Marketing

Marketing is the interface between your organisation and its customers. It is making sure that you have a product or service that customers want, making sure that customers are aware of your offering through the right messages via the right channels, making buying and trying easy, getting the price right and co-ordinating outstanding service across every point of the interface.

Marketing is also about adjusting the application of resources to meet current and future customer needs- i.e. using customer needs and choice as an organisational driver. In other words, matching what we do with what customers want, and in the process, producing surplus added value.

The best performing organisations are those which can find out what their customers need today... and accurately predict what they will want tomorrow. Strong marketing is one of the best competitive advantages an organisation can have. Getting new customers can be difficult and expensive, especially if you do not have a good understanding of your market. Keeping existing customers is equally important. Building customer loyalty requires ongoing work - but in the right areas. It is no good excelling in something that your customers don't value. To be your customers' first choice, you need your products and services closely aligned to what customers want and value. If your business is complex, getting the right mix is more than a matter of just luck....

For new products and services, testing the potential market reaction to a concept rather than a tangible good is both an art and science. It is important to clearly identify the untapped market need, then the specific attributes of the key segments and how to effectively target this audience.

In reviewing and improving current market and communications activities and campaigns, we bring an independent perspective (based on evidence, research and analysis) to evaluating impact and then working with marketing teams to improve effectiveness – i.e. we make sure that you get the ‘best bang for your marketing buck’.

Managing the long term reputation of your organisation is also critical. It is important that messages conveyed are building positive regard and adding to your brand equity. This can be challenging in the new world of social media.

In many ways, getting marketing and communications right are the key to organisational success. McDonnell-Phillips has worked creatively with clients for more than 20 years on developing and implementing effective marketing and communications campaigns across many organisations, in different sectors.

Marketing Capabilities