7
Dec

WHAT TEACHING TAUGHT ME

The Union has launched a new campaign for the Scottish Government to encourage new recruits into a teaching career in Scotland. The campaign aims to challenge perceptions of the career and showcase the variety, progression and rewarding moments that a career in teaching can provide.

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23
Oct

UNION WIN FOUR MARKETING SOCIETY STAR AWARDS

The Union won four awards at the 2020 Marketing Society Scotland Star Awards last night. The awards recognise the best-in-class marketing campaigns of the previous 12 months. The agency picked up a Gold and a Silver for Scottish Government – Nursing Recruitment, and two Bronze awards; one for Sterling Furniture and the other for the National Libraries of Scotland.

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25
Sep

WHY UX IS A VITAL ELEMENT OF SEO

Generally, when most people hear the term ‘SEO’ in passing, they regularly assume there are either a load of hidden technical tricks into turning Google into your best friend, or that it is a skill far too complicated to pick up. However, frequently when I speak to clients about the basic rules of thumb to keep your website in a strong position to rank well, they all share a similar response of “it’s not that complicated”. It really isn’t that complicated. When you boil it down to the main cogs that turn the wheels to help you rank better over time, it simply becomes common sense and gives you another couple of checkboxes to tick when you’re working on your own business.

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10
Sep

NEW IDENTITY FOR WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY

The Union has developed a brand for World Suicide Prevention Day for SAMH, Scotland’s mental health charity. SAMH is calling on everyone in Scotland to work together to save lives. Every day in Scotland, an average of two people die by suicide. The 10th of September marks World Suicide Prevention Day, an opportunity to reflect on the role everyone can play in saving lives.

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5
Aug

THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND IS READY FOR BUSINESS

With tourism and hospitality businesses reopening their doors and welcoming back visitors, The Union is thrilled to announce the launch of a new campaign for the South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA). The ‘Twinned with Tourism’ campaign aims to promote best practice in safe travel across the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway.

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7
Jul

WHAT GOOGLE’S BERT UPDATE MEANS FOR DIGITAL MARKETERS

If you’re a bit of a Google geek you may have stumbled across the term ‘BERT’ being mentioned online since October 2019 in various articles and forums. However, as is often the case with Google algorithm updates, though the basic principles are usually well understood, often digital marketers fail to work out how to respond to make sure their own websites are up to speed whilst taking advantage of the opportunities they present. [Consultant Chris Ayliffe from Arctic Meta writes for Union Digital.]

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17
Jun

THE FUTURE OF EVENTS

There’s no escaping that the Covid-19 global pandemic has drastically shifted how we communicate with one another on both a personal and business level. Leading brands are already addressing the challenge head on. This week’s London Fashion Week, is offering a packed virtual programme, replacing catwalks with films, podcasts, live-streamed discussions and even a virtual afterparty. While Fern Cotton’s wellness festival, Happy Place, is a great example of how we can provide a festival feel even from afar, with a whole month of events!

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10
Jun

PARTNERSHIP MARKETING IN A TURBULENT WORLD

Partnership Marketing is when two or more organisations, brands or bodies work together to reach their audiences with a message that creates mutually beneficial response. For example, Adidas, the German sportswear giant has set up a number of strategic partnerships to continue to reach its audiences as they change and become more eco-conscious, partnering with Parley for the Ocean to launch a range made from recycled plastic bottles and waste found in the sea.

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6
May

NEW CAMPAIGN LETS PARENTS KNOW PARENT CLUB IS THERE FOR THEM

A new campaign for the Scottish Government’s ‘Parent Club’ brand by The Union is addressing the challenges of parenting during lockdown head-on, while reassuring everyone we are all in it together. The ‘Here for You’ campaign captures some of the everyday trials and tribulations facing parents and carers as they juggle the additional pressures of the Coronavirus pandemic. Recognising that the situation is different for everyone, the advert covers a range of scenarios, from trying to balance home-working with learning at home, to keeping kids entertained, fed and enjoying the little moments together.

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12
Apr

UNION NOMINATED NINE TIMES FOR 2020 MARKETING STAR AWARDS

The Union has been nominated nine times for the 2020 Marketing Society Scotland Star Awards, the annual celebration of the best marketing work in Scotland. Five Union clients have been selected. The National Library for Scotland, Sterling Furniture, Children’s Hearings Scotland, Scotland Starts Here and The Scottish Government have all been shortlisted by the judges, in a total of than seven categories.

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18
Mar

BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL FOR THE UNION

We are The Union. It’s a name that emphasises the power of the collective. If ever there was a time when we need to draw upon one another for support, help and reassurance, it’s surely now. We don’t need to tell you about the very real threat Coronavirus poses to our families, communities and businesses. But we do know that working smarter, working safer and working together will help us overcome it. In keeping with the latest government advice we will, for the safety and wellbeing of our people, clients and suppliers, be implementing a work from home policy with immediate effect. It’s a change that changes very little in our ability to deliver uninterrupted service to our clients. Video conferencing, phone and email communication lines remain open, fluid and flexible for all communications and meetings.

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5
Feb

NEW WEBSITE FOR TIMBERBUSH TOURS LAUNCHED

Timberbush Tours, one of Scotland’s longest-running coach and bus tour operators, has launched a new website, designed and built by Union Digital. Edinburgh-based Timberbush Tours, who have been in business for over 20 years, offer a wide range of holiday tours. The tours take visitors around the Scottish Highlands, Scottish Islands and the North of England. Departures are daily from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

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4
Feb

NEW CAMPAIGN FOR TRANSPORT SCOTLAND

The Union is delighted to announce the launch of the brand new campaign for Transport Scotland, which went live today. The campaign, ‘Smart Travel’, aims to increase awareness of smartcard interoperability in Scotland. One of the primary campaign objectives is to increase the public’s use of smartcards and other forms of ‘smart’ travel, such as contactless and mobile tickets. The campaign follows the soft launch of the Smart Travel website in November 2019. The Union’s brief was to capture the nation’s attention and raise awareness. The Union created a fully integrated campaign including outdoor, radio, press, digital and experiential marketing in busy train stations across the country.

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27
Jan

THERE’S MORE TO CARE THAN CARING

The Scottish Government have launched a national recruitment campaign for Adult Social Care workers, created by The Union. Recruitment pressures for frontline Adult Social Care workers have been rising and vacancies are becoming harder to fill. This campaign aims to raise the profile of a career in Adult Social Care (ASC) and encourage people to apply for a role. The campaign was developed following research with the target audience (aged 22-45, considering a career change) and current workforce employees who suggested that vacancies are difficult to fill due to perceptions of the career.

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20
Jan

AN OPEN CONVERSATION ABOUT PERIODS

The Union has created a new groundbreaking campaign for the Scottish Government to challenge the stigma around periods and encourage greater openness and honesty. The integrated campaign is aimed at 16-24 year olds. The ‘Let’s Call Periods, Periods’ advertising shows how, as a society, we use all kinds of different expressions to avoid using the word ‘periods’, which is, after all, a natural bodily function experienced by more than 50% of the population.

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15
Jan

SCOTLAND STARTS HERE

The Union has launched a new campaign with Midlothian and Borders Tourism Activation Group (MBTAG) to promote the Scottish Borders and Midlothian as a tourist destination. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the region to international and domestic travellers to increase tourism footfall.

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