Attending the CIM’s Small Business Marketing Conference.
Taking a trip back into the classroom.
Spending the day on the new university grounds of Hatfield’s De Havilland campus, a few of the Bonfire team attended the CIM Small Business Marketing Conference where a number of established speakers from a varying industry background gave lectures and valuable advice on effective marketing methods for small businesses.
The team spent the day networking with representatives from other locally based small businesses, taking away some insightful learnings and food for thought.
The day began with talks discussing the state of the U.K’s economic climate and the successful role that small business play within it. The day then moved onto focus on best fit ways in which to understand markets, develop customer relationships and how to achieve ROI from social media efforts.
The team bought back an insightful piece of knowledge taught by Bryony Thomas, author of Watertight Marketing. Her captivating talk used a statement to explain the link between logic and emotion with regards to customer purchasing behaviours, Thomas introduced to us ‘The Logic Sandwich’. This would consist of a piece of emotion, a layer of logic, topped off with another piece of emotion; a metaphoric sandwich to symbolise the factors that will help to map the marketing messages ‘you serve up to the customer’ which ultimately will determine the decision making and buying process.
Besides from not sounding at all appetising, we thought how clever this piece of imagery was and it made us think of our own purchase behaviours and what factors make us buy into that impractical item of clothing or take out a contract on that overpriced phone over their competing counterparts. Is it the love we have for the product, the way it feels on or how this brand makes us feel? Or is it the logic behind it? Will this be practical and fit for all purposes?
Thomas talked about the importance of tapping into the emotional connection customers have to a brand and how this is detrimental to loyalty, advising how the logical and functional aspect of a purchase is just a minor factor in comparison in determining loyalty to a brand. Bryony went onto advise against data and information overload when marketing a product / service and suggested to tap into how the product / service will benefit the customer determined by the ‘gut feel’ stating that “you can’t logic someone out of love”.
The teachings taken away from the conference were valuable and the insights were shared with the rest of the Bonfire team, every day is a school day.
