Insight: what’s really going on?
Why marketing? What do you want to achieve? It’s so easy to think we know what’s going on, but the true situation can be quite different.
Whether it’s an in-depth analysis of your industry sector, a bird's eye view of your business, or uncovering what really makes your customers tick, only purposeful research can give you a legitimate answer.
We often carry out qualitative research with your key customers and sometimes commission additional quantitative research. We’ll always present our findings in plain English. These insights enable us to prepare a clear plan of action to take your business forward.
Research is formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.
Marketing strategy
Strategy development doesn’t have to be lengthy and complicated. We usually kick off by defining precisely where you are now and where you want to get to. We’ll usually seek the views of your customers, via a personal interview. Then I’ll prepare a marketing plan that sets out details of the route and precisely what you’ll need to do along the way.
When you’re constrained by time and budget, there’s always the danger that your marketing plan dissolves into a list of random projects. That’s one of the benefits of external practitioners – we can help you actually get things done. We’re hand on when you need us.
The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. But the hardest thing is to initiate.
Brand development
Your brand is what gives your product or business its distinctive identity. A strong brand makes it much harder for competitors to replicate what you do; it also provides strategic focus for your people and underpins your corporate culture.
A brand is made up of all the experiences and expectations that the world has of you and your business - everything from your products and services, the way you treat customers, the tone of voice of your communications, multiple tangible and intangible factors.
It’s not always easy to articulate what a brand means in a few words – yet a few words is what successful marketing needs. Consistent brand language is persuasive.
26 Marketing can help you to understand and define your brand and then translate that into words and expressions to use across the range of your internal and external communications.
Always remember: a brand is the most valuable piece of real estate in the world; a corner of someone's mind.
Media planning and buying
‘The medium is the message’ is as true now as it was 50 years ago. Only today, you’ve so much more choice. Traditional print and broadcast media. Outdoor media. Social media. Digital media. Podcasts, games, sponsorship and plenty more…
It’s hard to make the right choice without specialist media knowledge and a good understanding of what you are trying to achieve.
Because I’m a marketing consultant I look at media-buying in the context of the greater good of your business. Because I understand your brand, I can look at bigger picture and explore all the options, from traditional media environments to new digital channels and identify the formula that will give you the maximum firepower for your budget. Because I’m very choosy I do a shed load of analysis and groundwork before making my recommendations. If you want to reach people ‘out of home’ then I handpick sites for you. If we think podcasts are a must, I’ll find the ideal presenter and deliver a tailored fit for your brand.
My long experience of and relationship with media buying also means that 26 Marketing clients benefit from better rates. But there’s more. Traditionally, media buying and creative teams have worked apart. I like to bridge that divide. I’ll present your media strategy to the creative team and explain how they can get the most from it. Give them some dos and don’ts. This interaction helps cut out waste so your spending goes further.
It’s a really effective approach to media planning and buying that ticks all the boxes: what, where, how and the best price.
At the end of the campaign, you’ll get a full report, related to your sales data and detailing what worked and what we might change next time. In this way, we build marketing trajectory for your business.
Nobody counts the number of ads you run, they just remember the impression you make.
