In the last of a series of articles in the Conservatory Magazine Matthew Glover from Conservatory Outlet, looks at some of the more unique marketing opportunities that may present themselves and reviews some of their most valued forms of marketing. From their appearance through West Yorkshire Windows on ITV’s Natural Born Sellers, to the cult Renegade Conservatory Guy Blog it all makes for absorbing viewing and reading.

As a discipline, marketing is often discussed in terms of advertising, PR, direct marketing, the internet etc. However there are a whole host of other promotional tools to be exploited and a little creativity, some lateral thinking and even a bit of luck can often result in a very unique marketing opportunity. We should always consider that marketing at its most basic level is about interaction with both new and existing customers.

In this regular column I have highlighted the opportunities in TV, the internet and even exhibitions/conferences as part of an integrated marketing plan. Our own experiences at Conservatory Outlet have shown that individual marketing tools are ok, but the real rewards are achieved with a multi-faceted campaign. Never turn down an opportunity to promote your company and sometimes it pays to be a little bold in your approach!

The Internet

For several years our internet strategy has been a fundamental part of our marketing plan and we now generate around 150 leads every week. Search engine optimisation and a newly designed site have seen a 200% increase in leads which have been shared across the Conservatory Outlet dealer network. There’s a large proportion of the nation that are internet savvy and it is a perfect platform in which to engage the potential customer. However it’s also a perfect vehicle in which to engage an industry…

Renegade Conservatory Guy

With an industry that at best has been described as incestuous where rumour and comment spread like wildfire, I decided to create an ‘anonymous’ blog, well I thought so at the time. We’ve all got our opinions about the industry and may well share that within our own industry network, yet are afraid to publicise this on a more global basis, until now.

Renegade Conservatory Guy (RCG) is not about me, but an opportunity for the industry to add comment to existing posts or even use it as a vehicle to provide further content to the blog. Given the fact that it can be updated 24/7 (and often is) the latest industry rumour and happenings can get posted and with over 500 hits and a number of comments each day it seems to be well received. It has also been used as a forum in which to interview key people within the industry. So what relevance does it have to a marketing campaign?

There are a number of links within the website and it makes a positive contribution to web traffic for our Conservatory Outlet site, the promotion of our brand and even our very own Conservatory Outlet blog (www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk/blog). It also displays our affection for an industry that we all care about.

Natural Born Sellers

When I mentioned earlier about harnessing more unique marketing opportunities I was referring to our TV appearance on Natural Born Sellers in October. The programme was aired on Thursday 9th October 2008 and featured Conservatory Outlet’s West Yorkshire Windows. The existing sales force was replaced for four days with a team of 8 ruthless professionals from ITV’s latest TV reality show.

Although these contestants closed a large number of sales we also learnt the value of our brand. Our showroom support materials and brochures were a fundamental part of the selling process without which these double glazing novices would have struggled. This clearly showed the value of investing in strong support materials and a brand.

On the back of the show West Yorkshire Windows has experienced an increase in the number of sales leads through the internet and though showroom drop-in’s. The show has made a positive impact on the business, clearly there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

Over the last year I have covered a number of topics and learnt through our own experiences at Conservatory Outlet. For us the brand is about generating respect, consistent leads and building a very effective bolt on brand for our dealer network. Given our impressive sales performance over the year it’s something that we’ll continue to build on in 2009. In the meantime log on to RCG (www.renegadeconservatoryguy.co.uk) over the festive period or if you have a spare hour log on to ITV.com and watch Natural Born Sellers episode 2. It’s a far better portrayal of our industry than The Armstrongs!