services
background
Firecracker is a digital agency and is run by Hugh Taylor and Sarah Aird-Mash (formerly Francis). With strong ‘blue-chip’ backgrounds, Hugh and Sarah have delivered award-winning and effective marketing for many leading brands over the years. Firecracker achieves this by attracting and retaining the most talented individuals and creating a challenging, informal and meritocratic environment. Having no outside shareholders/stakeholders means our focus is purely on our clients, our staff and our work and we are confident in our ability to make a tangible difference to any client's business.
beliefs
We live and breathe digital but, despite its increasing influence, we understand that it has to work in a strategic fashion, co-ordinated with all other elements of our clients’ objective. In short, we love technology and innovation but not just for the sake of it; we love working in partnership with clients, but never forget they are clients; we love creativity, but understand it needs to get results. We really are ‘digitally driven and marketing led’.
services
Although we venture into other disciplines, the mainspring of our work is digital and our expertise covers the following:
- Digital consultancy
To effectively deliver a solution to your requirement we will take a strategic approach to assessing your needs, undertaking analysis that will enable us to deliver the best answer to your brief. Our approach may include but will not be limited to:
- Meetings with internal stakeholders to determine the vision of the website and how it fits within the bigger picture
- Analysis of existing site architecture
- User analysis (internal & external)
- Internal resource capabilites
- Technical requirements/mandatories
- Usability requirements
- Security requirements
- Changeover analysis
- Wireframe testing
A combination of our analysis will enable us to develop a detailed project plan and specification that will provide the blueprint to your campaign.
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your project requirements.
- Web Development
Firecrackeruk.com develops sites using the most relevant technologies and programming languages which best fit the brief including SQL, Apache, IIS, PHP, Flash, JavaScript, XML, AJAX, CSS and HTML.
Client requirements, site specification and project objectives enable us to determine the best solution for a particular project. Firecracker takes an early stance in adopting new technologies and new development protocols but we do not believe in technology for technology’s sake.
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your web development requirements.
- Case study:
- Bring Back Britain's Lunch Hour
- Badenoch & Clark
- Web Design & Branding
First impressions are vital so you don’t need us to tell you about the importance of your brand identity and how it is adapted online. Similarly your online identity is synonymous with your website usability and the overall user experience.
Firecracker understands the balance between functionality and keeping a site ‘on brand’ which is why our clients keep coming back to us. We approach every challenge with the user experience and brand promise in mind.
Our skills include:
- Brand Identity Design
- Web Brand Identity Design
- Web Design
- Site Structure Planning
- Site Design Analysis
- User Experience
- Message Hierarchies
- Content Planning, Production and Management
- Search Engine Friendly build
- Site build
- Content Management System solutions
- Site maintenance
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your web requirements.
- Case study:
- Bring Back Britain's Lunch Hour
- Project planning and specification
To effectively deliver a solution to your requirement we will take a strategic approach to assessing your needs, undertaking analysis that will enable us to deliver the best answer to your brief. Our approach may include but will not be limited to:
- Meetings with internal stakeholders to determine the vision of the website and how it fits within the bigger picture
- Analysis of existing site architecture
- User analysis (internal & external)
- Internal resource capabilites
- Technical requirements/mandatories
- Usability requirements
- Security requirements
- Changeover analysis
- Wireframe testing
A combination of our analysis will enable us to develop a detailed project plan and specification that will provide the blueprint to your campaign.
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your project requirements.
- Response to either issue or item lead briefs
Clients often come to us with a brief which contains the solution to their requirement. This is an item lead brief which will start with a campaign checklist that we will work to to fit their objectives.
There are other clients who come to us with a brief which focuses on a key objective or business issue that needs addressing. We will respond by developing a strategy which will deliver an effective, measurable campaign that will address their needs. Service includes:
- Brief assessment
- Concept development
- Campaign strategy planning
- Creative development across all campaign materials
- Project management
- Copywriting
- Print management
- Media schedule management
- Illustration
- Artwork
- Digital production
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your issue or item lead brief.
- Content Management Tools
Content Management Solutions are increasingly being included in Client’s briefs. We understand the importance of being able to edit your site quickly and cost effectively. We will advise you on the most effective way to manage this – whether you use our ‘update’ service on an ongoing basis, or whether we develop a bespoke Content Management System to meet your requirements.
We create Content Management Systems using the following technologies:
- Bespoke PHP systems
- WordPress
- Joomla
- CakePHP
Ask firecrackeruk.com about the best CMS for your requirements.
- Search Engine Marketing
All of our websites are designed and built with Search Engine Optimisation in mind. We have our own internal guidlines and practices to ensure that all our sites are well structured and linked throughout to help maximise your SEO ptotential. Our services include:
- SEO review
- Google adwords campaign creation and management
- Title and Meta Tag Optomisation for dynamic sites
- Strong linking strategy including
- canonical URLs for dynamic pages
- solid deeplinking
- URL rewriting
- SEO Flash animation
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your SEO requirements.
- Multi-media solutions
Firecrackeruk.com can deliver multi-media solutions developed by our own internal team. Whether you are looking for a simple ad campaign or full website incorporating video streaming we can provide a cost effective solution which will meet your brief and budget. Our multi media capabilities include:
- Basic Flash Services – flash animations, online ads, flash intros and flash websites
- Advanced Flash Services – Dynamic Flash applications which draw on sources such as external sites/databases
- Video Streaming via YouTube
- iPhone apps
- Flash actors
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your multi-media requirements.
- Case study:
- Xacti
- e-CRM
Email communications used well can deliver a cost effective CRM solution that will build user relationships, achieve acquisition objectives, communicate key brand messages and effectively ensure your brand is front of mind. We create, write and build B2B and B2C emails that are sent out to millions of people every month. E_CRM services include:
- Creative design
- Content planning
- Copywriting
- Template supply for client implementation
- Template adaptation and campaign implementation
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your e-CRM requirements.
