Marketing Meanders with Sally and Sam

Join us for the second of a three-part discussion of learning marketing with student Daniel Honey.  This time, we discuss specialisations in marketing, Daniel's interest in pursuing marketing consultancy, the soft skills that need to be developed in a career, and how the COVID pandemic affected Daniel's A-level studies and beyond. Whether you're a student, educator, or marketing professional, this conversation offers insightful perspectives on the evolving landscape of marketing education. Enjoy...

We're back!! We've gone right back to the beginning, what learning marketing is all about. In Part 1 of 3 we are thrilled to speak with Daniel Honey, a marketing student from Oxford Brookes University. Join us as we explore Daniel's journey from studying architecture to finding his passion in marketing. We delve into the importance of practical application in education, the challenges of entering the job market, and the invaluable skills learned through real-world projects. Whether you're a student, educator, or marketing professional, this conversation offers insightful perspectives on the evolving landscape of marketing education.

This time on Marketing Meanders, Sally and Sam discuss the soft skills of marketing. What do marketers need to enable them to be successful in the workplace beyond technicla abilities? Well, we've identified five including communication, creativity, interpersonal skills, adaptability, and analytical skills.See if you agree with us in part one.

In part two of our exploration of email marketing with Chris Barnett from 1973 Limited, we delve into the technical aspects of email marketing, focusing on email design, optimisation, and audience engagement. Topics include the effective use of animated GIFs, the importance of editorial planning for newsletters, and the role of dynamic content. The discussion also covers the significance of analytics in understanding email performance and making data-driven decisions. Pick up some practical tips on maintaining newsletter relevance, segmentation, the use of AI in personalisation, and measuring success. You'll also gain some insights on handling mistakes in emails and ensuring consistent, valuable communication with audiences. Have fun listening.

In this two-part episode, Sally, and Sam are joined by Chris Barnett, founder of 1973 Limited, who delivers a tour de force in email marketing. Chris shares his background and the origin story of his company, which he started with his friend Dave Black. Initially focusing on web development, the company gradually shifted to email marketing, earning a strong reputation in the field. Key topics include the importance of data quality, segmentation, and relevancy in email campaigns. Chris emphasises the skills and best practices required for creating effective emails, including considerations for design, deliverability, and user experience. He also discusses the evolving role of email in marketing toolkits and offers insights into the potential of newsletters for building brand trust and engagement.We hope you enjoy gaining all the valuable insights!

Sally and Sam are back with part two of their discussion of marketing agencies. This time we explore the nature of work agencies can take on, what you need to consider when writing a tender for agencies or a brief, how you can define and measure the success of an agency working relationship, and we give some examples of agencies providing additional value you'd not anticipated...

We're excited to make our return after a lengthy hiatus! We've been busy with various personal and professional commitments over the last few months, but we're back with a dive on the topic of why businesses might choose to work with marketing agencies. In Part One, we'll cover the symptm,s for why your business might actually need an agency, such as lack of time, the need for specialised skills, and the desire to scale marketing efforts efficiently. Then we look at the value that marketing agencies bring, such as expertise in specific areas, the potential to save time for the in-house team, and the strategic advantage they can offer. Finally, we start to set out the importance of briefing marketing agencies properly and setting clear expectations for a successful partnership. Enjoy!

