Author Archive

Years of successful campaign work had accumulated a collection of disused campaign POS and props. Our client, being environmentally conscious of their carbon footprint, wanted these bespoke pieces to have a second home and be utilised once more. This led to the client and the Delta Group sharing ideas on how best to re-home the products in the most conscious manner possible.

After consulting with Starzeus Hassan-McGhee, Delta’s Sustainability Director, Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children was identified as the perfect partner for the project.

Over half-a-million disabled and terminally ill children in the UK are living without the vital equipment they need. Their health is worsening, and their families are struggling, and their future is in jeopardy. Early intervention to equip disabled children at the right stage of their development is critical.

About Newlife the charity

Newlife the charity have been working in partnership with leading brands and retailers for over thirty years. They provide specialist disability equipment and support to disabled and terminally ill children and their families.

Newlife charity collect from stores customer returns, faulty items and write-offs and create positive social and environmental impacts.

Products, which can no longer be used in stores or other outlets, can be used in 4 ways:

Who Newlife supports: meet Freddie

Freddie plays for the first time thanks to Newlife play therapy pod. Freddie is a happy and full of life two-year-old who lives in Herefordshire with Mum, Brittany.

He is developmentally delayed and is undergoing genetic testing to find out the cause of his disability. Due to this, he has the abilities of a 12-18 month old, is non-verbal, has no awareness of danger and is hypermobile,
so he can only crawl and has poor muscle control.

Freddie’s desire to play with toys was often hit and miss and any toys he played with just weren’t engaging enough for him – playing with them for only a few minutes before losing interest. Mum was desperate for Freddie to improve his motor skills and enjoy playing like other children his age.

Now, thanks to Newlife’s Play Therapy Pod service, he is able to play happily with a selection of specialist toys. Freddie is able to develop his motor skills through playing with different sensory toys.

Mum said: “There is such a variety of toys in the box. It was a huge surprise for Freddie when we received it and he absolutely loves it. One of his favourite toys is the soft elephant, which lights up and plays music. He will happily sit on the floor and play with it for ages, watching the lights and reaching out to touch it – something he hasn’t done before. It’s lovely to watch.”

Impact

The total amount of products consisted of over 29 pallets, weighing over 2,000kg. By rehoming these products, they have a second chance of being loved and utilised and it means that no products went to landfill. Contributing to Delta’s Net Zero strategy of reducing emissions and supporting the community, as well as supporting the client’s sustainability agenda of reducing waste.

This donation will help prevent a child suffering in precious moments and create a better future for many.

The Co2 saved by donating these products equate to charging 5,180 smartphones as well as supports a great charity like Newlife, where they can help other children like Freddie.

“By donating these products to one of my favourite charities, it has given our high-quality products another lease of life, another opportunity to be utilised and enjoyed. As well as, contributed towards our Delta Net Zero strategy of zero waste to landfill”

Starzeus Hassan-McGhee, Sustainability Director at The Delta Group

How can you help?

Delta is excited to help brands do the same with their assets and ensure the end life of these products benefits those who need it most and are reused as much as possible, so others can appreciate the quality of our print.

If you’d like to donate disused equipment or materials to Newlife charity, you can do so through Delta’s dedicated sustainability director, Starzeus Hassan-McGhee or the charity Newlife directly.

Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children – Registered Charity Number: 1170125 in England & Wales

I grew up with a lot of boys, I never thought I was different from them, I could do whatever they can.  I think that is why I had more male friends than female.  I never thought I cannot do something, I just thought I can, maybe I just wanted to prove that it is true. 

Renita grew up in Lithuania believing that what all the other boys and girls could do, she could as well. As a young woman of 18, she was inspired by this spirit to leave behind all her familiarity and move to the UK. As a young adult with her first taste of independence, she has gained numerous promotions and is unwavering in the belief that anyone can do anything they put their mind to. Man or woman. Truly an inspiration to us all. Here is her story in her own words.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Woman’s Day is similar to Mother’s Day, it’s to show women respect.

