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Strategic planning is about shaping the future and not merely reacting to events in the traditional manner of analyzing, quantifying and predicting results based on historical trends. The overriding focus must be on seeking market advantage through in-depth understanding of customer needs, competitor initiatives (both within and outside your industry) and marketplace trends. Strategic thinking calls for creativity, perspectives which stand out from the pack and the ability to create workable solutions in a turbulent environment. Our concern is that strategic planning be more than an intellectual exercise - not just a calendar-driven ritual where the future is an extrapolation of the past and conventional wisdom is not questioned. Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. uses a systematic process that can facilitate decision-making at all levels of your organization. Both strategic and tactical decisions need to be well thought out, implemented and achieve the desired results. Our approach makes possible resolution of the most complex issues by consistently asking the most basic questions:
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An advertising message is your organization's basic selling proposition - the reason consumers should buy your product rather than someone else's. Advertising is neither entertainment nor an art form but a medium of information. Too many advertising and promotional messages today are "me-too" imitation strategies failing to tap customer needs and motivation to buy. In planning an advertising campaign, consider a number of variables:
Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. provides services in the areas of:
If successful advertising and promotion is critical to your organization, agency selection and review is paramount in importance. For promotional needs we work either with your agency or will provide one of our associates to handle your complete project from start to finish.
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Customers who are brand loyal purchase more than a product or service. A brand represents a valuable but intangible quality which encompasses customer feelings of trust, perceptions of personality and overall findings of satisfaction. Brand loyalty shows itself in two forms - "attitude" (feelings and thoughts about the product or service / share of mind) and "behaviour" (purchasing decisions - amount, frequency, share of wallet). In positioning a brand the basic approach is not novelty but rather to build on the connections that already exist in the consumer's mind. The questions to ask are:
Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. brings a workable and proven brand positioning process to organizations demanding effective brand management. Our role is to help clients nurture and promote the value of their brands and trademarks.
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A marketing audit is a comprehensive, systematic, independent and periodic examination of organizational or business unit marketing environment, objectives, strategies and activities with a view to determining problem areas and opportunities. This examination should translate into a plan of action which improves marketing performance. This audit approach has many similarities with better known financial audits. A well-designed market audit identifies not only operational strengths and weaknesses but also recommends appropriate changes to marketing plans and programs. If conducted in a disciplined manner, a complete audit plan is developed highlighting key assessment areas before any interviewing and examination takes place. At Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. we pride ourselves on applying objectivity and independence to such assignments. Our approach emphasizes the planning aspect - going beyond day-to-day management and control issues to an evaluation of whether existing marketing performance meets the needs of the organization and whether what is being done needs to be done.
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As the gap between product quality and price narrows in the marketplace ("commoditization"), service quality becomes a steadily more important differentiating factor. In the turbulent business environment of the late 1990s, becoming customer focused is essential for the survival and success of virtually every business.
Every time a service organization performs for a particular customer, the customer assesses the quality of service ... whether consciously or unconsciously. The sum total of these assessments establish in the customer's mind the organization's image in terms of service quality. However the only way to score highly on the customer's "report card" is to know what evaluation factors the customer is applying.
Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. uses a variety of tools and techniques to probe existing levels of customer satisfaction and determine what future direction your organization needs to take:
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service quality "gap" analysis |
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customer satisfaction measurement |
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"loyalty" and "value chain" assessment |
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secondary research evaluation |
By partnering with our clients we can develop solutions jointly through:
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focus groups with suppliers, customers and staff |
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facilitation of "continuous improvement" workshops |
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creative "brainstorming" sessions |
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Historically organizations have measured their performance strictly in financial terms - the income statement and the balance sheet. While such measurement is both highly developed and well understood, it can frequently translate into short-term focus and an emphasis on the "quick fix" at the expense of long term strategy and value creation. Bridging the gap between building long-term competitive advantage and the ongoing pressures of financial performance can be done through a scorecard approach which integrates a number of performance areas - Financial, Customer, Employee, Operations as an example. Such a scorecard ensures focus is maintained on the key challenges facing every organization beyond summary financial measures:
The organizational scorecard addresses the need for process to implement a strategic direction and monitor ongoing success. At the same time this approach can be applied at varying levels of the organization to ensure individual business units are aligned with the overall strategic direction. Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. will work with you to develop and refine the most appropriate scorecard for your organization. Our approach involves a combination of workshops, strategic reviews and timeline development.
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Marketing research is the function which links the consumer, customer and public through information - information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems. Marketing research does the following:
Strategic Guidance Consulting Inc. has strong expertise in qualitative research (focus groups, in-depth interviews) and undertaking secondary research (extensive use of third party sources). Qualitative research through focus groups is an appropriate step when:
Our experience in moderating focus groups is available on a stand-alone basis or can be purchased through one of our research associates on a full-service basis (recruitment, facility moderation, full research report).
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A modular course which can be tailored for the needs of both newcomers to the industry as well as those seeking to broaden their current knowledge base and keep abreast of current trends …
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