Marketing
Strategic marketing begins with the decision of which goods or services to supply that will result in a cycle of orders. If market forces change you may have to consider targeting additional or even different types of customers, or to provide existing customers with new products.
On a tactical level marketing is the process by which a business projects itself to its target audience and controls brand perceptions through consistent behaviours in the way it interacts with customers and influencers. At the heart of this process there should be a mechanism to understand and track customer satisfaction and attitude to your company brand.
Whether you spend a small or a large amount on marketing activity it is essential to deploy your funds carefully so they return maximum benefit from your investment. A clear marketing plan with an associated budget is essential so that you know what you are setting out to achieve and how you are going to monitor and evaluate results.
Whilst the principles of marketing are universal, every company requires a bespoke marketing plan designed around the exact needs of the business. Secantor can help you with your marketing planning or assist with any aspect from market research to selecting a suitable supplier for advertising, design services, web development or public relations.
Typical Areas of Assistance
Market research. Helping you gather research on your market sector or design a low cost programme of research, with existing or potential customers.
Review and audit. Helping you assess your previous or existing marketing activity.
Brand positioning. Helping you to rigorously distil the essence of your brand and refocus where necessary to improve margin opportunity and market penetration.
Planning. Help in the preparation of a marketing plan and budget, with identified KPIs.
Appointments. Helping you recruit internal marketing staff, or to prepare a brief for external agencies, and then selecting the best candidates from a pitch for design, advertising or PR.
NPD. Helping you develop, or evaluate, new products concepts and guide you on preparation for positioning and launch. This is a particularly important area, often overlooked by many small to medium sized businesses.