Growing up in Lithuania, what were your career aspirations?  Do you remember thinking about work and what you wanted to be? 

I grew up with a lot of boys, I never thought I was different from them, I could do whatever they can.  I think that is why I had more male friends than female.  I never thought I cannot do something, I just thought I can, maybe I just wanted to prove that it is true. 

I was studying politics, international politics, but it was a little bit too boring for me. I think because of my age at the time was why the course wasn’t really for me.  I wanted to get involved a bit more, experience more in the world. So, I started working part time in print alongside studying.  Once I started in print I realised, this is for me, this is what I want to do. 

And how did you get into it, into print? 

First of all, I was just an agency worker, part time.  As I said, I was working for an agency because I was studying. But the agency sent me to the work for a company in London and that’s how it all started.  I really enjoyed it and wated to stay – that was 15 years ago. 

Would you say growing up anyone influenced your career path? Did anyone push you in a certain direction?

It was just me; I was making the decisions for myself. It was a scary and good feeling all at the same time. I left home at 18 and went to a different country (the UK) to study on my own, just with a couple of friends. It exciting because it was something new, something different, I do not regret anything, I would say I made good choices.

Do you think that moving at such a young age had any impact on how you go about the world?

Yes, that was a major impact, back home it was Mum, Dad and support all the time.  If I needed any advice I went to them, any issues, problems, I had people to go to – very close people and here I had to make decisions on my own.  You need to do everything on your own, I grew up very quickly. I left a child and within a year I became a grown woman. 

What did doing something like that teach you about yourself? 

You can do whatever you want, if you trust yourself, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, it makes no difference at all.

Ten years ago, you joined Delta what has your experience of working at Delta been like? 

It has been very good, I joined at the same time as my manager joined Delta, I am very loyal, we came together. He helped me out a lot at the beginning, he saw my potential.  I started as a team leader on the benches. When I was due to return from maternity leave, Delta created a weekend /night shift to accommodate me, it fitted in with my home life. I was promoted at the same time to Supervisor. After five years, in 2021, I became Senior Supervisor. I feel that was a big achievement. 

How did it feel coming back to the office from maternity leave?

I kept in contact with my manager throughout and they did all that could for me, it made me feel good. It was great.

In in your career in general, have you ever felt your gender has been a barrier? 

Personally no, I never felt that, as I said before there isn’t anything I can’t do that a man can.  I proved that to everyone and myself, I can drive forklift and I can work all the machinery.  I think it’s completely up to women themselves; where they put themselves. I feel that sometimes they say “no, I’m not doing that” because they are a woman.  I think that’s absolutely up to them, how they present themselves. But I always think I’m equal, I’m the same, I’m no different. 

Have you ever felt like people make assumptions based on your gender?

Not really no, maybe years ago, but things have changed drastically. For example, in our department on the day shift out of six supervisors, eight years ago, all of them were men. Now we have five women and one man, so it’s changed a lot. Women have started to understand that they can do exactly the same as what men can – there is the proof downstairs! 

How do you think we can encourage those women to go after leadership roles?

We are always laughing that we have womanpower downstairs in the finishing department because there are a lot of women and only a couple of men.  We all get along with each other and we don’t feel there is any difference between men and women – there are no roles where men can feel better than us! We encourage one another to believe that we can do anything. 

What would you say to the younger generation of women who want to plan their career?

Follow your dreams. You can do anything, you have everything in your power, everything.  I think now is the time when there are no differences between men and women. All over the world there are female presidents, woman in power, not like hundreds of years ago. Now it is completely normal for a woman to be in power. So, I would say just follow your dreams, don’t ever think that you can’t do it because you’re a woman. Men and women need to respect one another.

“I see how people live back home, it is like they are living in a box, and they cannot think outside the box. When I came here, I realised the box is open, I can think other things, I can afford more things and I have more opportunities.” 

