Seasons Greetings from Chapman Consulting

Please click below to see our Christmas Newsletter

Christmas Newsletter

Christmas Charities

This year we have supported many charities including Cancer Research, Movember, Land Aid, Sam Beare Hospice Weybridge and Macmillan.  Our Christmas Charity is Teddington U12’s Rugby team and we are buying their splendid umbrellas to give as gifts to our clients which all helps them with their fundraising.

To celebrate seven years of training and playing together, Teddington U12's are looking to raise funds to take the boys on their “coming of age” tour to Normandy, France. This tour traditionally marks the end of their time in the ‘minis’ section of the club and the move to junior rugby, and as such is more than just a rugby tour.  On top of a local club fixture and a major rugby festival against some strong French teams, the boys will also be taken to the Normandy beaches and guided through the WWII cemeteries.  Teddington RFC hopes this will enhance their understanding of the world around them and its history and that through sport and particularly the unique spirit and camaraderie that comes from rugby, they can make friends across the borders of language and culture.

Teddington RFC has thrived due to the continued support of Chapman Consulting and other local businesses and we hope that with our support, it can enable us to bring more children to the wonderful world of rugby.

100 Property Club Charity Dinner

The Ruby Anniversary 2012 Christmas Dinner raised over £30,000 for Children’s Charity

Chapman Consulting in their capacity as members of the 100 Property Club, recently attended the Club’s Ruby Anniversary Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel which was attended by over 300 members and their guests from the International Property market.
The guest speaker this year was Max Clifford who spoke about his career and charitable work, and his nominated charity , the Sam Beare Hospice in Weybridge, which this year the 100 Property Club are supporting.

Below is a link to a You Tube video which will give you a better idea of what we are doing and who the kids are that we will be helping at what is clearly a critical time in their lives.

Click here for the video link.

Max Clifford is perhaps a ‘marmite’ character, and recent criminal allegations and his arrest promised an interesting after-dinner speech.  However, Max was very subdued, almost frail in his demeanor, and no specific mention was made of recent events.  One question from the floor, “Is there such a thing as bad publicity?” brought the response “Yes there is!” which is a departure from the usual PR viewpoint that there is no such thing as bad publicity and that all publicity is good publicity.   Max talked about a number of well-known people who he has advised in his career and helped them ‘manage’ their way out of difficult situations some of their own doing ... and we watch and wait to see how Max Clifford PR Guru manages this more personal and very damaging situation.

Max  also invited members of his family, friends and celebrity guests including Chris Eubank the British retired boxer who held world titles at middleweight and super middleweight.  Chris was a world champion for over five years, undefeated in his first ten years as a professional, and remained undefeated at middleweight.

 http://maxclifford.com/

Chapman Consulting latest Newsletter
click below to read more.....

Newsletter Edition 4 November 2012

Chapman Consulting wins new business

Chapman Consulting has enjoyed a busy summer securing three new clients looking for business growth.  We are delighted that we are seeing increasing interest from professional services firms who are looking for a bespoke sales and marketing service as part of their strategic business development.

Client A came to us in June with a need to increase their sales pipeline in difficult trading conditions.   We undertook our Strategic Business Development review which indicated where there were gaps in their activity and a need to broaden their client base; retaining existing Grade A customers, and increasing the range of opportunities they were being offered from their existing clients.  We have brokered introductions to key target companies matching their desired profile and with whom they have not previously worked and secured more than £3 million worth of sales within the first month.  We are now managing a forward sales pipeline of £40 million through 2013.  As part of their continuous improvement process, we are currently working on a Quality Delivery Programme to be launched and rolled out in 2013.

Client B is a highly-successful company based in Warwickshire and looking to launch into the London market.  In just three months we have brokered introductions to over 80 companies, set up a sales database to monitor enquiries and contacts as well as restructuring their marketing efforts.  Work continues on improvements to their marketing collateral and building their order book for 2013.

Client C is a niche property consultancy business with many high-level corporate contacts.  Our involvement to date has been initially focused on their contact management systems, corporate comms and PR, including managing their conference.  High level, strategic and consultative, this client wanted a sales and marketing agency that understood the property market whilst also providing excellent marketing management incorporating corporate communications, PR and event management but with the added benefit of senior, top-level BD experience and advice. 