It's a pub in a provincial town, 5:55pm. Two middle-aged professional looking types nurse a couple of drinks, small talking about nothing in particular. Suddenly, one of them clicks their finger and stares intently at the other. 'Hang on. I've got a great idea for a business!' This is the start of a mini series of Marketing Meanders, but it has no name, yet. That's the point really, we are developing a proposition from scratch, and it doesn't need a name yet.  We're working through an example of setting up a business, or a project from start to finish, and from multiple perspectives. We hope it will prove enlightening and provide a host of useful points to consider, whether you're setting up on your own, or needing to review your proposition and whole marketing setup. We'll be joined on this merry meandering mini series by a host of experts to provide their insights, from market research, brand development, digital marketing, copy-writing and sales. Why not come along for the ride, ask your questions, or even come on and contribute? Connect with us on LinkedIn to take part: Sally's LinkedIn Sam's LinkedInWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comConnect with Sam on LinkedIn.TimestampsStarting a Business Proposal [00:00:05] Discussion about the importance of starting a business proposal and the plan to cover various aspects of setting up a new business or proposition.The Wrong Place to Start: Naming the Business [00:01:07] Exploration of why starting with naming a business is the wrong approach and can waste time.The Importance of the Offer [00:03:21] Emphasis on the need to clearly define the offer to potential customers and focus on what pain point the business proposal will address.The importance of a clear offer for SEO [00:09:53] The speakers discuss how having a clear offer and uniqueness in your business proposition can improve SEO rankings.Testing and researching the proposition [00:10:22] They talk about the importance of testing and researching the proposition to ensure it survives scrutiny and market research.Caring about the business and customers [00:11:43] The speakers emphasize the need for genuine care and passion for the business and customers, as it drives motivation and success.The beginning of a proposal [00:20:13] Discussion about the importance of starting a proposal and the challenges of having an idea.Filtering the concept [00:20:37] Exploring the process of filtering the concept, considering simplicity, market fit, customer needs, and competition.Scaling and long-term goals [00:23:10] Considering the scalability of the proposal, whether it will remain a side hustle or grow into a larger venture.The importance of starting with a clear proposal [00:28:00] Discussion on why it's essential to begin a business proposal with a clear offer and target audience.Evaluating the proposal and seeking feedback [00:28:39] Exploration of the need to stand back, seek feedback from potential customers and others, and assess if the proposal holds up to scrutiny.Avoiding the risk of wasting money on a flawed idea [00:29:11] Highlighting the potential consequences of investing in an idea without thoroughly evaluating it, and the importance of a well-constructed proposal to avoid financial losses.We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In this Mini Meander, Sam shares his experience with email marketing and discusses its effectiveness. He recounts receiving a mis-targeted chaser email that had a slightly terse tone, which made him question the negative effects of mass email campaigns on brand reputation. Sam advocates for a more targeted approach, comparing it to networking events where personalisation and value are key. He also discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI and sophisticated learning algorithms for marketing purposes. Sam invites listeners to share their thoughts and experiences with targeted marketing campaigns and business development strategies. The episode concludes with a preview of the upcoming mini-series on proposition development and starting a new business.TimestampsThe Problem with Mass Email Campaigns [00:02:08]The Importance of Targeted Marketing [00:05:42]Diminishing Returns of Mass Email Campaigns [00:07:52]The importance of providing value and being transparent [00:08:48]The challenges of targeting the right audience [00:09:58]The impact of approach and tone in marketing [00:11:02]We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

We dive into part two of our discussion on tone of voice. This time we explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on tone of voice, emphasising the need for clear instructions to ensure desired outcomes. Sally shares her experience as a former marketing director, focussing on the importance of tailoring messaging to maintain a strong relationship with the audience.TimestampsAI and Tone of Voice [00:00:59] Monitoring Audience Tone of Voice [00:05:19] Customer Tone of Voice and Referrals [00:08:30]The importance of audience and brand identity [00:09:26]The impact of brand refresh on tone of voice [00:10:17]The evolution of tone of voice in newspapers [00:15:44]Teachers' tone of voice [00:19:30]Company's tone of voice [00:20:57]Challenging conventions in tone of voice [00:26:35]The importance of tone of voice in energy company marketing [00:28:17]We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss the importance of tone of voice in branding and marketing. They emphasise the need for a consistent and appropriate tone of voice that resonates with the target audience. They share their experiences and challenges in finding the right tone of voice, especially when marketing to different segments. They also discuss the impact of tone of voice on various communication channels and the importance of maintaining authenticity.The importance of tone of voice [00:00:13]Appropriate tone of voice for target audience [00:01:25]Challenges of finding and maintaining a consistent tone of voice [00:04:55]The Importance of Tone of Voice [00:08:58]The Example of Burberry [00:09:14]Challenges of Maintaining a Consistent Tone of Voice [00:10:08]The importance of matching tone of voice with the target audience [00:18:15]Breaking the tone of voice occasionally [00:19:07]Having different tones of voice for different platforms [00:21:48]The importance of testing, learning, and monitoring [00:26:14]Balancing factual content and brand personality [00:27:00]Different tones of voice for different products [00:27:57]We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

