Marketing your business | FOCUS


websites and created configuration tools and forms enabling the client to send us pictures and measurements. It all worked well and we have the odd clients that still want to use the virtual route.”


Alexander Kitchens in Sussex was


another. Marketing executive Callum Carter says: “We placed much more emphasis on our digital offering, with virtual showrooms taking prime position on our website and virtual appointments system, with all company brochures linked via the website.”


Whatever method you choose, marketing in its many forms is a vital tool to sustain and grow your business and will reward, however much time you can put aside to get that message out there.


WHAT THE BRANDS SAY


As a KBB retailer, you will already have a strong relationship with your suppliers, so don’t forget that they can often help with marketing.


Natasha Hickling, brand and com - munications manager for Häfele UK, says: “To compete with the large sheds, KBB retailers should also be taking advantage of the added-value services available from their suppliers that can help them stand out in this busy marketplace. For example, visualising tools or lighting design services that give the customer the visual extra, encouraging them to walk through the showroom door. “Through our Studio Partner scheme, for example, knowledge on trends and product ranges can be shared and discussed, so that the partner has the right offer to attract the highest amount of sales.”


At Roca Group, head of marketing, David Bromell, adds: “We work in close collaboration with our bathroom retail partners to ensure we give them the best possible support in their marketing strategies. This includes focusing on the quality of core tools, such as great lifestyle and cutout product photography, comprehensive and user-friendly product brochures and impactful POS materials to help create interest and engagement in their stores.”


Jonathan Hartley, channel manager for kitchen retail and B2B at Samsung UK, confirms that Samsung also


TOP TIPS:


Marketing needs to be constant. It isn’t something you can switch on or off and expect to generate results


Eileen Slattery, marketing manager, Merlyn


supports retailers with marketing, with technical queries seven days a week and with a range of online marketing materials and in-store videos. But what secrets can brands reveal that will help you formulate that perfect marketing strategy?


Recognising that the need to keep in touch with existing customers and attract new ones is key, according to Hartley at Samsung UK.


He says: “A customer may not be in the market to purchase a kitchen this week, but they may purchase one this year, so retailers big and small must ask themselves: Who do customers go to? How do they like to engage with them? What is it that clinches the sale? A customer can choose to visit a showroom they have previously walked by, or make their choice based on an advert they saw in print, but in an increasingly digital world, the reality is most will likely search online for products and retailers in the first instance. It is therefore key that small businesses make the most of the internet and social media.”


Get to know key journalists


PRINT


Make the most of free local papers Don’t forget targeted leaflet drops


July 2021 · Merlyn marketing manager Eileen


Slattery advises retailers to mix it up. She explains: “To build a strong brand, retailers need to develop and imple- ment an integrated marketing strategy that uses a mix of marketing channels to intercept the consumer at different stages of their purchasing decision.” She acknowledges the demands this will place on a retailer’s time: “It also needs to be constant. Mar keting isn’t something you can switch on or off and expect to generate results. It takes time to build up brand awareness and a following, so it is good to have a content plan in place that includes every- thing from trends and inspiration advice, through to new products and the latest offers. By ensuring you have a constant flow of content across your marketing channels, retailers are more likely to intercept potential customers.” This is a point picked up by Hartley at Samsung UK:


Ask your customers to review you online and write inspirational customer stories to share – or even create engaging videos interviewing your happy customers


Steve Tough, commercial director, Masterclass Kitchens


Get your completed project case studies published Traditional media remains influential with older generations


“Retailers are well aware of social media platforms, yet how many have an account they use to drive business? The majority of consumers interact daily, if not hourly, with social media, so the more content you display that engages your audience, the more they recognise what you provide. Be it with ‘mood board albums’ on Pinterest or video updates and promotional activity on Instagram, it is essential that small businesses invest time and effort into increasing their digital presence.” You should aim through your


marketing strategy to become the go-to showroom for local customers so you need to promote the things that help you stand out from the crowd. As Steve Tough, commercial direc- tor at Masterclass Kitchens, points out: “The marketing goal of an independent kitchen retailer should be to become the local kitchen expert. This is a fantastic way to build your business and should be at the heart of your digital marketing. Having a more localised, digital approach is achieved through quality content that con tinuously and concisely refers to your local area, the services and products you provide, and how happy your customers are with your service.” Tough also highlights the importance of putting the cus - tomer experience at the forefront of your strategy. “This can be achieved,” he says, “by ask ing your customers to review you online, and by writing inspi- rational customer


stories to share online – or even by creating engaging videos interviewing your happy customers.”


He concludes: “If you do this successfully, your business has the potential to rank higher on search engines and gain more engagement on social media – ultimately meaning that people looking for a new kitchen in your area will be more likely to find your business.” And, as a retailer, that is surely the ideal outcome of a properly coor- dinated marketing campaign.


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