This month we catch up with Hopewiser’s Marketing Manager, Diane.
What is your background and how long have you worked at Hopewiser?
I have worked in marketing for more than 20 years. My first marketing job was with a Manchester agency whose clients included Phones4U and Royal Bank of Scotland. It was often hectic but a great learning curve. I then moved onto the “client” side working for a software company and the University of Salford. The University was one of my favourite jobs, as I got to work on launching their new television advert and undergraduate campaign. Fast forward to today, I have been with Hopewiser now for over seven years and hope to be here for many more.
Describe a typical day in your job?
Coffee is essential to start my day, then email catch up followed by prioritising work on current projects. This can be anything from writing a marketing plan; writing copy; to liaising with our external agencies for the design and implementation of a new website and digital marketing campaign.
What do you enjoy most in your role?
The job is so diverse. You have to have the ability to spin plates as there are so many facets that make up the marketing mix. I like to be able to work on a project then leave it for a day, give myself time to think and then come back to it and because I usually have a number of projects on the go, I am able to do this. Also there is always something to learn, whether that’s a new technique, new research or in the case of Hopewiser another enhancement to our offering.
What are you currently working on and how do you maximise ROI?
Our financial year recently ended so we are preparing the messaging for the new year ahead. The business is very committed to marketing at a high level with all Directors being involved in the decision process. This makes my job easier as I have access to the business objectives which I can then tie into the marketing strategy.
We aim to launch a new website soon which will simplify the customer journey and drive users to two key areas on our site; our new Portal which is where all our online services are accessed, or an enquiry form for the full solution and bureau services. We have in the past been too focussed on communicating our software features but are working hard to ensure that we give our customers exactly what they want when they need it. Our Portal is a major breakthrough with so many online features in it. Customers are already feeling the benefit of having everything in one place under one login.
Hopewiser is all about data, how do you ensure the data you are using is compliant?
We have very strict processes for our CRM records in-line with our privacy policy. For example if we have not had a conversation with a prospect, or won any business then the name is changed to job title. We talk to prospects under legitimate interest and always ensure GDPR guidelines are adhered to.
We don’t carry out mass email marketing, preferring a more targeted approach which also means that we are not risking GDPR non-compliance.
When we do market to our clients and prospects, we run everything through our own Bureau Services team. This makes sure that the addresses match the Postcode Address File (PAF) and we cross check against Suppression files to flag gone-aways, deceased, MPS and TPS records. We need to make sure we have our own house in order and set an example before every campaign.
What new methods/technologies have you embraced in the last few years to make sure Hopewiser are ahead of the game?
A few years ago, we were very much about the traditional methods of marketing using direct mail and telemarketing techniques. We still embrace those in our marketing mix today as they are incredibly valuable to the business. However, we have invested heavily in digital marketing in the last three years, with SEO and paid search campaigns, plus an in-house digital marketing coordinator who works hard on improving our social presence.
We use a messaging platform on our site for instant access to queries and have simplified our product offering and shopping experience on the Portal so that smaller businesses can get easy access to address lookup and address cleansing software.
Also, we love a good video and have quite a number of great ones on our YouTube channel – just search for Hopewiser.
We’ve embraced virtual reality, sending out headsets to give a 360 degree view of your data and are keeping up to date with eCommerce trends to inform our Portal offering. There are new technologies all the time and the trick is to constantly assess, test and analyse so we get the right mix for us.
, updated 21st February 2023.
Topic: Our People