These case studies underline the bespoke nature of our offer to the professional services market, and our capability to advise and consult across all areas of Sales and Marketing using our unique 5-stage Business Development Process tool.

London 2012 and the feel good legacy

 As the Autumn evenings draw in, it's a good point to reflect on the monumental summer which the UK and London in particular has just enjoyed.

The rather damp, but hugely successful Diamond Jubilee now seems a lifetime away, following the gripping six weeks during which Olympic fever reigned over Britain. From the spectacle of the Opening Ceremony to the unbelievable success of the Paralympics, Britain showed the world that we really can be Great!

It is easy to forget amidst all the excitement that one of the great promises made back in 2005 was the legacy which the Olympics would bring to the UK. “Sport for All” was one of the most important aspects of that legacy, but there is also a significant economic legacy to be exploited, not least of all for our sector.

The economic forecasting group, Oxford Economics, were commissioned by Lloyds Bank, one of the principal Olympic sponsors, to produce an assessment of the long term economic impact of the Games. Unlike many other studies, their report set out to look at the overall effect of the Games, from 2005, when the Games were awarded to London, through to 2017.

In summary, the report estimates that overall the Olympics will support a contribution of £16.5bn (2012 prices) to UK GDP over the twelve year period, of which 70% is expected to have been generated prior to the Games, with the balance occurring as part of the legacy. Breaking it down further still, pre-Games and legacy construction is likely to account for 82% of that GDP contribution, tourism 12% and the actual hosting of the Games, 6%.

Not surprisingly, London is expected to account for 41% of the GDP supported. Regionally, the balance is spread 9% in the South-East, 7% in the North-West, 5% in the East Midlands, with the remainder being spread across the East of England, Scotland, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside and the South-West.

In amongst the report are a whole host of fascinating statistics:

• Between 2005 and 2017 the Games are likely to generate the equivalent of 354,000 years of employment, with 78% of that figure occurring in the construction sector

• SMEs are expected to receive 52% of the additional expenditure associated with the construction of the Games and their legacy

• Construction alone will support a spend of £11.9bn over the twelve year period. The total contribution to GDP from the construction sector is estimated at 13.5bn, when the supply chain multiplier is factored in

• There is still a legacy spend of £4bn on construction to come  over the next 5 years, which will be generated by projects such as the conversion of the athletes' village into residential space, alterations to Stratford Station to accommodate Crossrail and other commitments to build retail, office and residential space

• Expenditure to date has benefited companies right across the UK, with 800 firms receiving contracts from the ODA 

• On top of the actual construction spend, multiplier effects suggest a contribution to GDP of £5.8bn (2012 prices) from input procurements for the construction industry supply chains.

The report also examined the impact on other areas of the UK economy, such as tourism, the labour market, expenditure incurred on actually staging the Games and what they termed "The Happiness Factor".

The conclusions they drew were fascinating. Games related tourism, for example, is expected to generate an additional £2bn contribution to GDP and will support the equivalent of 61,000 years of employment over the twelve year period 2005 - 2017. A net increase of 10.8m in tourist visits is anticipated over the same period. Interestingly, in terms of GDP contribution, it is estimated the 17% will occur in the lead-up to the Games, 35% during the Games themselves and 48% after the Games, which suggests there is still a sizeable contribution to come.

The Happiness Factor was another interesting area as this is obviously very difficult to quantify in monetary terms, but the report looked at other studies, which suggested that hosting major events can increase happiness levels amongst the home nation's residents. Euro 1996, the nearest example we have to draw upon, was estimated to have boosted the nation's happiness by an extra £165 for each citizen. This can translate to an increase in consumer confidence, but the statistics don't uniformly support this view.

One of the clear messages conveyed by the report is that even though the spectacle of the Games may have ended, we as a nation still have a great deal to look forward to. £4bn of construction activity is still in the pipeline, as is £1bn of tourism revenue. The regeneration of Stratford and Newham has led to long-standing improvements in health and well-being, as well as a reduction in crime levels. 3,850 new, affordable homes will be created. These improvements are estimated to be worth £130m per annum. Add into that improved job prospects for the 78,000 workers involved in the construction projects and a further £504m is generated. Furthermore, 3,000 of those workers were previously classified as being long-term unemployed. The skills and opportunities the Olympics gave them is estimated to raise their life-time earnings by £40,000 per worker.

