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We’ve seen one of our food delivery clients grow, reporting their second straight week in record sales. They are using the time to reach new customers, re-engage previous customers and acquire more sales than ever before.

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Some businesses are thriving right now

We also have clients in industries that naturally thrive during lockdowns. For example,  we’ve seen one of our food delivery clients grow, reporting their second  straight week in record sales. They are  using the time to reach new customers, re-engage previous customers and acquire more sales than ever before. 

However, simply being in the right industry at the right time isn’t enough. We’ve supported this particular food delivery client with a carefully curated digital strategy, timely social media executions and an excessive level of detail and  personalisation  being integrated into direct customer communications. Leading their overall marketing strategy, McKenzie Partners  are  working with this client on a  minute-by-minute  basis to ensure they remain ahead of their competition and anticipate their  consumers’ next desire.

Take the time to enhance your offering

Some of our clients are using this unique window of time to enhance their offerings. One client, a  specialist cruise company,  is planning to renovate their boats  when construction works are permitted again. That way, the team will ensure that they can safely support trades and  help  other industries survive. It’s a rare opportunity as the works won’t impact bookings and take away from their own potential earnings. Plus, McKenzie Partners are right there with them, documenting progress on on their social channels  and ensuring we are across the details,  so  we’ll be  ready to broadcast the new and improved vessels when they are once again ready to cruise.   

Come out the other side, bigger and better!

We are also working with clients that are currently closed to plan for their future success. That could mean designing  a new menu,  finessing  a show-stopping events  brochure or even  crafting  their next big piece of content. From drafting scripts, editing footage and recording voiceovers – there’s so much that can be done virtually.  Our creative team can access all their resources  with ease  –  McKenzie  Partners has  long  been  a cloud-centric agency ready to pivot with the times.   

 

 

We are here to communicate, collaborate and support

At McKenzie Partners, our teams in every state  are meeting daily to talk through priorities, collaborate on ideas and, of course, support one another through  shifting deadlines and the harsh realities of being an incredibly agile support service to our clients  at  this time.   

So, what has this latest lockdown taught McKenzie Partners? We truly are a versatile team who has one another’s support. Our clients might have a dedicated Account Director, but those  Account Directors  of ours are backed by a unified and collaborative bunch that are ready and willing to jump in and assist any of our clients. At this time, we’ve learned that small businesses across Australia, just like ours,  need to  work together and work harder than ever to  ensure that  the loudest story that comes out of 2021 is not the latest COVID wave, but rather a story of  business survival and success.   

Michelle Rowling, Group Account Director at McKenzie Partners makes a compelling case for the value of competitions.

When strategically designed and methodically implemented, competitions can deliver key results, metrics and traction that outperform other marketing channels.  Competitions are so often dismissed by organisations and marketing managers as being mass giveaways, where the only beneficiaries are those members of the public actively engaged in the prize scene seeking free gifts. Sure, if the objectives of the competition are not clear and the mechanic is misdirected, this can absolutely be the case. However, when clever and accountable, there is a strong place for competitions in a customer-centric marketing plan.

 

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When strategically designed and methodically implemented, competitions can deliver key results, metrics and traction that outperform other marketing channels.

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Competitions get you customised data

A competition is a great method of data acquisition. With both ethics and compliance considered consistently, the data derived from competitions can prove valuable for your organisation. Whether the information obtained represents new prospective customers or highlights hyper-engaged members of your existing customer base, there’s no other way this quality of data can be obtained.

By ensuring there’s a strategic opportunity for your competition entrants to share their details, consent to marketing communications and offer you new avenues to connect with them – a database collected from a competition today could serve your organisation well into the future when used correctly.

 

Boost your social media engagement

Want social media engagement? Page growth, following and advocacy are all social media benefits that you can get from a good competition. Sure, you can sponsor posts, boost ads and cast your social media content wide. However, a competition will capture your true brand advocates and allow them to work for you. Competitions allow advocates to endorse your brand, promote your offering to their network and amplify its reach with a qualified audience.

Social engagements and metrics can be used to your advantage to administer a competition, but you can also use social platforms to simply extend the broadcast of your competition and maintain the entry mechanic elsewhere.

 

You’ll gain insights

Consumers love it when they feel included and involved in a brand or business they admire. Competitions can be a crafty way of gaining their input and acquiring their insights. Want to create a new flavour? Want to know your most appealing asset? Want to know how your experience is truly received or shared? A clever competition can allow for the collection of anecdotal data, feedback, insights and ideas. It’s also a great way of sharing positive experiences and ideas about your brand with others. Entrants will feel like they’ve contributed to something great, as well as feeling rewarded should they be the winning contender!

