I love Lavazza

I love Lavazza

I love Lavazza. It is one of my favourite brands Lavazza Lavazza Group ๐Ÿ‘ I appreciate as a marketer, I think far too hard about brands, as the range of functional and emotional benefits which constitute the brand and a consumer interaction with it ๐Ÿ‘ Here at the...
Marketing? – I can help!

Marketing? – I can help!

Yes, I know I help LOTS of businesses with MARKETING STRATEGY ๐Ÿ‘ But I do get involved in lots of other marketing-related activities too! ๐Ÿ˜‰ In March – – Finding a conference venue, Midlands-based, to accommodate 250 people, with overnight accommodation and...
SME Marketing Support

SME Marketing Support

A lot of the MARKETING SUPPORT I give to SME’s is not highfalutin strategy ‘stuff’ ! ๐Ÿ˜‰ It is simple, straightforward and solid marketing advice, based upon a) an understanding of their business and b) a lot of my experience working in marketing...
Doing MARKETING properly!

Doing MARKETING properly!

OMG, a Hotel Chocolat salted hot chocolate with whipped cream ๐Ÿ˜ Now that is really impressive. If you going to do it, do it PROPERLY (and I did ๐Ÿคฃ ) Talking about doing things PROPERLY… How much of your MARKETING is just “do it and see” kind of stuff?...
Selling and Marketing

Selling and Marketing

I have always loved SELLING! ๐Ÿ‘ If I hadn’t developed a career in MARKETING, I am sure I would have developed one in SALES. ๐Ÿ˜‰ I have had a couple of stints in SALES through my working life, when I first graduated selling vacuum cleaners and washing machines to...
Face-To-Face Events & Networking

Face-To-Face Events & Networking

Face-to-Face EVENTS are always more fun when you are NETWORKING with a long-standing client! ๐Ÿ˜„ Spenbeck is a wonderfully entrepreneurial business, with consultancies in sustainability, building health and interior design. ๐Ÿ‘ It has and continues to be a privilege to...
PRICE – a much overlooked “P”

PRICE – a much overlooked “P”

PRICE ๐Ÿ’ท Marketers – it is one of the 4P’s so often overlooked ! ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ Maybe it’s because it is not as sexy as PROMOTION or PRODUCT or even PLACE !๐Ÿ˜‰ Or perhaps it is because you are not accountable for profit, so it is less important? (I hope not) ๐Ÿ˜ฅ...
OMG…Marketing Strategy and Execution!

OMG…Marketing Strategy and Execution!

A few weeks ago I spent AN HOUR OF MY LIFE tuned into a “marketing strategy” WEBINAR ๐Ÿค” Even though marketing strategy is what I do for lots of businesses, AND I TEACH IT TOO, I thought you never know, I might learn something ๐Ÿคž AND I DID. I learned that...
Woo Hoo…I won the Lottery!

Woo Hoo…I won the Lottery!

I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE I WON THE NATIONAL LOTTERY ๐Ÿ’ถ ๐Ÿ’ถ ๐Ÿ’ถ I will stay on LinkedIn for the time being. After all, it was only three numbers, I got ยฃ30 ๐Ÿคฃ But you are still reading, right, 5 lines into my post. LOOK, GRABBING ATTENTION is really important ๐Ÿ˜‰ Especially if...
Supporting SME’s with Marketing Thinking and Delivery

Supporting SME’s with Marketing Thinking and Delivery

SMEs represent 99% of all businesses in the UK ๐Ÿ‘ So why is it that 99% of marketing case studies showcase the bigger corporations, like Apple and Nike and McDonalds with their deep marketing resources?! ๐Ÿ˜ก Not much use really, as a guide to an SME ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ That’s why...
Pros and Cons of freelance marketing!

Pros and Cons of freelance marketing!

Working for yourself has its PROS and its CONS ๐Ÿ˜‰ One upside is the variety of clients – different sectors, B2C and B2B, with a heap of different opportunities and challenges. 100% stimulating ๐Ÿ† I particularly like the “GETTING TO KNOW YOU” phase....
Be Better at Strategic Marketing!