So, not only did we enjoy a fantastic summer, which showcased Great Britain at its best, there is also plenty more to come. 

The Crossrail winners

Crossrail is one of the most important infrastructure projects currently taking place in the UK. The high speed rail network will connect Maidenhead and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood to the east of London. Thirteen miles of the route will pass through a new twin-bore tunnel below central and east London, providing a rapid, high frequency, accessible link between Heathrow Airport, London's West End, the City and Canary Wharf. With initial work having started in 2009, the project is scheduled for completion by 2017.

For many years now London's transport infrastructure has been struggling - routes are slow, overcrowded and unreliable. The key objectives of the Crossrail project are:

• Improved transport connectivity through journey time savings

• To support sustainable economic development through increased transport capacity and reduced congestion

• Environmental improvements, including reduced CO2 emissions     

As we saw with the Olympics project, the economic benefits to the surrounding areas of any major infrastructure project can be immense and that is certainly the intention with Crossrail.

The case for growth as a panacea to our current financial woes has never been stronger; there is clear evidence that the development of the Crossrail link will enable regeneration of areas around the stations on its route as well as facilitating the capital's future employment growth. Forecasts suggest that 35% of that growth will be in areas situated along the Crossrail route, notably the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.

Earlier in the summer, Sarah Chapman, Managing Director of Chapman Consulting, attended a conference in which a number of key speakers gave their overview of the likely impact of Crossrail in the South-East and how towns and areas along the route might benefit.

One of the key conclusions was the likely development of so–called “hotspots” emerging on the western edge of Crossrail's route. Hotspots enjoying a 25% house price rise would be centred on Ealing Broadway, Southall, Hayes, Harlington, Farringdon, Whitechapel, Custom House, Woolwich and Abbey Wood.  These were all seen as ripe for significant private development, offering opportunities in terms of a skilled workforce and proximity to the Crossrail line.  Overall, it is thought that as many as 10,000 new jobs could be created along Crossrail's course.

As an interesting aside, the importance of a third runway at Heathrow to global corporations based in the South-East should not be underestimated either. Although Crossrail will undoubtedly generate new business opportunities, there are real concerns that should London's third runway be sited to the east of London then a swathe of corporate re-locations will follow on behind, to the detriment of the M3 / M4 corridors, notwithstanding any benefits from Crossrail.

Within central London, a number of factors are expected to come into play when assessing Crossrail's benefit. The improved international connectivity brought about by the new Crossrail stations and the Eurostar hub at St. Pancras should provide a boost to the areas around Fitzrovia, Farringdon and Clerkenwell, particularly for those occupiers whose business is reliant upon that improved connectivity. It has also been mooted that some city based institutions, such as the banks, may take advantage of the dramatically improved journey times to relocate some of their back office functions to the outer fringes of London, thereby opening up further development opportunities.

So far as existing rental levels for office space are concerned, one can look at the precedents set by the development of similar transport links in recent years. Data shows that the opening of the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo in 1994 resulted in a growth rate of 150% in prime headline rents in Southwark between 1993 and 1994. Those buildings which are expected to see the greatest uplift are the ones within walking distance of the Crossrail stations and within that specific sub-sector, 'rising' districts are expected to outperform the more mature markets, such as Mayfair.

For the wider economy, over the short-term the most immediate benefits will be brought about by the construction project itself. It is currently thought to be Europe's largest civil engineering programme, which at its peak will directly employ up to 14,000 people. Of course, the effect on the supply chain will have a further multiplier effect and the project is committed to providing at least 400 new apprenticeships.

 At a macro level, the Department for Trade has estimated that the implementation of Crossrail will produce a significant contribution to the UK economy as a whole. The Wider Economic Benefits (WEBS) are estimated at between £6 - £18bn in welfare terms, including an uplift in tax receipts arising from increased earnings and profits generated by those businesses which are positively impacted by Crossrail.

