What's New At High Profile

• September sees the start of the 09/10 European boat show season, kicking off with the international Southampton event on England's south coast. High Profile has been involved in these European shows, plus several in the US, for the last 20 years: providing specialist PR, design and advertising services to market leaders on the pleasure boating industry.

• Here is a new marcoms advice bite for September: Every advertisement should make a promise. Talk directly to customers, persuading them that they will benefit.

• High Profile's clients continue to benefit from a skilled mix of communications consultancy, public relations strategies, advertising and graphics production, media planning services and business news distribution – reaching out across the world of enterprise.

• Want to know more about lifting the profile of your organisation? Then call or e-mail High Profile now.

• "What's New At High Profile" is updated at the start of every month and includes a quarterly marketing communications article prepared by director Alan Page (see below).

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Not A Drop To Drink
Article 28 : Third Quarter 2009 : by Alan Page

THE FIRST day of July 2009 was an unpalatable one for British horse racing. On a sun-baked summer's afternoon at the picturesque riverside race course in the city of Worcester, the so-called sport of kings abdicated its responsibilities to the money-paying public and racing in general through what has been deemed by many as sheer incompetence.
    Racing was abandoned after the completion of only one of the seven scheduled races, because the course ran out of water needed to keep the animals hydrated in the difficult climatic conditions. As if turning up the heat, horses prepared for the second race were left to walk around the parade ring in the full glare of the sun for well over half an hour as attempts were made to replenish water supplies. Jockeys sunbathed nearby. Spectators tried to find out what was going on. The satellite television station covering the meeting for enthusiasts at home switched to coverage from another venue.
    The official statement from Worcester management concluded: "The decision to abandon was a wholly equine welfare condition. We took expert advice." Yes, because by then it was too late. But there was scant evidence of any owning up to being at fault. The statement continued that, "Worcester has been involved in summer jumping since its inception, and its facilities have been in place for a number of years, and provided a template for other courses to follow." Really.
    The trainer of the winning horse in the single race to be completed took a different view. He said afterwards: "Why they didn't have enough water bowsers is unbelievable. It is just a waste of resources for everyone concerned."
    Things can and do go wrong. The crux of this unfortunate matter, however, is that Worcester Races has refused to give people their money back. The only concession is that admission tickets can be re-used at some future date. There was no comment on whether or not there would be any compensation or fees refunding for trainers, owners or jockeys.
    This is at a time when horse racing is struggling to compete for the attentions of the paying public, not helped by a recent decision at the BBC that its coverage of the sport should be reduced markedly. The leisure sector is more competitive than ever. With over 50 million British people taking little or no notice of the game, racing's future is harder to predict than the outcome of the average one mile handicap.
    It is a major step back and setback to take people's money and then, when you fail to provide them with what they paid for, refusing to follow the honourable course (no pun intended) and return the cash. At the very least it is shocking marketing.
    A six-figure fee is being paid to a London consultancy to help broaden the appeal of the country's horse racing. The brief is to reposition and redefine the entire business. Positive branding is to be introduced in the form of logos, signage, even the name.
    It has to be presumed that the consultancy has told racing's chiefs that branding goes far deeper than pretty pictures and clever words. Saying so won't make it so. Products and services are selected by purchasers' overall perceptions of the supplier, not merely by eye-catching headlines, compelling imagery or high-sounding mission statements. Successful marketing puts customers' needs at the centre of every stage, every process, every activity of the business machine and its output – then presents to the outside world with unified, clear and consistent messages designed to persuade customers that they will be the beneficiaries: that they will receive value for their money. Successful branding is an all-encompassing exercise.
    Returning to the subject of racing at Worcester, course managers must realise that public support can dry up just as quickly as the condition of horses. Branding cannot be watered down. It is all about relationships.

Previous articles from High Profile's Alan Page:
Q2 09 - The Good, The Bad & The Unwanted (trading out of recession); March 09 - Reach Out Further (merchandising); February 09 - A Retail Tale (new business success); January 09 - Cricket Caught Out (sports sponsorship); December 08 - The Show Must Go On (trade exhibitions); November 08 - Doing It Outdoors (outdoor advertising); October 08 - Suck It And See (free offers); September 08 - How To Read A Banana (advertising copywriting); August 08 - Looking Out From Within (communications audits); July 08 - Market Downturns Require Marketing Bravery (recession marketing); June 08 - Customers Can Take More (upselling); May 08 - Upwardly Mobile (mobile phone advertising); April 08 - User Generated, User Friendly (third-party web content); March 08 - No Loathing Lost (working with journalists); February 08 - What's In A Name? (choosing a business name); January 08 - Sponsorship Is A Qualitative Medium (growth of sponsorship); December 07 - Seasonal Greetings (public relations rudery); November 07 - Complaints Are Opportunities (dealing with difficult customers); October 07 - Putting The Cart Before The Horse (customer-centred marketing); September 07 - Will They Listen? (simplifying the message); August 07 - Leaving Luck To Chance (brands protection); July 07 - Was That An Elephant Waterskiing? (spontaneity and lateral thinking); June 07 - But I Could Write That (undervalued writing); May 07 - Growth Industry? No Such Thing (integrated marketing communications); April 07 - Advertising's Changing Face (promotions on-line); March 07 - Marketing's Atlantic Gulf (European and US differences); February 07 - Not Quite The Oldest Profession (brief history of advertising).
Copies are available on request. Mail to services@highprofile.co.uk.

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Public Relations • Creative Design • Media Management • Press Office