Boot camp goes to market

Is it possible to create half a million dollars for the Taranaki economy in two days?

That was the challenge undertaken by 25 of the region's business leaders late last week when they wrote 12-month marketing plans as part of the first Essential Marketing Boot Camp to be held in Taranaki.

In true boot camp style, on Friday and Saturday the participants were pushed and led through a process to enable them to achieve their goals.

Increasing customer numbers, getting repeat customers, winning referrals, and growing dollar spend and profit margins were only a small part of the boot camp.

"What was important is that we got them to focus on and measure what matters in their business. That was the only way participants could get real value," said Ambrose Blowfield of New Plymouth-based The Marketing Company, which ran the event.

"This boot camp has taken my wife Jo and I three years to put together. We were sick of writing plans for businesses, handing it over and watching the client put it in their bottom drawer," Mr Blowfield said.

The New Plymouth event was the sixth Essential Marketing Boot Camp to be held, but the first in Taranaki. The boot camp was created with the knowledge that increasing ownership and accountability has an immediate impact on a business.

The unique structure and presentation of the boot camp ensures that it is value-based focused planning, rather than just compliance-based planning.

"Business owners and managers know their business best - we are just here to help them get it into a plan that will ensure they make more money," said chief executive Jo Blowfield.

"Having people put a value on their plan at the end of the boot camp is a huge deal as it stops being just ink on paper and becomes a living, breathing document with a dollar value attached.

"At the June boot camp in Palmerston North, the participants valued their plans at a potential $2.5 million worth of value to their businesses, which was a huge achievement."

The Marketing Company is New Zealand's leading specialist sales and marketing training company, operating nationwide but with the home base in Taranaki.

The company is also the leading marketing planning specialist for New Zealand's small to medium sized businesses and the preferred supplier of marketing training for the New Zealand Marketing Association.

Mr Blowfield said the businesses in the latest boot camp had a tough two days but will reap the rewards over the next 12 months.

"Not only will this boot camp benefit the participants but it will also benefit 25 children in the underdeveloped world. As part of our giving back policy . . . 25 children will receive a desk and chair through Oxfam NZ from the participants. That's a huge difference to a child in need," he added.

- © Fairfax NZ News