We draw your attention also to a recent Evening Standard article on Crossrail and a report prepared by GVA Grimley – see links below:

GVA Grimley Crossrail research

Evening Standard Oct 2012

Zi Siddique joins Chapman Consulting

We are delighted to announce that Zi Siddique has joined Chapman Consulting as Business Development Executive as of September this year.

Zi joins us with over eight years experience in the architectural and construction marketplace where she has held business development roles with responsibility in housing and public sector, new build and refurbishment. 

In her previous roles, Zi was an active member of the RIBA Public Affairs Forum and collaborated with some of the main organisations in the construction arena, including Buro Happold and Arup as well as Skanska, Jarvis and Costain.  Zi also coordinated bids for organisations such as Pfizer, The Laban, Barts and the London NHS Trust, and various other hospitals and London Boroughs and Housing Associations including The Peabody Trust.

We are delighted to welcome Zi to our team and hope she will have a long and successful career with Chapman Consulting.

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Not so sunny for the UK Economy

As much of the country basks in a long-overdue heatwave, the outlook for the UK economy is somewhat cooler. Second quarter GDP figures released on Wednesday defied even the gloomiest forecasters by revealing a drop in output of 0.7%, as against the consensus forecast of a 0.2% dip. This represents the third quarterly contraction in a row.

Data for this quarter was always going to be skewed by the effect of the extra bank holiday for the Queen’s Jubilee, but what nobody had been able to factor in was the effect of the extreme weather conditions experienced across country during June and much of July. June 2012 is now officially the wettest June since records began, so the ONS have been quick to point out that this, together with the effect of the Jubilee, casts far greater doubt than normal over these figures, meaning the likelihood of a later revision is highly probable. However, whether that revision will be up or down is impossible to say.

Yet again, blame for the fall was directed firmly at the construction sector, which posted a drop in output of -5.2%, as the effects were felt of infrastructure projects cancelled under the current Government Spending Round and an ongoing lack of demand from the housing market.

Stephen Radcliffe, director of UKCG offered a robust defence on behalf of the industry when interviewed on R4. He was quick to point out that what these figures don’t demonstrate is the size of the UK construction industry -  £120bn. Furthermore, the multiplier effect from construction is immense – every £1 spent on construction creates £2.84 worth of economic stimulus within the wider economy, of which 90p remains within the UK, to create more jobs and further growth. For this reason, Radcliffe urged the government to be bolder in their approach. Whilst welcoming initiatives such as the Construction Pipeline and the access to finance scheme announced last week, he feared they lack the necessary scale to inject meaningful growth into the UK economy. He called for a concerted effort to speed up those infrastructure projects which have already been committed to and for efforts to be made to even out the patchy nature of construction activity across the UK.

Whilst our sector may feel like the whipping boy for the nation’s economic woes, it is important to remember that it is also our sector which can lift the UK back into growth. It is therefore crucial that the government is committed and bold in its approach to secure the recovery we are all anticipating.

Will Dr Beeching be turning in his grave?

Finally the coalition have made a tangible announcement, committing to the much heralded infrastructure investment programme which, we have been told, will galvanise the UK economy and help stimulate a new era of growth (just slightly ironic that the announcement should be made on the day that the IMF downgraded the UK’s growth prospects for 2012 from 0.8% to 0.2% …).

The total investment package of £9.4bn will provide a raft of improvements to the network, including a £500m rail link between Heathrow and the Great Western mainline, full electrification of the East coast mainline and Welsh valley networks plus a series of upgrades to lines and stations in cities including Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, which, when completed, could allow for an extra 20,100 commuter journeys.

Whilst commentators have been quick to point out that £5.2bn is represented by projects and improvements already planned for and announced, that still leaves £4.2bn of entirely new money.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, said the investment would offer "a significant boost for the major towns and cities of the north" helping to "rebalance the UK economy and enable growth and regeneration throughout the regions".

Undoubtedly an announcement on this scale has to be good for our sector, but with none of the projects likely to commence work before 2014, it’s looking rather more like jam tomorrow …

The other side of the coin …

No-one can deny that conditions in our sector remain the toughest in years and the GDP figures for Q1 2012 have seemingly done little to dispel the gloom. Following on from a contraction of 0.3% in Q4 2011, the first estimate of GDP for the three months to March 2012 showed the economy shrinking by a further 0.2%, thereby technically tipping the UK back into recession. And at the heart of that drop was the construction sector, which posted a drop in total output volume of 4.8% compared with the previous quarter. Within the sector, infrastructure output recorded a decrease of 15.9%.

