Implementation is Key to Business

[ Business ]

Effective marketing is key to a businesses’ success in the medium to long term, but it is often hard to justify in the short term, especially if budgets are under cost constraint.

Implementing a major marketing initiative can also be a challenge for the marketing team with the need to deliver on a range of tasks in the short term but with insufficient resource available.

For a company looking to enter the UK market, with no local presence or expertise, engaging local help to liaise with the UK certification authorities, identify suitable trading partners or develop a marketing package can significantly reduce market entry time.

In these situations, sub-contracting projects to external experts can be the most cost-effective solution, allowing the small marketing department to punch above its weight and deliver multiple projects. You gain access to high level expertise but only for as long as it is needed and without associated direct employment costs.

The appointment of a Construction Product Regulator and the introduction of the Code for Construction Product Information are both important developments for the industry which will put pressure on the product manufacturer’s marketing team to ensure processes are in place to meet all 11 clauses of the code. In addition to being marketing best practice early adoption will be an important differentiator during the period of implementation.

The coronavirus pandemic has acted as a catalyst for digitisation in the construction sector encouraging product manufacturers to adopt new ways of communicating. We are also seeing the introduction of new online specification tools such as NBS Source which allow product manufacturers better engagement with decision makers supported with improved analytics. While in the medium term these offer a more efficient marketing and sales process they require significant implementation time if they are to be cost effective.

Competitive Advantage’s experienced team are here to help you and can provide a virtual marketing resource. We are experienced in a range of marketing skills:

Customer Analysis – identifying target key accounts.

Interpretation of Analytics – reviewing data, drawing conclusions and making recommendations from data such as web analytics or NBS Source.

Forecasting – reviewing industry forecasts, overlaying demand for your products and providing monthly reports.

Product Specifications – a well-written specification will reduce the chance of specification switching and should be the focus of your blog, CPD and case study communications. We can research and write this on your behalf.

Population of Data Templates – ensuring complete and consistent product information is available to NBS for enhancement of datafiles before publishing.

Product Information Review – When promoting products, it’s important to ensure the data is consistent, accurate and current across literature, specifications, seminars, websites, apps and other digital tools. This is a time-consuming process which requires a high level of attention to detail.

CPD Seminars – an effective form of engagement, the seminar can achieve a lot if well-constructed. We have extensive expertise in this area and can advise, proofread, or write and implement a programme for you.

UK Market Entry – Our unrivalled knowledge and understanding of how building product manufacturers can become established and develop their presence in the UK construction market makes us ideal partners for organisations wishing to enter the UK construction market, or to expand their presence.

We can offer support in the following ways:

Published reports covering sectors, communication channels, forecasts and personas. Advice about the market, its opportunities and the best channels to use. Conducting market assessments to determine currently established brands, attitudes to these, testing and certification required. Support in implementation, writing marketing strategy, creating marketing collateral, provide an interim marketing manager or to establish an office in the UK. We work with partners and can use our network to identify organisations with special expertise to work with you.

Because our team are all experienced in the challenges faced by a building product manufacturer’s marketing team they will quickly understand the challenges you face, requiring minimal briefing and can implement more effectively than a junior member of a marketing department might.

Employing an experienced expert for a short-term project, or a regular monthly activity is often more cost effective than recruiting someone to your team. If you would like to discuss your requirements further, please contact us.