NMBS has updated the NMBS Creative website to make it even more intuitive and user-friendly for independent merchants.

The online NMBS Creative portal enables merchants to create professional quality marketing collateral, without the need for their own inhouse designers or marketing teams.

While many larger merchants have their own design departments who create brochures or artwork to highlight current promotions, many smaller merchants are unable to afford this type of inhouse expertise, leaving them dependent on materials from suppliers or, simply, having to do without – missing out on the potential sales opportunities that a professional marketing service can provide.

The NMBS Creative service is an online portal where merchants who are members of NMBS can create their own branded flyers, banners, and leaflets, using a comprehensive suite of templates to make the process simple. The service was set up in 2014, in partnership with Ruddocks, a design and print agency based in Lincoln. The website has now undergone a complete overhaul, making it easier for merchants to navigate.

Members simply login, choose the basic layout template they wish, then drag and drop their own product images onto the template, which will update as they go, to help users see exactly what their document will look like when printed.

Templates can be amended in almost every way, allowing merchants to include their own product codes, pricing, descriptions and sales offers. Every template can be changed to reflect the company’s own brand, logo and preferred colour scheme.

Templates available include PVC banners, A5 double-sided leaflets, A4 flyers, posters, and roll-up display stands, to name just a few.

Templates can be completed in one go, or saved to the merchant’s own account, ready to be returned to later. Once the template is ready, it can either be downloaded immediately as a pdf for use as digital marketing, or the pdf can then be printed through the merchant’s own channels. Alternatively, the template can be sent to Ruddocks for printing and delivering to the merchant. Those merchants who choose to use Ruddocks for the printing can take advantage of NMBS’ own discount, as the Buying Society uses Ruddocks for all its own printing needs.

NMBS merchants can also speak to Ruddocks about the other services it offers, such as the design and printing of banners to hang outside the branch, pull-up banners for one-off promotions, or full catalogue creation.

For more information, visit www.nmbs-creative.co.uk.