Marketing is all about having a plan… to deliver your goals

WE CREATE AND DELIVER MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR OUR CLIENTS.

We create and deliver integrated marketing strategies for our clients, which typically include sections concerning: organisational resilience, strategic and creative brand propositions, sales collateral and marketing communications, sales processes, customer touch points, lead generation activities and customer lifetime value. Our research process outlined below invariably leads to the identification of a range of insights which inform the marketing strategies we deliver. These insights lead to recommendations which impact upon the processes by which we are able to deliver strategies as efficiently and effectively as possible.

  1. We familiarise ourselves with business plans and sales forecasts relevant to the scope of work we are being commissioned to look at – this could be a business or a product/service.
  2. We interview owners, directors, management teams, staff, partners, customers and any other relevant stakeholders to gain an immediate in‐depth knowledge of all aspects of the business from a variety of perspectives.
  3. We gain a feel for the underlying corporate culture and brand character of the business by spending time in our client’s office.
  4. We analyse internal processes to ascertain the efficacy of the sales pipeline, customer relationship management (CRM) and customer lifetime value (CLV) activities.
  5. We review the quality of current sales and marketing materials.
  6. We analyse the performance of previous sales and marketing activities.
  7. We conduct desk‐based research and use analytical tools to analyse marketplace competitors.
  8. We establish key audience demographics and customer segmentation profile.
  9. We facilitate group discussions to brainstorm ideas and generate insights.

THE VERY FIRST STAGE IN THE PROCESS IS TO LISTEN

We need to understand the issues our clients are facing. We need to seek clarity on their aims and goals. We are sometimes given a formal brief outlining these issues and objectives. We ask difficult questions. We read, assess and check everything we are told. We seek evidence to back up any claims that are made.

We are often given access to a client’s business plans and sales forecasts, to enable us to better understand their commercial model and financial aspirations. We review their existing sales collateral and marketing materials, and we find out what techniques they have historically used to generate leads, and how well these have worked. We chat on an individual basis with directors and senior management to fast track our understanding of core issues.

Wherever possible, we spend time in a client’s office to get a better feel for the atmosphere and culture of the business, and we conduct confidential interviews with staff to understand a wide variety of perspectives. We use anonymous online questionnaires to test perceived opinions and attitudes. A benefit of this process is that it often uncovers a number of organisational issues that a client might wish to address in conjunction with the marketing strategy we create.

THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS TO RESEARCH THE MARKETPLACE.

We use various manual processes and technical tools to analyse competitor websites to gain a better understanding of their digital marketing activities. Where necessary, we read industry reports and undertake desk research. In some instances, we pose as prospective customers to analyse competitor sales and marketing processes. We purchase and analyse market sector reports as and when necessary.

Understanding customers is key to any business. We host facilitated workshops with staff, management and directors to understand the emotional drivers and rational needs of their target markets. We discuss customer profiling to identify relevant demographical and psychographical traits.

We analyse sales and prospect data. We look at existing sales processes, how the pipeline works, churn rates and customer lifetime value. Wherever possible, we interview customers directly to find out what they think. We segment profiles by sector, product and service where necessary and appropriate to do so.