Ideal Marketing Company Blog

It’s always good when you can help a client to gain media coverage that makes a dramatic difference to their number of inquiries and sales.  It’s also nice when you generate some great PR coverage for them.  In our case Metisee Motorbikes have achieved both with significant stories about the company on BBC Radio & TV, The Sunday Times, the Mail on Sunday, Top Gear Magazine and most recently the cover of the current edition of Classic Bike Guide.

We only do 1 day a month for them, but over a 5 day period we have generated media coverage worth over £150,000 for them.  Importantly, this has translated into real sales for the company.  We were helped by it being a very media friendly product, but have helped them achive some significant and worthwhile coverage.

East Midland Franchise Show June 2009

I am delighted to have been asked back to talk at the East Midlands Franchise show.  The event takes place at the Leicester Racecourse on Saturday 20th.  My slot will be in the morning and if you are considering setting up on your own but want the security of working within a franchise than it may make good sense.

This year the organisers are thinking about people who have been made redundant as the following news release indicates.

Redundancy need not mean Redundant – say Franchise Show organisers

As more of us begin to revaluate career options with lingering uncertainty in the workplace, starting up your own business - via a franchise - has long been a route considered by individuals looking to re-invest redundancy pay off.

And most franchising companies will tell you that, although a bolt out of the blue, being made redundant can be the making of you. You could well end up happier, and better off, than someone else’s wage slave.

But are those claims slick sales talk from franchise companies who want you to invest in them? Or is there hard evidence to reassure those who do lose their job that using their pay off to fund a business will “pay off”?

Well the organisers of the East Midlands Franchise Show, arriving at Leicester Racecourse in Oadby on June 20th, claim that 9 out of 10 franchisees report profitable business a couple of years into their licence.

And to reinforce the point, the low level of commercial failure is something that the high street banks have picked up on. In this immediate post credit crunch era, some high street banks have even set up specialist franchise teams keen to invest in what the have judged a “safer bet” – and offer preferential banking terms too

So if the worst happens, why not just set up alone? Why not use the capital you would have to pay the franchise fee and instead launch your own copycat idea?

Marcus Remfry, of franchise show organisers Job Done Marketing, gives as good an explanation as any;

“A good franchise will have a good brand, strong national marketing, good support for the new franchisee and most of all - a ready made, proven manual of how to run the business. None of that is there for a stand alone new business.

Those factors make franchising work. It is a far safer bet for the new business owners to succeed – and make their investment work for them

In addition, the clue is in the attitude of High Street banks. Cutting back on almost all forms of lending is in the news constantly, but some have set up specialist franchise teams to invest in, what they see, as a safer business opportunity”

So if you are one of those facing the push from work, it may just be the push you need to succeed. There are five million self employed Britons working today – and in times of economic slowdown, that tally could rise. Considering all career options – including creating your own career in your own company – is one avenue many will consider more and more.

Background:

The East Midlands Franchise Show 2009 takes place on Saturday June 20th at the Leicester Racecourse Conference Centre, Oadby, 4 miles south of Leicester city centre.

The show is free to attend – no tickets required - and there are specialist career and start your own business seminars taking place throughout which are also free to sit in on.

There are 36 exhibitors with full and part time business opportuntites on offer - a list of whom is available online at www.eastmidlandsfranchiseshow.co.uk.

Thanks to Tara Carlile-Swift who sent me the following feedback from yesterday’s event:

“Once again Alastair’s speaking style captivated, inspired and challenged our audience who ranged from start-up businesses to established SME’s. His down to earth approach to marketing is refreshing. Our delegates left with real advice they can implement straight away - which is why Alastair’s style is so relevant in the current climate”

Tara Carlile-Swift

Tara Carlile-Swift
Founder - East Midlands Business Live! & New business live!

www.embusinesslive.com

Marketing Seminars

Thanks to everybody who saw my new seminar on 12 ways to grow your business through generating more leads. The seminar took place towards the end of East Midlands Live at the Trent FM Nottingham Arena. Thanks to Tara and all the team who worked so hard to put the event on. If you were there, hope you picked up some useful ideas - but do put them into practice. If you missed it, e-mail me and I’ll let you know when my next Marketing Seminar is on in the area or how you can enroll in the Marketing Mentor programme for free.

Working Breakfast members

The networking group I attend every Thursday - called Working Breakfast at the Regency Hotel in Leicester  - has asked it’s member to come up with some practical tips on how the beat the ecconomic downturn.  It’s aimed at small business owners.