This time, Sally and Sam discuss the impact of AI on copywriting and the need for marketers to upskill themselves beyond their specialism. They also stress the importance of communication, collaboration, and a generalist understanding of all aspects of marketing. They explore the need for balance and experimentation in marketing, while also being mindful of the resources and time available. So, perhaps marketers need to take a deep breath, evaluate their strategies, and make adjustments as needed to achieve success.AI in Copywriting [00:00:24] Marketing Generalist [00:02:06] Alignment between Sales and Marketing [00:05:36] The Importance of Open Culture [00:09:37] Managing Feedback [00:08:12] Tips on how to manage feedback from different departments and how to filter and prioritize them.Balancing Specialism and Generalist Understanding [00:07:06] Over-egging the pudding [00:14:11]Importance of analytics [00:17:20]Trying something new [00:19:34]Take stock of your marketing [00:23:35]Exploring old marketing techniques [00:22:00]Challenges of digital communication [00:20:14]We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss the importance of having a clear marketing strategy and aligning new ideas with it. They caution against overloading the marketing plan with too many new ideas and suggest going back to the overarching strategy to ensure that new ideas align with it. Have you thought of balancing your approach to innovation, and involving other departments in the decision-making process? Are you evaluating the return on investment of time and resources spent on various marketing activities and ensuring that you align with the overall marketing strategy?Overloading marketing strategy [00:01:53]Aligning with sales [00:06:30]The importance of aligning new marketing ideas with overall strategy [00:07:10]The need to engage customers and keep them on site [00:10:02]The importance of being formalized as things get more complex [00:12:59]Transition to digital marketing [00:13:39]Learning new skills [00:15:17]Intellectual property strategy [00:19:42]Taking Stock of Marketing Processes [00:21:07]Opportunity to Try New Marketing Ideas [00:20:14]Importance of Having the Right Balance of Ingredients [00:22:40]We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

This week, Sally and Sam conclude their discussion with Lynn McBain, a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University as they continue to discuss the student marketing experience.  Listen to find out more about how students and businesses alike can benefit from university marketing courses.(0:28) Live-client exercises(3:55) Student placements(10:32) Student feedback(12:38) AI and MarketingConnect with Lynn McBain on LinkedInWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

This week, Sally and Sam are joined by Lynn McBain, a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University to discuss Marketing and the student experience. Listen to find out more about how students and businesses alike can benefit from university marketing courses.(0:42) Student expectations of marketing(6:08) The generalist marketer in modern marketing(15:27) Dealing with deadlines(18:41) Learning skills for the workplaceConnect with Lynn McBain on LinkedInWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

This week, Sally and Sam conclude their discussion on LinkedIn and it's uses as a marketing platform with paid campaigns. Join this meander as Sally continues asking the questions that we all have about LinkedIn and listen on for Sam's top tips for running paid LinkedIn campaigns.(0:20) The issue with relying solely on LinkedIn campaigns(3:36) Sam's top LinkedIn advice(9:40) Consistency within campaigns(15:36) Campaign calibrationWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

This week, Sally and Sam discuss LinkedIn campaigns, how to get the most out of them and confront the common concerns that businesses may have when using them for the first time.(1:44) Is LinkedIn advertising difficult?(8:05) Using your CRM with LinkedIn campaigns(9:57) Targeting your audience(12:29) LinkedIn Campaigns for Smaller B2B(18:02) The importance of LinkedIn groupsWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In part two of their discussion on Micro-Segmentation and Granularity, Sally and Sam discuss the difficulty of personalizing a brand for a large customer base, and the importance of alignment within businesses to facilitate customer segmentation.(1:19) Segmenting Large Customer Bases(5:55) Alignment and Internal Insight(9:22) Brand Establishment(12:40) Identifying Micro-Segments(17:53) Using Data to Drive SegmentationWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Marketing Meanders, Sally and Sam discuss how to move from segmented messages to personalization and micro-segmentation, with considerations for data privacy, customer data and website infrastructure, as well as discussions on the importance of evaluating the return on investment when segmenting customer lists.(1:40) Improving Personalisation and Micro-segmentation(3:51) Why you need to further segment your target audience(10:15) The impact of micro-segmentation on ROI(13:34) Considerations of SegmentationWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Birkett and Sally Green delve into eight common reasons why many marketing campaigns fail. The two also discuss how to identify when a campaign is not going to be successful and the measures that can be taken to make changes to turn it around.(0:15) Looking at the Bigger Picture(4:16) Understanding the Customer Journey(8:52) Marketing Metrics and Gauging Performance(13:59) Standing Out In Imperfect Circumstances(17:26) The Importance of Inter-departmental Alignment(22:14) Positioning and Re-PositioningArticles discussed in this episode:8 Common Reasons Why Marketing Campaigns Fail - ForbesWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss the concept of imperfect marketing campaigns, exploring how to turn a potential catastrophe into a successful campaign and the importance of setting up a good system for dealing with potential issues.(0:44) - Understanding where imperfections arise(8:58) - Imperfections in Modern Marketing(14:31) - Budgeting and its Effect on Imperfect Marketing(16:55) - Agile Marketing and Learning from Experience(20:43) - Communication and DebriefingWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

