Kicking off 2009 in style
2009 has kicked off well for Clear Thought Consulting, with two exciting consultancy projects underway for new clients, a new business push planned on the SPAN front, a new batch of CIM students to inspire, partnerships forging with some great local marketing specialists and plans afoot for Bristol networking this year.
Gradwell appoints Clear Thought Consulting: In October last year, I was delighted to be appointed by Gradwell (www.gradwell.com), the small business internet infrastructure providers, as their retained strategic marketing consultant. We’re two months in and we’ve cracked some key foundation work ready for a really exciting 2009. Gradwell closed the year by bagging the ITSPA Best Business VoIP award, and I am looking forward to telling the world about this and their other great products. All in all, this win was a testament to the power of networking – as it is a lead I picked up through LinkedIn.
To deliver the plan I’ve put together, we’ve also engaged some excellent specialists from my little black book, who I’d like to tip my cap to:
- Cheryl Crichton: a freelance marketing / account manager who I originally worked with in 2001, and whose hands-on style is perfect for her ongoing role with Gradwell in delivering the plans I devise.
- Christian Tait: freelance designer who I’ve worked with at his last two agencies and who has somewhat set the bar for other designers to meet.
- Ferdinand Edwards: qualitative researcher extraordinaire, who added valuable depth and colour to my quantitative approach.
- Samantha Castillo: freelance copywriter whose extensive technology experience made her the natural choice for this client.
- 3Sixty Digital Marketing: arguably Bristol’s best web agency, who are currently undertaking a full review of the Gradwell website in readiness for a full refresh.
Fraudscreen appoints Clear Thought Consulting: November saw another client come on-board in the shape of Fraudscreen (www.fraudscreen.co.uk), where I’ll be working with one of my ex-Experian colleagues, John Sharman, and the unanimously impressive team in Gresse Street. Where many will be looking at the year ahead with trepidation, Fraudscreen is one of the lucky ones with products that are perfectly positioned for the current economic environment – helping businesses make fair and commercially sound acquisition, retention, collections and debtor decisions.
For me, this is another very welcome annual support contract with some upfront investments to be made. We’re currently knee deep in website re-building, ready for a web-centred thought leadership programme. For this, I have again to thank some excellent marketing partners:
- 3Sixty Digital Marketing again, using Sitecore, their recommended content management system.
- Creative Template Solutions: Kathy’s pragmatic approach to digital templates has never failed to be an excellent investment.
- TickBox Marketing for getting a wee campaign microsite up at www.paymentintent.com in a matter of days.
Bryony is let loose on CIM Diploma students: After my first term of tutoring, I am anxiously awaiting the results for my CIM module – with fingers crossed for all the students in my group. I’m also looking forward to meeting a new cohort of the Cambridge Marketing College at the end of January and I hope to inspire them to see their CIM qualifications as much more than a piece of paper!
Networking anyone? I’m also looking forward to getting involved with getting the Bristol arm of the Bristol & Bath Marketing Network up and running. With Bath running successfully, there must be marketers in Bristol up for a monthly meet to keep up to speed with the latest, meet other local marketers and have a drink. Watch this space for more details.
I hope that 2009 brings you many and varied opportunities.
By Bryony Thomas | Chief Clear Thinker | Clear Thought Consulting Ltd | @bryonythomas | www.clear-thought.co.uk
Clear Thought Consulting works with small businesses, equipping them with the marketing strategies, suppliers, skills and set-up that they need to become bigger businesses. We do this by planning and delivering 12-month marketing transformation programmes – supporting a small business through a step-by-step process to making marketing pay. We firmly believe that when you can’t out-spend your competition, you have to out-think them.
Published on 8 January 2009
