Yesterday was the second day of the Common Purpose matrix course in Norwich. For much of the day we were listening to leaders in the city and the challenges that they are currently facing. Perhaps one of the most interesting topics was the question of how a business built on the reputation of a founder can stretch the ethos and culture behind that individual to represent the whole business as it begins to evolve. Internal marketing and ensuring that people inside the organisation understand the brand as well as external stakeholders have become a growing part of the marketers role. I wonder how many people in large companies understand their brand to be the same as the understanding their customer have?
Other challenges included the quest to continue to focus on Marketing Norwich and to build the World Class Normal For Norfolk campaign, and the pressure of funding that so many not for profit or social enterprise organisations are now facing. It struck me that throughout the day people were not responding to challenges through the constraints that their job roles may typically impose, but instead there was a sense of liberation and freedom to express ideas and put forward suggestions and solutions. Is leadership sometimes compromised or restricted purely by the individual’s perception of where their boundaries sit?
Common Purpose starts tomorrow! Will be writing several blog pieces about the experience and how it affects my thinking as a Norwich marketing consultant!
Norman
Sometimes when I get talking to other people about business, I am often asked who is engaging a Norwich marketing consultant at the moment. Getcomfortable has always wanted to be active in different industries with marketing and business challenges and so its exciting to be able to say we are working in tourism, in organic food, and in low carbon technologies & renewable energy. All the businesses we work with have at least some operations here in Norfolk.
Recently we have been working on a cross media marketing campaign for Cottageline, a network of 16 cottage letting businesses representing nearly 4000 Cottages in the UK.
We are working with Paragon Motion, an innovative low carbon technology business, assisting them with business strategy and brand creation work.
I cant mention the brand, because we havent launched yet, but during the summer we have also been developing an entirely new marketing strategy for an FMCG organic food company based in North Norfolk. It is always great fun to be working with food!!
It is terrific to be working on such a diverse portfolio of projects when at the same time all the same principles of good branding, well executed marketing strategy and planning still apply.
Add all of this to my work as a Director of Buy Local, and Future Radio, both focused on Marketing Norwich and it’s an exciting time at Getcomfortable!
You may have noticed some improvements to my web-site over the last few days. Over the last few months I have been learning lots about building a wider network of business contacts through using tools like twitter and linked in, along side more conventional ways of networking such as attending “Network Norfolk” and “The Norwich Business Group”.
It seems to me that more and more people start their search for both products and services on the web so clearly it is essential to be there. The real skill however, as with any media channel, remains to convert a large network or internet presence into tangible business.
Over the next few months I am going to be experimenting with some other tools to build my business, including Facebook, Digit, and trialling some PPC activity as I received a free £30 voucher from Google! Don’t forget if you want to see my latest news, special offers of marketing & business support for your business, and my latest thoughts about norwich business services, follow me on Twitter or join my Linkedin Network! Watch this space!!
I am pleased and proud to be able to say that Getcomfortable is now part of the Buy Local community. Being part of this organisation is a great way for companies to show their support for the local economy. It supports small businesses in Norfolk, it keeps local business people talking, it is good for the environment and it is another example of Norfolk leading the way.
Next time you are out and about doing your shopping, look out for the Buy Local sign many businesses show on their shop front window. It means that if you buy something in that shop, you support that business and the local suppliers associated with it, you are proud of what our region can produce, and you are encouraging individual entrepreneurial businesses to flourish in our region. Fantastic!
This week I was fortunate enough to be invited into the studios of Future Radio. Future Radio began broadcasting on a full time basis in August 2007. It is used for several key purposes in Norwich which include
- An engagement tool for the local and wider communities
- An education and training resource
- An information and advice service
- A platform for local talent
During a wide ranging discussion with Tim MacWilliams we talked about the importance of business strategy, marketing planning, and brand identity to any business, the benefits of supporting the local economy, why Norfolk can be such a positive backdrop for entrepreneurship, and why I personally enjoy living in Norfolk so much.
I have never been on the radio before but the team at Future made me feel very welcome. You can listen to my pod cast by visiting my web-site – www.getcomfortableltd.co.uk
Ofcom have announced that Future Radio has been successful in its recent application for an expanded, Norwich-wide license. This will mean the current restrictions on the transmitter can be reduced and a new licence will enable us to cover the whole of Norwich, working with communities across the city and reaching new audiences (through a clearer, stronger signal…). Fantastic News!
Uncategorized | admin | 
February 12, 2010 6:54 pm | 
Comments (0) 
Subscribe