The Marketing Forum 2009

Richmond Events | November 2009

From 14th-17th October 2009 over 250 senior marketers, service providers and industry experts joined together on board the Aurora to debate the burning issues of the day, forge new partnerships and develop personal networks.

This Event Review covers just a few of the forum's highlights but if you would like any further details please contact us.

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Don't take our word for it...

Richmond Events | November 2009

Hear it straight from our customers who attended in 2009...

"Excellent - without question the best organised experience of my professional career with the opportunity to meet an inspiring group of fellow executives and suppliers."
Ian MacArthur, Creative Director & Head of Brand Marketing, NSPCC

"A challenging, packed agenda meeting decision makers that were on target and otherwise unavailable to us."
Scott Boocock, Head of Business Development, Bigmouthmedia

"Excellent! Great mix of personal development, industry insight and thought provoking agency meetings."
Craig McKinlay, Head of Sales & Marketing, RAC Motoring Services

"Useful but extremely tiring. I have already received a number of follow up phone calls and scheduled a number of meetings so will see how things progress."
Rachel Bartfield, Head of Media, The Co-operative Group

"An efficient and inspiring use of my time, giving me a chance to meet new agencies, who I wouldn't normally stumble across or have time to meet, a chance to swap challenges and seek new ideas."
Caroline Bates, Head of Brand and Advertising, Post Office Ltd

"It's hard work but great fun, there's no other way I can think of to get that number of quality meetings in such a short period of time."
Martin Davey, Producer/Director, Tigervision Limited

"Great opportunity to meet and spend some time with new agencies and mixing with other delegates sharing news and views on the marketing arena. Found the seminars and groups very interesting and has given me some real food for thought."
Claire Sharp, Brand Manager, Robert McBride Ltd

"The Marketing Forum provides a platform to meet a fantastic selection of delegates with a genuine interest to discuss areas of common ground. Time spent on the forum maximises potential opportunities whilst being in a relaxed, informal and fun environment."
Lise Evans, Account Director, Parallel Blue Limited

"Great experience, very good conference and great chance to meet a number of new agencies in one go. I will be doing business with some of the people I met on board in the future."
Nina Michell, Marketing Manager, SkillSoft UK Ltd

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Some highlights from this year’s conference…

Richmond Events | November 2009

The more problems you have, the more you are blessed…

…or so said BJ Cunningham when he presented his overwhelmingly popular and entertaining keynote Profiting from the Truth: Life, Death & Nothing. BJ took the audience through his life of risk and reward, sharing anecdotes including accruing tremendous debt as a young entrepreneur, mistakenly becoming a international bestselling author on advertising, and starting Death Cigarettes, the world's only “honest smoke”. Within these hilarious tales were true business and life lessons that the audience will not soon forget.

BJ also worked directly with a handful of fortunate marketers in his session named What’s Your Point and Why Should I Care – A Branding Experience. During the hands-on workshop, BJ discussed tangible marketing concepts coupled with attitudes and values that will certainly grow the attendees’ businesses. Spaces were certainly limited in this standing room only presentation.

‘My job is to make sex boring’

...so said Professor Jones of University College London in an illuminating opening address in which he outlined where the science of genetics is leading us in our understanding of human behaviour and the therapies which may – or is the word might? One day revolutionise medicine. All kinds of claims are being made: that

Genes controlling conditions like alcoholism, homosexuality and schizophrenia may be isolated soon/medium term
Obesity will soon be susceptible to gene therapy
One gene might predispose to divorce

However, as he pointed out, genes do not necessarily 'control' behaviours or illnesses, but may provide a 'framework' in which they may express themselves if placed in the right environment. Nature and nurture tend to work together - neither dominates in isolation. The most dangerous term in genetics, he said, is the three-letter word "for".

Keynote – Nature, Nurture or neither, Steve Jones

Brand Transformation and Change

Simon Carter, Marketing Director of Fujitsu emphasised that brand loyalty cannot be bought and must be earned, largely by generating an emotional response from potential customers. Companies no longer control their own brands, consumers do. And consumers see an average of 1,700 brands a day…
Other core messages:

Channels must support each other to provide a seamless brand experience
Online perceptions are lightening fast: respond quickly and try to stay a step ahead
Successful brands mostly have charismatic leaders
Those who support their brands in recession time emerge the strongest
Brands evolve. Passive support doesn’t work. Active brand guidance does
And finally: brands need a compelling narrative

Mark de Quervain, Sales & Marketing Director, Vue Cinemas, reinforced Simon’s presentation with:

Importance of segmentation – by age, sex, region and subject
Significance of constant customer contact
Customers no longer owe any instinctive loyalty. Earn it or lose it
All staff must contribute to brand reinforcement in every action
Every decision or action must include positive brand contribution
Brand management is about building a positive picture in the consumer’s mind
Understanding new media is key

And here’s a bit of what Marketing Week reported:

‘Will Harris, UK marketing director of Nokia, said on board Aurora: “Everything we used to believe in is all a blur now and the old skillsets of a marketer are, broadly speaking, irrelevant.”

The speakers also urged media owners and agencies to play a more active role in helping brands realise these changes, and help to convince boards of not just relying on traditional marketing methods.

Savvy consumers are doing the job for us now. (new media again). The old system of printing messages as a defence mechanism is dead. It’s all about reference and word of mouth now. We have encouraged consumers to demand more, and they are doing this. So it is our role to become as savvy as they are. Nokia uses a do-learn-do approach so we know what works and what doesn’t. I’d encourage others to look at using a similar ethos,” summed up Harris.’

Read more coverage on The Marketing Forum 2009 here:
Brands must meet customer expectations to win
Survival of the fittest

To find out more about 2010 speaking opportunities please click here.

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The Marketing Forum 2010 Brand strategies for a multi-channel world

Richmond Events | November 2009

The Marketing Forum 2010 will continue to cater to different aspects of the marketing spectrum. However, based on extensive research amongst marketers, the conference programme will be clearly themed with brand strategy for a multi-channel world as the lead topic, particularly looking at how marketers adapt their marketing strategy and mix for today's multi-channel environment.

The conference content will develop this theme to cover brand innovation, development, protection and promotion, with an emphasis on case study illustration and genuine ‘takeaways’ for all clients.

Whilst not ignoring other marketing strands, the programme will major on where brands are heading in a world where a holistic approach to all-channel strategies will provide clients with a working template to total brand management.

To find out more about attending The Marketing Forum 2010 as a client please click here.

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The Marketing Forum 2010 off to a flyer

Richmond Events | November 2009

Satisfaction levels at this year’s forum have yielded a high level of suppliers who have already booked for next year.

Other highlights of the event include;

89% of clients rated the conference programme very good or good.
The average amount of new business suppliers expect to generate as a result of attending is £222,435.
72% of suppliers rated the half hour business meetings with clients as very good or good.
Suppliers expect 65% of their meetings they held at the event to lead to a follow up meeting on land.

There is currently a 20% discount in place.

To find out more about becoming a supplier please click here.

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