Ok, so these are sobering figures indeed, but let’s step back for a minute and take a rational look at what we’re seeing. The decline in infrastructure is hardly surprising, given the austerity of the Government cuts. The output figures that have just hit the headlines are simply a reflection of 2011’s order-book - the weakest since 1980, when data was first collected. And the expectation that the private sector would step in to plug the gap has proved, thus far, to be misplaced. Of the £20bn institutional investment that George Osborne heralded in last year’s budget, only £2bn has actually been committed.

So, where do we go from here? The other side of the coin is that recent survey data looks somewhat more promising. The RICS Construction Market Survey showed signs of an upswing for construction, with 21% of respondents expecting an increase in workloads over the next twelve months and 8% reporting actual increases during the first quarter of 2012. April showed similarly encouraging data from the Markit/CIPS Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which recorded stronger than forecast growth with the index coming in at 55.8 for the month. However, May’s figures from the same index reinforced the volatile nature of the sector, as growth momentum slipped away from the highs seen in March and April. Even so, May saw construction activity continuing to enjoy solid expansion.

Data released by the Office for National Statistics at the beginning of June 2012 took a broader view of the state of our sector. It showed growth of 4.6% in new orders, compared to the last quarter of 2011, although, as many commentators were quick to point out, growth was still lower than the same period in 2011. Substantial increases were seen quarter on quarter in private industrial and private commercial new work, which grew by 57.9% and 27.8% respectively.  Unsurprisingly though, the volumes of new orders from the public sector were 41.3% lower than the previous year.

Within the wider economy there are glimmers of hope – short-term, unemployment appears to be falling and inflation recorded an unexpectedly large drop in May, buoyed largely by falls in the oil price. Generally, commodity prices are showing sustained weakness, which, it is to be hoped, will boost chances of recovery.

In short, “weak optimism” probably best summarises the outlook for 2012. The British Chamber of Commerce has reduced its overall growth forecast for the UK economy from 0.6% to 0.1%, although it expects growth to pick up from Q3 2012.

The construction sector, in common with much of the economy, is strongly affected by sentiment and as the eurozone crisis shows little sign of abating, despite the recent outcome of the Greek elections, and recessionary fears abound closer to home, sentiment is not currently working in our favour. As we have outlined, on the one hand there are some positive signs out there, but confidence is weak and the bigger picture is not attractive. David Noble, Chief Executive Officer at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply summed up the situation:

“Reports of the UK’s return to recession appear to have delivered a blow to general confidence in construction, with this month’s PMI posing some big questions for the sector in the coming months.”

One month and counting …

With the London Games just a few weeks away, Britain is gearing itself up for a month at the centre of the world stage; firstly as hosts of the Games, closely followed by the Paralympics.

Back in 2005, when Seb Coe and his team pitched their winning bid in Singapore, a cornerstone of their proposition was the regeneration afforded to Stratford in Newham, East London, one of the capital’s most diverse and economically deprived areas. With a £4bn mixed use regeneration scheme (which included the Westfield centre) already planned, the area afforded a sizeable brownfield site which could be redeveloped to house the Park.

So, seven years on and what has London 2012 Games brought to the UK?

In February of this year it was reported in parliament that at its peak (March 2011) work on the park and village employed 12,000 workers, including 450 apprentices across 27 trades. One legacy to the construction industry has been the opening of a National Skills Academy for construction, which has provided 3,500 training places for local people and Londoners to help deliver the venues and infrastructure.

Overall, capital spend generated by the Olympics has totalled just short of £10bn, of which the bulk - £7.2bn has been spent on developing and strengthening the transport infrastructure. The sports venues and Olympic village have generated a further £1.2bn of spend, whilst the Olympic Park infrastructure has come in at a cost of £1.3bn. The remainder has been spent on projects such as the International Media Centre.

And, as we all know, the project has come in on time and on budget – a real credit to everybody involved and something our industry should rightly be proud of for many years to come.

