June 26, 2009
by MZ
in Local
With the help of a local Freman College student, Connor Stewart, Marketing Zone has created a website for a local youth football club in Hertfordshire. “The site is aimed at parents,” Mark Ganellin, Director of Marketing Zone said. “We wanted to give them a resource they could really use. Alongside useful information on age groups and training locations, we included links to the FA and other organisations. Football should be fun, and we want parents and kids to come with a positive attitude toward the sport.”
Connor, who’s 15 and studying business spent a week at Marketing Zone and worked on the site. “On the first day, I was shown the business and set challenges that would take me through the week. It was great, I really got involved and learned a lot,” said Connor.
At Marketing Zone, helping the community is important. “We don’t just talk about supporting community projects,” says Dee Twomey, Director. “We roll up our sleeves and really get involved. Having Connor here to work on the Cougar’s site gave him valuable insights into what the world of business is all about. And, his work really helped us complete the project.”
The Cougars site is up and running. So far, we’ve had great feedback from the coaches, managers and parents.
Darren Fitzgerald, Chairman of the club commented, “We’re delighted to have been provided with this superb website. Well done Connor and big thank you to Marketing Zone. It shows just how far the club has come since it started nearly 40 years ago. Up the Cougars!”
According to the Office for National Statistics, UK internet sales increased by 30% in 2007. An impressive statistic by any measure. The report goes on to say the internet sales represented 7.7 per cent of the total value of all sales in the non-financial sector in 2007. Clearly on line retail, or e-tailing as some call it, is a growing and important trend. But the real question how can?
Experian, the information services company, explores this issue in their recent ‘Engaging online with the Empowered Customer’ report. They argue that many retailers weren’t capitalising on the increase in ecommerce spending. One of the key conclusions they reached was that businesses weren’t encouraging repeat purchases. Customers spent their money and the relationship was complete. Some studies suggest that people are now spending more time on line, making comparisons and just generally shopping at multiple sites in search of good deals. Customers might want to give you return business, but they’re also willing to do their research. Businesses need to measure up in the eyes of their customers.
Getting new customers can be an expensive process, but working with the ones you already have isn’t nearly so costly. So how can you build more productive relationships with your on-line customers. First of all, find out what they’re thinking. Set up a blog in conjunction with your ecommerce site and respond to your customers concerns, questions and complaints. Post all the positive remarks and build new incentives around the ideas your customers express. For example, if two products are closely linked or frequently purchased together offer an appropriate discount. The same would apply to products that are frequently purchased. Buy two and we’ll pay the postage for you is a great motto.
Price matters, but customer want – and deserve – great service.
Date: September 21st, 2009 6:45pm
Location: Avenue House, 17 East End Road, Finchley, N3 3QE
Book a place at The Chartered Institute of Marketing website
Briefing can be a huge challenge – especially if you’re not used to working closely with an agency. Find out how Polaroid Eyewear worked with Marketing Zone to relaunch Polaroid sunglasses in the UK. And learn how to ensure your next agency brief gets results.
From initial meetings to strategic plans, creative treatments and digital innovation, Mark Ganellin and Dee Twomey from Marketing Zone, together with Rebecca Harwood Lincoln of Polaroid Eyewear, will show you how to get the best from your agency.
- Learn how to brief an agency to get the results you need
- Find out what the stumbling points are and how to avoid them
- Understand client and agency perspectives
- Case study: the relaunch of Polaroid sunglasses in the UK
- Q&A session – a chance to ask questions and share ideas
It is a great opportunity for members of The Chartered Institute of Marketing or other business people looking to sharpen their briefing skills. Book a place at The Chartered Institute of Marketing website.
June 19, 2009
by MZ
in Local
We’re always asking our clients to clarify their goals. And we do the same for our own business. Having a clear picture of where you’re going and when you expect to get there is fundamental to the success of any business. Equipping our clients to get where they want to be is what we do. And to be honest, I enjoy it. Each of our clients is remarkably individual. Some target other businesses, some want to get closer to consumers and some do both.
But I also like setting my own goals and doing something that I can pursue when I’m out of the office That’s why I recently entered the Asics 10 K London run on the 12th of July. Having a goal in mind makes it easier to get those shoes on and get out the door. I’m raising money for Paralympics UK – the charity that supports British Paralympic athletes. My goal is to raise 500 pounds. And to finish the race, of course.
I have a sponsorship page if you’d like to support me – and Britain’s Paralympians.
A great campaign makes you see stop and see the world a little – or a lot – differently. It asks you to change your mindset and make a new and different decision. The goal of any campaign is for people to take action by buying a product, casting a vote or changing a behaviour. The challenge to any campaign is communication. And there’s one feature that every memorable campaign needs to share – integration.
Getting the best mix
Communication happens on so many levels and through so many channels. For example, At Marketing Zone, we communicate with most of our clients through email. It’s fast, efficient, green and inexpensive. We still use the phone and certainly enjoy face-to-face time with our clients, but a lot of day to day work is through email. At the same time, we recognise that email is our preference and not necessarily the best or only way to reach people. We know some people prefer to be contacted through a social networking site. They like to get messages from their Facebook homepage. Twitter a popular microblogging platform is also a great way to reach people in a targeted group. There’s also PR placements and traditional advertising. Our clients value seeing their brands and products in newpapers, magazines and blogs. There’s so many different ways you can reach people with a message – the trick is finding a solution that targets the right people with the right message at the right time.
Obama – a great campaign
President Obama isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. He created impressive television commercials, twittered regularly and ran a busy sms campaign. My.barackobama.com was another channel he used to get his message to the American people. Add to that regular appearances on youtube and it’s clear that his campaign worked because it could and did communicate with people in the ways they wanted to be communicated with. And it sent messages people were ready to hear. A campaign is great only when it reaches the people it targets and changes their behaviour.
