April Fool?

The Market Research Society Code of Conduct changes come into effect today.

It will be interesting to see what impact the changes made to the use of incentives will have especially.

It is no longer acceptable for organisations to use their own products or services as incentives for participation in research.

The reasons for this change are well documented by the Society and were needed to keep the distinction between research and direct marketing clear.

There are those who would argue, however, that those participating in research are not stupid and recognise that providing an incentive that is at cost to an organisation is both sensible from a budgetary perspective and a way of building a relationship with an existing or prospective customer.

The counter to this of course is the nasty taste of selling under the guise of research or ’sugging’ as it is known.

The jury is out. Will the perception of the research industry be further impacted by this change?

We will see.

MARKETSHOCK another new service for 2010!

This is an individually tailored, cost effective, market intelligence service that delivers

monthly

short reports containing actionable information on: -

• Competitive marketing activity

• Any identified new and potential market entrants

• Macro environment trends and potential impacts on the organisation’s plans

• Buyer behaviour trends and changes

• Supplier activities and changes

• Any identified potential substitute products or services

To discover more about what Marketshock could do for your organisation contact Bax Interaction now. Click here to send an enquiry!

BIMAP - A new service for 2010! Read the rest of this entry »

Making the most of your time. Achieving more…

Steve delivered a talk on ‘How to achieve more in your work and personal life’ at a CIM branch workshop on personal effectiveness in March 2010.

The interactive session covered; How we spend our time each day, common problems with managing our time, the importance of planning and prioritising our activities, some top tips for being more effective at work, how to manage your ‘desk’ or workspace, how to deal with the ‘time wasters’, when to do those ‘minor’ tasks and some top tips for better use of your personal time.

Steve stressed that time is our most precious commodity - we can’t buy more of it and once it is gone we can’t get it back! So, we need to make the most of it!

He concluded with the quote that was recently pulled out of the cobwebs earlier this year by Chris Evans on Radio 2 - “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got!”

Perhaps you need to do things differently!

Time - making the most of it

Why marketing training matters.

In today’s uncertain

business environment, the importance of all personnel understanding why marketing is critical to success is

vital.

Talk to Steve Bax at BIL to find out how a tailored programme can meet the specific needs of your

organisation.

Following up proposals or customer activity with qualitative

research really does work.

Find out what prospects or customers really think.

Speak to BIL today.

Steve Bax at BIL can help your organisation with developing

actionable marketing plans that work. Contact us today.

Bax Interaction and Doontime make web marketing work for

href="http://www.pemtechnology.co.uk">PEM Technology

Following the launch of the new service announced earlier

this year Bax Interaction in partnership with Doontime has

created a brand new site for the new sector based service launched on the 5th September by PEM Technology.

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The site features a number of innovations including a fully integrated

forum, news articles and website seamlessly linked and driven by separate software ‘engines’.

This is the first

site of this kind that has been created by Doontime and aims to reflect the up to date focussed approach that PEM

Technology is taking by launching a specialist set of services for the technology sectors.

Commenting on the

completion and launch of the site, Chris Walklett, Head of PEM Technology, commented

“ Because of the nature of

this new service line and the type of user, we wanted a website which had a technology focussed feel to it but with a

flexible and interactive platform. Under the direction of Steve Bax at BIL, Doontime created the PEM Technology site and

had it up and running ready for its launch at the Cambridge Enterprise Conference. There was a lot of work involved, and a

rather tight and immovable deadline, but as Steve knows our business and our staff well, we achieved our objective and are

delighted with the outcome.”

Visit the new site at www.pemtechnology.co.uk

and see for yourself!

To find out more about PEM Technology please explore their

href="http://www.pemtechnology.co.uk">site or contact Chris direct on 01223 728258.

Bax Interaction’s MD, Steve Bax, was awarded Chartered Marketer

status on the 1st July 2007 following the completion of two consecutive years continuing professional development (in

addition to his previous demonstration of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise).

The Chartered Institute of

Marketing (CIM) says “Having Chartered Marketer status demonstrates that you practise the highest professional marketing

standards by keeping your marketing knowledge and skills current.”

Steve has been a full member of the CIM since

1990 and is also an active member of the Market Research Society.

He commented ” I am delighted to be able to use

the Chartered Marketer designation. Marketing can be seen as something of a ‘black art’ and I believe that is vital to

demonstrate its professional standing to those that work in other fields! It is especially important to show your

commitment to keeping your knowledge and skills up to date when you are working with various clients and sectors delivering

strategy, research, mentoring and training.”

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Marketing Planning That Works!

Bax Interaction’s MD, Steve

Bax, spoke at The Very Early Lunch Club in Bury St Edmunds recently.

The audience were asked who had a current

marketing plan and only 2 of the 26 attendees actually did! Of these just one had been communicated to all in the

organisation and this was because it was an OMB (Owner Managed Business)!

As Steve commented, this is not at all

surprising and the very reason that he was talking on this subject!!

Steve talked through the reasons why so many

fall at the first hurdle of creating a marketing plan, the process involved, the key things to audit, how to generate an

effective SWOT analysis, examples of objectives, the strategy and the promotional mix and finally the control and review

process.

He summarised with the following words of advice:-

1. There is a need for CREATIVITY to make sure

you are heard

2. Don’t be ‘woolly’ – be focused – ensure that you are clear about where you are going so

that you can communicate this internally and THEN to the outside world!

3. Don’t forget the needs of ALL customers

– i.e. Personnel, shareholders, stakeholders, customers, potential customers

4. Have some sort of plan – even a

side of A4 is better than no plan at all!

5. Don’t get hung up on the marketing speak or the models and theories.

Planning works as long as you keep its limitations in perspective!

6. Avoid ‘follow the leader strategies’ –

look for the gaps and go for them!

7. Work your plan – it is not for decoration – there are no academic marks

for effort! It should ‘live’

8. Ensure that you get the ‘buy in’ from all your stakeholders – this comes from

INVOLVING them in the process – measuring performance and recognising/ rewarding their and your successes!

9.

Know your competitors – know your competitors – know your competitors

10. Do regular ‘reality checks’ on

what your customers and market REALLY think about you – Do you ASSUME!

Don’t be afraid to fail – if at

first etc. It works for other successful organisations – with a little bit of encouragement and time it can work for you

too!

For a full transcript please contact BIL on

info@baxinteraction.co.uk or leave a comment below!

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