Practicing what we preach!!

You know the old story about the cobbler's shoes? Or the dentist's teeth?

Both too busy to look after their own shoes/teeth - and here at Diligence we have a confession to make ...

Whilst we've been busy looking after our own clients and looking after their social media, Blogs and websites, we've kind of let our own business lag behind!

So, we've used our guilt and married it to our boundless enthusiasm and decided to get ourselves back on track. Our Blog now has some new content, we've updated our Twitter and Facebook accounts and we promise not to be such naughty boys again!

But why bother, you may ask.

Well we're doing it because it works. The latest website we've completed is for a new client we 'met' on Facebook; one of our clients spent 30 seconds on Facebook on Friday of last week and immediately earned £285.

One of our clients is now reporting that Twitter and Facebook combined are now the third largest source of new website visitors - and with an average 125 new visitors a day, that accounts for a substantial number of new prospects.

We also know that Blog posts as well as Twitter feeds and Facebook postings reward you with additional online content - and help raise your profile above your competitors.

So, don't do as we do, do as we say - and get Blogging, Tweeting and Facebooking.

We know it makes sense!

It's our birthday!!

Diligence Media and Marketing is three years old on October 1^st!

Just three short years after opening the doors for the first time, we’re looking forward to celebrating our birthday on October 1^st 2010.

Looking back on three years of really hard – but enjoyable – work what are proud of?

• Well, we’ve grown to a company providing full time employment for five people – no mean feat in itself when we’ve been in the deepest recession for years!
• We’re delighted and proud to be working with major national brands such as SeaFrance, Brakes, Orbital Travel Marketing, Parker Pen and LV.
• Our work in the not for profit sector has been recognised by a number of leading charities – in particular our work with the country’s air ambulance sector has been well received.
• Although not the biggest part of our business, our growing event management portfolio has attracted organisations such as KPMG and StatoilHydra
• Finally we’re proud of all the work produced by a great team over the three years together. Well done guys!

Here’s to the next three years!

Welcome Adam

Diligence Media and Marketing is delighted to announce the appointment of Adam Harding as Technical Director.

Adam joins Diligence from Sussex Internet Solutions where he was responsible for technical website development for a wide range of business clients.

Adam’s experience includes working with clients such as Ford and with Diligence for clients such as Parker Pen and the Friends of Wisdom Hospice. His specialist skills include the development of bespoke e-commerce and Content Management Systems as well as designing a range of technical enhancements for websites including forums and social hubs.

Welcoming Adam to the Group, Martin Burke said: “Adam has worked with Diligence on a number of our major projects and so we know each other well. However his decision to join us means we now have a full-time, in house technical and developer resource to offer to our clients. That means we can offer not just a better service but a much more competitive product”.

New SeaFrance website

Diligence is delighted to have been asked to design a new website for SeaFrance. The site is to help the cross channel operator’s online profile for its environmental work with the Marine Conservation Charity – and is our second major website project with the company this year.

Diligence already undertakes a significant amount of email marketing work for SeaFrance as well as traditional offline marketing projects and work on the new site follows on from two other major website designs.

Creative Director James Marchant says: “We are delighted to be working with SeaFrance on another web-based development. Our work in designing the new SeaFrance Holidays was so well received by our client we are looking forward to the challenge of designing this new site. In addition to web design, we will also be developing a series of cartoon characters which opens up further merchandising possibilities for the client.”

It’s not too late to plan your Christmas event

With over 20 years event management experience we can find you the best venue, help design an event to remember, help with food, drink and entertainment – in fact we can do everything you need to ensure your event is a success.

Diligence can help with: Christmas Parties Need a special venue? Our free location-finding service can find you the right venue for your party. Simply tell us a little bit about the kind of party you’d like and we’ll do the rest. We’ve organised parties and events right across the UK - and overseas as well.

So, whether you need a party for 50 or 500 people in East Sussex or a more intimate event in a cosy French restaurant then contact Diligence for ideas and costings.

Christmas Outings

Why not combine your Christmas event with a shopping trip to the West End or a visit to the Christmas Markets in Bruges? Or maybe a family outing to a Theme Park followed by a traditional Christmas Dinner?

Whatever your fancy, Diligence can help. We’ve been organising coach trips and outings for years now and have loads of experience and knowledge of local attractions as well as those overseas or some distance away.

