WesCom Signal and Rescue
WesCom Signal and Rescue is the world’s leading supplier of pyrotechnic marine distress signals to the commercial and leisure marine markets incorporating the Comet and Pains Wessex brands. Comet and Pains Wessex signals can be found on ships’ bridges and in the liferafts and lifeboats of naval and merchant ships, fishing boats and yachts all over the world.
“WesCom‘s route to market is via its global distribution network with representation in more than eighty countries. From a marketing standpoint, one of main challenges we have is the lack of direct contact with our end users and specifiers.
On the recommendation of our PR agency, ADPR, we commissioned Anna Lodge to undertake a detailed market research study in order to better understand the drivers and trends of procurement among our existing and target end users and specifiers. By necessity Anna’s approach was highly bespoke in its nature requiring detailed interviewing and personalised research methodologies.
The global commercial maritime sector is diverse and complex, incorporating many subsectors. Anna and her team very quickly interpreted the brief, working collaboratively to put together the framework for the research to ensure that the end results were as relevant as possible. The findings of this study have been critical in informing our global marketing strategy going forward.
Anna has been great to work with and has added a lot of valuable input along the way. We will certainly be working with her again and I would certainly recommend her to other companies looking for this kind of specialised and bespoke market research.”
Chris Feibusch, Director of Global Marketing and Communications, Wescom Signal and Rescue UK Ltd.
research in practice &
research in practice for adults
www.rip.org.uk / www.ripfa.org.uk
research in practice & research in practice for adults provide comprehensive support to those working in social care around the UK. These sister organisations champion the use of evidence informed practice across the work they do.
These clients needed support in managing their marketing and communication activities whilst they were recruiting to their team. As part of this they wanted to look at how to use their communications more strategically and effectively as they went through a period of rapid change and development.
“We are delighted to have had Anna on board for a number of months. She has absolutely delivered what we needed, at a critical time for us. As Director, it has been essential to have had a professional and objective steer on marketing and communications.
Anna has had a direct and positive impact on the staff that she has worked with. She has mentored and supported the development of colleagues to the benefit of them and the organisation as a whole. The work she has contributed to continues to have effect within our external and internal communications. We very much look forward to working with Anna again in the future. ”
Dez Holmes, Director, research in practice & research in practice for adults
Carbon Visuals
Carbon Visuals is dedicated to communicating data about carbon emissions more effectively. They create inspiring images, animations and web tools. These are used by organisations and companies around the world.
To complement their existing online profile, including a strong YouTube presence, Carbon Visuals wanted to establish a fundamental marketing and promotions systems. This work centred on an Image of the Month email bulletin and some expansion of their social media activities, principally Twitter.
“Anna has been helping Carbon Visuals with marketing efforts now for the past six months. Anna is now ‘one of the team’ and much valued by myself and colleagues. She is quite happy to make bold suggestions and does not take it personally when these are modified or rejected in favour of other ideas.
She is copied into proposals we are making, and has become pro-actively involved in sales strategy. We value her participation in our sometimes crazy brain-storming sessions, but she is equally happy to manage the less exciting admin tasks like sorting the mailshot database. She is a joy to work with, and most importantly she has a wicked laugh!”
Antony Turner, CEO, Carbon Visuals
Newangle
New Angle is an independent creative digital agency. They produce a range of media, from immersive video installations, to interactive experiences for the arts and heritage sectors and corporate organisations.
“Anna Lodge is the first person we go to when our clients in the culture and heritage sector require an intelligent and effective social media strategy. In addition to developing strategies for institutions she is skilled in designing social media campaigns for individual events and exhibitions. Her knowledge ensures that the strategies arrived at complement and enhance existing public facing communication strategies. I do not hesitate in recommending Anna who has always been a pleasure to work with.”
Peter Mercer, Managing Director and Founder, Newangle
Trunk
Trunk sells high quality, hand crafted, sustainably and ethically sourced furnishings online. They are a young company with style, design credibility and a growing reputation in the interiors press.
To complement the press and product development strategy, this client needed a social media plan and delivery that combined promotion of products and key features of its unique range, and engagement with industry leaders using Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.
“Anna’s depth of knowledge and support soon after we launched our brand has been instrumental in TRUNK growing and building on its foundations.
