Helping hand

Waste management company SRM knew it needed to take a hard look at its marketing, but wanted somebody independent to facilitate and lead a discussion on the subject.

So the company directors and senior management gathered together for a day of debate, and invited French Jones to guide their discussions.

At the end of a day of examining SRM's customer needs French Jones formulated a marketing campaign for the company.

It included the launch of an electronic newsletter and a planned programme of editorial contact with key trade media.

Within five minutes of the first newsletter being issued SRM received a follow-up customer enquiry and shortly afterwards confirmed two major editorial features.

"Sometimes it is important to take time out from your day to day running of a company in order to focus on marketing plans going forward," says French Jones accountant director Brian Roach.

"Because we are not as closely involved in the business as the management we can be more dispassionate in our advce, and I think at times that helps bring clarity to the discussion."