Contact us today for more details and ideas.

Theatre Trips

The Theatre can provide a magical festive occasion. Combine a matinee or evening performance of your favourite show with a celebratory Christmas meal in a choice of fine restaurants. We organise theatre trips not only to the West End, but to some of the superb regional theatres to be found in the county. Brighton and Eastbourne, to name but two, can offer a quality night out with West End-standard productions.

Available yo both large and small groups, Diligence can tailor a memorable night out for you, your customers or your staff.

Contact us today for more details and ideas.

Christmas Shopping

Why not combine your Christmas day out with a shopping trip to London, to Lakeside or further afield to some of the Christmas Markets in France, Belgium or Germany?

We’re a regular at some of the more popular day trip destinations such as Bruges, Dunkirk and Boulogne. And if you want to extend your stay we can organise overnight stops, hotel accommodation and, of course, that all-important restaurant.

If you’re stuck for ideas this Christmas, contact Diligence today.

For Christmas Event ideas from 5 to 500 people, contact Diligence today.

Why Diligence?

20 plus years event organising experience

Free venue and location finding service

Event planning service included

All kinds of entertainment options

Highly cost-effective

Let us do all the donkey work!

For more information on how we can help and ideas for your Christmas event, contact Diligence today.

Your Next Holiday?

It’s been a busy month for the Diligence studio.

We have been working with long standing client BP Travel Marketing Services to design and build their latest consumer site NextHoliday.co.uk.

BP Travel Marketing is a long established travel marketing company, providing a range of specialist communication, distribution and direct marketing services to the travel and tourism. Part of the Orbital Marketing Services Group the company employs over 400 people in Kent and Northamptonshire.

The new site ties in with the company’s ECRM system which distributes monthly emails featuring exclusive holiday and travel offers.

So if you’re looking for a deal on your next holiday – why not visit www.nextholiday.co.uk?

Nobles Restaurant, Battle

Nobles Restaurant in Battle is recognised as one of the region’s leading restaurants. Paul Noble is the head chef and has been a chef for over 30 years. He has previously worked at The Goring Hotel & The Landmark in London and Harvey’s in Bristol amongst many other fine dining establishments.

Nobles Restaurant has been refurbished in clean, crisp colours, modern natural bathrooms and a delightful sunny outside walled garden with new pots and shrubs. Modern art, sourced from local artists via a local gallery, is for sale in the restaurant and this offers diners an ever changing environment.

The Nobles Restaurant has also received a make-over and the new vibrant design matches the restaurant brand perfectly.

For more information, please visit www.noblesrestaurant.co.uk

Brakes CD-ROM's

The Brakes Group is the UK’s leading supplier to the catering industry. Their thorough understanding of caterers needs is underpinned by 50 years experience and a passion for innovation, quality and service.

Diligence has designed and produced a series of promotional CD-Roms aimed at the schools and education sector to help caterers with healthy eating ideas as well as information on the services provided by Brakes.

We have recently created a CD-Rom for a Brakes new premier brand “La Boulangerie” plus training support CD-Roms for Larder Essentials, Cheese, Meat, Potatoes and Healthcare.

SeaFrance eMarketing

SeaFrance carries more than 3,500,000 passengers across the Channel each year. Diligence has been appointed by the company to manage their email communication programme with existing customers and prospects.

Diligence produces a regular series of emails, providing the company with both design and copy and encouraging a greater take-up of bookings.

Diligence has also been working on a new website for SeaFrance Holidays, which is due to launch shortly.

Intelligent Investment

Intelligent Investment is a dynamic and forward thinking investment company specialising in diverse investment products.

Based in central Hove, East Sussex, the company offers a transparent free service and has a large number of local, national and international clients.

Diligence has worked with Intelligent Investment to help them develop a new brand, including a new logo, stationery and literature. The company’s new website, also designed by Diligence, was launched in March and has already proved an effective information resource for clients and prospects of the company.

For more information on our outsourced marketing support service, please contact us.

To visit the new Intelligent Investment website, please click here.

What we do

• Logo design and branding
• New website
• Brochure design
• Email marketing

3 New websites in one for Autism Sussex

Diligence has long had a strong presence in the charity and not for profit sector. We have been working with the Sussex Autistic Community Trust for some time now and have helped them with a number of marketing and communication projects.


