New ways of reaching out to customers

According to the latest issue of Catalogue newsletter, Marks & Spencer is set to install free Wi-Fi into all of its UK stores and arm customer assistants with iPads as part of plans to push its ecommerce offering.

It is reported the retailer is investing £100 million on new technology and £150 million on a new model, or platform, for its website that will be ready by 2014.  

Meanwhile our multi-channel retail client, IronmongeryDirect, has run another Direct Response TV campaign. After the success of the first ever national TV campaign, which saw an increase in attributed leads by 63% within 30 minutes of spot transmission, IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest online and mail order supplier of ironmongery products to the trade, decided to move ahead with a second campaign in June.  

Most recently IronmongeryDirect has launched its mobile website, in keeping with the latest technology moves, making it easy for tradesmen on-the-go to search for products and place their orders.   

We got this story covered and a by-lined feature by IronmongeryDirect’s Head of Marketing, Stuart Wilson, in the recent issue Direct Commerce magazine, and the story was picked up by a number of other trade titles.

Five ways to double your profits - Real Business Article

IronmongeryDirect doubled its profits this year, turnover is up 25 per cent and the firm has just moved to bigger premises - a great success story.

Raising the profile of the company within the business press is one of the objectives of the PR campaign that The Think Tank has been managing for IronmongeryDirect over the past couple of years.

Looking for opportunities to communicate the impressive growth and success of this business in a very challenging market The Think Tank secured a feature article for MD Wayne Lysaght-Mason in Real Business Magazine looking at five secrets to fast growth.

This great opportunity follows articles and comment in a range of business publications, including Marketing Week, raising the profile of the business beyond the Construction and DIY sectors.

Click here to view the full article.

Raisng the profile of IronmongeryDirect

Along with regular coverage in DIY Week and Builders Merchant News, we have been putting forward IronmongeryDirect to the broader business press as ‘one to watch’ with the exciting growth it has achieved, and how it is making this happen.  This has included arranging interviews and compiling Q&As which has resulted in coverage in Real Business magazine, Catalogue E-business and Marketing Week as well as issuing business results and updates, and newsjacking.