Moving to the UK at just 19 from Latvia, Delta buyer Lina started her own journey on getting out of “the box”. The box for her, is a dead-end constrictor, squeezing men and women into outdated roles and small-minded opinions.  

Something she has fought to outgrow and escape throughout her career, and a key driver for the incredible progress she has made since. Progress that was doubted by some and at times – even herself. Here is her story. 

Tell me about International Women’s Day in Latvia. Is it celebrated?   

“Yes, very passionately I would say. For me International Women’s Day marks that spring has begun, you see most men with some form of tulip in their hand” she smiles. “You might even get flowers handed’ to you on the street or at work, from someone you don’t know. It’s always been a nice and light day! 

“I think it is important. From historical times women would raise children, and now it’s much more about career driven women and women trying to balance motherhood and work. So, I think it is important to celebrate all the progress women have made in all these years, and they should be celebrated on their achievements.” 

So how did you get into the industry?  

I finished College, but because I come from a poor family, I couldn’t afford to go university.  I pretty much had the choice of working in a dead-end job for little money at home, with probably little growth, or on the suggestion of a relative go to live with them in the UK. 12 years ago,at 19, I got here and got my first job, which was in print working for a different company. After that I started working for Delta.   

I guess I discovered it is quite interesting. It is very interesting to see an idea of what someone wants, become the actual reality in shop windows. I do feel quite proud walking around the shopping centre or shop and knowing Delta did that.  Or central London if you go on the tube, you see things and think we did that! 

I recently visited one of our client stores, I have been working with the team on the ideas of what materials we can use for their work, so it’s quite nice to go in and see it in the actual store. Especially as it is a new chain of stores. 

19? Wow! How did it feel for you to move countries at 19 – out into the world on your own?  

“Scary – that was the first time I went on a flight, and I was on my own. It was so scary!” I could see the memory of this fly back into her eyes.  

“I was quite proud of where I was going, and I was happy that it did not make the second choice of staying in Latvia. I’ve always liked the English language, so coming to London was like “I can’t believe I have done this! You’re doing so well for yourself.” If I were to tell myself back then, when I was in school that I would be in London buying materials for printed items that go to London, UK, and Europe I would think no way! I would not have believed it.” 

“One thing I will never forget was arriving in London, sat on the big, nice bus and thought “Oh my god these streets are so narrow, the houses are so….small.’ she said sheepishly “and the streets so narrow! I come from the country with big roads.” 

I can imagine that when you first moved you were scared and just trying to make your way through? 

“It might not seem that way now, but I was really shy, really shy. So, all the interactions with people such as going to find a job, having interviews and that sort of thing, I had to overcome. Now communicating with people is a big part of my job, so I’m quite proud about that.” 

“I see how people live back home, it is like they are living in a box, and they cannot think outside the box. When I came here, I realised the box is open, I can think other things, I can afford more things and I have more opportunities.” 

In my country you are judged for everything. Wearing the wrong boots to school or not being able to afford the same things as others – you are judged. In London you can wear something ridiculous, and people accept it, it’s nice. So, living here definitely frees you from the limitations of living inside the box, you feel freer.” 

You know you can dream, do whatever you want, but a lot of people in Latvia are just sitting in that box and they don’t actually dream or think that they can get out of that box.  

Was there a person that influenced you? Or maybe inspired you to want to get out of that box? Or would you say it was an internal thing?  

I think it was just me. I think sometimes you can be your own inspiration. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, sometimes we are not surrounded by inspiring people.  

I’ve made some wrong choices in the past, with people who surround me who were trying to bring me down or maybe put me in the box again, that’s why I inspire myself – because I just keep going.  

I am now trying to inspire my sister to do that same as myself and take up opportunities across the world. I have tried to show her what life can be like, she has so much potential. 

Going back to when you joined at Delta about 11 years what was your experience when you came here?  

I started in a warehouse operative type job. It wasn’t easy, definitely wasn’t easy, there wasn’t lighter jobs for women or heavy for men we were both doing the same roles.  

