FROM THE EDITOR
WHAT A DIFFERENCE TWO YEARS MADE
» THIS TIME TWO YEARS AGO , I WAS putting the final touches to March ’ s magazine in an airport hotel ready to go to Japan . News stories of a new virus meant we were travelling with uncertainty that anything would even be open when we got there . At our layover on the return journey , bulletins of flights being turned back mid-air made us think we may never make it home , and we have never been more relieved to touch down in Manchester . A trip to the supermarket the next morning made we wish we never had !
Now as I write this month ’ s letter against news that the final restrictions are to be lifted , self-isolation will be no more and Covid testing ( for the most part ) is on the way out . Even more exciting , the first FIT Show preview in our schedule has made its way onto our pages , and will be on your desks . It is surreal to think it will be taking place in just a few months , and judging by the attendance at October ’ s Glazing Summit , the industry is more than ready for this type of event to return . Clearview Group certainly is .
Since Glazing Summit , members of the Clearview team have made it various site visits , open days and functions . It really has been a pleasure to meet up with old friends again and meet new prospects . Our weekly meetings are virtual now , with just a few staff working regularly at the office ; so it ’ s nice to spend time with the team too .
With all this is mind we decided to sponsor the Take a Break area at FIT Show once again . Here visitors can take a seat , have a coffee or a ‘ cold one ’, plus pick up the latest copies of Clearview and Pro Installer . Most importantly though they can schedule a sit down with friends and colleagues , meet up with professional peers and talk to our own team about their brands and businesses .
As ‘ press ’, it ’ s our job at these shows to visit the stands , see what products are on show , and mingle with customers old and new . It ’ s also important for us to have a base though so the Take a Break area will do just that . With around 10 weeks until the main event , if you do want to arrange an appointment for us to come and see your stand , or meet us for sit down , please get in touch .
See you next time , Gemma
Tough year ahead for fenestration and construction industries
» WITH THE STATE OF the market looking very different now to how it did at the end of the first national lockdown , it ’ s likely things will become much tougher for the industry in 2022 – especially as the surge in demand calms .
That ’ s the view of Andrew Scott , Managing Director of Purplex , the leading full-service marketing agency for the fenestration and construction industries .
Andrew commented : “ It goes without saying but the industry boomed last year . Companies were inundated with requests and order books were fuller than they ’ ve been for years , despite the material and labour shortages .
“ With lockdown restrictions in place for most of 2021 , consumers were able to make even more savings which they ’ ve been able to reinvest into their properties – making the home improvement market busier than ever .
“ The industry has faced unprecedented times . Covid changed the way the market previously operated and so the last 21 months have been an anomaly – but we ’ re finally starting to see activity stabilise and return to pre-pandemic levels .
“ As things settle down and level off , it ’ s more important now than ever that companies invest in their marketing activity to ensure they continue operating in the same way .
“ Avoid the temptation to cut costs in the areas which matter most and instead , work towards maintaining a strong brand and reputation to help carry your business through the tougher times .
“ For those companies who have ambition and can push through the new challenges , there are huge opportunities ahead .
“ From a Purplex point of view , we kicked off 2022 by unlocking the doors to our brand-new headquarters . As part of this latest investment , we ’ ve also strengthened our team by recruiting and training dozens of employees . This means we ’ re equipped and ready to support our customers as we move forward in this post-pandemic world where marketing and customer behaviour continues to rapidly change .”
www . purplexmarketing . com
4 MARCH 2022 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM