12 months of Zebra – a look back on 2021
(Posted on 06/12/21)
While this year has continued to provide many challenges, we have still had a busy 12 months at Zebra, and we have celebrated many highlights throughout the year.
We have been thrilled to be involved in coordinating, developing and assisting with so many of our clients' one-off and ongoing projects, including new films, animations, websites, PR, social media development, in-person exhibitions, rebrands, online webinars and conferences, newsletters, surveys, books and much more!
Here’s a selection of some of our favourite achievements from our clients, old and new, over the last 12 months:
January
Following a quieter Christmas, instead of our usual return to the office after the new year, the team continued to work from home during the post-festive lockdown. However, we continued to provide our marketing services effectively for our clients – such as facilitating workshops for one of our technology clients – and we looked forward to what we hoped would soon be a better year than 2020!
February
As part of National Apprenticeships Week 2021, 8 –14 February, we developed a month-long campaign for our restoration client, The Forshaw Group, promoting its dedication to supporting the training and employment of apprentices, across its social media channels.
The aim of focusing content on this topic was to further position The Forshaw Group as a leading supporter of apprentices in its sector, to generate more apprenticeship enquiries and business partnerships, and drive social engagement and traffic to the website. This was certainly achieved.
March
We began conversations with our surveying client, Powers, regarding its plans for a rebrand. Working closely with Powers, as part of a wider team, this included developing a new name, refreshing the logo to epitomize everything the brand stands for, bringing a new website online, developing the customer communication plan and social media development for this family-run measured surveying company.
We also celebrated International Women’s Day 2021, held on 8 March, by sharing our favourite things about working at Zebra across our social media channels.
April
In April we were delighted to welcome our new client on board, C.Co. Part of CIPFA, C.Co is comprised of a team of change experts, with a strong public sector background. We are thoroughly enjoying this partnership, which involves managing its social channels, to providing weekly blog articles, as well as regular information and newsletter communications to its diverse audience.
May
We were very proud that our wastewater technology client, Royal HaskoningDHV, along with United Utilities and C2V+ won 'Wastewater Innovation Project of the Year' in the Water Industry Awards 2021, for the installation of the first Nereda® Package Plant at United Utilities' Westnewton site. This was a fantastic accolade for the company and Nereda® Package Plants.
June
After a series of new team appointments across its Shropshire and Staffordshire offices, we were delighted to learn of a further significant expansion for our rural property surveyor and valuer Forge Property Consultants. The company opened a new South Wales office and appointed a new director, Ed Merriman, to front operations across this region.
July
We work with self-build developer CB Homes to provide marketing support. When we had the opportunity to follow one of their clients’ housebuilding journey from start to finish, we decided to record a video journal of the whole self-build experience, from the foundations being dug to the homeowners moving into their beautiful new home, which was very exciting!
August
Our assisted our client Abbey England, a market leading wholesale supplier of premium materials and tools to businesses around the world, to gear up to exhibit at BETA International 2021 at the NAEC in Warwickshire, 9 - 14 September. This was the perfect event for Abbey England to showcase its new company video, which we worked with them on the production of. We were thrilled to be able to visit the event in person and support them!
Also in August, we asked our social media followers ‘what animal they would be and why’ for the chance to win a year’s sponsorship of an animal of their choice at Chester Zoo. Sue Thomas from Career Evolution was the lucky winner, choosing the warthog, describing them as: “Friendly and collaborative. Undervalued in my opinion because of the unattractive name.” Sue was delighted to be the proud sponsor of the warthogs at Chester Zoo.
September
We were thrilled to report for our cerebral palsy charity client, Stick ‘n’ Step, that a lucky participant in the charity’s annual golfing tournament had scored a hole in one to win a Triumph Street Triple RS motorbike! Heritage motorcycle dealers Bill Smith Motors, based in Chester, made the generous donation of the Triumph motorbike prize, and even covered the cost of insuring it for the event too, which in total raised over £17,000 for Stick ‘n’ Step.
Zebra Marketing was also pleased to be one of several North Wales businesses which came together to assist scientific engineering firm Scanwel to rebrand and raise its profile. This incorporated the expertise of design, videography, photography from JC Creative, Knew Productions and Ginger Pixie Photography, and marketing support from ourselves. We developed a customer survey for the Bala-based company, to find out the challenges facing the sector and how the business is currently perceived. The information acquired from the survey has helped shape Scanwel’s marketing activity going forward.
October
We celebrated our Account Director Maggie Austen’s significant work milestone of five years with Zebra! The time has certainly flown by. Maggie is a brilliant and highly valued member of our team!
Another fantastic milestone was achieved for our client Abbey England when its new website went live in October. The new website supports the company’s ongoing sustainability commitment to becoming a Net Zero and paperless business, switching to providing digital invoices only, and all new and existing customers now place orders via the site.
November
The glitz and glamour of awards season got off to a flying start with several notable award wins and commendations for our clients:
The Forshaw Group received a special commendation in the National Apprenticeship Awards 2021 and was awarded ‘Investment in People’ at The North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards – a fantastic result and very well deserved!
Scanwel was shortlisted for ‘Business Growth’ and ‘Customer Excellence’ at The West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Annual Ball & Recognition Awards.
CB Homes was shortlisted in the Build It Awards 2021 for not one, but two accolades. Its recent self-build developments were highlighted in the ‘Best Brick Home’ and ‘Best Self Build for Under £250k’ categories. CB Homes also won the Bronze Award in the Best Luxury House category in this year’s What House? Awards, dubbed the Oscars of the housebuilding industry.
Our new client, NWD Architects, who we welcomed in November, were also commended for its work for Alford Village Square at the Cheshire West and Chester Civic Awards for Design and Conservation, which took place at Chester Racecourse.
December
Not yet ready to put the year to bed, we were extremely pleased to also welcome North Wales Beds, a leading and trusted specialist bed and mattress retailer in North Wales, to our growing list of Zebra clients. What a great way to end the year!
No matter what next year has in store, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!