Over the next few weeks, attention will shift away to other sectors such as tourism and retail, both of which look set to benefit. In their May report, as well as looking at the economic consequences of the Jubilee, the Bank of England also attempted to quantify the Olympic effect. Their conclusion was that based on the 2000 Sydney games, we could expect the Games to give the UK economy a boost of 0.2% in GDP.

So, let’s fly the flag and look forward to a summer of sport like no other.

Jubilations or a damp squib?

In our last newsletter we looked forward to the Diamond Jubilee and gave a brief assessment of the benefits to the construction sector brought about by the Jubilee celebrations. But what of the impact on the wider economy? Will the Jubilee give us all something to cheer about when the GDP figures for the second quarter are revealed at the end of August or will it prove as damp as the river pageant?

Obviously at this stage it’s too early to tell which way the outcome will swing but the mandarins at the Bank of England have clearly given a great deal of thought to the likely economic ramifications of both the Jubilee and the Olympics. So much so that the May Inflation Report saw over a page devoted to “The impact of special factors on the path of GDP growth in 2012”. And what were their conclusions? Given that the Jubilee fell in the last month of the quarter, their view was that the effect on Q2 would probably be muted, but that overall, output was likely to be down, given the effect of business closures or extended holidays as owners and workers took advantage of the additional holiday. No surprises there then.  

The BoE did look back at the effects of two previous extra holidays, those granted for last year’s Royal Wedding and the 2002 Golden Jubilee. They concluded that overall it was difficult to accurately interpret data for the Royal Wedding as supply chain disruptions from the Japanese earthquake also fell in that quarter, but that on balance an attributable drop in output in Q2 of 0.4% was probably balanced by a commensurate rise on output of 0.4% in Q3. A similar pattern was revealed by the Golden Jubilee. In their May report, the BoE’s view was that the Diamond Jubilee would lower growth by 0.5% in Q2, but that it would be balanced by a half percent uptick in Q3. However, the courage of their convictions wasn’t overwhelming; they noted that  “… there are risks on both sides of that central judgement.”

One early beneficiary though were retailers, particularly the food giants, who reported an immediate benefit from the Jubilee weekend – sales rose by £213m in the week running up to the celebrations, buoying expectations for a bumper growth in sales over the Olympic period.

Hurrah at the Gay Hussar – today Nichola enjoyed lunch at the Gay Hussar, met some very influential people in the property and construction industry and lapped up the old school atmosphere of this former Socialist den in the heart of Soho.  Looking forward to the next one…..

Chapman Consulting Newsletter Edition 2
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Newsletter Edition 2

A Real Diamond

As summer and the Olympic flame finally arrive in the UK, the nation is becoming engulfed in a sea of red, white and blue. But before Olympic fever truly takes a grip there is the small matter of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  Most would regard the Queen’s 60 year reign as quite an achievement. And for many people, particularly visitors to the UK, the monarchy is synonymous with what it means to be British.

Although in theory the Queen is simply a figurehead – after all, she has no overt influence in the way the country is run, her presence does have an effect. Does she have an effect on our industry I wondered?  What effect will the Jubilee celebrations have on the economy and surely the Jubilee celebrations must have netted a few construction projects?

London has certainly benefited – The Jubilee Gardens, a £5.5m project to redevelop the grassed area by the Southbank Centre is one example.

The borough of Greenwich has joined the ranks of the Royal Boroughs, an honour bestowed upon them by the Queen as part of her Jubilee celebrations.  Development projects in the borough include two new secondary schools and the £100 million regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula.  And 2012 has also seen the re-opening of the Cutty Sark, which was so badly damaged by fire in 2007. The £50m restoration project has included a stunning new visitors’ centre designed by Grimshaw and Youmeheshe Architects.

In terms of the boost to our tourism and retail industry, the Diamond Jubilee is expected to inject £10 billion into the British economy, as hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to London.  Britain’s tourist trade is booming.  In fact, London has seen the biggest influx of visitors since the turn of the century, with 12.7 million trips to the capital so far.