But overall, it was warm. Mainly warm. The job wasn’t too dirty or anything, so in comparison to other jobs for similar money it wasn’t a bad option. 

How did you progress through the years to where you are now? 

First, I was on the shop floor doing the packing. I was actually, here when the warehouse was empty.  

Once the library was implemented, I continued working on the shopfloor, it was then that someone noticed that I could be a good candidate for an admin role.  

After doing admin for a while, I became a team leader. It was interesting as I had never been in a position to tell people what to do, telling people off, trying to find the middle ground between just being you and a superior. Telling others what to do, it was hard for someone who is naturally shy.  

But I had to step up to the challenge of having to approach someone that you’re quite friendly with and say you know you should be doing better.  

And from there it got to the point when I wanted to take on the role of Supervisor, but there was just no space for another, so I thought OK, I’m not going to progress here and I think that was probably my biggest leap of faith leaving the shop floor and moving into the office after six years working in the warehouse.  

How did you get to the office from the shop floor? 

At the time when the admin job was advertised so was the buying job (that I do now), there was a lady in the purchasing role, and the warehouse manager back then told me that’s a very good position – a role you can aim for. At the time I thought, I will never be able to do anything like that.  

Before starting my new admin job, I helped out in the office for a couple of weeks for the MPD team. Then on my last day I was offered a job there – but I turned it down.  

And how did you get into this role?  

A lady who did the role, she told my boss, that he should give me the opportunity and train me for her position.  

He was a bit sceptical at the beginning, because it is a big job and I didn’t have a clue about what to do, I didn’t know anything at the time about purchasing.   

But after some thought, he decided that I could do it, and decided to give me the opportunity and “train me up”!  And that is how I joined purchasing admin; it has completely changed my working life.  

When I was first approached about it, I didn’t think I could do it. At that time, I would not even pick up the phone to call anywhere – because of my own insecurity. It wasn’t about the language; I was concerned that wasn’t going to understand something or maybe miss something.  

I had this big barrier with a phone, a phobia. I explained this issue but was reassured that it was something I could overcome and that is exactly what I did. It has changed me a lot as a person I’m a lot more open. Obviously, I have to speak to random people, sometimes call companies up that I found online. The role has definitely helped me a lot, it’s helped me in life outside of work too, I’m more confident.  

What would you say to the next generation of women planning their career?  

Do not think that you can’t do it – because you can. Try things and if they fail, just find something else.  Don’t be scared to fail because there’s always something different you can do and do well at. 

Big names in almost every sector have been named and shamed for misleading customers with green claims. And with fashion earmarked as the first industry to come under scrutiny by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), we can expect more companies to face public scrutiny.

The thing is, being green sells, and companies are working hard to highlight how their product or service is beneficial or less harmful to the environment. But not all companies are being entirely accurate when it comes to their sustainability credentials. In some cases this comes down to intentional greenwashing, however in many others it’s a case of good intentions let down by messaging that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

For more than a year, the CMA has been investigating companies suspected of misrepresenting their green credentials. Worryingly, it found that 40% of green claims made online could be misleading to consumers. Now, their bid to end greenwashing has stepped up a gear with the publication of the Green Claims Code.

For many, the arrival of this guidance is long overdue. More people than ever are conscious of the environmental impact of the products and services they buy. According to a recent report, 79% of shoppers change their purchase preferences based on environmental concerns.

Yet, research conducted by consumer rights group Euroconsumers found that 53% of consumers can’t identify greenwashing claims on product packaging. It’s little wonder trust in business’ eco claims is so fragile.

The Green Claims Code is a much-needed intervention, designed to create a greener future for business, consumers, and the planet. Here are four ways retailers can meet the Code’s requirements:

1. Avoid vague or exaggerated claims

Any environmental claims your company makes need to be based on fact. Broad, sweeping statements will get you nowhere. Terms such as: green; eco; environmentally-friendly; and sustainable might grab the attention of consumers, but these are bold claims to make without evidence.

