The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 24: April/May 2016 | Page 27

IN PROFILE
Started by husband and wife Lesley and David Wood in
2012, the business has gone from strength to strength and
now has an impressive client list which includes companies
such as Swindon based Honda Logistics, Hills Waste and
Swindon Wildcats; South West based Nexus Computing,
Odyssey CX, Bowood House, The Retailer Group, training &
coaching business True North, many town councils, schools
and more. Larger clients include Waitrose, Hilditch Group,
Infinity Oilfields and a number of organisations with global
footprints.
With the backing of such great clients the team are
practicing what they preach to client businesses and
have come up with a whole new concept to ignite future
growth.
TBE met with marketing strategy director Lesley Wood
and new shareholder Dermot McKeever to find out more
about this business transformation and plans for the future.

The Wood McKeever
Group

Design, marketing and PR experts

Exciting changes are happening
behind the doors of Gable
House in Malmesbury where
Front Room Marketing &
Design are pushing new
boundaries with their business
model, meeting the demand
for creative agencies to provide
clients with a full range of
services. A new shareholder
and team members are on
board and what better time for
a rebrand.

We must begin by unveiling the new
company identity, what's the idea
behind the new name?
Lesley: It’s the Wood McKeever Group, fusing our names
to create a new identity that’s more fitting. We don’t want
the ‘group’ part to concern our smaller clients or prospects.
We’re passionate about supporting SMEs and start-ups, but
we needed a brand identity and strategy to position us well
for our growth plans.
Dermot: Lesley, the team and I gel together as we are all
committed to helping companies gain the confidence they
need to get recognised. We ask key questions such as:
What are you doing that’s different? Why would I choose
you and not the competition? We help clients tell their
story and challenge them if they don’t sound unique.
Marketing is a business expense. If you spend money
you’ve got to make money. If it’s not selling, it’s simply
not working. PR, marketing and websites have to work –
they’re assets. The commercial world is really busy and you
need to stand out.

What's the most important thing to
remember when building a brand?
Lesley: Your brand identity needs to echo throughout your
marketing collateral from the logo design, to the website
and in the language used to articulate your image.
Even more importantly, your internal culture - led by
your leadership behaviours, should be reflected and visible
through all your routes to market.
Authenticity is the essence of building a brand. You can’t
force people to engage with you in the long term if the
initial engagement is based on an illusion.
Dermot: Authenticity is the true currency of the Twenty
First Century. Consumers want to see who you really are.

What's the biggest mistake you've
seen a business make?

We’re committed to building the business and attracting
more household names to work with us nationally and
internationally and also remain committed to Malmesbury
and Wiltshire as a whole. Our team is made up of incredibly
talented people who choose to live and work in Wiltshire and
we have a real love for the region.
We’re thrilled to manage the PR and marketing for
Malmesbury on behalf of the Malmesbury Town Team,
promoting the vibrant and historic town on a global scale and
it’s really ^