Measuring your marketing efforts is vital, so you know whether you’re doing the right thing and, importantly, how you can improve to get even better results. Many of our clients are manufacturers, and so embrace the concept of ‘continuous improvement’. We believe marketing should do the same – which is why putting objectives and measurements…
I speak to many businesses who define their target market as “SMEs”. An SME (small-to-medium enterprise) is a business with less than 250 employees, turns over up to about £40m, and where a non-SME organisation doesn’t own more than a quarter of it. The problem with targeting SMEs is this: according to government statistics, 99.9%…
Marketing has many aspects – that’s what can make it so much fun; but it can also make it seem bafflingly complex. Just some of the things you’ll be considering in your marketing are branding; unique selling points, or differentiators; your strengths and weaknesses as a business; customer service; setting the right prices; competitors; choosing,…
If you’re wondering whether you’re doing the “right marketing”, that’s a good thing. It means you are thinking about your marketing’s effectiveness and measurement and what your options might be to make improvements. To begin answering the question of whether your marketing is “right” we need to step back and tackle three key questions: 1.…
I’ve been working on two strategic consultancy projects this month with two new clients – and each time, the earliest stages of the conversation have included the same key question: “Who are your competitors?” Most companies are very happy to talk about themselves – but some are less comfortable talking about the competition. Some even…
Going through the checkout at a certain supermarket, I commented on how quickly the cashier was scanning my items. “I have to,” she replied. “We have to scan 30 items a minute.” “So, you’re measured?” I asked. “What happens if you don’t achieve it?” “We get told off – but not as bad as [other…
This is the tale of two of my clients, and a graph.
The first client undertook a particular marketing activity consistently for about three years, and enjoyed success with it. But it then reached the point where it wasn’t working any more…
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there”
So sang George Harrison. But it’s just as true for marketing. Your marketing plan is an essential document to make your marketing happen. Here’s why you need one.