Instead, try to stick with the specifics, ensuring your claims are accurate and focus on the facts. It’s not just any future claims you want to be compliant. Start with an audit of your existing claims, making sure they are truthful, clear, and make meaningful comparisons.

According to Starzeus Hassan McGhee, Delta’s newly appointed Sustainability Director, there really is only one good test for anyone looking to check for greenwashing in their own communication claims. Ask yourself one thing: “Do I fully understand the environmental benefit claimed, and could I defend this if called upon to do so?”

2. Tell the whole story

Be sure to include all relevant information. Cherry-picking the best bits or excluding anything that doesn’t fit your desired image is not an option. The information you give about a product has to allow customers to make an informed choice and tell the whole story. If you need to provide more information than your packaging allows, you can include a QR code that links to your website.

Focus on the areas where your company and its products have the biggest environmental impact. And if you want to make claims about a specific part of a product’s life-cycle, explain your reasons for doing so.

Make honesty your main driver, letting people know the progress (and the mistakes) you’ve made. It may feel counterintuitive to reveal your flaws, but doing so helps boost consumer trust in your brand and sets an example other retailers can follow.

3. Substantiate your claims

Any claims you make need to be backed up with robust, credible, and timely evidence. This supporting evidence needs to be easily-accessible wherever it lies along the supply chain.

Ideally, you’ll be able to demonstrate that each of your green claims have been independently verified where possible. Claims must be based on scientific evidence that customers are able to verify for themselves, if they wish.

4. Get ready for organisational change, if needed

Full compliance with the Green Claims Code might require a shift in mindset for some retailers. Integrity is key if you’re going to adhere to the CMA’s call for truth and accuracy. Claims have to be both factually correct and give the customer an accurate impression of a product’s environmental impact. And that means complete transparency.

Third party organisations such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) helps businesses understand how much they need to do to reduce their emissions, how quickly they need to act, and how they can clearly communicate their actions.

For this to work, marketing and sustainability need to work in harmony and evolve together. The data surrounding sustainability changes constantly – as does best practice. Clearly, there’s more to sustainability than just marketing. Success relies on an efficient flow of data that informs and educates business evolution according to customer behaviour around sustainability. On the flipside, failure to comply can result in significant legal penalties for any retailers hoping they can ‘get away with it.’

5. How can Delta help?

At The Delta Group, we advise our clients on embedding sustainable practices into their organisation and culture as well as improving our own business practices. Whether it’s a product lifecycle assessment, materials matrix, or a report on recycling and other sustainability practices, we can help your business measure progress and success using accredited methods and verified data.

Through our award-winning Delta Net Zero strategy we are working towards making a positive contribution to society and the environment. It is enabling us to move towards a more circular economy where products and materials are used for longer and waste and pollution are reduced. And it can help your business too.

One of the key pillars of the Delta Net Zero strategy is collaboration, we understand the importance of working as a collective to be more responsible citizens on this planet. Through honest and open dialogues with our clients about climate change reduction products, eco-design, responsible waste management systems and more we can set realistic science-based targets to lower emissions.

We have a robust variety of sustainable materials suited to your print needs, ensuring that the products end-of-life can either be reused, repurposed, recycled and/or rehomed.

Together we can create a brighter, greener future. To find out more, email us at hello@thedeltagroup.com.

The Delta Group is pleased to announce its partnership with the First Love foundation (FLF), supporting their mission to help people facing crisis to get their lives back on track.

The First Love Foundation are a charity based in Tower Hamlets, helping thousands of people facing crisis. Their holistic model of support has been cited by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hunger and Poverty (2014) as the most effective in tackling poverty anywhere in the UK.

Their mission focuses on breaking the cycle of deprivation. This starts with:

• Restoring dignity
• Building resilience
• Reconnecting to society and restoring the feeling that they belong and are valued
• Finding a path to purpose

At Delta, offering a helping hand has always been a deeply ingrained value in our company and brought to life through our people. Empowering people to drive positive change is a key part of Delta’s identity, which is why every employee is able to utilise our Employee Volunteer Day programme, to volunteer at the First Love foundation.

