The Institute of Fundraising recently commissioned Aura to design and develop their Tax-Effective Giving iPhone, iPad and Android calculator App.

This is the first App to be produced by the Institute and will provide an invaluable tool for all UK charities, helping to determine the tax efficiency of individually donated figures.
“Our work is all about promoting tax efficient fundraising both to the general public and to charities” says Lee Grant, Director of TEG at the IoF. “Aura understand the importance and nature of this work, and are able to project it through groundbreaking software and a very attractive, easy to use interface design.”

The App’s core design will literally turn your iPhone or iPad into a calculator from which you can select four types of calculation; Gift Aid, Share Giving, Payroll Giving and Legacy Wealth. By simply tapping in the donated figure, the ‘calculator’ App will display the additional or saved tax contribution claimed from the Inland Revenue.

Aura’s project manager is Pete Everitt: “The App is programmed using the Adobe AIR packager, based on ActionScript 3.0. This enables a custom built animated interface – not available using X-code programming alone. It gives the whole App an attractive and smooth functioning feel and helps the Institute to break new ground in delivering this important Third Sector information.”

The whole suite of calculators are available to download from the App Store. Download yours today.

For more information and App enquiries:
pete@aura-online.com

The RAF has had a make-over for it’s biggest fundraising event, the RAF Waddington International Airshow,
re-branded by Aura. The two day event staged in early
July a few minutes South of Lincoln, regularly attracts over
150,000 visitors and is a crucial fundraising initiative
for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF)
and the Royal Air Forces Association – not to mention
excellent recruitment PR for the Air Force.

The Airshow’s Director, Colin Reeves OBE, explains the reason for the re-branding. “We already have a very successful summer event, but competition is fierce from sports events and festivals. To ensure the show’s ongoing appeal and to optimise our fundraising initiatives, we need
to ensure that the Airshow is clearly understood and positioned attractively with our supporters”.

A new logotype and identity forms the cornerstone
of the branding with new look communications being
rolled out over the course of Spring and Summer 2010.

For more details on strategic branding and identity systems:
neil@aura-online.com

As the classic modeller’s brand goes through a renaissance, the company is in the process of repositioningcommunications to capitalise on such profile raising PR as the BBCs James Mays’ Toy Stories series (which started with an hour long special encouraging youngsters to shelve their X-Boxes in favour of the noble pursuit of recreating a ‘full size model’ Spitfire!).

The cornerstone elements of this brand repositioning have been a sizeable investment in new tooling, a revised logotype, the kit boxes and the 2010 catalogue as well as a revised social media presence to better engage a younger audience.

“The Catalogue holds a central place for the core model
enthusiast but also needs to provide an exciting, colourful
communication to our new fans.” says Darrell Burge, Airfix’s
Marketing Manager. “The Aura team embrace the challenge
and have created the most striking Catalogue Airfix has ever
produced. Their approach and enthusiasm completely
captures the spirit of our products and how we wish to
be perceived.”

More on publications and strategic offline design services:
neil@aura-online.com

One of the UK’s largest FE College has been developing
it’s ground breaking ‘rocket fuel for your future’ proposition
for two years and now is rolling out phase three of this plan
with Aura. Few UK education establishments embrace
consistent brand development and communications
to the extent of Bradford College.

Steph Spowart, Aura account director explains the
programme. “It’s simply best practice brand development
and testing – with some attractive and stimulating creative
executions! A proposition which can work on all recruitment
communications, HE, FE and Part-time.”

The College initially launched the campaign in 2008. After a
research and testing programme ‘Rocket fuel for your future’
was a selected campaign creative route. “It has personality,
confidence and fun – which were values we were keen to
embrace and project through media” says David Brack,
the College’s Marketing Manager. “2008 saw the campaign
launched with core brand building communications including
outdoor media and TV. In 2009 we developed the campaign
into it’s ‘prove it!’ phase where we were able to tell some of
the extraordinary stories of successful students on a website
promoted in communications.”

2010 will see the College re-inforce the message with a closer focus on relationship building tactics especially e-media targeted at students who have expressed an interest in studying at the College. “We are also considering more experiential media to catch the eye – so look out for a tanker in your area with another delivery of Rocket Fuel for Bradford College!” laughs David.

“We are delighted with the guys and girls at Aura – their
comprehensive understanding of the sector, matched with
a strategic approach and first rate, deliverable media
suggestions fit right into our team and thinking!”

To learn more about strategic marketing communications
for UK education: steph@aura-online.com

The Institute of Fundraising has commissioned Aura to help
promote Tax-Effective Giving for small and medium charities
throughout the UK. The Cabinet Office, Office of the Third
Sector, initiative has been developing successfully over
four years but this year with proposed cuts in public
spending there is an even keener focus on cost effective
communications such as email.

Lee Grant is Project Manager for Tax-Effective Giving and
Payroll Giving at the Institute. “We have had escalating
success over the past three years. There are over 180,000
charities in the UK and many aren’t aware of the tax benefits
available to them. Our job, working in partnership with Aura
is to get the message across to small charities that help
and training is available.”

There are twenty-five regional Tax-Effective Giving workshops planned for 2010 (visit www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk for details) and all spaces will be filled using a combination of email and telemarketing. The target is to get some 800 charity representatives on the training workshops. The campaign will be directed by Steph Spowart, Account Director at Aura. “We have tremendous depth of experience in selling training workshops for charities and have been working on developing a clear brand position for Tax-Effective Giving workshops for some time, but, naturally we are delighted to be asked to carry out this important work for 2010 and beyond.”

To find out more about email marketing for the Third Sector:
steph@aura-online.com