This week, Sally and Sam explore how you can identify and manage stakeholders, from managing expectations to achieving goals that are targeted to stakeholders at every level.(0:05) What is Stakeholder Management?(7:15) Managing Stakeholder Expectations(9:39) The Importance of Listening(17:10) Communication and AlignmentWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

We are all faced with the risk of failure, however through manageable goals and an understanding that failure does not necessarily mean disaster, can we avoid unnecessary distress? This week, join Sam for a Mini Meander exploring the importance of acceptance in the face of failure. We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

How and why should you consider creating a podcast? This week, Sally and Sam are joined by podcast producer and founder of Story Ninety-Four, Matt Eastland Jones to discuss the power of podcasting and the benefits that podcasting can have for your business.Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation about Podcasting with Matt Eastland-Jones(0:18) Can you do podcasting cheaply?(3:30) Building confidence in podcasting(9:47) The increase in podcast popularity(12:57) Advertising through podcasts(23:17) Matt's top podcasting tipsConnect with Matt Eastland-Jones on LinkedInFind out more about Story Ninety-FourWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

With the new year quickly approaching, how can you make the best use of this time to finish up your campaigns for this year and prepare for the next? This week Sally and Sam explore marketing at the year-end and how marketers can get the most out of the holiday season. (01:13) - Making the most of the end of the year (08:00) - Planning for the holiday season (16:12) - Working with your finance team to maximise your budget (27:58) - Taking the time to look inward (35:43) - How to improve your client outreach this holiday season We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

How and why should you consider creating a podcast? This week, Sally and Sam are joined by podcast producer and founder of Story Ninety-Four, Matt Eastland Jones to discuss the power of podcasting and the benefits that podcasting can have for your business.Welcome to Part 1 of our conversation about Podcasting with Matt Eastland-Jones(2:08) Why podcasting?(7:21) What service do Story Ninety-Four offer?(12:50) The difference between a good podcast and a bad podcast.(17:16) Identifying success for your podcastConnect with Matt Eastland-Jones on LinkedInFind out more about Story Ninety-FourWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In part two of the centenary edition of Marketing Meanders, join Sally and Sam as they look back at their past meanders before looking forward to the future.(00:27) Recruiting a diverse team.(5:33) Choosing the CRM that's right for you.(7:30) Gaining insight and solutions from marketers at all levels.(14:05) Learning from marketing mistakes.(23:09) Meandering towards the next 100 episodes.We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

In part one of the centenary edition of Marketing Meanders, join Sally and Sam as they look back at their past meanders before looking forward to the future.(0:23) The humble beginnings of Marketing Meanders.(9:35) Defining "value" for your business.(13:51) How marketing has changed over the years.(19:26) The unexpected benefit of marketing budget cuts.We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Marketing Meanders with Sally and Sam, the fortnightly podcast with over 50 years of marketing experience squashed into each episode.We discuss the many aspects of marketing, emerging trends, and challenges we all face in marketing our businesses, sharing our own experiences and advice from industry experts. If you're a marketer, you'll recognise some of the stories we tell, and if you are a small business owner, hopefully, we'll answer a question or two.Marketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation on how communication can align your business.Is your business misaligned? How can you identify the problem and ensure your business does not follow a silo mentality? This week, Sally and Sam, along with guests Nick Hughes and Andrew Hancock discuss how to align your departments to enhance your reach and provide the best possible customer experience.(00:06) What's the most important thing you can do to improve your business?(04:57) Why you have to be honest with your business(09:18) How much does an open-door policy work?(13:54) What is the understanding of collaboration? What does it mean?(19:58) The importance of having a common understanding of how the team worksWe'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.com Connect with Nick Hughes on LinkedIn Connect with Andrew Hancock on LinkedIn Learn more about Konnect Solutions or Connect with Konnect Solutions on LinkedIn Marketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

Welcome to Part 1 of our conversation on how communication can align your business. Is your business misaligned? How can you identify the problem and ensure your business does not follow a silo mentality? This week, Sally and Sam, along with guests Nick Hughes and Andrew Hancock discuss how to align your departments to enhance your reach and provide the best possible customer experience.We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.com Connect with Nick Hughes on LinkedIn Connect with Andrew Hancock on LinkedIn Learn more about Konnect Solutions or Connect with Konnect Solutions on LinkedIn Marketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

