Welcome to RFM

Here is an example of offline working with online and a fine example of using the strategic marketing mix.

Check out Kozel, one of the latest award winning artisan beers to hit the UK, though the brewery have been going for 130 years!!.  I first saw a promotional ad for this in Shortlist (circulation is around 530,000) and the ad was for this ancient Czech beer (now been taken over by SAB Miller).  The ‘call to action’ on the ad was to download an app for a free pint in your local pub.  To find nearby pubs selling the beer, you simply put in your postcode.

CONSUMER marketing is ‘spot on’ for one of their target markets – men in the age group  24 -50, as the ad appears on the same page as the pub guide in Shortlist (weekly pints and pistachios column).

TRADE marketing side has clearly been timetabled to coincide with the consumer campaign. The sales team will have had to sell in beer taps of Kozel, on the basis that people will be putting their postcodes into the apps to find the pub.

Win – the beer company get the details of the beer drinker right down to their phone number and postcode (possible SMS, street marketing or direct snail mail in the future).

Win – the pub gets people in their area visiting their establishment and the chance to sell on, encourage repeat business etc.

This would not have happened if there was not some joined up strategic marketing thinking, looking at target markets, (trade and consumer) and having a watertight offering for each.  This is the type of thinking that all the big brands put into their business.  The same thought processes can be put into practice for the smaller business – with a more modest budget but just some clever Chartered Marketer thinking.

How often do products re-invent themselves to the next generation of consumers?

In the marketing life cycle, products go out of fashion or trend, moving from being a cash cow to one on its way out, then emerging at a later date, transformed into a question mark product for the next generation of consumer.

Here are a few classic examples:

Desert Boots, an original army product – launched 1949 – had a revival in the mod era and back in again now!

Crombie overcoats – a traditional overcoat product —- first made cool in the mod era – still a classic.

American loafers – Weejuns – made famous in the mod era of the 60s – still in fashion

Button down shorts – first used by polo players to keep their collars from flapping when on their horse – don’t you know!

Vespa Scooters – 1902 – trendy in the mod era and right back in now

Mini coopers – eons old – the sixties and still iconic.

Maybe the message to us all is to look at emerging trends in different markets at home and abroad, and the value there is in reviewing what we have as core and trusted products and services.