UPDATE: Bay Life postcards go on sale in four key locations across the community
The postcards are to go on sale today (Friday 20 April) at the 1066 store, the Bay Hotel and the Ocean View Bakery and Restaurant, and now also at the Bay Diner in Pevensey Bay.
Discussions are also taking place with key stakeholder organisatiions to establish ways in which the ‘postcard promotions’ could help to support economic regeneration in the locality.
Aspects to highlight will include a focus on the unique values of Pevensey and Pevensey Bay.
These aspects would have regard to the arts, culture, history and new kinds of economic activity and social life such as local festivals.
The organisations being invited to participate in the new niche promotion include the Pevensey Bay Information Centre and the Castle Cottage Tea Room in Pevensey.
The A6 postcards are printed by Moocards, a company based in London.
Moo offers a variety of printed materials to customers in over 190 countries, and has six locations across the United Kingdom and United States. The company was founded in 2006 by CEO and Founder Richard Moross (MBE).
MOO serves businesses of all sizes, from start-ups and independent designers to larger organisations. Their clients include Google, AirBnb, Monotype and BuzzFeed.
In 2015, the company received a UK £3 million investment from Barclays. In 2016, the company reported revenue of £71 million and proved there is a place for a premium-priced business card printer in a digital age.
The high end production approach ie being adopted to interest visitors. The perception of the postcards as being representative of the ‘unique qualities and essence of Pevensey Bay’ is at the heart of the project.
The selection of the images chosen is seen as critical to the success of the small pilot project.
Initial interest in the postcode, previewed to business owners, artists and residents with a series of ‘focus group’ style discussions, has provided some interesting and useful feedback, with a little excitement.
The business end of the little enterprise is looking at the possibilities of ‘scaling up’ the venture, starting with pilot productions, selecting the most popular postcards and then producing, at value, greater numbers with the same production values.
By this method, the potential that the postcards can become ‘an identifiable Pevensey Bay brand’ are being seen as offering the possibility that the postcards could become of sustainable economic value.
What is also seen is the possibility that the postcards could generate a small degree of interest in Pevensey Bay beyond the kind of generic approach that appears to attract little interest.
‘To be honest’, said Simon Montgomery, editor of Bay Life, a tiny stick of rock from a big company with the words ‘Pevensey Bay’ so badly done, selling for tuppence in the 1066 store does not say Pevensey Bay to me, what the stick of rock done in this way says is ‘we do not care, just have this excuse if you are a visitor, tough’.
“We need a big stick of rock and the words need to say something about the essence of Pevensey Bay, what we need is quality niche gifts that visitors can take home for their wider family and friends, this is not rocket science.”
“We love the holiday home people because the mix is what makes Pevensey Bay. But there is a very simple test here, if people are spending £5,000 plus on their plot fees yearly at what we still call the Martello Beach holiday home site, why should the company that is making such a shedload of money take all the money out of this community?
“Will holiday home owners buy the postcards We are about to see”.
“The same point about sticks of rock is true of postcards. They are flimsy excuses, poor generic images , poorly done with the words ‘Pevensey Bay’ slapped on the front with a wonky font. Again, what is all that about?”.
Bay Life postcards are different, because they are ‘high end’ in terms of price, in relative terms.
“We will see if visitors buy them and stick them on their posh Smeg fridges with a fridge magnet when they get home, because there seems to be a possibility that this will happen,.
“Of course if this does happen then we open up the possibility of promoting Pevensey Bay in some new niche ways that are targeted for the local times in which we live, which really would be quite exciting.
“Funny, but with our first batcb of cards, of the five sold, four were sold to residents, can not quite explain why that has happened, but we are not complaining!”
“Will be interesting to see if the brand builds over time.”
The postcards for Pevensey Bay celebrate key events, local scenes and festivals, created by some of the best indigenous illustrators and photographers in the locality.
There are ten sets of original artwork in the first series of postcards, titled, “Wish You Here, with love from Pevensey Bay”.
First in the series is a photograph by Christine Racher which features the picture of the winner of the VOY18 (Vehicles of Yesteryear 2018), the Best in Show – 1967 VW T2 Split Screen Bus.
The postcards are A6 size, 330-350 gsm, on “feel good” premium paper with a matte and gloss finish.
Bay Life postcards are priced at £1:20 each, with options for packs of postcards from the collectors edition.
