The Times 100 Business Case Studies Edition 15 How the role of marketing drives business forwards Portakabin

Introduction to Portakabin Established for over 40 years Market leader in the design and delivery of modular buildings Key markets in the building sector Modular buildings – permanent, all-steel kits Made in factory and transported to site Single module buildings – for office space, storage etc Provides additional space quicker than traditional build Key market segments Manufacturing, Health and Education

Purpose of marketing To identify, anticipate, satisfy customer needs Informs customers about products Persuades them to buy To generate awareness and interest E.g., direct mail, advertising, website To capture the demand Sales visits, e-commerce

Market research Primary - first-hand for specific purpose Through focus groups, questionnaires, interviews Secondary – uses existing published data Market or industry reports, government statistics Qualitative Opinions, views, attitudes Quantitative Numerical data for analysis and comparison

Customer satisfaction Satisfaction based on quality service 99.6% of projects completed on time and on budget Industry average 59% on time, 46% on budget Portakabin market research uses two KPIs 1 Customer satisfaction Portakabin assesses 2,000 customers per year on key factors and overall experience Regularly achieves 9/10 for customer satisfaction Translates into 50% repeat business and new recommendations 2 Net Promoter Score Measures how likely customers are to recommend others Portakabin scores favourably against other-industry leaders

The marketing mix The balance of elements for effective marketing Product Price Place Promotion Portakabin adds a 5th Positioning

Positioning Positioning Portakabin brand is at the top of the market Informs customers how Portakabin is different Links to its Unique Selling Point Portakabin brand is at the top of the market High quality, high levels of service Customer Charter promises confidence and peace of mind Gives significant competitive edge

Product and Price Product quality assured through: Understanding the customer’s needs ‘3-stage gate’ - planning, manufacturing and delivery External accreditation of standards One-stop shop service Price is competitive but not the cheapest Reflects high quality, support and Customer Charter

Promotion and Place Promotion turns ‘prospects’ into customers Place Above-the-line Advertising in trade magazines Below-the-line Direct mail www.portakabin.co.uk Targeted web pages Time-lapse video on YouTube Place Portakabin is a B2B organisation Service delivered through 45 Hire Centres across the UK No customer is more than a one-hour drive away