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If you've known us over the last 25 years, you'll see that we have recently undergone a bold rebrand. We're super happy with the results, but then we should be; we have just come out the other side of a lengthy, soul-searching process. Once we decided we wanted a rebrand, we called our friend, colleague and marketing guru, Giles Polito, to help us with the groundwork. Working with Giles was essential to our redesign, and we recommend enlisting the guidance of a marketing consultant in the early stages. Here, we share a behind-the-scenes insight into how Giles helped us and could help you, too.
First things first, Giles, what do you do?
I'm a freelance marketing consultant who helps businesses and brands meet their growth goals. I work closely with clients to help them reach their growth goals in the most efficient way. It's about adding focus, clear direction and energy to current activity; opening minds, and stimulating ideas for future activity. I allow clients to stand back and look at things from my objective viewpoint to help them plan for the period of growth. Think of me as a turbo boost to your existing plans. I work across sectors from hospitality and retail to outdoor.
By the way, we loved working with you, Giles. One of the things that we chuckle about is how expertly you delivered crystal-clear honesty with a soft touch that didn't offend. It's truly an art. Has anyone ever told you that before?
Yes and no! Several of my clients have said that I listen very carefully and grasp their business challenges very quickly. They respect that I don't have a preconceived agenda and that my recommendations are the result of the data they share with me, their input, and my 25 years of experience.
Your team enabled me to speak openly, and I didn't feel any no-go areas. You wanted me to be objective and direct, and I delivered my thoughts with understanding and a sense of humour (which always helps the conversation) so that we could end positively. It's fundamentally about how clients invite me to go into their business and the style of their invitation that sets the tone for future conversations.
"Yes, it gave you an objective fresh approach to springboard (sorry for the pun) your plans and conversations. You're an ambitious owner and were prepared to say I'm in need of an external point of view here. Not everybody is as open minded as that. It's a good approach when your business is very healthy like yours, when it's a mindset, because it means that you're constantly wanting to improve. If we're not moving forwards we're going backwards".
We were working so hard for our clients that Spring PR was getting neglected, so we came to you for some clarification and direction. Is this a common requirement?
Yes, it is. After some time, businesses have either tried something before that hasn't worked or got too close to the day-to-day. They need to give themselves time to stand back and review what they are doing and plan. In some cases, businesses need more confidence to move forward. That's where I come in, I help businesses and brands gain that confidence. Some clients I'm working with now need that support, that helping hand and encouragement to be brave and bold or tackle something they've never done before. It may have been like that in the past, but over time, behaviours can be conditioned or become impacted by challenges. I studied psychology at University, so it fits that some clients see my work as therapy. FYI, I never wanted to be a psychotherapist; this is as close as I can get to it!
What would you recommend if someone needed clarification and direction as the first steps?
Establish the facts first. Understand, ask questions and listen to what's causing the lack of clarity. What are the challenges? Where do the opportunities lie? What's worked and what hasn't? Who are your competitors? (It is incredible how many businesses are not aware of competitor activity). Do you know your customers? Some of the questions I ask are fundamental: do you enjoy what you do? It's about finding clarity and direction. Then, it's about disseminating that information and researching in a strategic direction that the client and I are comfortable with, no matter how ambitious it might be. My strengths are listening, being interested, and having the ability to empathise with a scenario I wasn't involved in, but that is invariably very vivid for the client I'm working with.
And this is important because?
It's more efficient to get this knowledge in the business and more effective to share that knowledge amongst the team. It helps with momentum and avoids wasted activity. Whether it's digital outreach, an event, or a print campaign, this clarification saves time and money on activities that just aren't going to return on the plans that you're making.
What other support do you offer?
Some of whatI do is very commercial in terms of business growth. And it's becoming increasinglydigital. I understand retail (Giles has worked for Rab, Rohan, Bridgedale andSealSkinz in a marketing capacity). I understand the multi-channel customer andhow to maximise the commercial opportunities across channels and platforms. Ihelp with marketplace integration, customer acquisition, and customerretention, and some of my clients retain me every month to keep them on track.It's about planning and structure, and many of my clients appreciate supportwhen they are swamped.
How it helped us
- It is so important to have someone from the outside looking in. Often, you are so close to the problem that you can't see.
- Giles researched our competition and analysed our branding to create a comprehensive list of what needed to be fixed.
- His clarification allowed us to write a focused brief for rebranding and website experts.
- Having an outside expert talking to your team to nail the values was key; interestingly, we all had the same values independently.
- A brand is about combining so many different elements that the logo and colours are the icing on the cake. It's a sophisticated mix of factors that authentically brings everything together.
"At the end of the day it's been fun for me, and I hope it's been fun for you too. My last point is around the complexity of bringing everything together in a way that has the impact that you're looking for and bringing the team along at the same time. You could have easily said this is what we're doing and the whole team are on board and heading in the same direction. But you didn't. There are benefits to your approach, it shows Spring in its best light and slightly draws back the curtain on how thorough you are as a team and how your thought process is; you take time to make decisions."
Thank you very much, Giles! As you know, we loved working with you, too. May we have many years of coffee, catch-ups, and collaboration ahead of us.
