Foray into the Red Zone revisited

In an update to our post “Foray into the Red Zone“, on the 9th July were were able to try again to gain access to our office in the Whitcoulls Building. The rules for access had changed again, and after the different permissions had been granted, I joined a small convoy back in to City Mall. [...]

Wake Me Up When September Ends

So far 2011 has gone by in a blur of natural and weather related phenomina, which had interrupted and changed our business and personal lives. Out of necessity has come adaptability, not a bad thing when it comes to business, but for many the struggle is ongoing, with no quick fix in sight.

Boxing Day Quake Update

When the team at Hot PJ downed tools for the 2010 Christmas holiday period we had pretty much forgotten what an aftershock felt like. But Mother Nature had other ideas. Not content with 4000+ previous attempts to shake our foundations to the core, she struck again on Boxing Day, centring her violence on the inner [...]

Using creativity to grow successful businesses and brands

In this difficult economic time many businesses feel they can’t justify ramping up their communication strategies and marketing more creatively. Yet as the lead article in the March/April NZ Marketing magazine is at pains to point out, “the companies most tenacious in their pursuit of creativity have been the ones outperforming the stock market and [...]

Review your marketing tools to maximise return!

Part 2: Advertisements Many of us have long-running advertisements to promote our business, whether it’s a repeat advert in the Metropol magazine or even your ad in the Yellow Pages directory. It’s quick and easy to delegate the design of your ad to the company that’s actually printing the ad. All you do is give [...]

When the product doesn’t match the promise

Most women know that when they buy a cosmetic, its not going to turn them into the smooth faced adolescent that is pictured in the advertising. The reality is that it doesn’t matter how much ‘Meaningful Beauty’ I slap on, I’m never gonna look like Cindy Crawford! But we still buy into these false promises, [...]

From Old Billboards to Funky Dolphin Friendly Bags

As you might imagine, billboards generally have a short life, but during the time they are ‘up’ they need to withstand all the elements. They are generally constructed of sturdy weatherproof vinyl, that all too quickly ends up as landfill. One innovative NZ company by the name of “WAS” takes the billboard material, combines it with seatbelt strapping, to create unique, sturdy and very funky bags.

The Brighter Side of High Fuel Costs

It has been a roller coaster ride for car owners over the last 6 months; fuel prices going up up up, and then quickly dropping down, only to go up again. On-going talk about recession, Somalian pirates and the fluctuating US dollar all add to this uneasy ride for motorists. But there is a brighter [...]

How to Design Marketing Communications to minimise their Environmental Impact

The ‘Green’ Design and Printing Guide Many organisations with a sustainable message send mixed signals with their communications material. The message says ‘be sustainable’ but the method of delivery does not always reflect this. In this post I am going to give you some of the tools and principles that we use at Hot PJ [...]

“Environmentally friendly” – meaningless marketing statement

Let’s be truthful – there is very little, (in fact probably nothing, about the way we humans live our lives and do business today that is ‘environmentally friendly’. The old adage of ‘take, make, waste’ is still very much at the heart of modern western society. Yet, as it becomes fashionable to be seen as [...]