Legacy Brand Transformation: Driving Revenue Growth and Market Share in the Global Education Sector
Case Study 1
RM Resources, Nottingham
The Challenge:
Attracted by the challenge of applying my marketing expertise to a new sector and an altruistic mission to enhance education globally, I joined RM Plc with the brief of driving revenue growth and market share expansion.
RM Resources, a 35-year-old established brand, was experiencing relatively flat growth, compounded by negative price perception and a decline in brand loyalty due to cheap imitation products. These challenges were further exacerbated by a marketing strategy reliant on outdated traditional channels, with little emphasis on data analytics and CRM, and misaligned with the shift in customer behaviour towards digital platforms.
Strategic Action:
-
Thought Leadership in Education: The brand was repositioned from a focus on selling educational products to leading conversations about shaping the education sector for future generations. This included building a comprehensive omni-channel strategy and developing content and influencer marketing from the ground up. By collaborating with educational experts and thought leaders worldwide, including Tim Peake, the brand successfully shifted its market positioning.
-
Global Insights & Data Analytics: A comprehensive customer and market analysis was conducted, followed by a strategic global insight project to identify macro trends influencing the education sector, particularly in the post-pandemic landscape. This insight laid the foundation for refining the brand's 3-5 year strategic direction, identifying opportunities for growth and potential M&A activities.
-
Digital Marketing Transformation: The marketing mix was overhauled, transitioning from traditional channels to a wide range of quantifiable digital platforms, maximising reach and aligning with evolving customer behaviours. This involved building targeted content marketing, social media, influencer partnerships, and a CRM strategy from scratch, which collectively drove engagement and elevated RM Resources' market presence.
-
Brand Redesign for Differentiation: To make the brand more distinctive, I led a comprehensive redesign, refreshing its visual identity, messaging, and overall positioning. This helped the brand stand out in a crowded market, while making it more relatable and appealing to its target audience.
-
High-Performance Team Restructuring: To ensure the successful execution of this strategy, the marketing and digital teams were restructured into a high-performing, cohesive unit of numbers-oriented, customer-centric experts. This involved intensive coaching and mentoring to enhance the team's capabilities in data-driven marketing and digital transformation.
The Result:
The brand achieved two consecutive years of record sales, with revenue growth of 43% over a three-year period and a market share increase of 200 basis points. It was particularly heartwarming to see the marketing team earn its first-ever marketing award for social media excellence in 2022, along with multiple shortlistings, including the UK Content and E-commerce Awards.
Explore more Case Studies
Get in Touch
If you’re searching for the ideal addition to your senior team on a permanent or short-term basis or just want to know more, then contact me for a free consultation to discuss your requirements.
​