- Case study:
- Monster
- VirginMedia
- Business to Business Marketing/B2B
With B2B activity it is vitally important to never lose sight of the big objective. This will always be either lead generation or sales. That is why we make sure that every campaign has a clear proposition, strong call to action and is evaluated to measure ROI and performance against agreed KPI’s. We deliver regular campaigns for Monster.co.uk, RBS and Salesforce.
- Case study:
- Monster Employ
- Salesforce
- Business to Consumer Marketing/B2C
Know your customer, know how to communicate with them. We are well versed in the art of talking to consumer audience making sure that all of our activity is targeted, timely and relevant. Whatever your objective we will ensure that your campaign has a clear proposition, strong call to action and is evaluated to measure ROI and performance against agreed KPI’s. This is one of the reasons that clients such as monster.co.uk, Virgin Media and Sopexa work choose to work with us.
- Case study:
- Sopexa
- Virgin Media
- Monster.co.uk
- Online advertising
From initial concept development through to evolution – copywriting, build, resizing and media schedule management we create and deliver online campaigns which will achieve your objectives within budget. We understand what is achievable in the online environment, know when to push technology and how to ensure that activity is on-brand. Services we offer include:
- Flash media campaigns
- Campaign copywriting
- New Media strategy advice
- Rich media campaigns
- Integrated digital campaigns
- Site takeovers/peels
- Traffic driving campaigns
- Acquisition campaigns
- Member get member campaigns
- Digital outdoor panels
Contact firecrackeruk.com with your online advertising requirements.
- Case study:
- Goretex
- Social networking solutions
- Digital conversion of print campaigns
Converting a print campaign to work in the digital space is a challenge that should not be underestimated. Retaining brand integrity whilst maximising user experience is key to effective online communications. Firecracker is happy to work as the lead agency in the development of any campaign development and equally happy to work alongside existing agencies and campaign creative.
Speak to firecrackeruk.com about the digital conversion of your print campaign.
- Case study:
- Goretex
- New media schedule management
There is an ever increasing choice of digital formats to run your campaign across. Format, sizes and specs vary according to site and media. Firecracker can manage your entire new media schedule to ensure that your campaign is delivered in a timely manner. Formats include:
- Peels/reveals
- Site takeovers
- MPUs
- Banners
- Skyscrapers
- Flash
- Video Streaming
- Expandable Banners/Skyscrapers
- Pop-ups
- Flash Games
- Prize draws
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your new media schedule management.
- Case study:
- Pricerunner
- Viral campaigns
- Buzz monitoring
What’s the buzz around your brand and your activity? Firecracker offers a buzz monitoring service which enables us to report who is saying what about you and through what media.
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your buzz monitoring.
- Third party/Contra activity
.In times when marketing budgets have been hit hard we have found our Clients increasingly looking to find ways to make more ‘bang’ for their buck. We have successfully created relationships between our clients and other complementary brands which have enabled both parties to benefit from combining forces. Services include:
- Sourcing and implementing third party email deals, whereby each party sends an email to their third party opt-in list, like for like
- Joint promotions where third parties leverage our Client activity to reach a new audience whilst giving our Client added value
- Joint promotions where our Clients have provided content or prizes to third parties in order to reach a new target audience while giving their promotional partner added value
- Film promotions where our Client uses film association to create stand out, achieve KPIs and appeal to target audience whilst communicating a new title release
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about potential third party activity.
- Case study:
- Monster/BBBLH
- Pricerunner
- Digital Promotions
In an increasingly cluttered advertising market the savvy end-user is increasingly limiting response to campaigns by only clicking on promotional messages. Win, Win, Win in the current market is achieving a better response than any other message. We create promotional digital campaigns which work solely online and others which start in-store but drive customers online to redeem/see if they have won. Services include:
- Original Creative Concept
- Concept development and implementation
- Integrated campaign design and development
- Promotional microsite where consumers can enter unique number to see whether they have won
- Promotional microsite where consumers can enter prize draw
- Send to a friend mechanic
Contact firecrackeruk.com for further information.
- Our People
Firecracker emerged in the wake of the economic crisis as the brainchild of Hugh Taylor and Sarah Aird-Mash (formerly Francis).
We currently have a team of 16 people, of all nationalities, star signs and abilities.
Our in-house capabilities are impressive, and when you combine this with our lean, mean team of freelancers who we call upon depending on brief/requirement, we believe that we can meet any challenge you care to throw at us.
Our in-house skills include:
- Account Planning
- Brand/Campaign Strategy
- Audience analysis and segmentation
- Project Management
- Copywriting
- Google adwords campaign management
- Digital media campaign management
- Email design, build, planning, writing, content
- Creative Services
- Flash
- PHP
- MySQL
- CakePHP
- Joomla
- WordPress
- iPhone apps
- Facebook apps
- Youtube channel design
- Illustrator
- Photoshop
- Creative Services
- Flash
- Digital media campaign management
Talk to firecrackeruk.com about your digital promotion requirements.
testimonials
Marcy Richardson, Marketing Manager
Elle Magazine, Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd
Firecracker was recommended to me four years ago and I have been working with them ever since. Their all-round marketing skills make them a cut above most digital agencies and we find their results-driven approach is much more in line with what we want. I could also mention that they are able to meet ridiculously short deadlines – but they might not thank me.
Mike Walker, Director
Sopexa
Firecracker is an agency who really understands the challenges of marketing in the UK. Their campaigns are well thought through, well executed from beginning to end, within budget and successful. I would have no hesitation in recommending them.
give us a bell on 020 3159 5090
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