Marketing Angels recommended that Robert Plumb wait until the summer season was almost over, leveraging the slow slide into autumn as a catalyst to encourage people to think about the following summer and to plan and act in advance. The strategy was to focus on a single one off opportunity – a “farewell” to summer sale over a two-week period with an integrated campaign. High quality, professional imagery was integrated into every communication channel. Social media was leveraged heavily but was strategically supported by bought media (print and online), posts and direct mail to a loyal base of owners and advocates.
Robert Plumb design, build and supply high quality outdoor furniture, architectural hardware and garden accessories and operates out of a showroom and workshop in Sydney that distributes and delivers its product nationally.
In the past, Robert Plumb hasn’t invested in consumer marketing, relying on word of mouth and therefore has low brand awareness as a retailer.
Until this campaign Robert Plumb has traditionally used “sales” several times in the year to help reduce stock, drive positive cash flow and introduce new customers to the brand. This “Multiple” Sales strategy if continued, was in danger of eroding the brand’s premium positioning and ability to maintain a premium price. Traditionally annual revenue sees seasonal fluctuations with a slump in sales over the cooler winter months.
We agreed on a pricing strategy that was a set discount of 25% on the entire product range rather than a first come, best deal approach. This gave the sale authority and ensured that interest remained strong over the entire two–week period. As an added bonus, some floor stock was discounted by up to 50%, which allowed us to use this enticing number in the messaging too.
Robert Plumb Email Marketing Campaign
Robert Plumb Instagram Page
Robert Plumb Facebook Page
Robert Plumb Print Ad
With a limited budget of $20’000 to spend on print advertising, which was to include the media agency fee, we negotiated with the Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald to run a total of five advertisements in publications that were widely read by the target demographic. The publications and placements that we chose are the “go to” sections for high-end furniture sales and included:
The creative for the advertisements used the same consistent graphics that we used throughout the campaign.
Online Advertising
With a limited budget for online marketing, we identified a number of online sites that gave us high exposure for a minimal cost. These included Missy Confidential, where we bought a newsletter inclusion, a tile on the homepage carousel and dedicated Facebook posts. The creative for the listings used the same consistent graphics that we used throughout the campaign, with strong messaging that was impactful and clear.
Blogs and Influencer Marketing
The results of the campaign exceeded the planned outcomes, with sale revenue significantly higher than anticipated.
Total SALE revenue generated within a two week period was over 15 times the total marketing costs.
Marketing Angels were an important member of our senior management team and we rely on their strategic direction in all areas of marketing. Prior to their engagement, we lacked a clear strategy and approach to marketing and they have provided valuable strategic advice. Marketing Angels has given direction and implemented marketing solutions which include a website refresh, email marketing campaign, social media campaigns and PR and content creation. Thier passion, enthusiasm and professionalism ensure quality marketing outcomes and we are proud to have her working with our team to ensure successful outcomes for Robert Plumb.
