Today is International Women’s Day!

Today is the day we celebrate the achievements of women across the globe and a day for us to bring attention to the gender bias experienced. For example, it is 2022 and there are less than 1/3 of top jobs in the UK held by a woman. Crazy? We thought so too.

Let’s #BreakTheBias together.

Christmas window displays have long since played an important role in a store’s Christmas campaign, according to the NPD Group, influencing 24% of holiday purchases. Research shows that shoppers need only a few seconds to decide whether or not they want to enter a store, and within that time frame retailers have to capture their attention and give reasons to enter. This fact alone shows the significance of a window display all year round and not just during the Christmas period.

Unlike many other areas, marketing costs are somewhat easy to cut. It takes very little time to hit pause on a social media campaign or postpone that email marketing campaign you believe prospects won’t mind not being a part of. It is, however, proven that an increase in marketing spend during difficult times can gain long-term benefits for a business.

History has shown that during a difficult period consumers are more likely to rein in their spending with business owners following suit. Anticipating a knock-on effect on sales, businesses have normally made cuts on variable costs like marketing to meet expectations of the financial market, not realising that doing so can leave their brand vulnerable and less competitive once the economy recovers. 

Metrics can’t always give you the full story of the time and effort you put into your marketing efforts. Measuring return on investment (ROI) is the only way to know for sure if you’re using your budget effectively and getting the most out of your marketing spend. 

It’s no secret businesses have begun to struggle under the weight of Covid-19. Amid a pandemic and mass panic it's become difficult for many to trade or operate as they usually would, and for most the effects of the Coronavirus has touched them in ways they never imagined.

How did your last campaign go? When I ask this question, I want to know if your marketing is generating business in a profitable way. To figure out something's profitability, many marketers look at that all-important return on investment (ROI).

Whether you’re a trade show expert or a novice, preparing for an exhibition or trade show can be quite challenging especially when your success is dependent on how prepared you and everyone else involved is.

You can know your target audience, have the ideal strategy and key messaging and still get it wrong if you aren’t fully prepared.

Understanding and accepting the fact that the majority of your work will take place months, and sometimes even years before the actual event is the first step in what could be a great way to achieve your goals and ROI.

The role of marketing today requires the same amount of attention on delighting existing customers as it does on attracting new ones. But how do you achieve your brand loyalty goals? First things first, define them. Success is different to everybody.

Towards the end of 2019, we wrote about what we saw happening on the high street during the Christmas period as well as what we imagined would come next. Having provided commentary in both our Christmas guide and examining how important Christmas window displays were in the retail world ‘How Important are Festive Window Displays’, it’s only right to follow-up on the subject as data begins to be published.

Brand loyalty trends are evolving. Not so long ago, brands could rely on their products and services to do the talking. However, with increasingly oversaturated markets, brands need to step their game up to delight customers.