Writer/Creative director Nick Portet on modesty, unlocking client relationships, and putting messages front of mind and out of the trash.
It could have gone either way. I’d told the client that the last thing the world needed was another throw-away A4 brochure: that a hard-back book would unlock new client relationships; and that they needed to pass their message to prospects with care, style and finesse. It was a simple idea but it took a smart client to see its worth. And it took an amazing production company to make it all worthwhile.
Brewin Dolphin is a well-respected, long established wealth manager, but they’re operating in a crowded, competitive market. We wanted to find a way to deliver a message that resonated with prospective clients – one about why they want to preserve and grow their wealth not just how to do it. And we wanted to package our message in a format that people would struggle to discard – that would stick around and stick with them. Beautiful books are hard to throw away!
Our book for Brewin Dolphin is the coming together of a strategic idea, a creative concept and careful, insightful production. It’s all too easy for ideas and concepts to run out of steam and never quite fulfil their promise – but not this time. Francis and his team at Hurtwood understand one of the most difficult equations – how to balance production cost with true, long-term value. They gave the client the book they needed within a budget that made sense.
The client’s happy, it’s a beautifully branded cloth-bound treat that feels like a gift that clients can enjoy receiving (and reading too I hope). Hurtwood made my words look great (for which I am eternally grateful) but will it work? Will it win new clients? Will it change minds and confirm convictions? Time will tell, but as Henry Ford famously said, ‘quality is about doing it right when no one is looking’. Perfect words for Hurtwood Press. And, thanks to them, people will be looking at our little book for Brewin Dolphin for a while to come.
Words: Nick Portet
Images: Ed Tritton
Nick is a writer, consultant and the creative director of Wreyford – a boutique branding agency working with financial and professional services firms world wide. Visit the Wreyford website or contact Nick by email.
