Complete One: Is direct marketing the most effective form of marketing?

With the dominance of online platforms in the current digital age of smart devices, internet and social media, Complete One believe that marketing strategies can become lost along the way as the direct aspect is lost through mass targeting campaigns.  The purpose of marketing is to create exposure for a brand in a manner that still makes the consumer feel that it was designs specifically for them.  By using simple personalisation methods, emails can include individual’s names, can be targeted for a geographical location and can even engage on a amore personal level by including personal shopping links.



Direct Marketing can take many forms and can be effective for those businesses that have a small budget but still looking to achieve great results.  Direct Marketing can take many forms, Complete One share their quick guide on direct marketing methods, to help select the platform best suited to different business models;



Direct Response Advertising -  Direct Response Advertising is advertising with a goal of getting the prospect to order the product directly from the ad. Think infomercials that are solely designed to sell products to the consumer, the advertisements will focus on product strengths, price savings and a contact telephone number to place the order directly.  These infomercials’ will usually take the form of high cost TV slots.



Face to Face Promotions - By taking a product or service directly to the market with a human billboard ready to complete demonstrations, interact with the consumer by answering questions and even completing the sale onsite can build confidence in a brand and relax the consumer as the promotional venue will be in a place of relaxed atmosphere, easily reachable by the consumer.



Social Media - By offering a platform to reach millions of consumers at the touch of a button, it allows extremely high engagement levels for the consumer through liking, sharing, retweeting to name a few.  Businesses can increase brand awareness through these channels’ but need to focus on indirect direct sales so not to alienate their consumers.  By utilizing demonstrations, how to guides, funny clips it will create awareness and traffic towards websites or stores better tailored to selling a product.



Direct Marketing strategies especially face to face promotions can carry low overheads in comparison to indirect marketing strategies.  Complete One based in Newcastle offer a zero risk option for businesses looking to create exposure, develop brand loyalists and increase customer base, the firm has an elite team of independent sales advisors who guarantee a ROI and are confident in their ability they offer a no win no fee style package for those looking to try their services.



Complete One is a young, ambitious and dynamic outsourced sales and marketing company, specialising in customer acquisition through in-person promotions. Their expertise lies in increasing market share and raising brand awareness for their client portfolio. Complete One achieve this through face-to-face promotional marketing and sales campaigns, at high profile events and venues. In a world of ever advancing technologies, the firm offers clients something that is often lacking in today's impersonal digital world, the personal touch. The firm believes it is their direct and personalised approach that has been the catalyst for their success. It's easy for people to forget a billboard they have walked past or a TV advert they have seen, however conversations have a lasting impact.

Complete One is urging companies to bring back the human element

Brand loyalty is consistently falling, and Newcastle-based direct marketing specialist Complete One is urging companies to use direct and personalised marketing strategies to retain and win customers back.

Complete One was founded in Newcastle in 2012 by Managing Director Glen Lowes in response to a gap in the market for interactive and personalised marketing solutions. “Research was showing that consumers were becoming turned off by consistent, identical, above the line marketing solutions and I saw an opportunity to capitalise on that and offer alternative marketing solutions,” said Managing Director at Complete One, Glen Lowes. 

Rather than high-cost, unmeasurable and impersonal marketing strategies, customer acquisition specialists Complete One offer cost-effective, measurable and tailor-made marketing solutions that deliver ‘the personal touch’ and guarantee high ROI. 

 Complete One believes it is through the use of the human element that it has been able to build brand loyalty for their clients. Using in-person promotions, at Complete One they go direct to customers. Meeting with customers in person allows them to build relationships, handle queries and instill consumer confidence. 

 Complete One believes in-person promotions are far more effective than digital advertising. Face-to-face marketing strategies mean Complete One is not limited to words on a billboard or seconds on a TV advert. Face-to-face interactions are hard to ignore or overlook. Companies spend millions of pounds on advertising campaigns that provide no real accurate, measurable results and feedback. The way people view TV is changing and as a result marketing has been forced to evolve. 

 Complete One recently acquired a new client to its portfolio: one of the UK’s leading broadband and telecoms providers. They have fast gained a reputation for delivering both quality and quantity results for their clients. “The key to our success, without a doubt, is the human element. We have high customer service standards and we are committed to delivering an outstanding customer experience every time. Human interaction is the strategy that allows us to maintain high customer service standards and build brand loyalty for our clients,“ said Glen Lowes. 

