Marketing strategy

We’ve just had our historically first meeting with our Business Mentor.

It took 4 hours and we briefly discussed almost all sections of our business. We primarily concentrated on our marketing, our position on the market, our opportunities and created a simple plan to follow.

One of the key elements we discovered during the meeting was that we need to spend more time on marketing our agency. Hence, you will see quite a few new exciting creative projects coming out from our production promoting our own brand. First one that I can promise you is a refresh of our homepage and our portfolio. If all goes well, we will go live by Friday this week.

Big bus challenge

I passed this advert on the London Underground:

Someone has launched this “competition” to submit an advertising campaign to run on national buses: www.bigbuschallenge.com

I love the idea. We got to learn about it only this week so we don’t have much time to prepare any submission. In fact, the decision was not to even try as we would have to spend a few days designing/brainstorming/preparing and the deadline is just around the corner.

The reason why it caught our attention though is that growing as an agency, there are opportunities for us to make ourselves more visible every day. Once again it is a task for me & Adrian to decide which ones we are going to take, leave behind or put on the watch-list for the next year.

“Have you been to Rituals before?”

“Have you been to Rituals before?” is the question that staff at Rituals welcomes customers entering their store. I usually visit Rituals when I shop at Westfields. I enjoy shopping at Westfields. It might be because that’s the way I used to shop in Prague when I lived and studied there - going to a shopping mall where you have everything you need under one roof. I’ve never warmed up to street shopping so popular in London: Regent’s Street, Carnaby Street, Neal Street and the posh venues around Sloane Square…Hmm, maybe one day…

But shopping malls have their down-sides: they’re overcrowded and noisy. Entering Rituals in the middle of a crazy arena is like landing in an oasis after walking miles in a dessert. It’s peaceful, quite, with a spa-like feel to it. It feels very refreshing and special. The whole experience.

“Have you been to Rituals before?” The question is just a slight variation to the standard: “Hello. How can I help?” that you receive everywhere else and that makes you feel a bit hunted; especially if you don’t really know what you actually want or what the store has to offer.

“Have you been to Rituals before?” opens up a conversation. “No, I haven’t” invites Rituals’ staff to give you a tour of the store. In a soft and totally natural way.  ”Yes, I have. Thank you.”  draws a friendly smile on my face  and makes me feel welcomed somewhere where it makes a difference if I am a returning customer.

Just a slight variation to the standard….