To be successful in marketing, it is essential that a company has a clear understanding of who its customers are. This is done through the use of customer personas, which are representations of an individual customer and their needs. Customer personas also predict how a customer might react to specific marketing campaigns. However, creating personas can be challenging, and often businesses forget to implement their customer personas in their marketing strategy after creating them.Meanwhile, buyer behaviour is the process by which consumers make purchasing decisions. Understanding how a customer behaves when they are going through the buying process is one of the keys to increasing the success of your marketing campaign. Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation about customer personas and buyer behaviour.In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss customer personas, what to do when your customer personas change, and the importance of getting a return on your investment when creating personas. We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

To be successful in marketing, it is essential that a company has a clear understanding of who its customers are. This is done through the use of customer personas, which are representations of an individual customer and their needs. Customer personas also predict how a customer might react to specific marketing campaigns. However, creating personas can be challenging, and often businesses forget to implement their customer personas in their marketing strategy after creating them.Meanwhile, buyer behaviour is the process by which consumers make purchasing decisions. Understanding how a customer behaves when they are going through the buying process is one of the keys to increasing the success of your marketing campaign. Welcome to Part 1 of our conversation about customer personas and buyer behaviour. In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss building customer personas, the challenges of customer personas and mistakes marketers often make when using them. We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Sally Green:I am an experienced marketing consultant who loves helping people plan and implement successful strategies, creating campaigns that both strengthen the brand impact and increase revenue streams.Working with me will give you a proper understanding of what does and doesn't need to be done, how you can measure your success and how to get the best return on the effort you put into your marketing. Working with both large organisations and SMEs, I will help you set achievable goals, create a strategy and develop sustainable marketing plans that will show positive returns on your marketing effort.Connect with Sally on LinkedIn.Sam Birkett:I specialise in higher and executive education marketing strategy, and operational and tactical support. Specialisms include LinkedIn lead generation and conversion campaigns, Persona and Proposition development, Content strategy, Webinar, Interview, Podcast and Video creation.My consultancy works with institutions and organisations both in the UK and internationally, and over the last 16 years, I've been fortunate enough to work for world-leading organisations.Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

After a lengthy two-year drought of physical conferences, they're back with a bang in 2022. But are they essential for your business and marketing? Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation about conferences. In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss conference collateral, do you need merchandise on your stand, and how you get people's attention.We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

After a lengthy two-year drought of physical conferences, they're back with a bang in 2022. But are they essential for your business and marketing? In this episode, Sally and Sam discuss how conferences should fit in with the rest of your marketing strategy, why it's essential to negotiate conference rates, and why you should always aim to create a welcoming shop window. We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett, founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation about video production with David Camburn, creative director of Swanwood Productions, a video and content production company based in Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire.Video is widely accepted as being one of the most powerful tools available to marketers to promote products and services. So why do so many businesses not utilise it? Is it too daunting? Too hard? Too expensive? In this episode, we chat to David about the importance of video, how to overcome the fear of being filmed, why authenticity is key, and how the pandemic changed video production.  Connect with David and learn more about Swanwood Productions - swanwoodproductions.comAs ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Welcome to Part 1 of our conversation about video production with David Camburn, creative director of Swanwood Productions, a video and content production company based in Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire.Video is widely accepted as being one of the most powerful tools available to marketers to promote products and services. So why do so many businesses not utililse it? Is it too daunting? Too hard? Too expensive? In this episode we chat to David about the importance of video, how to overcome the fear of being filmed, why authenticity is key, and how the pandemic changed video production.  Connect with David and learn more about Swanwood Productions - swanwoodproductions.comAs ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Authenticity - one of the most overused buzzwords in marketing. But what does it mean to be Authentic and can we measure it?In Part 2 of this conversastion, Sally and Sam continue to defining the meaning of the word "authentic".  How does authenticity translate behind the scenes? How do you measure authenticity? How important is trust in authenticity? As ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Authenticity - one of the most overused buzzwords in marketing. But what does it mean to be Authentic and can we measure it?In this episode of Marketing Meanders, Sally and Sam undertake the difficult task of defining the meaning of the word "authentic".  Does authenticity mean being true to yourself, your brand, or your customer?  How far does authenticity go within your organisation?  How important is trust and relationships? As ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation about branding with Andrew Hancock, founder of Brand Ayslum a creative branding agency based in Oxfordshire. Connect with Andrew and learn more about Brand Asylum - brandasylum.co.ukAs ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Welcome to Part 1 of our conversation about branding with Andrew Hancock, founder of Brand Asylum a creative branding agency based in Oxfordshire. We chat about the importance of creating a stong brand based on values, why a brand is so much more than a logo, and why we align with the brands that we like. Andrew also shares with us his mantra - KISS, which stands for Keep it Simple, Stupid when developing brands. "The best suff works, when it's the simplest and purest" - Andrew HancockConnect with Andrew and learn more about Brand Asylum - brandasylum.co.ukAs ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Welcome to Part 2 of our Podcast on Podcasting. In the first part of this conversation we discussed why have podcasts become so popular, how can they help us as marketers, and what makes podcasts so unique and compelling? In Part 2 we covered: The difference between video and podcasting Who can benefit from a podcast Overcoming the fear of failure As ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share!Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant.Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