One of the ways that our employees can get involved is to volunteer at First Love Foundation’s LOVE SUMMER event. This is a support programme for low-income families throughout school summer holidays. The aim is to address not only holiday hunger but also provide a welcoming place for kids to engage in play activities, while parents can meet other parents and relax without feeling the stigma of poverty; they can also attend useful information / learning sessions or engage in well-being support. 

The idea of the event is to help people who dread the difficulties of getting through the summer in poverty, and actually move them to a point where they can “Love Summer”, and ultimately start to feel they can love life again.  This is step one towards enabling them to start considering options like getting back into work or getting skilled up to find work.  

Delta’s Client Services Director, Damian Sorgiovanni recently attended FLF’s LOVE SUMMER event – the first event that Delta had a chance to support. He said “It was great to witness the dedication and passion of the people at FLF.I thoroughly enjoyed the day and could see the difference the foundation makes in people’s lives.”

We’re working closely with First Love Foundation on other ways to support the great work that they do, whether this be through fundraising activities across our four sites, or donations in time and money.

Our CEO Jason Hammond said “Currently a team of 10, FLF plans to expand across the next 5 years into more East London Boroughs.  Partnering with them at this stage and supporting their future growth, is something we’re extremely excited to be a part of.”

Melanie Rochford, Head of External Relations and Development, said “We are enormously grateful to Delta for showing an interest in supporting the work we are doing to lift people out of crisis.  Whether it’s a financial donation or employees giving their time to support what we do on the front line, such as running a CV preparation workshop or playing football with the children on one of our programmes, it all makes a massive difference to another person’s life.  The more deeply involved a company is in supporting our work, the greater insights their employees gain into the work we do and why we do it.  I am delighted the Delta team wishes to be part of this.”

If you would like to get involved and support this fantastic cause, you can do so by donating to the fund here: https://www.firstlovefoundation.org.uk/get-involved/

27^th January 2022 09:00 AM BST. WALTHAM CROSS, UK. 

The Delta Group, Europe’s premier visual communications specialist delivering dynamic multi-channel marketing services to the Retail, FMCG, Film, Entertainment and Media sectors across the globe, are pleased to announce the acquisition of large-format outdoor advertising specialist Odessa UK.

The deal has been approved by creditors and HMRC with the transaction being completed by mid-February.

The Odessa Print Group original Directors Bob Charles and Laurence Matthews will continue to operate from two industrial units in Biggin Hill and Penge in South London.

The business has 40 staff, operating a wide range of kit, including HP Scitex, Koenig & Bauer, Inca, Kongsberg and Fuji presses. The plan is to keep the brand and sites operating in their current locations.

Laurence Matthews & Bob Charles, Directors of Odessa, said:

“We are delighted with the acquisition. Delta was the most exciting choice with their excellent reputation and strength in Retail, FMCG, Film, Entertainment and Media, which is very complementary to our sectors and client base.

Their strategy and wider service proposition for the outdoor advertising sector was also very compelling and great fit to maximise value and offer a wider package of end-to end services to our existing clients.

The Covid pandemic significantly impacted the print industry, particularly the Out-of-Home sector, which is now showing a terrific uplift in activity, which is great news for the sector in general. 

This deal will enable us to drive further efficiencies and benefit from Delta’s scale, including access to their unique infrastructure, technology and people to support our growth and provide surety to our fantastic clients.”

Mike Phillips, Executive Chairman of the Delta Group, said:

“Laurence and Bob have built a business serving the outdoor advertising sector, which for the last 18 months has been under tremendous pressure through the Covid pandemic, which, is showing positive signs of recovery and growth.    

This acquisition supports our business plan and outdoor advertising strategy and focuses on both the printed and digital Out-of-Home sector, particularly after our recent 5-Year win with Global Outdoor.

