3
Oct

UNION DIRECT CREATES AI-POWERED PENSION MIRROR FOR SCOTTISH WIDOWS

Harnessing the creative potential of AI, integrated engagement agency Union Direct launched client Scottish Widows’ Pension Engagement Season campaign with a bang this year with their brand new ‘Pension Mirror’ tool. Putting the ‘fun’ into pension funds, the tool is already generating buzz both online and in workplaces up and down the country with its innovative age-guessing technology.With a simple look in the digital mirror at pensionmirror.co.uk, the tool will guess a user’s age with amazing accuracy (or occasionally, comical over- or under-estimation!), before providingthe average pensions savings figure for UK savers of that age. Spurred on by this social proof, Scottish Widows pension scheme members can then download the Scottish Widows app in asimple tap, to check their pot and see how they stack up.

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18
Sep

UNION CREATES NEW TRAFFIC SCOTLAND WEBSITE

The Union has designed and built a major new website for Government agency Transport Scotland. The new Traffic Scotland website [ https://www.traffic.gov.scot ] is the result of almost three years of work by the agency, working in close collaboration with the client team. The site is the official hub for all data for Scotland’s main trunk road network. The agency’s challenge was to present a vast number of data sets and intelligence to all of Scotland’s road users; every day, on demand, in real time. The whole project was user-led; this required numerous rounds of insight gathering by the agency’s planning team along with extensive rounds of UX research and user testing. The finished site has an incredible array of data on Scotland’s road network; from traffic congestion to live camera views, roadworks, closures, EV charging points, latest incidents, and even the salt treatment on roads for the winter. The site also has a sophisticated route and journey planner.

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14
Sep

THE SO WHAT OF DRUPAL 10

It took five years to get from Drupal 8 to 9. By the end of 2022, Drupal 10 will be out, and that’s less than half the time. Why the rush, and what does it mean for people running websites? In summary, this is the start of several end-of-life countdowns.

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12
Apr

UNION APPOINTS DIGITAL EXPERT TO BOLSTER GROWTH PLANS

The Union has appointed Andrew Girdwood (aka Girdy) as Digital Strategist in their growing digital team. Andrew has over 20 years’ experience in digital marketing, tech innovation and strategy. He has worked in some of top digital agencies such as bigmouthmedia, Digitas, and was previously Head of Media Technology at Leith. The Union has seen significant growth in their digital offering and services over the last 12 months including a continued focus on digital marketing services such as SEO and PPC, and this has been elevated further with Girdy’s appointment.  The Union are seeing clients more and more looking for a full service digital offering; from website design and build, to digital marketing and content strategy, and have been careful to hire the right people to not only help support their growth strategy but to embody their company culture, which is really important to them.

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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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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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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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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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21
Aug

NEW WEBSITE FOR MENTAL WELFARE COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND

Union Digital has launched a new website for the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. The new site offers an improved visitor experience with enhanced search capability. The Commission was originally set up in 1960 under the Mental Health Act. Its remit is to be “a leading and independent voice in promoting a society where people with mental illness, learning disabilities, dementia, and related conditions are treated fairly, have their rights respected, and have appropriate support to live the life of their choice.”

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30
Apr

ROBUST NEW BUSINESS SUCCESS FOR UNION

2019 has started with Union group companies winning a raft of new accounts, both public and private sector. Late in 2018 and in the first few months of 2019 the agency saw record levels of enquiries, tenders and pitches which has resulted in several key new clients. In the public sector the agency was awarded the Scottish Government’s ‘Smarter Wealthier Fairer’ portfolio of projects, which covers a wide range of important policy areas, from teacher, healthcare and tourism recruitment to new social security benefits, period poverty and Scotland’s Census.

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6
Dec

UNION DIGITAL LAUNCH NEW WEBSITE FOR FOOTBALL AID

Union Digital have created a new website for Football Aid, the charity which raises funds for good causes through organising charity football matches across the UK, Europe and USA. Football Aid has been helping good causes for over 18 years now, through the innovative and creative concept of facilitating fans to ‘live the dream’ of playing in their club colours, at their club’s stadium, coached and supported by legends from their favourite team.

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28
Jun

ARTIFICIAL PARADISE: THE INTERIOR DECORATION OF OUR REALITY

Picture this. You’re at a music festival. Your favourite band is playing. You’re among the raucous hedonists with flowers in their hair. However, there is one difference. You’re the only person who isn’t simultaneously raving and recording the whole thing on your phone and uploading it to Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook while it is taking place. This phenomenon has become our new normal. More and more people interrupt living their actual lives to construct a utopian online identity. And by doing so, they let this fantasy world supersede really living the experience.

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28
Feb

MARKETING AUTOMATION: CUTTING-EDGE OR JUST PLAIN CREEPY?

It’s likely you’ve already seen at least one over-enthusiastic salesperson at a roadshow or expo by now, gesticulating wildly about the easy wins to be had with marketing automation. Call it personalisation, ‘hyper’ segmentation, or ‘marketing to an audience of one’, but in the simplest sense, marketing automation is just using purpose-built platforms to give you extra insights about your customers and make automated decisions based on those insights.

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6
Apr

NEW PROSTATE SCOTLAND WEBSITE LAUNCHED

As part of prostate cancer awareness month Prostate Scotland, has launched a new website to provide information about prostate cancer and disease, its symptoms and treatments. The website, designed and built by Union Digital, (www.prostatescotland.org.uk) provides a wealth of information for people with prostate disease as well as prostate cancer, is aimed at men and their families.

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