On Thursday 6th June 2022, Su Copeland presented at an “EXIT Right” hybrid event organised by a collaboration of The Oxford Trust, Barclays Eagle Labs and Oxford Innovation, and sponsored by Freeths.
This was the fourth in a series of six sessions to examine the different skills required to secure a good exit. Su explained how marketing changes as an organisation moves through the phases of ‘start up‘ ‘growth‘ ‘scale‘ and ‘preparation for sale’.
Su was joined by Warren Brown of Brown Creative who explained the role of brand in adding value to a business and the process to find the right brand for you.
The phases of marketing
When you start a business, the answer is ‘yes’. Marketing is often seen as a logo and tends to be rather a scattergun. This is ok in the early stages but it can quickly become manageable.
You can view the full EXIT Right recording here
When we move to the next phase of ‘growth’, the owner is often feeling overwhelmed and somewhat disheartened by the amount of activity that is going on. Often the senior team is concerned that resource is being wasted, and there is a feeling that the company is not looking as professional as it could. There is a need to take stock and focus on the right activities. This is when the owner or senior team ask for a proper marketing plan or strategy. (This is usually the point when Priddey Marketing and brand agencies such as Brown Creative are first contacted for help.)
When we move into the ‘scale’ stage, it is assumed that your business has insight into what is working and what isn’t in terms of marketing activity. Now the emphasis is on consistency. Consistency is needed to ensure that the customer experience is as good as it can be every time – many happy customers make a business more valuable. It is important that the internal marketing machine is operating smoothly – marketing that operates smoothly without the senior team adds value to the bottom line.
Su then went on the explain how marketing budgets change as the business gets closer to ‘exit’ – and how every journey is subtly different.
‘The event was well-organised and there were some insightful questions from the room and online. Thank you to the great team and all who attended.’
Su Copeland
All who attended were offered a free 121 to review their own marketing approach – which we extend to all readers of this blog. Simply book directly with Su on su@priddeymarketing.co.uk
To read about what marketing services we offer, click here