In 2021, Brits consumed almost 60 million hours a week of Podcasts. This was a 50% increase since 2020, and a whopping 1600% increase since 2015. But what has accelerated this interest? In this meta episode, we talk all things podcasting!  Why have podcasts become so popular?  How can they help us as marketers?  What makes it a unique and compelling form of communication?   Who can start a Podcast, and why should you?  Have a listen to help answer some of these many questions! Stay tuned for Part 2 of the conversation which will be published on the 19th of April. As ever, we'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences so please share! Tweet us at @meanderspod, message us on Facebook, or email meanderspod@gmail.comMarketing Meanders is hosted by Sally Green, Partner at YMS and Senior Marketing Consultant, and Sam Birkett founder of Amiable Marketing and Specialist Marketing Consultant. Connect with SallyConnect with Sam

Does perfection exist? We don't think so, and certainly not in marketing, but where are your marketing efforts between perfect and good enough? Does it matter how many times you've edited a social media campaign or blog? How much time should you spend on that infographic to look just right? Does your approach to how thoroughly a campaign is researched and drafted depend on the audience and the overall purpose of the work?Have a listen to help answer some of these many questions!As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com.

In this episode we continue our reflections from last year and look ahead to ways we can improve in 2022. In particular, we discuss flexibility in the marketing team, how you need to put in place contingencies for absences and sudden changes in direction. What are the processes and technical systems which support contingency planning, and what the human elements? How do automatic fog lights in cars relate to marketing? Plus, have you been joined by anyone new to the workplace, starting their career since 2020, what 'normal' have they experienced, and can we learn from this? As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Sally and Sam. In our two part episode we provide our reflections and lessons learnt from 2021. What have we learnt from a year of more COVID pandemic, the Great Resignation, new technologies and much more. So, settle down in a cosy corner and have a listen to our meander through the year. As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you sometimes struggle to 'switch on' your creativity? As marketers, most of us need to be creative quite a lot of the time, whether in planning, writing, briefing, presenting or coming up with data visualisations. However, it can be a challenge to slip into a 'creative mode' in your head. In this mini meander, I share something that has helped me add more of a creative spark as a freelancer. I'd love to hear what others think, the techniques you use to be creative, and whether you can test some new ways of working to make your creativity flow more effectively.As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can you strike the right balance of style and substance in your marketing? When you create a sequence of communications to an audience are you clear on how you hope they will consume the material? Particularly with products, services and research which are more complex, are you revealing enough, or too little in terms of the messaging you are trying to get across? Perhaps there are some good examples of others who get this balance right most of the time, what can we learn from them? As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We welcome back Hilary Nightingale from Carbon Copy Social for part two of our discussion, Writing for Humans. This time we tackle the questions: Where do you start when commissioning a website homepage?Keywords, how do you use them, where do they go, why are they still important? Why is accessibility important in marketing, and how can it bring down all your hard work?Why write certain types of content, how do you write content that provides value to other humans?As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We were delighted to be joined by Hilary Nightingale from Carbon Copy Social to discuss the art of writing marketing copy for humans beings first and algorithms second! It was a truly fascinating discussion which meandered around compelling writing and user journeys, answering questions such as:Where do you start when writing engaging content? Has this changed in recent times? How can you best connect with your audience by being yourself?How do you focus on writing for your audience whilst allowing search engines to find? When consume a marketing message, what sparks the brain to respond in the same way as seeing a lethal threat?As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In our second foray into getting back to basics we look at avoiding vanity projects, adapting your basic marketing according to the current environment your audiences are living through, and learning the lessons of which marketing approaches actually work, and why.There's also a little bit about beard oil. Keep an eye out for our birthday special as Marketing Meanders celebrates a whole year with you lovely people! As ever, we'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts on this one, so please share Tweet us at @meanderspod message us on Facebook or email meanderspod@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.