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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Promotion and Place Promotion turns ‘prospects’ into customers Place
Above-the-line
Advertising in trade magazines
Below-the-line
Direct mail
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