The result is an 80 point tips booklet that you can have for free if you call me on 01858 44 55 43 or you can download it at www.workingbreakfast.com  I think that it contains some really good ideas and I’ve been very surprised at how well it’s been received - however numbers are limited to get hold of your copy today before they run out.

Also if you want to ever visit Working Breakfast to see if it’s for you please do so - just let me know in advance and I will bring you along as a guest - which means you get a free breakfast the first time you attend!

We all like to complain about things from time to time.  This BBC page has a summary of the past 12 months most controversial and complained about adverts.

What I always find interesting about these lists is how some things which seem harmless to me WILL cause offence in others.  Also how some very uncontroversial products of service will rely on sex or violence to sell. Judge for yourself at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8020881.stm

Busy week next week with a free evening seminar on Tuesday and a full day seminar on Thursday.  If you are one of the busness owners attending I’m looking forward to meeting you there.

Thank you to everybody who came to The Business Club meeting on Tuesday evening.  I was asked to speak on the ‘9 Steps to successful marketing’ which I’m pleased to say received very positive feedback.

If you have never been to a Business Club event, I would suggest you try one of them.  They run in Leicester, Northampton, Peterborough & Hertfordshire.  The format of the meeting works well and all the events I’ve spoken at have been very well attended and seem very well liked by the members. I’m due to return to run another marketing seminar / marketing talk at the Leicester event again this June.

marketing seminar

Have you got a ‘shark’s mouth’ approach to marketing?

In my marketing seminars, I sometimes talk about the term a ’shark’s mouth approach to marketing.  What do I mean by this?

After the film ‘Jaws’ was released in 1975, most people who saw it felt at least a little twinge of fear the next time they ventured into the sea. However, despite all the image problems that the shark has, the shark can teach us a couple of useful lessons. It’s certainly not to do with PR – sharks get pretty bad PR in general – it is to do with the principle behind a shark’s mouth and how we can use this idea to our approach to marketing.

A shark’s main weapon in staying alive is its teeth. Most sharks have about 3-5 rows of teeth at any time. The front set does most of the work. The first two rows are used for obtaining, killing and cutting up prey; the other rows rotate into place as they are needed. These sharp pointy teeth will tear open a passing fish, boat or other shark. However during some of these attacks, sharks will often lose a tooth, which may remain embedded in the flesh of its victim.

Losing the odd tooth wouldn’t be a big problem however as it happens quite regularly, and the shark has two ways to overcome this.

First of all it has lots of teeth - a single toothed shark would not be such a terrifying sight if it tried to suck you to death with it’s gums. However many companies are, in effect, a ‘one toothed shark’ as they have only one main way of marketing their business. Over the years they have stopped putting the effort into finding what marketing works for them and now rely on only one or two methods. A shark’s mouth is such an efficient ‘killing machine’ because it has so many sharp teeth in it. How many different marketing channels do you have working for you? Are you in effect a one tooth shark?

Secondly, sharks have the ability to re-grow their teeth. A shark has seven replacement teeth behind its visible tooth. That means when its tooth gets knocked out, there are plenty more waiting to take its place. From a marketing point of view, this is a good lesson in resilience and results. Every time we try a piece of marketing activity – say a direct mail letter – we get a result. It just might not be the result we want. At that point, many people just give up. I once worked for a company that told me ‘direct mail doesn’t work for us’. Within a few months were sending out thousands of direct mail letters each month, and generating hundreds of enquiries. Don’t give up on an area of marketing too early. Your first attempts might not work out, but be prepared to use a few extra ideas that you have in reserve.

Action Points:

1. Look at how many ‘marketing teeth’ you have – actively capturing new clients. Is it time to develop some new ones?

2. Have you given up on a marketing area before giving it a proper chance to work? Could you have some ‘hidden teeth’ which will give the project some bite that lie buried just under the surface?

Book a free place on my next marketing seminar or find out how you can enrol on the complete marketing mentor programme for free by calling 01858 44 55 43 or e-mail charlie@themarketingmentor.co.uk

Free marketing seminar on April 28th

We are now around 70% booked upfor the next free marketing seminar at Hothorpe Hall on the evening of April 28th.  Full details are on the seminars page or at www.themarketingmentor.co.uk.

The evening seminar lasts just over an hour and there is a chance to network, win a bottle of champagne or just to sit and learn about low cost marketing ideas.  People have come from London, Manchester and Birmingham to attend my previous marketing seminars, but most people come from Leicestershire & Northamptonshire.

If you would like more details call 01858 44 55 43 or e-mail seminar@idealmarketingcompany.com to reserve a space - and bring up to 3 people with you.