THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE

I see you, so this is what I get?

People believe the evidence of their eyes more than any other sense, so projecting your self-image is critical: Who are you? What do people think of you? This question is even more critical in a business environment.

Our daily read is City AM and in particular the column by Debrett’s Academy discussing standards of work wear. They stress that when you are in a face-to-face business role, the company is judged by your appearance.

Here at John Marks we are a leader in corporate wear. This, by definition, means a degree of uniformity, but as long as the company and the staff have an agreed look that they want to achieve there is no reason why the image should be boring, killing the personality of the staff.

In some areas, such as banking, dress codes have been relaxed as it is felt as a barrier to recruitment, but we create uniforms that can be on trend, flattering and in some cases enhancing the individual image.

Uniforms, of course, have functions other than projecting the image.

For example, a promotional message: we have a client featuring the Blues Brothers, so the doorman wears "the look". Other clients are showcasing a short term product promotion; this can be done simply, cheaply and quickly as an add-on to existing kit. Secondly in a large operation, various rolls need to be identified: security, waitresses, housekeeping etc. This does not mean confusing the image; we use a consistent theme throughout.

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER - If you are a company, what are you trying to signal?