We should embrace this chance to welcome our overseas visitors and help them to enjoy spending money in our shops, dining in our restaurants and paying to visit our attractions. Ok, so public transport may be more overcrowded and the extra bank holiday could have a negative effect on the GDP figures for June, but the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will surely launch the most exciting three months our country has known, putting Great Britain firmly at the centre of the World stage. Yes, these are difficult times – there is economic uncertainty at home and in the Eurozone, but that shouldn’t stop us from celebrating an institution that has dealt with 156 global prime ministers, 12 UK prime ministers and 32 different commonwealth realms during the past six decades. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity here – let’s show Britain at it’s best.

As we enjoy our extra bank holiday, we shall certainly raise a glass or two to sixty glorious years.  

Strong foundations

On the advice of Chapman Consulting, our client decided to exhibit at this year’s HefmA National Conference.  Held at the Telford Conference Centre to a packed house of senior Healthcare Estates and Facilities managers; there was a real buzz around our client’s stand and it was satisfying to see them attract so much attention.  The opportunity to introduce a new audience to their quality products and to speak to key decision-makers within the Health sector, first-hand was invaluable to our strategy. Furthermore, as we secured three C-suite meetings directly from the event, we will be keen to take space again.

Are you Prepared for the Upturn?

A natural reaction during testing times is to hunker down, concentrate on the day-to-day running of the organisation and pare overheads down to the absolute minimum. As a consequence, marketing the company and planning for the upturn can easily be put on the back burner. Then, before you know it, business is on the rise and you find your competitors have stolen a march on you.

So, why is it so crucial to maintain a marketing programme, even when the storm clouds are gathering and the doom mongers are shouting from the rooftops?

At the start of this recession the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) published a White Paper entitled “Keep Calm and Carry on Marketing”. Now, three years on, the title might be a bit old hat, but the principles are still pretty sound – any organization which fails to address their marketing function, does so at their peril! I’ve pulled out a couple of key highlights:

Management Consultants, McKinsey and Co found that in the last recession, of the companies they sampled, those who performed in the top 25% had overspent on marketing compared with their weaker competition by just over 9%. Similar research revealed that organizations who increased their marketing spend through a recession recovered three times faster when the economy finally stabilized. And, as the report reminded me, if we go back to the great depression of the 1930’s there is no better example of the power of marketing during a recession than Coca-Cola. At that time a brand called Moxie led the field, but when the depression struck they felt it would be insensitive to advertise. Coca Cola were rather less reticent, plugged their brand as the perfect pick me-up and wiped out the opposition!

In times of uncertainty the organizations that thrive are those who can instill confidence, communicate effectively, retain customer loyalty and adapt, not only to changing customers’ needs, but also in the way they do business.

Now, here at Chapman Consulting, we recognize that for many companies within our industry, no matter how much they might want to prioritise their marketing effort, the reality is that they simply do not have the resources to devote to implementing an effective marketing programme. This is where we step in. With over twenty years experience of marketing within the construction sector our expertise is second to none. Our unique marketing audit tool enables us to assess your business then formulate and implement an effective marketing strategy. We conduct our audit and deliver a business development programme specifically tailored to your business within one month and at a fraction of the cost of retaining an in-house marketing function. With a strong team of associates, all of whom have extensive experience in their particular field, we will work with you along the way as you grow and develop your business.

As the key economic indicators suggest we may be leaving the darkest days of the downturn behind us then marketing and business development must be pushed to the top of the list in order to capitalize on the opportunities that are appearing. If you would like Chapman Consulting to guide you in growing your business then contact us to find out what we can do for you.

Interior- iD

We are proud to announce our association with Interior- iD: a premium-quality joinery company specialising in the manufacture and installation of bespoke fitted interiors. Chapman Consulting were appointed to undertake a full Marketing Audit of their business which we completed in 2011. We are now working closely with them to implement our recommendations.

“Working with Chapman Consulting has enabled us to grow our list of contacts in the UK high-end residential market and to benefit from their marketing expertise which will develop the profile of our business longer term.”

Bernd Radaschitz, Director Interior-Id

Interior-iD specialises in working with architects, interior designers and construction professionals in the development, production and installation of the highest quality bespoke kitchens and interiors, bedrooms, wardrobes and bathrooms.

The company was established by Bernd and Johann Radaschitz, the fourth generation of an Austrian family working as cabinet makers since 1923. Both trained in interior design and cabinet making in Austria, Italy and London. The two principals work closely with clients to ensure the delivery of excellent bespoke interior solutions and are experienced in working with the most demanding of projects.

