General Marketing Services

Research - Money is wasted if you have little knowledge about your customers and your competitors. Knowing who they are, what they do, where they live and how many there are is essential to determine the marketing actions that follow. This is the first stage and we can help you collate some valuable information to develop your marketing plan.

Product positioning - Where in the market is your product placed? Are you selling too cheaply, how can you bring added value to your product or service through creative presentation? We have the skills to put you in your ‘niche’.

Marketing plan - A strategy to which all your team can identify and work within is essential for success. Time spent on this stage is well spent and will save you both time and money later. We are used to working within budget restraints and we are flexible within our timescales if required.

Design & Print

Lynne is passionate about images and the creative way they can be used to give out the correct message to your customers. Therefore design is done in-house and we make sure we involve you at all stages. Because we are marketers we have the skills to write the text for all newsletters, banners, brochures, advertising, website content, mail shots, e-mail shots and lots more because we know what words ‘sell’. We also source the best price for printing and do not put a mark up on the price, so you get the best possible deal.

Newsletters - Newsletters can be in print or electronic form and are a cost-effective way of keeping close to your existing customers and generating new ones. If combined with a current customer database, they give you the opportunity to tell them about new services, products and offers. We can design, write the words and print a newsletter that promotes your business and generates sales, may it be informal or of a serious nature.

Leaflets, cards and more - The range of leaflets, postcards, brochures and envelopes is endless, but you need the right one for your business or event and this is where Marketing-U can produce you a ‘winning’ piece of promotional print. Our photographic images make your design unique to you and you retain the copyright. Through our printer contacts we can be very competitive with price and we do not put on a mark up, therefore you get a good deal.

Mail shots & e-mail - We all complain about the amount of paper we receive through the post box. Why do we get so much? It is because it works and it sells! We all want to receive special offers, double points, cash vouchers or invitations because it makes us feel special and valued and you could use this effective method of promotion in your business or organisation. Mail shots generate seasonal sales but can also bring revenue out of season.

We can source databases to target potential new customers, or for existing customers; we can design a contact management system and develop your database to develop them into ‘friends’.

It costs 10 times more to get a new customer than keep an existing one. We design the flyer and it maybe delivered as print or by e-mail or both as we know how to avoid your message going into the spam box. Changes in the law have meant that your potential customers have to ‘opt in’ to receive your mail shots and we can manage this process for you.

Banners & Flags - Banners and flags attract attention and are an excellent way of informing and directing passing traffic to your door. They can be used as part of your marketing activities and we provide a complete design and print service.

Advertising - Advertising is only productive when it is saying the right message, to the right audience and at the right time. It should always be part of a marketing plan and researched thoroughly. We research the readership, design the advert and can achieve advertorials and editorials in magazines, newspapers and radio.

Website Design and Development

The role of the website varies for each organisation, may it be an e-commerce site or an electronic brochure of your business, but in all cases it is your 24 hour salesman and your customer will instantly decide whether they want to do business with you from what you present to them on screen.

We provide fast websites with simple navigation, original images and clear sales messages. We write search engine friendly text and we guarantee fast editorial update times; in other words, you benefit from an efficient support team. Your website is designed for your business, your specific customer, with your branding and your messages, not an off-the-shelf package.

Promotional Photography

Lynne is totally inspired by digital photography and the creative way it can be used in a Marketing context. She is a firm believer that images taken from within or around the environment of the business or service are the best; these can be used in a modern, contemporary way or as a literal representation. All the images on this website have been photographed by Lynne (apart from the birds on the contact me page) and she uses a combination of graphic skills and creative eye to achieve the right image for you.

Brand Development

‘You should not judge a book by it’s cover’, but we do!

Every business or organisation has a brand. This consists of your people, product, services, environment, culture, values and the way you express and communicate them all.

Can you step ‘outside the box’ and look at your business or organisation objectively? What do you see? Are you giving out a consistent message to your customers or are you confusing them?

Maybe you are reaching a turning point in your organisation’s life that demands a change in image and perception. We can help you make that positive change, or you may be starting from the beginning and wanting to create a fresh image, which tells your customer what you are about. Our service goes much further than just designing a logo.

Your brand is your window to your business and therefore it is so important to get it right. We will design the right brand for you because we will listen, do our research and will understand what you want to say.

Publicity (PR)

PR means public relations and simply, it is how your business is perceived by others. To keep your business in front of your customers and remind them you exist, you need good PR.

We can achieve publicity for you in the appropriate medium through our contacts and the knowledge of how to present interesting features. This may be by a press release to a newspaper, periodical, magazine, Internet, radio or TV.

Events

An element of the Marketing Mix could be to hold an event which will involve a combination of all of the other skills offered here. We can manage the process to achieve the maximum return on your investment; may it be a product launch, an open day or a publicity stunt. We can design and manage the promotional material, advertising, press & media, personnel and all the elements that make up a successful event.