We have frequently met in London and have continued to evolve the Social Media Plan as the business grows. Anna showed a real appreciation for our work and an understanding of the commitment and investment we initially outlayed and has & continues to exceed our expectations.”
VJ Hirani, Designer and Partner, Trunk
Gill Goddard Hair
Gill Goddard Hair is a family business that prides itself in providing excellent service to local customers. As well as providing modern hair styles and colour service to a diverse population in their home town, training and support of staff is central to the sustainability of the business.
This client wanted a marketing strategy to cover all aspects of the business, to increase client numbers and appointments. The delivery of some key activities from within the strategy included running a client event, developing online marketing, establishing a joined up social media presence including blogging, Twitter and Facebook. The next phase of work includes developing systems and processes to support internal communication and team development.
“I recognised that it was unsustainable to try and market all the revenue streams I have developed myself. So, we asked Anna to help us grow the business. Anna researched and identified our unique selling point and provided us with a comprehensive document covering a variety of ways for moving forwards with parts of the business that were stagnant.
Since Anna’s input into our business we have many new streams that work together to build customer confidence in our brand. Anna has strengthened our customer base using our premises after dark and strengthened our messages and brand through social media. She keeps our USP fresh and alive.
I also like that Anna works organically. Things often come up that need attention, she picks them up. She uses the strongest leads to get our message across clearly to our customers, who then confidently call us and book an appointment.
Customers are telling other customers about how great we are and the business is far stronger after six months. Plus I now have the added confidence that she is there, and things will happen around the clock rather than in the odd moments that I remember to do them.”
Gill Goddard, Business Owner, Gill Goddard Hair
The Fruit Tree for Business
The Fruit Tree for Business provides practical advice for new and existing small businesses in the South West. They are specialists with a great deal of expertise and experience in supporting social enterprise and co-operatives.
This client wanted to develop a strategy which would increase their profile for their niche but expanding sector. Anna wrote the strategy, facilitating a programme of reflective and collaborative work with the team to produce the content and systems within that document. This approach was designed to ensure the strategy was effective within the day-to-day and longer term work of the team.
“We are delighted with the work that Anna has done for us at the Fruit Tree for Business. She has gone to great lengths to understand our business and the people who run it. She has produced a great strategy and action plan for us to implement. I have no hesitation in recommending Anna as someone who is practical, realistic and encouraging, and tremendous value for money. Thank you Anna.”
Debbie Stewart, Partner, The Fruit Tree for Business
The Sharpham Trust
The Sharpham Trust is an educational charity that uses the exceptional beauty of the Sharpham House and its historical landscape to provide opportunities for transformation and change. It does this through a wide range of courses, events and activities that reconnect people to nature through experiential learning.
This client wanted support in establishing a marketing strategy which would deliver income within the unique environment that is the Sharpham Trust. A strategy was developed through a deliberately collaborative process; working with Erica Anderson who is responsible for marketing at the Trust. This way we were able to explore how to positively reflect the values at the core of this amazing charity, as well as produce practical plans for marketing the myriad of activities within it.
“The marketing of the Trust activities, house and landscape is a huge challenge. It is complicated by the fact that, like the majority of staff here, I am employed on a part time basis and marketing is only a part of my job.
“After only a couple of meetings, Anna had a thorough understanding of the organisation and the extent of its activities. Her previous experience with another charitable organisation really helped her to connect quickly with our aims and values.
She appreciated my need for a sustainable plan of action bearing in mind the constraints on my time and resources and quickly identified the particular core challenge. Instead of trying to create several marketing plans for each of the major activity areas, she recognised that it was actually a single process that was needed, and one that could be replicated for any possible marketing scenario.
This approach has revolutionised my work. It has made me able to work smarter, something I’ve always heard about but previously found very difficult to achieve. It’s allowed me to find space in my day to reflect on the marketing steps for any particular activity, which is very important.
The process really proved its worth during a very busy and stressful period, when our new website went live. While my attention was constantly drawn to the managing of last minute website fixes and glitches, I still needed to be focussed on our marketing priorities. The process allowed me to market one particular course at very, very short notice and I am delighted to say that it booked up quickly. We even had a waiting list!
Anna’s support has been invaluable and, when I have needed her advice in a hurry, she has been there providing calm, considered actionable steps that I could put into practice immediately.”
Erica Anderson, Marketing & Programme Administrator, The Sharpham Trust