How we met them was classic 6 degrees of separation. Caroline, the PR consultant, had heard about SHINE through a friend of hers who worked in the same department of ScotRail who were our client at the time. She had overheard positive tones about our work from the ScotRail marketing team and when Caroline was looking for central Scotland recommendations our name was in the hat.

I started to do a lot of research about the hotel and its competitors and we had a pitch date in place for mid March in Edinburgh. I then took a £400 gamble that proved to be pivotal in how the process unfolded and laid the foundations for the next 10 years. I went and stayed at The Torridon in Wester Ross one week before the pitch to really understand what they were all about, what the place was like and to really see, touch and feel what we were begin asked to market. I remember taking lots of photos and I was sitting in the drawing room of the hotel sending these back to the office so our pitch could get worked on over that weekend.

Later that week in Edinburgh I met the husband and wife owners Dan & Rohaise Rose-Bristow of The Torridon and the investment in visiting their property payed off as our 45 minute pitch slot lasted over 2 hours and I was able to start our meeting with “The venison was lovely” as opposed to “Let me just open Power Point”. We then had a long chat about my visit as they were really interested in my experience and also knew that I hadn’t been met at the front door on arrival…..such is their attention to detail, standards and levels of personal hospitality.

We were appointed a week later and I was on a train to Inverness a few days after that to start planning our first campaign.

It’s been amazing to be part of their growth over the last 10 years. They are a joy to work with. You are treated fairly, respectfully, you are listened to and you know were you stand with them regardless of whether the regular feedback is good or sometimes less good!  Dan once gave me a soundbite that I quote regularly and my hope is I was at least being referenced in some capacity –

“Bring in an expert, pay them their rate and let them get on with what they are good at.”

When we started working with them they were a 4 Star property and we were doing regular deals, offers and discounts to increase occupancy. Over the years their constant investment in the business has seen them climb, quite rightly, from 4 Stars to 4 Red Stars then to 5 Stars and now 5 Red Stars – the pinnacle of UK hospitality ratings.

My favourite part of the journey to Torridon is just past Achnasheen when you are on a beautiful winding road that opens out to one of the most famous views in Scotland, it is famously used to market the North Coast 500 route despite that bit of road not actually being on the route. The first time drove that route and every time I have visited since (yes, every time…..both arriving and departing) I have stopped to take the same photo regardless of the time of day or the weather. That part of the world is really magical and it feels amazing to hear the peace & silence. You can feel any stress or pressure lifting from you as you drive towards The Torridon.

Working with them over the years has had some amazing highlights. We have developed their website three times, working with them to launch their Arcturus Gin, several fun nights at award ceremonies, the occasional April Fools on social media, early phone calls and late night e-mails as well as calls when on holiday have all been part of the service. We then started a conversation around rebranding The Torridon to allow their identity to catch-up with the level of the 5 Star resort.

This BBC Amazing Hotels programme arrives at a pivotal time. We bounded into 2020 with an epic plan in place weaved together by the dream team of The Torridon, SHINE and Custard Communications. We were in the middle of a rebranding project, we were planning to relaunch their bar and restaurant and we knew the broadcast of this show was coming at some point in the Autumn. Then the small matter of a global pandemic arrived and the hotel was closed. Even during the 17 weeks they were closed they handled the situation admirably both in how myself and SHINE were communicated with on a personal and business level and also watching how they worked with their teams during a time of incredible uncertainty. Even in troubling times their professionalism and integrity was unwavering and they didn’t lose sight of their vision.

I have a very fond memory of arriving one evening to the hotel in the winter…….a bit later than planned due to weather and I walked through the door and the receptionist welcomed me with “Hi Craig”, she took my case, handed me a Corona and said that the owner was waiting for me in the bar!

On a business level our relationship has led to so many other doors been opened and opportunities to do business with others in the hospitality sector and beyond and I cannot thank them both enough for that support.

My first visit was in March 2010 and I am already booked in for September 2020 for a special occasion visit with family.