This is a transformational growth opportunity for Odessa, with further investment planned, supporting their wider objectives by being part of larger group with access to our supply chain, technology, and people.

At the heart of this acquisition is the increased capacity, synergies and efficiencies that will benefit all of our combined clients.

Throughout our discussions it became very clear our culture and focus on delivering exceptional service and innovation to our clients was equally matched. This is central to our values in a fiercely competitive market and our combined growth.

Our ambition in 2022 is to further enhance our offering to our clients by continuing to acquire”

Press Contact:

Katie Dobreva

Marketing Manager

Katie.dobreva@thedeltagroup.com

The Delta Group, Europe’s premier visual communications specialist delivering dynamic multi-channel marketing services to consumer brands and retailers, is pleased to announce a 5-year multi-million (£) contract win for Global’s Outdoor print production, after a competitive tender process in 2021.

Global is one of the leading Outdoor companies in the UK with over 235,000 sites reaching 95% of the UK population. Global’s extensive and diverse outdoor portfolio encompasses Transport for London’s Underground network, almost all major UK airports including Gatwick, the UK’s largest portfolio of roadside posters and premium digital screens in prime locations, as well as the UK’s largest network of buses including all major cities.

Delta will be providing an end to end solution, powered by their Workstream X technology platform,  delivering creative / digital print services, multi OOH format print production, fulfilment and distribution.

Adrian Lovejoy, Operations Director at Global said: “Our tender process reflected our need to find the best long-term partner to deliver maximum value to our customers. We have successfully transitioned to Delta over the past few months and are already seeing the benefits of the partnership and supply chain come through, especially as we align our technology capabilities. Delta is also heavily focussed on the environment and sustainability which closely aligns to our strategy. The partnership will enable Global to deliver a seamless media booking and production end-to-end solution, driving efficiency and improving time to market and supporting future growth.

Jason Hammond, CEO of the Delta Group, said: “This was a very complex tender process, and we are naturally delighted with this award, strengthening our position in the OOH and emerging digital print market. To be appointed to work with a market leader like Global is very exciting and provides assurance that our investment strategy, innovation, can do culture, services and unique infrastructure add real value for our clients. We will be working very hard to deliver exceptional value to Global over the contract term.  

Press Contact:

Dean Smith,

Chief Sales & Marketing Officer

Dean.smith@thedeltagroup.com

+44 (0) 7957 633652

The Delta Group, Europe’s premier visual communications specialist delivering dynamic multi-channel marketing services to brands, retailers, and studios across the globe, announce the appointment of Starzeus Hassan-McGhee as Sustainability Director.

Starzeus will report directly to Jason Hammond (CEO) and will be responsible for driving our award-winning Delta Net Zero strategy. This will include working in collaboration with Delta’s procurement team to further enhance best practise supply chain practises, the development of Delta’s sustainability innovation lab and most importantly proactively engaging through the Delta Net Zero ‘Collaborate’ pillar to support our client’s goals and objectives.   

Starzeus, Sustainability Director of the Delta Group, said: “The clarity of Delta’s Net Zero strategy, and how their pillars drive collaboration and measurable results is fantastic and a platform that will deliver real change. This combined with their passion and forward-thinking culture made this an easy decision for me. I’m very much looking forward to engaging with my Delta colleagues and clients to drive successful outcomes”.   

Jason Hammond, CEO of the Delta Group, said: “Our Delta Net Zero strategy is a key differentiator, with ambitious 5-year objectives. Starz’s is an inspiring all-rounder with an impressive educational background in sustainable development and environmentalism. He’s also delivered award-winning climate change initiatives and worked on complex International Development programmes for UNICEF, DFID, ECHO, USAID and Comic Relief. To capture such a talent is great news for Delta and most importantly our clients”

Since Pokémon Go brought Augmented Reality (AR) to the mainstream five years ago, the technology has been increasingly adopted by brands looking to incorporate it into their marketing material. The onset of the pandemic, which has seen consumers increasingly connecting with brands on mobile, is now making these kinds of dynamic digital signage activations even more important.