We were recently appointed to help the charity to rebrand and relaunch with a new name – Autism Sussex. Central to this re-launch is two new websites – the main charity site and a specialised site to promote the organisation’s training services.


The main site features a comprehensive guide to the charity’s services and the people who manage those services. The site offers, for the first time, an online shop and access for online donations. New functionality enables the charity to maintain an updated site through a bespoke Content Management System.


Diligence has also built an online booking system plus a comprehensive calendar of courses – for Autism Sussex training services.


Check out the site at www.autismsussex.org.uk

Good Egg! David Philpott and Associates

David is a long time friend of Diligence and we have worked with him for a number of years.

David Philpott has over 30 years experience in a career which has spanned local government, the National Health Service, broadcast media, event and conference management, international development work and leadership as a Chief Executive in the fields of medicine and aviation.

In 2005 he was nominated as Charity Principle of the Year and in 2006 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. He was founding chairman of the Association Air Ambulances, a post held for three years and now sits on the board of the Lotteries Council.

In addition to designing a new site for David, Diligence is working closely with his company to help increase our own presence in the charity sector – a sector that has traditionally been an important one for us.

Take a look at the new site on www.davidphilpottandassociates.com

The Princess and the Frog

BP Travel Marketing Services

BP Travel Marketing Services are a long-standing client of Diligence. When BP were approached by Disney to help with a travel agent campaign, Diligence were asked to create a data capture device to accompany a special HTML invitation to a free screening of the latest Disney film ‘The Princess and the Frog’.

The campaign needed to be up and running in just two days and in that time we were able to design the data capture form, with full Disney branding, arranged hosting and, since its broadcast, we have kept BP informed of the results via the data collected.

Unity Care Solutions

One of the leading care companies in the south east now has a new website. The launch is part of a major rebranding exercise for the company which includes a refined corporate image.


The new website is part of the company’s strategy to cement its place as one of the region’s leading care companies. In addition to providing care for PCTs, Nursing Homes and Local Authorities, Unity also provides a range of care services on a direct basis to those who need it.


The website is intended to reflect the company’s commitment to providing a quality care service using qualified and experienced staff.


In addition to the new website, Diligence has also produced a range of new corporate sales and marketing materials including literature and new exhibition equipment.


Check out www.unitycaresolutions.co.uk

Sussex Coast College reskin

We are delighted to have played a small part in the launch of the brand new Sussex Coast College. The new, impressive building is now open for business and the town is rightly proud of its new multi-million pound facility.Diligence was asked to help with designing the new college website and you can see some of our work by visiting www.sussexcoast.ac.uk

What a cracker!!

Thanks for visiting us at Lets Do Business.

We had a great time at Lets Do Business on Thursday and we’d like to thank everybody who dropped by to talk to us and for all their kind comments about the stand.

The latest member of our team certainly caused a stir and the attention he received confirms our belief that he’s going to be a real headline grabber in the coming months.

The show proved to be a most successful exhibition for us, with many new contacts made and customers met during the day. The event not only helps us to raise the profile of Diligence but talking to our local business community also provides us with interesting ideas and feedback for improving our products and services even further.

We will be exhibiting at the Lets Do Business events in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings in 2010 and we hope to see as many existing customers and friends as possible.

Remember that Diligence is your marketing partner and we can help your organisation with:

• Website Design

• eMarketing

• Direct Marketing

• Advertising and Design

• PR and Copywriting

• Event Management

From our four offices in East Sussex and Kent, including a busy design studio in Hastings, Diligence can offer your business a vibrant and experienced marketing resource.

A resource that thrives on hard work.

If you’d like to find out more about Diligence, why not get in touch?

You can call us FREE on 0800 043 9815.

Online Shopping – You Shop, They Drop and We Build!

If you’re looking to build a business on the web? James Marchant, Diligence Creative Director, has some tips.

Diligence has helped many start up businesses to develop their first online store. We love the challenge that working with start ups presents; sadly we also see a number of them who don’t seem able to rise and maximise the potential offered by trading on the web.

