There’s an upside to the end of summer

And that upside is Fall fashion! I already have my wish list - do you? Here’s my plan - invest in a few key pieces (handbag, boots and coat) and buy up to the minute fashion at affordable prices that I can mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe.

Now we all know the usual suspects for these pieces (H&M, Zara and Target), but there’s a new kid coming to town – Joe Fresh. Founded by Joe Mimran (the man behind Club Monaco), this Canadian brand is coming Stateside & giving us American’s a chance to snap up their classic-with-a twist collections at insanely good prices.



If you can’t wait until the store opens, check out their brand new website (and if the voice sounds familiar, it’s because it was penned by our very own Mark Welsh.)

Happy shopping!

Talent Spotlight: Carter & Cunningham collaborates with West Elm

We're so excited to announce Carter & Cunningham's collaboration with West Elm. If you follow the goings on at Plum Creative, you'll know that Carter & Cunningham is a ceramics and art studio co-founded by Plum's very own Mark Welsh & his partner, James Saliaz.

In keeping with their one of a kind, hand made pieces that "both twist and glorify nature", Saliaz hand-crafted two ceramic owls and a citronella candle pot with stamped Swallow. Perfect for outdoors or indoors (and at prices that are almost too good to be true) you'd be a fool to pass them up. Take yourself off to West Elm and treat your abode to a little Carter & Cunningham style.

Talent Spotlight: Guess where Carter & Cunningham are popping up next?

We realize that fabulous sculptures and ceramics are something of an investment, so we're excited to share that, come Summer, a gorgeous piece by Carter + Cunningham could be yours at a ridiculously reasonable price.

This beautiful owl, sculpted by James Saliaz, will be available at one of the nation's most affordable, yet chic furniture and home decor stores. Watch this space.....

It’s fun, it’s fresh and it’s orange. Check out the Hi5! Summer campaign for Joe Fresh

I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Joe Fresh, Canada’s trendiest (and most affordable) brand, is hitting New York this Fall. Not only that but they’re turning 5!
To celebrate, Joe Fresh collaborated with Plum Creative’s Mark Welsh to develop an suitably fresh brand voice and Brynn Johnson to develop the visual direction and logo.
Check out the summer Hi5! Campaign on-line.(click on ‘see it now’)

Talent Spotlight: Copywriter branches out to glorious results

Anyone who’s familiar with Plum is familiar with our copywriter,
Mark Welsh. Mark was the first person to come on board when I started Plum Creative and we’ve had a rollicking good time since creating brand language for clients that include West Elm, Bloomingdale’s, Joe Fresh, Cole Haan, Target and many more.

So you can imagine everyone’s collective delight when we learned that Mark’s talents went beyond the written word and he and his partner, artist James Saliaz launched Carter & Cunningham - a studio specializing in ceramics, sculpture & collage.

These heavenly pieces include resin lions, clay owls, orbs, driftwood picture frames and unique collages collectively referred to “Unnatural Curiosities” (admit it, you’re dying to find out what that means)!

You need wait no longer – check out their website, book and appointment and treat yourself and your home to something that’s anything but unnatural.

More than just a pretty face

No matter how gorgeous the image, a brand without a smart, distinctive voice is kind of like going on a date with a really hot chap or chick and finding out they have nothing to say. You might be able to overlook this lack of personality for a while (depending on how shallow you are!), but it’s unlikely you’ll hang in there for the long haul.

By creating a compelling voice for your brand, you're essentially giving it a personality. Through language, you can create an emotional connection with your target audience and ultimately, build brand loyalty.

Some of my favorite Plum projects have been helping brands develop their unique voice. Here are a few ways we’ve achieved that:

Create a brand manifesto
A brand manifesto communicates to both staff and customers who you are. It can be serious or funny, as long as it’s succinct, authentic and aligned with your brand. I love Jonathan Adler’s ‘We believe’ manifesto. Aside from the fact that the lovely Mark Welsh wrote it, it’s as witty and whimsical as Adler’s pots….perfect brand alignment.


Create a tagline
A few words that can have a huge impact. Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t immediately know which brands ‘Just Do It’ and ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ are associated with?

Be consistent
Extend your brand voice across all your communications – from your in-store signage to advertising, website, press release etc.

Apply language to your internal communications
Don’t just keep the good stuff for your consumer communications. Speaking consistently to your customer starts with your employees. Incorporate your brand voice, mission and values into internal communications such as training materials.

Incorporate your voice into your social media strategy
More than ever, brands need to develop original and entertaining content. Make sure your content is engaging and written in your voice.

One more tip for the road - if you're unsure of how to go about it, hire a copywriter. Someone who understands your brand, your audience and has a way with words will be worth their weight in gold.