News
The Simplicity of Great Writing
Great writing doesn't have to be filled with complicated jargon and lengthy sentence structures to make an impact. In fact, the simple ways are often the best.
Quick Tips for Perfectly Punctuated Emails
It’s not just what you say – it’s the way you say it. And when it comes to writing emails and projecting a professional appearance, understanding how to punctuate correctly is essential.
We’re Hiring – Senior Designer and Account Manager
Shine is looking for talented Senior Designer and Account Manager to join our small but successful, and expanding, RAR Recognised creative agency.
Industry Insights: How to Shine During Your Work Experience
For budding creatives, work experience can be a great place to start. We're a firm believer in the value of experience so, when Jess joined us for a week at our Exeter office, we rallied to collect both her and Sam's input on why it's so important to sparking careers.
Building Relationships: Social Etiquette and Perfecting the Art of Conversation in Business
The secret to building relationships lies in perfecting social etiquette - a factor which businesses often forget. Our latest article explores the art of conversation and the need to bring social graces back to the forefront. Good manners cost nothing, after all!
Back to the Drawing Board: The Return of Our Shine Illustration
After taking a short break, we’re reintroducing our beloved Shine illustration back to our homepage.
The big pitch: how to conduct market research
You’d be forgiven for thinking consumer research will cost a fortune, or take several weeks, to carry out. But there are a number of ways to conduct research on a budget, in 72 hours or less…
Shining a light on the Ocean Stars charity
Sam’s sister-in-law Sandra has been working with this fabulous charity for some time now, and we recently designed a creative craft activity pack for her to take out to Sri Lanka on her latest visit.
Shine Creative merges with Exeter-based JJC Design
Having worked with JJC on the Exeter Chiefs account since mid-2017, we’re now pleased to confirm that we have merged the two businesses – to expand Shine’s footprint into the West Country.
What is GDPR and how will it affect your email marketing strategy?
With less than 100 days to go before the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force, we wanted to help ensure your data management is beyond reproach.
Key takeaways from the Marketing Week Live event
We wanted to share some of our key takeaways from the Marketing Week Live event, so that you’ll be able to use them to boost your own marketing activities…
Josie’s Dragonfly Trust – our chosen charity for 2018!
This year, we’re working with Josie’s Dragonfly Trust yet again – a wonderful charity which makes a positive and very real difference to the lives of children with cancer.
The story of the mighty Chiefs – and how they dared to fly!
Christmas is about tradition, but it is also a time for telling stories. One such story is that of the mighty Chiefs and their fairytale journey to be crowned rugby Champions…
Together we can make dreams come true this Christmas!
We’ve been working with Josie’s Dragonfly Trust to help them give young cancer patients the best possible gift this festive season…
The battle of the Christmas ads – who did it best?
It’s that time of year again when the advertising agencies bring out the big guns. But which ones took the crown(s) for us this year? They might not be the ones you’d expected…
The future of VR – is this the real life, or is this just fantasy?
2016 was heralded as the ‘breakthrough year’ for VR. But where are we now? In 2017, the dialogue around VR appears to have been put on mute…
Shine achieves RAR recommendations for 25 services!
We were thrilled to achieve recommended agency status again this year – and we believe it all boils down to our passion for exceptional customer care.
Why we’re trading #PumpkinsForPounds this Halloween!
Cinderella’s fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a magic carriage – but this Halloween, Shine are turning them into donations for Josie’s Dragonfly Trust.
Avoiding embarrassing blunders: why it pays to proofread
Does proofreading really matter? Perhaps not so much when you’re just messaging your pals, but when it comes to business we certainly think it does…
Are advertising and marketing guidelines constricting creativity?
Concerns regarding responsible advertising are nothing new. But what do recent guidelines mean for the industry – and most of all, what do they mean for creativity?
A word on social media: why your business needs it
Just like your business, social media is constantly evolving. And if your customers are on social networks, then you need to be as well!
Shine goes on tour – with Toolbank’s Autumn Trade Shows!
We’re bringing ‘all the fun of the fair’ to Toolbank’s southern stockists this week, on the first stop of our national Trade Show tour.
Love them or loathe them: are emojis here to stay?
Ah emojis, the colourful little icons that decorate, or litter, our phone screens – depending on which way you look at it. But are they past their use-by-date?
Brands and copywriting: more than just looks
Good copy can make or break your brand – we look at how some carefully crafted words can create a compelling story or distinctive brand voice.
Creativity – a natural talent or nurtured skill?
Is creativity inherent, a talent acquired at birth by a select few; or it a learned skill, honed with practice? We tackle the age-old debate of nature vs. nurture.
