Dynamics Arts Ltd

2009

3 month contract within a local Arts in Mental Health organisation to refresh and strengthen branding, attract additional funding and gain new service contracts for several new projects, with one particular project – the expansion of an existing service into additional Local Authorities mental health care provision – as a priority

  • Streamlining and rewrite of the business plan and overall strategy for the organisation to bring clarity to the aims and considerations of the business, plus development of a marketing pack, new business plan, forward strategy documents and a library of easily adaptable bid content.
  • On-the-job coaching, giving the client a fuller understanding of bid/tender/funding processes, suitable marketing techniques and other opportunities for development.
  • Support for the priority project was achieved within the three months, across two neighbouring councils, attracting £40k funding for first year costs.

Overview

The company had grown over several years from a one person operation to a fully staffed office, employing permanent and freelance project managers.
My remit was to research opportunities and develop strategies for further growth, refresh and focus the company’s image and develop internal policies to strengthen the company’s service offering.

Strengthening the company

An in-depth discussion with the managing director covering all aspects of the business highlighted several areas for improvement within the organisation. Solutions included developing policies and procedures to reflect those of contracting organisations and funding bodies, and creating a marketing pack promoting the organisation.

Working closely with management and key staff, I examined past tender submissions, bids and proposals – both successful and unsuccessful, addressing areas of weakness and emphasising strengths. Through client and participant interviews and informal feedback, I produced a number of case studies drawn from previous, similar projects as part of the marketing pack.

This was also a timely opportunity to update the client’s overall brand. I developed a new design theme and produced document templates, using appropriate brand colours, fonts and images.

Developing the business

Using a number of methods, including custom alerts, use of existing networks and identification of new networks and project collaboration, I identified a variety of new opportunities and created a comprehensive bid-tracker spreadsheet to share information through the organisation, manage deadlines and queries and any additional input required by others.

The marketing pack was delivered to the client who is currently working with Local Authority partners to finalise funding for the service expansion and develop new projects.

What I learned

The owner of the business had seen several successful years trading, the business had grown rapidly in recent years and there were many opportunities to compete at a higher level. With no formal marketing or strategy development experience, back-to-basics coaching was needed to ensure a solid understanding of processes, policy requirements and contractor expectations.

This was followed by the introduction of easily implemented marketing and opportunity-seeking methods to enable the business to develop an appropriate image for its higher level aims as well as to match up to its competitors in the marketplace. These methods needed to be as simple to undertake as possible, to enable management and staff to continue with their project work while simultaneously growing the business.