Category Archives: marketing

What does being a Chartered Marketer mean to me?

I’ve been a Chartered Marketer for over 20 years. This means that for two decades I have been committed to keeping up-to-date with marketing trends and developments through continuous professional development. And, sometimes that commitment can seem hard to keep. It takes commitment to push oneself to attend training or read a relevant paper orContinue reading “What does being a Chartered Marketer mean to me?”

Personal update – I’ve become a chair! How did that happen?

When I became a member of the Institute of Marketing in 1989, I could never have imagined that I would become the Chair of the association that has helped shape my career over the past 30 plus years. I began my marketing career working as a marketing coordinator for an engineering plastics distributor and oftenContinue reading “Personal update – I’ve become a chair! How did that happen?”

Getting ready for Christmas 2021

On December 1st, millions of children (and adults) will be looking forward to opening the first window of their Advent calendars in anticipation of the tiny chocolate treat that awaits. You may have a more extravagant calendar awaiting you with candles, cheese, beer, skincare products, or even jewelry behind every door – a few yearsContinue reading “Getting ready for Christmas 2021”

Duvet day on Black Friday

I do so love a bargain! I can feel my heart skip a beat and my adrenalin levels rise when I think I can get something at a discount or free. I rarely buy clothes at full price. Only yesterday I spent £10 more on my Lakeland order so I could get free postage andContinue reading “Duvet day on Black Friday”

Marketing in the Digital Age

When I studied for my marketing qualifications in the 1980s, digital marketing did not exist. Even by the mid-1990s, when I was the marketing and public relations manager for a headwear manufacturer, we had one desk computer between 15 staff; we used fax machines to communicate with suppliers and clients,and my secretary was struggling toContinue reading “Marketing in the Digital Age”

Where have the last 6 months gone?

How did we get to the middle of the year? If you’re a small business owner, July is a great time to take stock of how things are going and review your plans and objectives. Plans rarely to go plan. I was possibly a little too optimistic with my financial targets at the start ofContinue reading “Where have the last 6 months gone?”

Are you a social media influencer? Or, do you use influencers as part of your promotional strategy?

If so, and you’re active in the UK market, make sure you’re following the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidelines. Several big brands such as Bohoo, Missguided & PrettyLittleThing have been caught out on this in recent months. When a brand gives an influencer a payment, any posts the influencer makes that promotes or endorses the brandContinue reading “Are you a social media influencer? Or, do you use influencers as part of your promotional strategy?”

What do the best awaydays have in common?

If you’ve worked in a management role for any length of time, you’ve almost certainly attended or even led a number of departmental awaydays. I suspect some were more useful than others and there might even have been a couple that went a bit pear-shaped, or were so boring that you couldn’t wait for theContinue reading “What do the best awaydays have in common?”

Taking time out of the day-to-day business…

When was the last time you went on an awayday to think strategically about your business? Now, I know that during lockdown we can’t go to a hotel or even a coffee shop to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life but perhaps you can turn your phone off and moveContinue reading “Taking time out of the day-to-day business…”