“Given how many times I have stayed at The Torridon – probably over 30 times at The Hotel and easily over 10 times at The Stables. I am fully expecting a Carriage Clock when I have stayed in all the rooms.”

So, it would be nice to sit back tonight with a beer, put my feet up and enjoy watching The Torridon receiving global recognition for being an Amazing Hotel run by an Amazing Couple. But I will be on-duty. Myself and my colleagues from SHINE will be monitoring all social channels, website hits and ensuring that the website can cope with the demand that we are expecting for viewing figures north of 1.8 million. So I will be at my desk. (But with a beer I would like to add)

It will be an Amazing Moment and it really is “a place like no other”. 

www.thetorridon.com

ps. Luckily I managed to get through this blog avoiding the ‘spilt bottle of red wine on the green carpet’ story. I will save that for the 20 years, it’s still too soon.

So how do you stand out?

When we work with any business, we strive to develop not only their brand but enhance and build upon their story with the goals and targets of the business in mind.

This has proved vitally important when developing a gin brand. With a saturated marketplace and a savvy customer base, potential consumers want to know the story behind the brand with unique ingredients and sustainability being two widely sought-after factors. From our research, we discovered that bottle shapes along with label finishes were also key in the decision-making process of the buyer.

Utilising bespoke assets including photography, in-bar and in-store marketing play a massive role alongside the brand to help shine through a busy marketplace. This is key to drive sales and push brand awareness.

The challenge when developing a gin brand is to make it both recognisable and identifiable on the shelf and yet distanced from prime competitors in the ever-expanding gin industry. With a plethora of amazing gins out there it was important that we studied the craft gin market to identify a visual gap in the market.   

We wanted to create a brand that sold the Arcturus story with the first impression. We combined hand-drawn illustration techniques with beautiful typography to capture the brand message of a ‘foraged and handcrafted luxury gin’.

An initial brand workshop played a major part in understanding the values of the client and their brand. Establishing these brand values and ensuring they are communicated through the final product allows consumers to identify with your brand, building loyalty and familiarity.

Within the Arcturus logo, as mentioned above there are nods to the location and ingredients of the gin coupled with a touch of the client’s own story.

Brand continuity also proves essential when developing the digital side of the product. The brand story needs to flow equally between product and website. We achieve this by using high-quality, brand photography that highlights the USP’s of the product such as location or history guiding the user from discovery through to purchase.

In an ever-expanding drinks industry, it is important to consider where in the market you are trying to place yourself.

Premiumization is huge at the moment as brands compete to achieve luxury status. You have to highlight the premium nature of the drink you are selling but maintain the personality and relatability you are trying to portray. Attention to detail is key.

This can mean using crafted typography combined with tactile finishes that look and feel premium. On the other hand, now more than ever qualities such as sustainability and authenticity go hand in hand with the luxury perception.

This is down to the fact that old luxury ideals of bling and glam are being driven out by the force of millennials who now demand assurance that their product has a backstory that they can buy into and shows signs of being sustainable, which is now a requirement for any new brand that plans on making an impact in the market.

The Gin and Drinks industry is a fast-paced and everchanging environment that is constantly bringing up new challenges, and we can’t wait to see where our next drinks venture takes us!

Do you have ideas to set up a gin or perhaps take your current gin to the next level?

If you think we could work together in the future, get in touch!

The Gannochy trust is a Scottish charity with a preference for projects in Perth and Kinross. The trust was founded in 1937 by influential Perth business man Arthur Kinmond Bell, known as A. K. Bell

The Trust funds many activities in Scotland, with a preference for Perth and Kinross, through awarding grants to what it feels are worthwhile causes. It has four over-arching themes with grant applications expected to meet at least one of the following aims, although the third and fourth will only be accepted for projects within Perth and Kinross:

• Inspiring young people
• Improving the quality of life for disadvantaged and vulnerable people
• Supporting and developing amenities for communities
• Caring for the natural and man made environments

The Gannochy trust particularly provides many grants for the improvement of sports provision and participation.

