Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Hi Orla

Are you thinking of a service along the lines of Quintessentially opened by Tom Parker-Bowles in London, but run for women only?

When it opened in 2001, after setting up his “A” list of celebs who would grace a few opening functions which would achieve oodles of press and gossip column attention, the main promotional focus was through letters and emails to prominent middle ranking business people and contacts gleaned from the circulations of the classier magazines such as Harpers and Queen, Tatler and Vogue.

Introductory events involving “B” list celebrities (If you can call Sir David Frost “B” list. Let’s just say guests with a bit more gravitas!) Were included in the introductory emails and everything was personalised to a very high degree. I got my invite as a business owner and a supporter of a local charity and, frankly, I was quite chuffed!

The skill was to segment the lists they must have purchased and identified only the people they wanted to invite. For example, I’m a member of Sussex Enterprise and those who received an invitation were an eclectic mix. It wasn’t everyone; it wasn’t an nth selection so it must have been a mixture of various criteria.

I suppose that you could do the same. By joining appropriate trade associations and purchasing mailing lists from glossy magazines you should be able to establish a marketing base which is too wide by far. A bit of filtering in a half decent CRM system will exclude Mr, Sir and Lord, leaving you with female names and ambiguous ones (no title). Sorting by Christian name, you can then compare the names with a list of women’s names to make up an exclusive female list.

Line up some female icons for a few opening events and you’re away.

One last point – my invite was incredibly low key. It almost alluded to the fact that I probably wouldn’t need any of the concierge services that they offered. I was flattered and the promotion was a success.

Good luck and I hope that your venture succeeds – you are right, there is a real gap in the market for it.

Steve Alker
Unimax Solutions

Orla,

As you know the Irish market is very small and word-of-mouth plays a huge part in making or breaking you reputation.

As you are targeting the busy professional female executive you need to use the right communications channels to get to them.

I think your idea is news worthy enough and has enough of a human interest slant to get interviews with drive time radio shows (George Hook, The Last Word, Five Seven Live) you could event try the Dumphy Morning Show and Morning Ireland. The key to these shows is that you have a captive audience of your prime target market as they commute to and from work. As they drive in the morning they are mentally making a list of all the things that they need to do to-day (pick up dry cleaning, do shopping at lunch time, etc,) and as they tune in to the radio they hear this angel who can take care of all these tasks for a modest fee. You could also try to get interviews with the week-end newspaper supplements.

You might also want to set up a referral program that gives a credit to anybody who refers a friend. The credit can be used in part (or full) payment for a task within the next 30 days.

You could also have a loyalty card that after you use the service 5 five you get one free. By putting a card in their wallet your contact details are always available and you are reminding them of your brand every time they open their wallet to use their credit card, etc.

Don't forget the website so that the busy executive can book online from their desk or while they are on the road. Also offer a service where they can text you and you will call them back at a suitable time.

With the Celtic tiger making a return visit I think your service has very significant potential if marketed properly.

I hope this helps
regards
Pat Divilly
MarketWare International