Industry specialism – smart or short sighted?
We delve into the pros and cons of industry specialism versus experts of industry - and discover why specialism isn't always best.
5 factors to consider when choosing a design agency
Finding an agency that’s a great fit for your business is about more than just good design! Read our top tips to find out what you should be on the lookout for.
Why customer experience is more important than ever
Good old customer service isn’t a job role. It’s a way of life, a business ethos - and it's something that should be at the forefront of every brand.
Shine announced as the ‘lynch pin’ in DUCFS
Find out how we helped the 2017 Durham University Charity Fashion Show become the most profitable UK student fundraiser, raising a record-breaking £75,000.
Help us do our bit for the poppy appeal!
For this year’s Remembrance Day, we’re combining visual poetry with poppies to help raise money for The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
Impossible deadlines: and how to overcome them
Deadlines are one of the hardest challenges to face in a business, so we’ve compiled some top tips on how to handle these situations and still come out on top!
The new marketing tool: Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go is undoubtedly the latest mobile sensation, so we wanted to take a look at how it's influencing marketing strategies around the world…
How can video help develop your brand?
Hailed as ‘the future of content marketing’, it’s more important than ever to integrate video content into your marketing efforts.
A Christmas campaign that’s worth making a noise about
We've reached the final launch stages of Toolbank’s seasonal retail promotion – a leading B2B campaign we’ve collaboratively worked on for over 13 years…
The Drum Design Census Report 2016: Bang on
Take a look at our full-page advert in The Drum Design Census Report 2016, which brings together a selection of creative expressions developed by the Shine Team….
Shine Creative achieves Elite agency status 3 years in a row!
It’s been a great day for the Shine team, with yet another excellent ranking (3rd place this year!) in the highly respected Drum Design Census.
Vinyl: and the renaissance of a lost art
In light of this year’s Record Store Day, we've decided to take a closer look at the ever-growing buzz surrounding the ‘vinyl revival’...
Shine Creative launches the new Windsor Great Park website
We’ve recently created a beautiful new website to showcase Windsor Great Park’s new brand identity and help position it as the ultimate visitor destination.
Sandra’s fundraising challenge: mission complete!
Find out how our cleaning wonder got on in her incredible fundraising challenge for the Ocean Stars Trust!
Our shining star: Sandra’s fundraising challenge
Our cleaning superstar, Sandra, is embarking on an amazing challenge this Friday to help raise money for an orphanage in Sri Lanka…
The ‘A Team’ and British educational charity – ETF
We're proud of the close relationship we have formed with the Educational Trusts’ Forum, and the new brand identity and website we've designed for them.
“Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint” – Banksy
Even now, the contention between graffiti's status as vandalism or art continues – with the line between the two becoming ever more precarious.
Watch the backlash unfold as Instagram gets personal
Instagram will soon be switching to personalised algorithms, rather than chronological order - displaying content which it thinks users will find most relevant.
Landing your dream design job: the how-to
As an integrated creative agency, that's been established for over a decade - we've seen it all when it comes to applicants for design positions!
This just in: the RAR Download 2016
We were delighted to receive our copy of the RAR Download this morning – a single source of insight on agencies that are highly respected by their clients.
Brand perception is for life, not just for Christmas
We've worked with many of our clients over the years to help them create inspirational marketing messages to send out to their clients during the festive season.
Content marketing: what your business needs to be doing
Most of us are familiar with the phrase ‘content is king’ – but it’s not just the king, it's the queen, the crown and everything in-between.
Creating a branded journey with SEKO Logistics
SEKO recently opened a new 150,000 sq ft flagship facility in Milton Keynes - with Shine being asked to design a bold and effective interior design solution.
Crafting an effective corporate boilerplate
With the sole purpose of describing your company and the products or services it offers, a boilerplate is in essence the text equivalent of an elevator pitch.
Debunk the mysteries of SEO with our jargon buster
We want to help demystify SEO - one of the most misunderstood and terminology-laden terms currently flaunted in the marketing industry...
Shine’s job hunting graduate crash course
The last three pasta and caffeine fuelled years, and the 1pm lie-ins are a distant memory. Full-time work is on the horizon and naturally, you’re a little bit nervous…
Making the right connections at InnoTrans
We created a series of videos and graphics for TE Connectivity, to support its attendance at the InnoTrans 2014 Trade Fair for Transport Technology in Berlin.
Can sloppy advertising be good advertising?
As a business fixated on attention to detail, sloppy advertising never fails to spark a discussion in the office...
In the spirit of sports mastery: our shining sporting moments
As the Athletics World Championships are finally upon us, we thought it would be a good chance for us here at Shine to relive a few of our own sporting moments...