There are a lot of myths surrounding online trading - not least of which is that all you need to do is build the website and the orders will start flooding in! With any business, either offline or online, you need a guaranteed 100% commitment to provide the appropriate marketing and sales support. A web based business is not an excuse to take your foot off the gas - you need to work long and hard at it to make the business a success and very few companies are lucky enough to see their new businesses take off without having to put an awful lot of blood, sweat and toil into it!

Unfortunately we see too many start up businesses who believe passionately in their product but have no customer or market research to back up their optimism. With over 1 trillion websites indexed by Google alone, the competition is fierce for your business!

Once you have your business plan in place and you are confident there is a market for your product then you need to think about marketing your site. Think of your website as a football pitch with the ball poised for the kick off from the centre spot. To make the whole experience work though, you need supporters in the stands and players on the pitch!

With any business you need a business plan and a sustainable business model.

You can start by asking yourself a few questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• How are you going to get your audience to visit your site?
• Are your products competitively priced in the market?

Think of the supporters as your target audience and the players as the marketing devices that will not only attract new supporters but also keep your existing supporters entertained – they’re great for repeat business.

So, how do you promote your brand new online shop? Well it helps to set a budget. Your major competitors could be spending millions on a variety of marketing devices - pay per click, banner advertising, Search Engine Optimisation and eMarketing. More recently we have seen an increase in companies using WEB2 devices, such as the social media sites, to generate prospects and sales from within these communities.

We work with many companies who have asked us to help with their existing online shops and help generate more traffic for them. Quite often we find that existing sites have no analytic programmes which is a basic function of any website. Without analytics, you have no idea how many customers are visiting your site – and without that it is difficult to develop marketing activity to increase your site traffic.

Here are our top five tips to online shopping heaven.

1. Make sure your site has an analytics programme – Google Analytics is free!
2. Make sure your site is optimised
3. Make sure your site is not out of date
4. Make it easy for people to shop with you
5. Make sure you get professional help before you build your shop

Happy Shopping!

Norway Nil Points?

We were proud to manage a conference and event recently on behalf of Statoilhydra.

Our guests – a healthy mix of Norwegians and Brits enjoyed a great day out in Rye, sampling some of the cultural delights of the town as well as some of the most interesting of Rye’s watering holes.

The Diligence-developed teambuilding product The Rye Adventure is now offered by The George Hotel to those of their conference clients looking for teamworking activities. In addition to The Rye Adventure Diligence offers a wide range of teambuilding and teamworking events suitable for organisations of all sizes and budgets – and for those looking for either indoor or outdoor activities.

If you’d like to find out more about how Diligence can help build key teamworking skills amongst your staff or your customers, contact our Events Team for more information.

Happy Birthday to us!!

It’s been a celebratory month for Diligence.

October sees us begin our third year and as well as relief at surviving the recession, we have a number of projects that have set our hearts aglow! Our client base and our turnover has increased ahead of expectations and we begin year three exhausted but full of optimism for the next year. We also welcome Adam Whitnall as the latest member of our creative team. As well as bring valuable additional web and HTML design capabilities, Adam also brings new skills including Illustrating and even Signwriting!

Diligence offers a comprehensive design, advertising and marketing resource. We thrive on hard work and believe that working better and working harder rather than working differently makes us stand out from the crowd.

The team is based mainly in our studio and offices in Hastings but we also have offices in Rye, Eastbourne and Maidstone, Kent. Whilst we work for some of the largest organisations in the South East, we also have wider business expertise and a range of low-priced marketing services are available for small business and start-ups.

Our Diligence eSuite of products, featuring low-cost websites is available for smaller businesses such as consultancies, pubs and restaurants.

We’d like to thank you all our clients for your support during our first two years and we look forward to continuing the good work into 2010 and beyond.

Remember that we are here to help your business – if you’d like to find out how we can help you, why not get in touch?

Press Advertising for Infinity

Infinity are a long-standing client and one of the leading e-learning companies in the country.

Diligence has just delivered three new advertisements which will be appearing in the October, December and Show issues of Inside Learning Technologies Magazine.

The ads are to coincide with the launch Infinitys new Learning Management System (LMS).All three ads are designed as teasers to intrigue the reader and in preparation for the ‘reveal’ of the product at the Learning Technologies Show.

The ads, in conjunction with a website banner ad, will raise awareness of the key product features and create anticipation amongst the audience for the product launch.