How we launched an amazing wedding venue

Challenge

• To research and develop a marketing strategy and plan to launch Rackleys Chiltern Hills; a new luxury wedding barn and event venue in the heart of rural Buckinghamshire. As the refurbishment took over 18 months, careful staging was needed to develop the venue, while attracting guests, and building a high quality reputation.

Approach

• Staged collaboration with the management team and also graphics and web designer, over 18 months.
• Firstly, secondary research to understand, the range and nature of current wedding venues, and offers, in and around Buckinghamshire.
• Secondly, qualitative research, comprising depth interviews, with prospective and recent brides and grooms, and wedding planners to understand their needs and decision making criteria.
• Thirdly, we defined the Rackleys Chiltern Hills brand positioning, product and service offer, and other elements of the marketing mix. Then created a website and established a social media presence.
• As the build nears completion, test events, and marketing, will increase in proximity to, and beyond the official opening.

Results

• Marketing for Rackleys Chiltern Hills wedding barn and event venue started in Spring 2020 with the launch of their new website, and social media sites.
• The impressive refurbishment is well underway and opening on track for 2021. Rackleys is now open for show-rounds, taking bookings and welcomes first guests in April 2021.
• After 2 months of (low key) marketing activity they have already received a ‘significant number of enquiries and bookings’.
• Take a tour around Rackleys amazing wedding barn in Buckinghamshire and check out their social media for latest news.

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How we helped a TV and film casting agency achieve record placements

Background

Guys and Dolls Casting provides supporting artistes (SAs) to the television and film business.

Challenge

To grow the customer base of Assistant Directors (ADs) in TV and film, and also provide even more supporting and featured artistes to TV and film productions.

Approach

• Review of company and market situation with the CEO, including financials, customers and productions served, and also strengths and weaknesses.
• Depth interviews with a range of Assistant Directors (mainly 2nds/3rds, some 1sts) in TV, film and commercials sectors. Our aim was to understand their needs, attitudes, behaviour. And also reactions to proposed new Guys and Dolls Casting services.
• Analysis of findings and production of recommendations to better meet AD’s needs.
• Also analysed online marketing performance. And then developed communication strategy and plans to refresh the website, increase awareness of services (such as new Extras Manager), and leads.

Guys and Dolls has built an envious reputation for supplying fabulous extras; high calibre supporting srtistes and crowd for feature films, television programmes and commercials.

Results

Marketing collateral, processes and resources put in place to grow the business. As a result, in 2019, the team smashed previous records for getting SAs and featured artistes on set. Lots more artistes are also being lined up for 2020 productions.

If you need professional supporting artistes or want to be one, get in touch with Guys and Dolls Casting.

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How we helped inspire a new social enterprise

Background

With origins as a housing association, Livv Homes (was First Ark) is a pioneering social enterprise based in Knowsley, Lancashire.

Challenge

To help Livv Homes establish a clear, motivating and unifying direction. Also to develop strategies to better meet customer and stakeholder needs and improve marketing capability.

First Ark, a pioneering social enterprise

Approach

• Information review and stakeholder interviews to understand hopes, fears, marketing capabilities, business issues and opportunities.
• Create start-point mission and ‘brand’ positioning to explore and develop in working sessions with management.
• Team working sessions covering four business units to determine customers, segments and also needs.
• Develop mission, positioning and series of marketing plans for the overall business. Also for the range of business units and product and service groups. We also devised key performance indicators (KPIs) to aid ongoing management.
• Interactive marketing ‘discovery’ sessions followed finally by a strategy debrief.

Results:

Helped First Ark (now called the Livv Housing Group) understand how to think from a customer point of view and discover the benefits in so doing.
Established a clear and challenging mission to inspire the management team and organisation at large to develop their exciting social enterprise. As a result this sets a new high standard for the way the organisation works and has potential to transform the local economy.
Also established new marketing strategy, brand strategy and plans to ensure concrete and steady progress to achieve desired financial and customer outcomes.

Read more about this pioneering social enterprise.

How we’re helping boost marketing performance and careers

Strategic marketing masterclasses with Guy Tomlinson

Challenge

To help senior marketing executives create and deliver distinctive customer (brand) experiences and marketing communications. In particular, by developing two advanced-level marketing masterclasses.

Approach

• • Created and delivered highly interactive two 2 day strategic marketing training courses. These enable learning by ‘discovery and doing’ rather than ‘chalk and talk’!
  • Delegates also leave the course with a workbook, and new skills, and experience to take back to the workplace.

Results

Professionals from a wide range of sectors and countries enabled to create effective marketing communications and deliver distinctive customer experiences.
Delegate ratings are also 85-100% and at the top end of CIM performance measures.
Course intellectual property is inspired and also owned by The Marketing Directors.

Read more about our Brand Masterclass to create and deliver distinctive customer experiences. Also our Marketing Communications Masterclass to create cut-through communications.

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