Done right, AR can make mobile experiences more interactive, immersive, and informative. But is AR in retail really maturing enough to make this a reality? Speaking to Retail Dive, Allison Ferenci, co-founder and CEO of software company Camera IQ, argues that it is.

“Not only are brands using AR as an always-on format, but they’re also using AR as a full-funnel solution. They’re trying to use AR at every customer touch point from driving awareness, to getting deeper consumer engagement, to increasing conversion at checkout.”

Allison argues that AR offers brands the potential to give new and existing customers more control over their experience. Today, the most popular applications include virtual try-ons of clothes and cosmetics, and photorealistic demonstrations of home furnishings. However, wider applications are likely.

The future of AR in retail

Continuous improvements in smartphone technology, combined with the rollout of higher speed 5G networks, will make AR content easier for consumers to download and interact with. These technological leaps are also giving brands more creative freedom when developing AR strategy.

“The big thing when it comes to AR is to not just focus on that bottom-of-funnel conversion,” Ferenci said. “Instead, think about the creative format and that you’re really delivering an experience to your customer. The opportunity is to deliver an experience in an always-on format.”

She recommends that the next step for AR in retail is for marketers to start focusing on AR content based closely around their overall brand objectives, whether that be driving awareness, direct sales, or both.

The potential for awareness campaigns is significant and varied. Brands can include elements that encourage consumers to engage with an AR object, and to familiarise themselves with a brand and share on social media.

“That’s how the creative that you authored starts to change based on where the consumer is and what your goal is in the outcome,” Ferenci said. “In an AR experience, there’s actually a lot of nuance based on the objective you have.”

At The Delta Group, in addition to our manufacturing of quality printed marketing display materials, we also provide a wide range of digital solutions including AR content generation. Get in touch to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.

Effective marketing operations are a must for any business to run smoothly. Central to that is a digital asset management (DAM) system. However, with many companies still relying on outdated DAM systems, effective marketing operations can sometimes prove to be rather elusive.

These legacy systems have been described as little more than digital filing cabinets or the place where digital assets got to die, reports The Drum.

A recent webinar staged by The Drum and Hyland addressed this issue. Here’s a summary of the key points discussed.

Importance of media assets post-pandemic

The pandemic has triggered a rapid growth in the importance of digital assets for most companies. Many have moved towards more of a digital-first model, with digital content acting as a key differentiator in the customer experience. With an estimated 50% of consumer interactions happening online, we are fast approaching the tipping point when online revenue will exceed that of in-store revenue.

With this increased focus on online content comes a greater need for more personalised, visually driven, modular content delivered across different platforms and channels. Organisations are looking for content that serves a purpose for a specific moment in time, stepping away from the long-form content that has populated websites and print media for so long.

DAM systems that are fit for purpose

Tailored content essentially means a greater volume of content and more variants on that content (e.g. colours, backgrounds, sizes and seasonality). As a result, assets need to be tracked, stored, easily located and recombined with speed and ease. And the best way to do that is through a modern DAM system.

Legacy DAM systems are often clunky, sitting outside of web content management systems, and making it hard to find the digital assets needed. Other challenges include inconsistent search results (because tags, keywords and metadata need to be entered manually), as well as issues accessing and sharing assets (leading to duplication and difficulties tracking them).

Add to this the fact that traditional DAM systems are more time-consuming, have limited recording functionality (leading to compliance and rights management issues), and often come with file restraints. 

The need for next generation DAM is crucial. According to Alan Porter, director of product marketing at Hyland, a next generation DAM system should be cloud native, low code, scalable (in both directions), API first, and have an integrated workflow.

With WorkStream X your business can take one step closer to seamless marketing operations. It’s already helping some of the world’s largest retailers take back control of their campaign management. What could it do for your company? Get in touch to find out more: hello@thedeltagroup.com.