“After a lengthy evaluation process, we are delighted to appoint Shine to redevelop our website. Craig and his team took the time to understand us an organisation and have clearly set out their approach for modernising the site and improving the user experience. We very much look forward to working with Shine over the coming months.”

– Carol Downie, Chief Executive, The Gannochy Trust

We are really looking forward to what this year brings with Gannochy Trust .

As technology advances, it has become apparent that online users are increasingly impatient with day to day activities. This comes down to technology speeding up almost every aspect of our lives from self-checkout machines to being able to purchase something online and have it delivered to your door in under 24-hours. 

Although this advance in tech is groundbreaking and provides us with never before experienced access, it is forming a population who are more idealistic, more socially-conscious and more experience-oriented than any of their preceding generations, which isn’t necessarily a problem, but businesses need to be aware of this change to be able to cater for it.

So how do we as a design and digital agency focus ourselves to provide an experience that fits this new-wave of consumer?

By analysing rising trends and carrying out intensive user testing we are able to stay ahead of the curve and consistently deliver a unique design and digital experience for our Hospitality clients that allow them to manage their own guests’ expectations and offer them a smooth customer journey from the first click on the website until check-out.

Importance of Hotel Branding

When we discuss branding, this does not mean just your logo. It is the sensory experience that a client initiates when coming into contact with your brand, and in turn, becomes your most important asset as a business. It helps tell your story whilst allowing your potential customers an insight into your offering and values. Your brand will be one of the first things a guest may interact with and could play a pivotal role in their decision to delve further into your offering and book. It is then key that your brand reflects your price range and proposed target audience. 

Brand Consistency

Brand continuity in look, feel, offering and message should run coherently through everything you do. Although the visual aspect is very important it is probably the easiest to get right. Your brand values and offering are the reason why people book and return to your business and it is, therefore, key that staff members align to the brand values allowing consistent delivery of service across the board. 

Importance of Signage

Following on from consistency, the quality of your brand should be reflected through well thought out signage and wayfinding across hotel interior, exterior and grounds. Signage is an opportunity to reinforce your brand message through the choice of materials and finishes. 

One of the key factors when developing a hotel website is making sure that the user experience is focused on the route to a booking. It is vitally important that the book now button is clear and easy to see on the site. On mobile, it is also good practice to have it visible at all times as a higher percentage of people will access a hotel site via mobile. If possible allowing the user to enter their potential arrival dates on the site is good so that when they get to the booking section they are presented with the correct rooms and prices for that date range.

Importance of Engaging Media

Through user testing, we were able to determine what makes the most interactive and engaging home page on a website. Comparing professional and poor photography allowed us to see the significance each one had on bounce rates and engagement, proving poor photography directly lowers your chances of a booking on your site and similarly out of date or poorly lit images can give a bad impression of the hotel and can turn a user off instantly, so we focus on creating engaging, high-quality gallery pages or include a video as these proved most popular during user testing. This reduces the bounce rate by allowing the viewer to get a quick, detailed overview of what exactly the product on offer is, without having to spend time hunting for details.

After securing a high-end Design & Digital experience it is essential that the experience flows equally through the social presence.

So, this year more than ever it is pivotal to expand and promote your Social standing and allow it to demonstrate truthfully the product you offer.

One of the first things people do when looking up a new hotel, apart from visiting the website, is looking at their Instagram. 

By working closely with our clients and paying regular visits to build your content we allow your platform to be seen as transparent and authentic whilst still portraying the high-level you offer, this is achieved by balancing a range of different posts that include staff, rooms, food, and location taken both professionally and live on site.

We use a range of techniques to build a profile that not only sells your business but will have a direct increase in successful bookings, this is down to how we attract consumers attentions by building a realistic aesthetic and from there create a short and simple journey redirection through to the booking page in a matter of clicks.

If you think we could work together in the future, Get in touch!