Adare delivers 80,000 inspired charity christmas cards for HBOS
With Christmas just around the corner Adare has used elements of its visionary new marketing communications portal, MC², to deliver more than 80,000 charity Christmas cards to HBOS employees across the country.
The HBOS Foundation ran a Christmas card design competition for employees' children earlier in the year, with Hector Maclennan (age seven) enchanting judges with his robin design. Hector beat over 1,000 other entries.
With all proceeds from the sale of the cards donated by HBOS plc, matched by the HBOS Foundation and given to the British Heart Foundation, WRVS and the Family Holiday Association in partnership with RNLI, the company challenged Adare to develop an easy and efficient web based ordering system to maximise sales.
Using MC², Adare's fully integrated on-line marketing tool, the end solution was taken from concept to build in just four weeks, allowing HBOS employees to not only order and pay for cards on-line but also to personalise the message inside.
The cards were then digitally produced on the fleet of iGen digital printers within Adare's new Park Mill Multimedia Communications Output Centre in West Yorkshire and distributed to HBOS employees across the country - all before the 1st of December! June Love, IT Director at Adare, comments: "Approximately 60,000 users were given access to order the 2007 HBOS Christmas card, so it was imperative that the site was easy to use and fast, with a high standard of visual presentation.
"By using the flexibility of our MC² platform, the HBOS Foundation was able to test the prototype very quickly and also make changes to layout right up to the launch date."
Angela Tinker, Head of HBOS Foundation, adds: "With a fantastic festive design from Hector, this year's card has raised over £65,000 for colleagues' chosen charities! We are able to raise so much money from the sale of these cards, as unlike most charity cards where a very small percentage of the profit on a card goes to charity - double the full card price goes to our charities as we match every pound spent by colleagues!
"Adare was able to deliver a complete ordering, secure payment, print and distribution solution in just twelve weeks from start to finish. The bespoke website made it easy for our colleagues to place orders. "
Adare currently manages all printed marketing literature and related services for HBOS including the production and supply of all continuous and specialist print, such as statements and PINs.
