Back in April we won a pitch for an adoption campaign for Somerset County Council. So with a spring in our step we set to work creating a brand identity, advertising, a website and a whole load of marketing collateral. We have really enjoyed the challenge, and with the website going live yesterday we thought you might want to take a look – www.adoptioninsomerset.org.uk. The lead on the project was Somerset County Council’s PR and Communication Officer, Lyndsey Mayhew, here’s what she had to say about the process, “It has been a pleasure to work with DNA on the adoption campaign. Right from the start, I felt DNA really understood what we wanted to achieve and I was impressed with the background research and the ideas that were developed beyond the creative brief. The creation of the site and campaign tools could not have been smoother and the account team were excellent, always on the end of the phone and with no request too difficult!” Thanks Lyndsey! Next up we’ve been lucky enough to secure the Fostering in Somerset campaign too! Watch this space for updates on how we get on.

“Everybody who knows what they’re doing in web development and web design is now pretty much on board [the web standards] train even though not everyone [...] shares exactly the same understanding.” Jeffrey Zeldman.

Anyone thinking of going into web design or development should watch this video of Jeffrey Zeldman, one of the people credited with founding web standards. Click here.

(Si – NOW I understand why you keep banging on about AA this and AA that! Jim)

If you’re thinking of buying a quality second-hand car, but can’t decide whether to go safe and buy one from a dealer (and pay a premium for doing so), or to chance your arm and buy privately (and risk picking up a lemon), we’re working with someone who may have a solution.

UsedCars2U is the UK’s first website that supplies fully serviced used cars directly the consumers’ door, at no extra charge. In so doing, they’re aiming to cut out the middle man. All of UsedCars2U’s cars have had one owner, come with a warranty, full service history, 14-day money-back guarantee and undergo a 120-point pre-delivery check… All the benefits of buying from a dealer but for about 20% less, AND without having to leave your sofa!

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OK, well this might be a bit of a techie rant against the Microsoft machine and its shoddy, market dominating browser, Internet Explorer, but firstly its a valid one and secondly its more about recognising the huge achievements of a lesser known browser, Opera. There are a myriad of different browsers and different browser versions being used all with different capabilities and different ways of displaying the same website content, this makes our jobs as web content creators very tricky.

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The latest yachts from Princess Yachts International, the Princess 130 and 105, have been revealed on their respective microsites. Designed and created by DNA Advertising, backed by press advertising and characterised by their brooding and mysterious atmosphere, the two new web microsites have a feel and mood unlike any other Princess campaign. See the introductory microsites at: www.princess130.com and www.princess105.com. New images, videos and specifications will be added to the website as time passes so be sure to check back for the latest information.

According to a survey commissioned by ClickandBuy, a leading internet payment system, it seems that online merchants are losing business by not offering a sufficiently wide choice of internet payment methods.  The survey of 2000 online British adults, which was carried out by independent survey firm YouGov, found that half (50 per cent) of those who regularly shop online said that if their preferred payment method is not available, they will cancel the purchase.   

Supporting this statistic is that over one third (40 per cent) of all adults surveyed said that they would feel more comfortable purchasing from a retailer who offers a wide range of payment methods than a retailer who only offers one payment option. 

To read the full article click here

We have just successfully completed the redesign and build of the Education section of the Met Office website (www.metoffice.gov.uk/education). Working to tight brand guidelines inline with W3C guides, to AA standard. The project was completed in 3 months, to budget and delivered on time – live last week. As well as the web design and build, the task included designing and producing flash animations as teaching aids on the site, and the creation of the Met Office Educational character ‘Weather Explorer,’ to help children in Key Stages 1 & 2 to understand and engage with the material. The work has been very well received by the Met Office team, passing comprehensive usability testing. We are looking forward to working with them again soon! 

Search engines exist to provide relevant, useful search results for their users. They are not there to benefit companies who are proficient at optimizing websites. If you think you have thought of a clever way to fool them – forget it. They are not easily tricked and, if they catch you, they will probably ban you. For businesses that depend on leads and enquiries from their websites, this can literally prove fatal.

If you want to drive people to your latest, beautifully designed website, concentrate on the following tips for generating web traffic, and don’t cheat! Click here.

As part of our ongoing drive to reduce our paper usage and to pass on some festive merriment we’ve produced a web based, simple flash based animation with some festive fun interactivity.

We hope you’ll enjoy dressing ‘Frostie the Throw-man” up and chucking him around, click to play!

http://www.dnaadvertising.co.uk/xmas2008

Merry Christmas!
The DNA Team.

We are pleased to announce that our new website is now up and running. Designed to allow a much more user-friendly and simple navigation through our latest projects, the website offers a detailed description of our work alongside extensive imagery so you can see what we’ve been up to. The projects can also be ordered by category and be presented in a thumbnail or list view for quick browsing.

We really value your opinion, so have a look and let us know what you think www.dnaadvertising.co.uk

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the new Princess Yachts International website, which went live in conjunction with this year’s Southampton Boat Show. The data-driven Flash website features videos and detailed specifications for twenty of Princess’ luxury yachts, plus ‘the Princess experience’ walkthrough, an interactive historic timeline, distributors map and up-to-the-minute interactive calendar. We dispensed completely with the old layout and navigation, building this site from scratch to bring the web presence in line with the Princess brand identity and corporate communications, which include the latest brochures and advertising campaigns. The website is now live at www.princessyachts.com.

At DNA we love our cars, so redesigning the website for the Volvo dealership, Cambridge Garage, was a project we really wanted. The website went live in July with a great response from the Volvo team in Portsmouth. In fact, they were so pleased with our handy-work they asked us to redesign their corporate newsletter as well! The clean, image-driven design reflects the progressive style being championed by Volvo Cars UK, as it aims to target a more youthful and diverse customer group than before. And yet at the same time we were careful not to lose the heritage and personality of the Cambridge Garage, which has been operating itself for over 70 years.

The new Ascari website is now live, following an intensive 6-month marketing and design programme. We are delighted to have been involved from the project’s inception, working with Ascari’s senior management team to define the brand’s positioning and key messaging before we began filming, photography, design and web build. Ascari manufactures bespoke high performance production and GT3 cars, runs an exclusive private members’ club and owns an exquisite race resort in southern Spain. DNA is now working with Ascari to implement a sales and marketing plan specifically aimed at the UK market.

Go to www.ascari.net to see the new website.

Our PR Manager worked her magic as this month we opened the local newspaper to find our Devonport news story splashed across the front of the business pages. Our Webteam has been getting rave reviews for the DNA built & designed www.devonportyachts.com, with special mention of the homepage movie showing a fictional yacht completly created in CGI. Team Web design Devon based, and looking great!

But please ignore the Christmas decorations in our team pic – they used an old image from previous press coverage – Smile everyone!

Click here to view the article in full.