About Marketing Innovation Ltd
In 1984 Marketing Innovation Ltd was incorporated in Leicester as an independent marketing consultancy by professional brand managers keen to offer their marketing advice in the wider market. Strategic marketing and business planning quickly followed when Marketing Innovation Ltd became a lead marketing consultancy for the dti and Business Link initiatives.
Over 30 years Marketing Innovation Ltd has helped hundreds of clients large and small and along the way acquired a first class reputation recognised by SME’s, local universities, and international research firms. The business moved to Loughborough in 1995 where they established a high capacity Cati research unit offering services to local councils, and firms in the agriculture and animal health sector.
Based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, the team lead by Paul Lockton, a Diploma holder and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, provides bespoke marketing and research solutions that over the years have steered public and private sector clients through many challenges: diversifications; re branding; new product launches; huge changes in technology, social media, and three recessions.
We are versatile and work in many different scenarios in response to our client's needs
“We need to check out the feasibility of marketing a new range of craft products” – National haberdashery brand
“We wish to commission a professional marketing plan to support our sales effort” – Leading management services company
“We launched the new crop protection product to UK farms and now wish to know its penetration and standing with growers” – International Agrochemicals company
“How do we persuade men over 60 years to take the bowel cancer test?” – Leicestershire Health Authority
“How well do the services provided by out Sure Start Centres meet the needs of those who use them?” – Charnwood Borough Council
What do you want to achieve?
An established law services group had a new accident claims division that it wanted to launch under a separate umbrella. Working with the design agency we assessed the idea and having tested a range alternatives identified the logo that best empathised with the clients.
A distributor of LPG equipment to the garage trade sought to boost the online sale of alternative fuel technologies via a dedicated new web portal transforming product selection. Working with senior management a strategic business plan was developed for investment partners to raise new capital for the venture.
We designed and patented a revolutionary electric garden tool. Taking the concept through prototyping and consumer testing, we presented the concept to national retailers and found a Chinese producer willing to supply.
A management service company serving institutions required interim support for its hard pressed marketing function. We developed an effective marketing strategy and then coordinated action plans for the new web site, sales brochures, and social media campaign.
A fledgling business supplying sewing and knitting requisites and know-how to craft groups wanted to promote these to sewing and knitting groups. We created and registered a brand and developed a web portal and blog to promote creativity and the sale of courses and products.
An East Midlands university offering innovative prototyping technology to create new products wanted to increase its exposure to product designers. Working with the general manager we created literature and staged events to showcase the facility and promoted it via tele-marketing to attract new customers.
A national installer of insulation and renewable energy products for the consumer market sought increased market share in energy generation products. Working with marketing management we undertook customer insight research to determine what products and services were required to inform the marketing plans.
A multi-national producer of animal health products was developing an online portal to sell products and software to veterinaries. We recommended telephone and email research and undertook the fieldwork to test the model and gain buyers’ comments on its usability.
Stop Smoking services commissioned by a local authority were to be re tendered and providers sought verification from smokers and clinicians on the type and style of services proposed. Depth interviews and focus groups were undertaken and service recommendations made to the client as to what the service should include.
A multi-national manufacturer of tractors and harvesters undertook a review of machinery colouring to establish how much an influence colour was to buying decisions. Interviews were carried out with a national sample of farmers and recommendations made to retain the current branding.
A local authority ran nine Surestart Centres which demanded periodic reviews of customer satisfaction. The authority commissioned an independent telephone survey with centre users ensuring confidentiality to the respondents and their children, and a report of the findings for each centre.
Liverpool Business Improvement District planned a renewal campaign but they had an out of date customer base. A thorough cleaning of the database was carried out with 900 contacts and up to date details of each live business located.
A leading brand of repair accessories to supermarkets was de listed by a store group and replaced by a cheaper competitor. The brand successfully fought back and regained product listing by using independent research from ourselves that proved their products superior
Local NHS providers were worried by the low take up of the Bowel cancer test in older males. Solutions were needed to understand and reverse the trend, which required sensitive research. Through depth interviews and focus groups we tested receptiveness to different messages to improve communication with this target group.
A leading manufacturer of heating appliances wanted to find out how fellow manufacturers planned to promote their products following the introduction of ErP legislation. Mystery shopping with manufacturers’ marketing and design departments revealed key data to help the client formulate policy.