Business News
How to build a winning marketing strategy – clue : don ’ t rely on luck !
As St Patrick ’ s Day approaches , Purplex MD and founder Andrew Scott explains why the ‘ luck of the Irish ’ doesn ’ t extend into business , especially when it comes to marketing .
Every year , around March 17 , I organise a St Patrick ’ s Day party for my staff at our headquarters . Yes , we are based in England ( Weston-super-Mare , to be precise ) but for one day only , our office is transformed into a little corner of Ireland , complete with green flags , leprechaun hats and one or two pints of Guinness when work is finished .
It ’ s my way of acknowledging my Northern Irish roots , as well as having a bit of good old-fashioned ‘ craic ’ along the way . And prominent among the decorations we put up for the day is the shamrock , the three-leaved plant that has come to symbolise a certain brand of luck associated with the island of Ireland and its people .
However , the concept of being ‘ lucky in business ’ – whether you ’ re Irish , English or whatever – is misleading . Hard work , dedication , ‘ turning up ’ and pivoting when necessary all play their part . As does a robust marketing strategy , implemented consistently and measured regularly . If you have all this you ’ ve just about made your own luck , yet in terms of marketing I ’ m constantly amazed by how many companies take a scatter-gun approach , testing fortune by throwing money at random tactics without any clear direction or goals .
The most common mistake I see is businesses treating marketing as a cost rather than an investment . They ’ ll slash budgets when times are tough - exactly when they should be marketing more - or waste money on sporadic campaigns that fail to deliver results .
This is what I call riding the marketing wave - a dangerous cycle where companies
ramp up marketing when sales are down , then cut back as soon as orders improve . When leads inevitably dry up , they panic and start marketing again . This reactive approach creates a constant boom-bust pattern that prevents sustainable growth .
It ’ s a pattern I ’ ve witnessed countless times . A company experiences a downturn in sales and immediately launches various marketing activities - perhaps some advertising , a new website or social media campaign . When enquiries start flowing and orders pick up , they become too busy to focus on marketing and reduce or stop their activities completely .
Then , a few months later , when the pipeline empties and sales drop again , they restart their marketing efforts in a panic . And so the cycle continues , creating an unstable business model and preventing real , sustainable growth .
The better approach is to view marketing as a consistent , strategic investment rather than a tactical response to sales fluctuations . A cohesive brand strategy hinges on clear messaging , a strong digital presence , consistent PR and content marketing , targeted advertising , and effective email marketing , all bolstered by strong customer service .
But here ’ s the crucial part - these elements must work together as part of a coordinated strategy . I ’ ve seen countless businesses waste money on beautiful websites that nobody visits , social media accounts that nobody follows and content that nobody reads because they haven ’ t considered how these pieces fit together .
This approach is particularly dangerous in today ’ s market . With economic uncertainty , rising costs and increasing competition , businesses can ’ t afford to leave their marketing to chance . Your competitors certainly aren ’ t standing still .
Take just one of our clients in the home improvement sector . When others cut back during the pandemic , they maintained their marketing investment , adapting their message and channels to the changing situation . The result ? They emerged stronger , with increased market share and a robust pipeline of leads .
The key to their success wasn ’ t luck - it was having a clear strategy and the discipline to stick to it . They understood that marketing is a long-term investment , not a quick fix .
Marketing has become increasingly complex , requiring specialist skills across multiple disciplines . This is why many successful businesses partner with full-service agencies that can provide both strategic direction and practical implementation .
At Purplex , we ’ ve spent 20 years helping companies build and execute marketing strategies that deliver real results . We combine industry expertise with proven marketing methods to create sustainable growth for our clients .
www . purplexmarketing . com
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM MARCH 2025
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