Setting the marketing direction for an auction company

The brief

The client runs auctions for charities and corporate events. The service is strong and well regarded, but marketing has never had a clear direction. Activity has been occasional rather than consistent, social media presence is light and there is little organic growth to speak of.

The ambition is bigger than visibility. Leadership want marketing to become a revenue stream in its own right, to build a much stronger online presence, and to transform how the business talks to the people it already works with: the charities and corporates who run events, and the bidders who support them.

What I did

• A full marketing audit, establishing an honest picture of where the business stands today and where the gaps are.
• Competitor analysis, mapping who the real competitors are, how they position themselves and what they are doing well.
• A PESTEL analysis of the external environment, identifying the forces outside the business's control that will drive change in the sector over the next five years.
• Audience thinking across three distinct groups (charities, corporate clients and bidders), each with different motivations and a different relationship with the business.
• A strategic marketing plan with SMART objectives, where every activity exists to deliver a specific objective, including new ways to generate revenue through marketing.
• Ongoing consultancy as fractional CMO: setting direction, prioritising effort and holding the plan to account.
• Regular coaching and mentoring for the in-house marketer, an early-career team member who is building the skills and confidence to deliver the plan day to day.

The result

• The business is moving from ad hoc activity to a clear, agreed direction, grounded in evidence about its market rather than assumption.
• Delivery stays in house, so capability grows inside the business rather than being rented. The marketing lead gets the direction and support they need, and the business gets a plan that is actually implemented.
• This is an active, ongoing engagement. The client is not named, and results will be shared as they come through.