58 www.signlink.co.uk Issue 249 - October / November 2023 aging director of Karis Copp Media, has witnessed how companies and individuals have adapted. Copp notes: “Lots of people have swapped remote working for returning to the office or in many cases a more flexible arrangement. I am happy to see a more integrated approach over the last few years, marketing, PR, advertising, and sales can’t operate in siloes; we all need to be working towards tangible business goals and all these efforts need to coalesce into a unified strategy.” Speaking about the way businesses can look at new ways to engage with customers, Copp explains: “Research and groundwork are key when it comes to trying something new. Diving in to, say, a brand-new social media platform (of which there are seemingly more by the day) or sponsoring a new event and then finding out it’s the wrong move for your company risks alienating the businesses you want to connect with. “Not only is this a waste of time, energy, and marketing budget, but it can also be a blow to brand credibility and identity, as well as affecting the consistency of your messaging. Look at the audience you serve well now then ask how this can be built upon and adapted to attract a wider customer base?” As a marketing company that offers a variety of services in print, digital, and retail, Webmart has itself invested heavily in its own marketing to communicate what it does. The relationship Biltcliffe previously mentioned with customers has helped to create a strong referral and strong selling strategy. “Talking about your ethos and the purpose of your business is also really important,” says Biltcliffe, who adds: “Every company is going through a series of challenges, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG), which is an element we have focused on helping customers with. “Even if there is no revenue attached to these conversations, it is important to discuss what is important to your customers, so that you can futureproof the relationship with your customers. As an industry we often focus on what our presses can do and shoehorn anything our clients want onto them rather than understanding the ‘why’ behind the order.” Biltcliffe explains that Webmart has invested a lot of its time in this strategy by data behind our customers' decisions and be partners with these customers so it’s a peer-to-peer relationship rather than a client and supplier relationship.” Biltcliffe explains that networking events and exhibitions can be a great way for companies to meet peers and find businesses that offer different services to you that your customers might be buying elsewhere. It can therefore be highly lucrative to form new suppliers and connections in order to further expand your reach and product range. “If you don’t know how your customer gets new customers, or how they cross sell to their customers, reactivate lapsed customers, and get existing customers to speak to other potential customers, then you really are at risk of being commoditised or taken out completely from the equation. “You really need to understand your customer's approach to their market rather than just what you can sell to them,” says Biltcliffe, adding: “This way you can try and alleviate some of their struggles and deliver new revenue streams.” More and more businesses and suppliers are opening their doors to talk more directly with customers, but in a more personal and interactive way. Very few people want to interact and only do business in the same old work spaces, so the more you can interact with clients and colleagues in fresh spaces, the better chance you have of broadening potential business avenues. While many would consider marketing to simply be a way of presenting your company in the way of a graphic or advertisement, you and your team can also be adverts to your business. After businesses have faced a number of marketing challenges over the past few years, Karis Copp, PR specialist and man- ◄ Target Transfers presents a weekly podcast called The Garment Decorators Podcast BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES / MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS ► Simon Biltcliffe spoke about AI’s role in the future of print at this year’s Print Show
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