Complete One is an ambitious and dynamic outsourced sales and marketing company based in the heart of Newcastle's city centre. At Complete One they specialise in customer acquisition through in-person promotions at events and venues throughout the North East.  Their expertise lies in increasing market share and raising brand awareness, for their client portfolio, through face-to-face promotional marketing and sales campaigns.  In a world of ever advancing technologies, Complete One offers clients something that is often lacking in today’s digital world: the personal touch. 

Complete One Announce Commitment to On-going Development

Complete One reconfirm commitment to ensuring entrepreneurship is actively promoted as a great career choice. The firm believes work-force development is the key to business growth as is illustrated by the company's dedication to providing contractors with opportunities for personal and professional development through free workshops.

The Personal Development in the Workplace Study 2014 found that companies are putting staff training and development back on the agenda after cutting back during the recession. An increasing number of employees now feel their employer is serious about their personal development. According to the report, 58% of employees responded positively compared with just 52% the year before. The number of employees being provided with structured personal development plans has also increased, up 8% Year-on-year to 42%.

Research also showed that employees are discussing their personal development more frequently with employers.

The number claiming that they never discuss development and training is down by 5% to 23%.Still over half of small business employers, 58% to be exact, still aren't providing development or training initiatives.

Unfortunately the report has revealed that women and men aren't getting equal opportunities.42% of men now have a personal development plan compared with only 39% of women.  Complete One is an equal opportunity business, regardless of age, gender, education, colour or experience, everyone is offered the same opportunities.

Providing employees with development opportunities can be hugely beneficial for small businesses and can drastically assist in their growth. When employees feel like they have the chance to progress and grow it can assist in retention.  Through their commitment to on-going development, Complete One have reaped the benefits.  The company has grown from one location in Newcastle to an office in Scotland's capital City Edinburgh last year and they have plans to expand into Glasgow in April.  The company are advocates of entrepreneurship and are committed to developing and training their work-force.

"One of the things I love about being a business owner is being able to provide development opportunities for others and Complete One is first and foremost a development business. " said Managing Director, Glen Lowes.

At Complete One we specialise in below line customer acquisition. Our expertise lies in increasing market share and raising brand awareness, for our client portfolio, through face to face promotional marketing / sales campaigns at high profile events and venues throughout the North East and Scotland. In a world of ever advancing technologies, we offer our clients more personalised marketing strategies. Our tailor made marketing strategies, developed by identifying each clients USP, allow us to create the perfect campaign, for maximum impact, for any client within any industry. We provide both our clients and customers with the highest quality experience by offering a full service approach to direct marketing.

Complete One investigates how your morning coffee could be affecting your success

After more than a decade of rapid growth, the UK-branded coffee shop market is defying all previous expectations as coffee wins the hearts and wallets of consumers. Complete One investigates the effects coffee can have on a business.

There appears to be no end to the café culture trend which began more than a decade ago, with coffee achieving a current growth rate 7 to 8 times that of the British economy, giving it a net worth of 6.2 billion pounds.

Complete One look at the pros and cons of caffeine goods. Starting with the positives: most people start drinking caffeine because it makes them feel more alert and improves their mood.  In the short term, many studies show that caffeine improves cognitive task performance, which is the reason many people use it as a tool to aid concentration and boost productivity in the work place.



On the other hand, research has unearthed some information that may influence an individual’s exposure to the nation’s favourite hot drink.  Drinking caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline.  When caffeine puts a person’s brain and body into a hyper-aroused state, their emotions get overrun, and their ability to deal with an irate customer or an important client meeting will be at the mercy of an emotional rather than rational response.  Reports found irritability and anxiety are the most commonly seen emotional effects of caffeine.



Furthermore, it was found that it had a six-hour half-life, which means it takes a full twenty-four hours to work its way out of our system. If a person has a cup of coffee at 8 a.m., they would still have 25 percent of the caffeine in their body at 8 p.m. Any caffeine-based drink in the afternoon will still be at 50 percent strength by bedtime. Any amount of caffeine in a person’s bloodstream - with the negative effects increasing with the dose - makes it harder to fall asleep.  Want to quit? It’s not that easy; like any stimulant, caffeine is physiologically and psychologically addictive. If a person chooses to lower their caffeine intake, they should do so slowly under the guidance of a qualified medical professional.  Caffeine withdrawal causes headache, fatigue, sleepiness and difficulty concentrating.



Complete One look at alternative ways to boost cognitive task performance.



