Christmas is a time for giving. The office starts to get a little more raucous. Talk turns to the Christmas outing. It’s a time to value what you have and share it with the ones who matter to you. As a company we try and send out little gifts to people we work with, just to show we care and to people we would like to work with to ‘catch their eye’.
In previous years we’ve given out the predictable – wine or the less predictable – board games. This year we wanted to be a bit more thoughtful. We chose to give something a bit different, this year we’ve given everyone ‘Snocks’. What is a Snock I hear you ask?
Snocks are quite possibly the most ‘awwwe’ inspiring things that you’ll find outside of the baby animal section of a pet store.
These adorable locally produced festive creatures are hand made (to order in our case) from brand new socks. They’re cinnamon scented snowmen (and women) accessorised with all kinds of items, from daisies to penguins. Some even have glasses. But the truly special thing about them is that every single one is an individual, every one is completely unique.
Now that must seem strange in this age of mass production, but it’s true. The Snocks are all truly hand produced, everything chosen with care, every element positioned to create an overall sense of Christmas joy.
We see these small bundles of joy as a metaphor for the companies we work with
Maybe that was a bit over the top, but in all honesty the purchase of a village of Snocks wasn’t just a random, Christmas cheer fuelled spur of the moment decision. The Christmas cheer bit helped though! We see these small bundles of Christmas joy as a metaphor for the companies we work with and for the work we do.
They reminded us that every organisation that comes through our door, has its own unique attributes. Every one of them is differentiated in some relevant way, they all have their own ‘daisies’ or ‘penguins’. They all wear their hats at a jaunty angle or have buttons with faces on.
That’s why when a company first comes to see us, we take the time to understand what makes them different. What makes them unique as compared to their competitors. We want to see their personality, their values as a company. We spend a lot more time listening than we do actually talking. At that first meeting we ask way more questions than we give solutions. It’s not so much as the detail, but to how the detail is put across.
We don’t do cookie cutter design, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution from us. Everything we do, from the initial proposal to the final piece of work is as unique as the companies we work with.
We know that this is crucial, that initial meeting helps create the foundations to the work we will deliver. It helps set up the relationship we hope will grow over time. We don’t do cookie cutter design, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution from us. Everything we do, from the initial proposal to the final piece of work is as unique as the companies we work with.
If we are lucky enough to work with you, you’ll find out that we’ll pretty quickly get a handle on what you do. All our listening will have paid off in the design work we deliver. We really want to be a trusted member of your team. That’s why we work this way, because for that to happen you need to be part of the process.
If you didn’t get a Snock this year, we’re sorry we missed you. We only has a few to find good homes for! The great news is if you didn’t get one, you can order your own through Facebook (or just look through a gallery of all those Snocks already out in the big wide world) or you can buy your very own festive bundle at Harris + Hoole at Highwoods, Colchester. Happy Christmas everyone!
We’re not usually so in to the production of cuddly toys! Our specialty is visual and verbal identity development (branding) and advertising. All our work is borne from consumer insight, market appraisal and decades of experience. We know that design is a tool for business, it has a function and usually answers a definite need. Give us a call today to chat over your needs and how we can help.
All Snocks photographed in this article had signed model waiver forms. And just to set everyones mind at rest, All Snocks were found good homes and are now part of loving families.
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