For more information please see their website........

http://www.interior-id.com/

We have the technology

This month we accompanied an important new client to the Ecobuild conference and exhibition as part of our research into the current sustainability agenda that is so key to construction.  Held 20-22 March at ExCeL London, the event provides a platform for important and useful information.  Contacts were made particularly around microgeneration technologies and sustainable retrofit.  All of which contributed to the research report we have delivered for our client as we continue to work with them on the implementation of their sales and marketing strategy.

Market and Marketing Research

Your business consultancy firm may recommend you undertake market research. Researching your customers, your target audience, and your competition will help provide necessary data for formulating a multi-faceted strategy that will help with business development, customer retention, and expansion of your market reach. Instead of blasting out generic advertising to anyone and everyone who might notice, market research helps you orchestrate targeted campaigns that can provide much better results. The consultant will also continually gather data and analytics to refine marketing initiatives on an ongoing basis.

A good business consultancy firm that specialises in marketing can provide you with cumulative expertise across business and many industries. This expertise can be invaluable in many ways and can help you streamline processes and uncover where your existing methods are working well (for the purposes of replicating those successes).  The results can be very profitable.

If you’re interested in getting help with your marketing, contact us to arrange your marketing audit.

Click Here to view our main website for more details on our Market & Marketing Research Services.

A Marketing Audit

The consultant should look at your existing marketing practises to help you determine what is working well and where improvements should happen.

A marketing audit can be a revealing process that can help you and your consultant prioritise marketing initiatives for the biggest and fastest return on investment possible

Click Here to view our main website for more details on our Marketing Audit Services.

Marketing vs Advertising

It’s important to realise that marketing isn’t just a fancy word for advertising. Yes, advertising is part of the marketing process but marketing does more than try to get people to buy.  It helps you define, build, develop, and nurture business relationships.  It should aim to be focussed and targeted in order to gain maximum return on your investment. And there has never been a more relevant time to put proven marketing methods to work to help you succeed. Hiring a business consultancy firm to help you could provide a significant return on your investment.

If you hire a business consultancy firm to help you with your marketing, you’ll be following an increasingly popular trend. It’s not easy to manage ongoing marketing initiatives while running your business and many of today’s most successful companies prefer not to run a marketing department in-house. Not only can this be a costly proposition but the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t always pay off. 

Hiring a specialist business consultancy for your marketing requirements enables you to buy-in specialist resource as and when you need it allowing you to have access to senior and expert advice in an affordable way without increasing your overhead.

When you develop a relationship with a good marketing provider, there are things that should happen early on in the relationship:

Click Here to view our main website for more details on our Marketing Services.

What is Marketing?

The Chartered Institute of Marketing define Marketing as “Anticipating and satisfying customer needs profitably”. 

  

Marketing is a very broad and complex area that can encompass many stages in advertising and promoting your product or service to your customers and prospective customers.  Entire text books around the ideas and methods behind marketing exist but we have sought to explain this ‘dark art’ with our trademarked marketing model featured in our web site.

It’s just not that easy to simplify marketing into a single definition!

Click Here to view our main website for more details on our Marketing Services.

Rise of the part-time professional

Just in case you are in any doubt that senior level part-time consultancy can work and is an affordable option in the current economic climate, here is an interesting article we found......

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/markets/article-24032249-rise-of-the-part-time-professional.do

The Benefit from Hiring a Full Service Marketing Consultant

Many companies now hire a full service marketing consultancy firm to help. This can have great advantages. Instead of paying for a full-time marketing department, you’ll be working with a consultancy that helps you either on a per-project basis or that serves as a company you outsource all of your marketing to. In either case, you’ll save money over having your own marketing department.  When you hire a professional business marketing strategies specialist, you’ll also be assured that your company is on the cutting edge and using the latest techniques and tools available to maximise success.

Nowadays, marketing is much more measurable, especially with internet marketing. This puts companies in a great position to manage costs in bringing in new business and to effectively manage the customers they already have, too.

In order to succeed, you need to maximise customer retention and find the time and resources to continually prospect for new customers as well.  Talk to us about having a marketing audit done and we will help you develop a strategic marketing plan that will help your company confidently move forward.