Marketing Workshop

Marketing Workshop

25th November 2009

Who I am?

• Aimi Townsend – Chartered Marketer • 13 years experience – public & private sector

organisations as well as running my own consultancy business – Aidan Marketing

• Diverse range of marketing projects from corporate identity for IT companies to launching childcare facilities for a college

• Volunteered on the regional CIM committee for 7 years.

What are we covering today?

• What is Marketing & why bother? • An exercise on identifying customers• Ideas for marketing on a shoestring budget • Key marketing principles • Marketing issues affecting you

Please feel free to ask questions throughout

What is Marketing?Chartered Institute of Marketing Definition: Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfyingcustomer requirements profitably.

Management – should be done at the top level of an organisation (part of strategic planning)

Identifying – Who is your target market? Can you describe your typical customer

Anticipating – What are their needs? Can you offer something better than competitors?

Satisfying - Do your products/ services fully satisfy your customers? How do you know?

Profitably – Have you got the pricing right? Have you got a sustainable business?

Why bother with Marketing?

• Help you reach your customers more effectively

• Help you stand out from competitors • Help you to raise awareness of your

organisation• Help you to retain customers • Help you plan for the longer-term

Identifying the Customer

Exercise – Who are your customers? Who – Age, gender, occupation......Where- Do they live, spend their time...What – Are their interests, motivations....Why – Are they likely to buy from you....How – Do they access your services, like to be

treated....

Targeting & Segmentation

• Not all customers are the same• Can you identify different customer groups? • This is basic targeting and segmentation• Different groups will require different

promotional messages/ methods of communication

• The success of your marketing will depend on the relevance and quality of your messages

Marketing on a Shoestring

Public Relations• Low cost to write & send a press release • Must be newsworthy • Must be targeted • Must be timely


Writing a press release 5 W’s rule• WHAT is happening?• WHO is doing it?• WHERE is it happening?• WHEN is it happening?• WHY is it happening The first four should come in the first paragraph and the last will

just follow in unpacking the story in the second paragraph


Public Relations – Writing a press release• Limit release to 1 side of A4• Opening paragraph/ first line – sell’s it!• Try not to use jargon – explain acronyms• Include a relevant quotations/ any photo opportunities• Make sentences active not passive e.g. ‘it is anticipated..”

becomes “we hope that..”• Type body of text in double spacing – use ‘Ends’ to conclude • Include background information on 2nd page under ‘Notes for

Editors’ and always include contact details for further information


Newsletter – Key Benefits• Keep in touch with your customers on a regular basis• Build customer loyalty and referrals • Unique channel for promotion • Low cost if sent via email• Links back to your website • Encourages customer feedback• Can use for surveys/ finding out information about

your customers


Customer loyalty schemes• If your product/ service is suitable• Must be credible- offer something of value• Can be low cost to establish • Increase customer spend –ward off competitors• Offer referral schemes• Capture customer data to analyse buyer behaviour • Unique channel for promotion


Networking• Many different groups – from no cost to annual fee• Everyone there to do business • Helps increase your confidence – ‘elevator pitch’• Build relationships overtime and increase referral

business • Often out of office hours

Key Marketing Principles

• Know your customer – errors can cost you your business • Tailor your promotional messages and materials • Actively seek out PR opportunities • Be aware of your communication channels/ build new ones • Measure customer satisfaction • Ensure you know what the competition are doing and how

you can differentiate • Ensure you are easy to get hold of• Always measure the success of any marketing activity e.g.

Dedicated promotional telephone number or ‘click-through’ rate

Marketing Issues?

Open forum for discussion

Thank you

Aimi Townsend [email protected]

07970 667821

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Marketing Workshop