like to express my thanks for the advice The Marketing People gave to me when supporting the rebrand of the business and the development of my website and marketing material.

I feel the rebrand has given the business the professional edge I was previously missing.

The banners and flyers have been designed specifically to market my nursery highlighting specific attractions to potential customers.

I do feel that the professional advice I received from you has had an impact on my business acumen and improved outcomes by increasing our reach and in becoming a recognisable brand.

From a personal point of view your knowledge about marketing and target focused delivery really taught me how to drive my business forward with confidence. Your passion to support me in succeeding was truly appreciated at a difficult time.”