Abigail's Collection New Shop Front

We’re all feeling a touch more chic at Mackman these days, following the opening of a newly expanded Abigail’s Collection on Colchester High Street. The expansion of our long-standing client’s Bridalwear Boutique from 1st and 2nd floor premises to the ground floor (and right on to the High Street itself) gave us a fantastic oportunity to work on the design of a high-profile shop front with real high-street presence. The Mackman design team worked closely with Abigail to come up with a classic, sophisticated design fitting to the boutique’s stunning merchandise. Crucially, the signage and frosted windows design are impactful without being detracting – allowing Abigail’s gorgeous outfits to dazzle the public and really speak from themselves.

Abigail said: ‘We are all completely thrilled with the design – surely it’s your best piece of design work ever! Jokes aside, many businesses underestimate the importance of professional design input… thank goodness we do not! All of our customers say it looks fabulous (staff too) and we are all really proud of the local brand, image and shop that you have helped us to develop and grow over the last few years. Once again thank you, Bruce. You are a star! Great work!’

Visit Abigail’s Collection at 64A High Street, Colchester or go to AbigailsCollection.co.uk

Gemma & Paul Mackman (left) collect Community Involvement Award from Adnams

For a third consecutive year, Mackman Group struck gold at the Anglian Business Awards, this time winning the Community Involvement category sponsored by Adnams. The award is aimed at commercial businesses that can demonstrate how they combine business success with involvement in their community, which goes beyond their core business strategy.

The Anglian Business Awards is one of the top dates in the regional business calendar, recognising excellence and achievement in the local business community.

http://www.archantsuffolk.net/business/

http://www.archantsuffolk.net/business/

Website with a smile – Prime Appointments director Robyn Holmes

Jobseekers in the Sudbury, Suffolk and Witham, Essex areas have a cutting edge, fresh, new resource at their fingertips this week, thanks to Mackman. Prime Appointments recruitment agency’s completely re-vamped website comes with a splash of humour, aiming to take the stress out of job hunting by making it personable – as well as ultimately successful!

‘We’re a people-focussed company,’ explained managing director, Robyn Holmes, ‘so it seemed natural to feature our staff in a fun and lively way on the website.’ Photos on the website are far removed from the usual, bland, head-and-shoulders profiles of other recruitment web sites, with staff striking their own animated poses and coming up with catchphrases to keep things lively. The web site goes live this week and features vacancies from across East Anglia – both temporary and permanent – in a range of industries.

As well as looking great and being easy to use, the new web site is designed to reach as many jobseekers and recruiters as possible.  It also utilises the very latest developments in website technology and integrates a sophisticated ‘engine’.

James and Paul join James Grinter and Chris Leeson from Reeman Dansie to celebrate their online bidding success.

One of East Anglia’s most respected auctioneers, Reeman Dansie of Colchester, has experienced  a surge of interest from on-line bidders following rebranding and the launch of a website designed by Mackman Group.

‘The new website has increased our customer base throughout the world,’ explains Reeman’s Senior Partner, James Grinter. The numbers of registered on-line bidders actually more than doubled in the sale immediately following the website relaunch. Mr Grinter commented, ‘The increased business has continued to grow in our antiques and collectors’ sales this year and I am confident that it will continue.’

Paul Mackman said: ‘We really concentrated on search engine optimisation to bring in new customers and online bidders, whilst also making the website attractive and easy to use for existing customers.’

For further information about Reeman Dansie, including dates and details of all up-coming sales, or to register to bid online visit www.reemandansie.com.

Garden designers Janey and Paul celebrate their Chelsea Silver Medal

‘If the bee disappeared off the surface of the Globe, then man would have only four years of life left.’ – Albert Einstein

Einstein’s prophetic message was seen by thousands of garden enthusiasts last week, thanks to the Global Stone Bee Friendly Garden at Chelsea Flower Show. Mackman have been managing the garden’s PR and publicity from the start, and we are delighted to announce that the garden won a Silver Medal at the show.

Following sustained coverage in national and local media up to the event, the garden was also featured on BBC’s Chelsea Flower Show programme twice during the week, and was profiled by Kate Humble on the BBC’s flagship morning news programme Breakfast. It also feature on the local television news and on BBC radio as well as in the national press and amongst an ‘Editor’s Top Five’ for glossy magazine ‘Houses and Gardens’.

‘We’re really honoured to receive this award,’ said the garden’s designer, Janey Auchincloss, who works from Lavenham. ‘It’s the first year we’ve been to Chelsea and it’s a real achievement to do so well. All the hard work and heartache has really paid off!’

Since winning a contract to work on the Olympic Park Site in Stratford in 2007, increased web traffic meant a more user-friendly, professional website was needed. Mackman and TCM are both very pleased with the look and tone of the website, which features advice and step-by-step guides to weed erradication and other environmental challenges as much as it showcases TCM’s (rather breathtaking) capabilities ‘on the ground’.

To view the website and learn more about TCM’s work and their involvement with Olympic sites across the country visit www.t-c-m.co.uk

Preparing for the Sudbury Institute Club's May Beer Festival, 2010

Mackman is again sponsoring The Sudbury Institute Club’s Annual May Beer Festival this year. Established as a firm favourite on the CAMRA beer festival circuit, the event repeatedly draws beer lovers from the capital, as well as regular visitors from the continent.

On tap this year will be 30 real ales and ciders, offering punters plenty of variety over the three days (7-9th May). There will be live music on Friday and Saturday, and a barbeque on the go every day. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, and posters and promotional pint glasses will incorporate Ringo’s famous (and oddly appropriate!) words in their design.

The festival runs each day from mid morning until late at the Sudbury Institute on Station Road, Sudbury. Admission is just £2 for non-members. For more information call the Sudbury Institute Club on 01787 379057.

Global Stone Bee Friendly Plants Garden - the design

Mackman is managing PR, marketing and promotion for an attention-grabbing show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this year!

The Global Stone Bee Friendly Plants Garden demonstrates how careful planting choices can encourage bees to forage in even the smallest of urban spaces. With the world’s bee population already in serious decline and new threats posed by little understood parasites and diseases, this garden is sure to attract the attention of the press and ecological interest groups.

With the plight of the planet in mind, Global Stone supplies ethically sourced paving to more than 80 landscaping specialists and building merchants across the country. Their bee friendly garden at Chelsea features natural stone paving and an imposing dark slate wall backdrop, beautifully engraved with a provocative quotation.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is held annually in May at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London. It is the most famous gardening show in the United Kingdom, and probably the world, attracting 157,000 visitors each year and receiving extended coverage on the BBC.

Nothing fishy - Studio Manager, Bruce Burgoyne, with the new ecommerce site for The Food Company

Mackman is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new e-commerce website for The Food Company at Marks Tey, Colchester, Essex.

The Food Company was founded in 2000 as an alternative shopping destination to increasingly oppressive supermarket chains. Founders felt that the disappearance of independent butchers, fishmongers, bakers etc from British high streets was making it impossible to buy really fresh real food. The website offers UK customers the opportunity to browse and buy top-notch fresh products online, significantly broadening The Food Company’s geographical target market.

Kate Livingstone, Marketing Manager at The Food Company said, “The creation of a first-class eCommerce website is an essential part of our continued growth and it was important for us to find a local company to do build it.  Mackman Group delivered on time and to budget and we are delighted with the result.  It is a great looking website that visitors can easily find their way around”.  She added, “Our objective is not just to have a stunning website, but to offer our customers access to our products 24/7.”

The new on-line shop selling The Food Company’s delectable treats is now live and ready for all to see at www.thefoodcompany.co.uk.