Case study: The Professional Contractors Group

At the beginning of 2003, the PCG board recognised that a strategic marketing review should be conducted in order to guide its future activity. At this point, a significant proportion of the membership was based within the IT sector and this sector was experiencing significant difficulties, resulting in increasing numbers of members being out of work – membership numbers were falling, where and how would growth, indeed survival be achieved?

Bespoke marketing's solution

Stage one

A strategic review was conducted by Bespoke Marketing over the period of a month and involved extensive secondary research into the small business community, analysis of existing membership information and consultations with members of the PCG management team.

The output from this stage was a comprehensive Marketing Strategy, which we were subsequently asked to manage the implementation of using other freelance resources.

Stage two

Bespoke Marketing has been involved with the PCG as ongoing Marketing Adviser for over 12 months and plays a major role in helping define organisational strategy. The ongoing management activity covers for example:

• customer/market insight programme
• PR strategy and implementation
• internal and external communications (web site, direct mail)
• conferences and events
• publications
• allocation of marketing resources.

Outcomes

Member retention rates - despite a significant market downturn in 2003 in IT (a major sector for PCG), retention rates have increased steadily since early 2003 (62%) to 77% in February 2004.

New members – showing a steady increase and the greatest development here has been in the new members joining from different sectors and this is having a significant affect on the profile of the organisation. Significant new members have joined from management consultancy, financial, design, oil and gas and engineering.

Affiliate members – this category of membership is reserved for organisations wishing to present and market themselves to the PCG members. The number of affiliate enquiries has significantly increased in the last 12 months and the number of affiliate members has developed grown in both quality and scope; this strategy has been deliberate. In addition, the affiliate members are increasingly prepared to engage in paid-for marketing activities to reach the membership.

Client feedback

“Bespoke Marketing's Diana Watson has supplied director-level marketing and general management services to the Professional Contractors Group throughout my Chairmanship, and indeed for some years before it. As the sole marketeer on the Senior Management Team, she has provided key strategic input into our turnaround strategy resulting in a 23% increase in revenues over two years, boosting customer retention from just over 50% to more than 80%, and bringing new customer recruitment levels to historical highs. She has led this through research, both moving us closer to our existing customers, and bringing a targetted approach to key market segments for new customers.

"Due to the size of our organisation, she has driven not only objective-setting and strategising but also implementation, dealing with a variety of different third-party suppliers on our behalf, identifying and helipng us develop channels to market, and imparting core knowledge to our in-house team, enabling us to continue our own marketing initiatives.

"She has handled relationships ranging from industry "big-hitters" to individual PCG members with enormous professionalism and dedication. She has also played an active role in negotiations with key stakeholders in the freelance space, creating and developing the relationships which enable PCG to succeed in delivering its vision.

"I strongly recommend her services and would not hesitate to hire Bespoke again to obtain them."

Simon Juden MA, PhD, FBCS, CITP,
MIoD Chairman, Professional Contractors Group 2004-2006