 

 

What prize should you choose?

To be successful, competitions need to offer a compelling and sought-after prize. The prize should drive entries, momentum and sustain interest even long after the competition has run. Cash, cars and holidays are king here. However, you can also incentivise more entries and enrich the potential use of your data by integrating samples and offering discounts. This can be an incredible way of rewarding each and every entrant, while encouraging purchase, maximising spend and enhancing the potential long-term loyalty between the customer and the brand.

 

Can you ever just do a personal Google search without examining the ads?

I do all the time, I am so used to seeing paid ads that I click on unpaid/organic ads instead!

 

How do you set up a competition?

Competition ideation, implementation, management and communication can all be incredibly complex. Permits, terms and entry mechanics are always required. Competitions need to be ethical, and legally compliant in all participating states. There are also platform requirements when implementing social promotions and website functionality to contend with when hosting a competition online.

That’s where engaging an agency can be helpful. At McKenzie Partners, we have competition experts in our team. In store, on pack, triggered by consumer spend, games of chance, event-based promotions, online competitions and social media giveaways – we’ve done it all. We also have experience across a range of industries, having worked on competitions in travel, retail, hospitality, entertainment and auto. If you’re keen to amplify your reach and maximise your data potential, let’s connect and discuss a competition for your brand.

Michelle Rowling, McKenzie Partners Group Account Director, shares her insights on virtual marketing teams.

Now, more than ever, businesses are looking at their requirements through a new lens and marketing should be under the microscope.

As marketing is often one of the larger expenses for a business, it may be the first thing to be trimmed when times get tough. Yet, marketing is essential for success. That’s why a virtual marketing team can be a good compromise – giving you maximum return for your spend.

 

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As marketing is often one of the larger expenses for a business, it may be the first thing to be trimmed when times get tough. Yet, marketing is essential for success. That’s why a virtual marketing team can be a good compromise – giving you maximum return for your spend.

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Outsourcing your marketing gives you access to a team of experts

When you rely on one marketing lead with, perhaps, a small team of support staff – that’s exactly what you will receive. You’d better love the skills and expertise of your lead, as they will shape your marketing strategy. Plus, your lead will train any junior support staff to follow the same approach.

By outsourcing your marketing, you gain access to a diverse range of marketing experts. No one person or small team can be considered experts in product, digital, SEO, SEM, traditional media and customer experience. Nor can they truly be expert communicators, photographers, designers and analysts. To hold every required skillset in your team to the level you need is near impossible and incredibly expensive. With a virtual marketing team, your overheads are reduced and your potential is amplified.

 

You get honest feedback from a virtual marketing team

There’s no denying your staff are your greatest asset. However, sometimes external insights and a fresh approach are what you need. By using external marketing resources, you are guaranteed to receive honest and unbiased ideas and feedback. They will also genuinely be able to view your business from a customer’s perspective – not what your staff simply believe a customer is experiencing.

Likewise, it’s easier to give constructive criticism to someone who is one step removed from your business. You’re guaranteed to be able to deliver your honest thoughts without the awkwardness of having to face the marketing manager in the lunchroom who has just poured their all into an idea that won’t get off the ground.

 

 

You get better insights from an outsourced marketing team

It’s understandable that you may want an industry expert who knows the operation from the ground up. But imagine if the next best marketing solution came from somewhere else? It is possible that great marketing ideas conceived for one industry could be the next best thing for a completely different industry. By working with a virtual marketing hub that services many areas, ideas can be adapted, downscaled or amplified to suit the needs of your business.

You’ll also have case studies and implementation-based learnings to back up any new approaches. If you need to gain a bit more momentum or get an idea across to management or your board, your virtual marketing support will likely be able to provide a wealth of past insights for you.

 

Should you get rid of your marketing department completely?

No, we aren’t suggesting that entire marketing departments should be removed and all services outsourced. Many businesses need an expert in their ranks and you will definitely benefit from an in-house marketer who is across every small detail about your business.

Rather, your marketing lead will be supported by a team of experts, simultaneously bringing their ideas to life and elevating their true potential. Backed by analysts, detailed reporting, creative leads and customer experience experts, your marketing workforce can be upscaled at a fraction of the expense – compared with the required training and support to host it all in house.

Whether you are planning your next marketing hire, re-evaluating your team or if you just need access to a little more intel and support, a virtual marketing team can take your business to the next level. There are so many smart businesses out there that are seeing the benefits – will yours be the next one?