How our marketing workshop gave a creative team an opportunity to assess what they do well, what they could do better and how to meet the needs of their customers.
I came out with some really good insights – not just about building on what we already do well as a creative team, but on how to involve that team in the wider strategic vision and future of the business. It was great, actually, to go back to the office with a much clearer idea of where the business can go, and how we can all pull together to get it there.
Ben Wharin, Managing Director, QD Creative
It’s wonderful to have a niche market you can service well; but every business wants to expand into new areas and use its talents to help more customers.
That’s exactly what QD Creative wanted when they first spoke to us. With an enviable reputation for creative graphic design for the music and entertainment industry, QD knew they had the skills and vision to do great work in other markets, and wanted to know how to identify and implement the best approach.
“At the highest level, we want to be able to win new clients and grow our business,” says Managing Director Ben Wharin. “We’re an established creative business with a great eye for style and design, but we were guilty of letting the strategy side of things slide a bit. I knew that what we needed was some input from a third party to help us move in the right direction.”
Ben was introduced to KPC, and had an initial meeting with us, where he found he liked the immediate strategic approach we took, and the focus we demonstrated when gathering initial information about the business. He could see that we understood his requirements, and could see the specific challenges that the business faced.
“At our first meeting, I could see that Deborah was a strategic, coherent thinker who saw the value in a good strategy and practical actions that are measurable and bring results,” says Ben. “There was a clear passion for our business there, and I could see that she would be approachable and good to work with.”
“We thought Ben had a business with stacks of potential,” adds Deborah Kingsley. “QD has been operating very successfully in the demanding entertainment retail industry for a long time, so it has already widely demonstrated the creative talent and eye for design that has led to long-term relationships with huge brands like the NOW! music series and the HMV store chain. But we could see that there was more business out there – it was just a case of identifying those customers and how to reach them.”
KPC suggested a Discovery and Planning Workshop – an in-depth, off-site meeting that uses a tried-and-tested method to focus on the heart of the business and its people – and discovering from that where the key target markets are, and how to create the messages that will make those markets sit up and listen.
“I was excited about the chance to take some real time out of the business, and be led by experts to some really clear thinking,” says Ben. “I had no real idea what to expect, or what the end result would be – and I really just wanted to get on with the work, but I could see that you have to put some thought into what you’re going to do before you do it.”
The KPC Discovery and Planning Workshop
Our workshop is designed to give business owners and managers the chance to step back and take a really good look at their business. It’s an opportunity to assess what you do well, what you could do better, what your customers are truly looking for, and how you can meet their needs.
“I was already aware that we could do things better, but I wasn’t sure how best to find the right people in the right markets and engage with them in a way that converts them to customers,” reflects Ben. “I came out with some really good insights – not just about building on what we already do well as a creative team, but on how to involve that team in the wider strategic vision and future of the business. It was great, actually, to go back to the office with a much clearer idea of where the business can go, and how we can all pull together to get it there.”
With a detailed strategy, an action plan and clear ways of measuring results, KPC has worked with QD to update and refresh its website, build its presence on social media, complete existing customer case studies to demonstrate credibility and work on new internal design and branding in collaboration with QD’s own design team.
“I’ve already seen a change of mindset here at QD,” says Ben. “The whole team is on board with doing things differently so that we can grow, and they can really see how they can contribute to that change. We all trust the team at KPC to give us strategic guidance and hold us to account, and we’ve started the ball rolling on building a bank of proof that will show new customers exactly what we can do. Alongside that, we’ve taken some baseline marketing measurements now, so we can see results as we move forward with this new strategy. I’m looking forward to seeing what they show!”
Our Marketing Discovery and Planning Workshop gives you the perfect opportunity to step away from your business, to look at your business. Want to give your marketing a boost? Find out more about what happens in our marketing workshops, below.
Find out more about our Marketing Planning & Discovery Workshop