Consultancy
Planning for the Long-term
The development of a strategic marketing plan that aligns your strengths with your customers’ needs, provides a framework to achieve objectives and is one of the most important activities an organisation could undertake
Understanding Your WHY and Creating Value
Apart from making good business sense, dedicating your time and effort on doing what is important to you, is rewarding and prevents burn-out. Identifying and protecting, in the widest sense, the reason why the business was created in the first place, is a great motivator for staff and customers. When fully understood, this reason for being, can be used to evaluate resource allocation and new opportunities, and to plan for the future.
Why Do You Get Out of Bed In The Morning?
The Creation of a Brand
Customers have a sixth sense when it comes to understanding what organisations stand for, and they do not give their loyalty lightly. So why do so many companies neglect developing what could ensure their long-term future? Let's divide customers into three groups; those who focus on price and treat you like a commodity, those who have an immediate need that you can satisfy no questions asked and those who value what you value. The answer is of course, the customers who share and appreciate your values. Those who will support you when times get tough, even when you might not be the most convenient supplier. How do you create loyal customers? Firstly, by identifying your values. Secondly, by building your business and your brand on these values.
Research
Research provides the information upon which good decisions are made. We like to start our research by finding out why a business exists. Why was it created and what need is it motivated to satisfy? Does it create value for the client and the wider community by satisfying that need? Once we know why you exist. It’s about understanding your strengths and abilities, your target market and competitors, the business landscape and your resources. All of this is good information and it will help you develop a picture of why you are unique and of the values upon which a brand can be built.
Values
Values are a uniquely powerful and little understood force in the business world. They can be used to provide direction, to prepare for the future and to create a loyal customer base. Focusing on what is important to the owners of a business allows a business to be true to itself. Building these values into everything a business does and promoting them, is the most honest thing an organisation could do. Not everyone will share your values, but at least they can make an informed decision. Others will become loyal. Your core task is to attract as many loyal customers as you can.
Loyalty
What is it about loyalty that is so important and why is it so hard to create? The first question is easy to answer. Loyalty means more than price, even more than the product or service, though these are important. Loyalty exists at a higher level. A loyal customer will literally drive past a competitor or forgo a lower cost to do business with you. They will experience some inconvenience to support you. Why? Because they believe you stand for something of value. Answering the second question is more difficult, and then once answered is difficult to achieve. It all starts with a core believe and a reason for being. This leads to the creation of values and eventually to customer loyalty.
The Big Picture
The big picture is the marketing plan. It brings together the results of the research and creates a roadmap for the future based on your values, your position in the market and your opportunities. The plan guides the allocation of resources towards the achievement of an agreed objective. With regards to the implementation of communications and promotional activities the plan consists of a series of smaller plans, interlinked and mutually supportive. Having a marketing plan in place helps to ensure that decisions made on a day to day basis complement the brand, add value, and are directed to the right people. Those who share values with the business and have the potential to become loyal customers.