Be Better at Strategic Marketing!

Most businesses are doing some kind of MARKETING ๐Ÿค” , so thereโ€™s a need to be better at thinking and planning what you do (right?!). There’s a lot of choice too when it comes to MARKETING STRATEGY TRAINING… A lot of what is available can be complex and...
Chris Lewis v Mark Ritson, OMG!

Chris Lewis v Mark Ritson, OMG!

“Chris Lewis vs. Mark Ritson ๐Ÿค” ” OMG ! ๐Ÿ˜‰ So, I am in comms-mode again for my new #1 Marketing Strategy Programme for Business; emails, social media posts, even old-fashioned (but very effective) word-of-mouth! ONE RESPONSE was “Chris Lewis vs. Mark...
Feature or Benefit?

Feature or Benefit?

“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!” ๐Ÿ˜‰ FEATURE or BENEFIT? ARE WE SELLING A DRILL OR A PERFECTLY FORMED HOLE? Such an obvious question ๐Ÿคฃ So many businesses talk a lot about what they do, but they sometimes...
Networking with long-standing clients – what fun!

Networking with long-standing clients – what fun!

Face-to-Face EVENTS are always more fun when you are NETWORKING with a long-standing client! ๐Ÿ˜„ Spenbeck is a wonderfully entrepreneurial business, with consultancies in sustainability, building health and interior design. ๐Ÿ‘ It has and continues to be a privilege to...
Grabbing attention !

Grabbing attention !

ARE YOU LISTENING? ๐Ÿถ GRABBING ATTENTION ๐ŸŽบ It’s all part of marketing, right? Yes, of course. But anyone can shout, or post a cute picture of pets looking right at you, to grab attention! THE QUESTION IS ARE YOU SHOUTING ABOUT THE RIGHT THINGS? The things which...
BRASS, MOULA, DOUGH ๐Ÿ’ท

BRASS, MOULA, DOUGH ๐Ÿ’ท

You might know I have just launched my new on-line marketing strategy programme for business ๐Ÿ‘ (if not, well you do now! THE NEXT INTAKE IS MONDAY 30th OCTOBER, and it runs on-line for 5 weeks, thanks for asking!) ๐Ÿ˜‰ Some of the initial feedback received is about the...
L E S S  T H A N  5  W E E K S  T O  G O ๐Ÿ˜

L E S S T H A N 5 W E E K S T O G O ๐Ÿ˜

I know it is still 5 weeks away to the start of the #1 Marketing Strategy Programme for Business, but the clock is ticking ๐Ÿ˜‰ And the most asked question (so far!) is, WHAT DOES THE COURSE COVER? So, we cover the building blocks to developing a marketing strategy for...
ARE YOU JUST THE “COLOURING IN” DEPARTMENT?

ARE YOU JUST THE “COLOURING IN” DEPARTMENT?

I get a little frustrated when I hear this phrase ๐Ÿ˜” Often fired off by sales people at the marketing junior As a marketer, we are definitely here partly to service other departments I was a senior (and a junior) marketer for many years, and I had no issue ensuring...
Thinking, thinking, thinking

Thinking, thinking, thinking

Thinking, thinking, thinking! For the businesses I support and advise. Have we an agreed set of business objectives? Are we focused on the correct work streams toย deliver to those objectives? Which customers are we targeting, and why? Why are we better and different...
Some thought-provoking stuff!

Some thought-provoking stuff!

So what is thisย thought-provoking stuff, I hear you ask? ๐Ÿ˜‰ Well, that is a very good question! For the past 5+ years, I have been supporting and advising lots (and lots) of businesses in many sectors, B2B and B2C. Focusing primarily on marketing strategy – what...
The need to ‘Keep It Simple Stupid!’

The need to ‘Keep It Simple Stupid!’

I love the acronym KISS I know you know what it means – Keep It Simple (Stupid) It’s a principle I can confidently say I am good at Especially when it comes to marketing strategy Being able to break down complex subjects into manageable bite-sized chunks,...