Fill a glass with water - Dehydration can cause lack of energy and fatigue, so boosting energy levels can be as simple as drinking more water instead of fuelling up on caffeinated beverages.



Try burst training – “The most efficient way to increase cardiovascular strength, brain health, and energy is through interval training,” writes Bowden in ‘The Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy’. "After just 10 minutes of interval training, you should have enough energy to blast through your day." Everyone has to fit in ten minutes of some exercise in the day.



Complete One specialise in below line customer acquisition. Their expertise lies in increasing market share and raising brand awareness for their client portfolio, through face to face promotional marketing/sales campaigns at high profile events and venues throughout the North East and Scotland. In a world of ever-advancing technologies, they offer their clients more personalised marketing strategies. Their tailor-made marketing strategies, developed by identifying each client’s USP, allows them to create the perfect campaign, for maximum impact for any client within any industry. They provide both their clients and customers with the highest quality experience by offering a full service approach to direct marketing.

Complete One Review The Benefits Of Event Marketing

Event marketing is the process of developing a themed exhibit, display, or presentation to promote a product, service, cause, or organisation using in-person engagement. It is a marketing strategy that allows for for direct interaction with customers. Event marketing is one of the fastest growing fields in marketing and advertising today, It is everywhere you look in today's culture.



In today’s buyer-empowered world, marketers need to seize every opportunity to build relationships and earn the trust of their prospective buyers and customers. The modern consumer has become more demanding and less loyal to brands. Events offer a unique opportunity for consumers to interact with brands to get a first hand sense of a company’s focus, perspective, and personality.



Getting more interactive with your consumers creates a bigger impact than digital advertising. Do you remember the last billboard you walked past or the last advert you seen on TV? Probably not! However you would remember the last conversation you had. Technology is advancing and companies need to keep up. The number of people watching pre-recorded programming is on the rise and therefore many adverts are not even being viewed thanks to the ability to fast forward pre-recorded programming.  Times are changing and evolving and your marketing strategies need to keep up.



“I believe the success of event marketing is down to consumers craving a more personalised shopping experience. Being able to interact with customers face to face, building that relationship, is what's too often missing in today's ever advancing technological world. Human interaction is what makes the difference.” said Managing Director Glen Lowes






Complete One are an outsource sales and marketing company with offices in Edinburgh and Newcastle. We recently acquired a new client allowing for expansion into promotional event marketing. Using our diverse expertise and experience we are confident we can get results for any brand.

Complete One on the Importance of the Human Element In Marketing

While there is no denying the massive impact the digital platform has had on marketing, at Complete One we still firmly believe a key component in any successful marketing campaign is the human element and this should not be overlooked in favour of advancing technology. The “personal touch” is something that can't be experienced when making a digital purchase. We believe that the relationship you build with customers through face to face interaction is one of the influencing factors when instilling consumer confidence and building brand loyalty.


Face-to-face interactions provide significant business benefits. At its core, face-to-face engagement creates a personal connection and builds trust between a company and its target audience. Giving a warm handshake, holding an engaging conversation, and getting to know customers helps to form stronger, more meaningful, potentially long lasting business relationships.

There are several research studies which support this view. A 2009 EventView study of senior executives in sales and marketing revealed that 62% chose event marketing as the platform that best accelerates and deepens relationships between client and consumer.

The 2 main benefits of employing marketing campaigns with a human element are obvious;

1/ Time & Cost Effective

Print and broadcast advertisements can be extremely costly, and Internet marketing requires a lot of time to reach your target audience. Face to Face marketing provides an opportunity to deliver your sales message directly and interact with large groups of people quickly.

2/ Builds Confidence & Trust Between You and Your Customers;

Meeting people in person is crucial for building and maintaining strong relationships. In the age we live in, consumers are no longer as loyal to a brand as they once were. Interacting with your customers face to face is an invaluable opportunity to build a relationship, answer any questions or concerns and hopefully build brand loyalty.

“While on-line marketing is a logical solution, considering we are now living in a digital age, face to face marketing campaigns using the human element, should never become obsolete as it continues to produce the best results.” ~ Managing Director at Complete One Glen Lowes.  

Complete One on Identifying Your Target Market

Identifying your marketing targets enables you to find opportunities and tap into them. It gives you valuable information, allowing you to put your sole focus on the consumers that are interested in your brand. By identifying your target consumer, it saves both time and money in an ever-changing society. Knowing your audience before launching a marketing campaign in crucial and can play a tremendous role In success or failure.

We have pin-pointed the three key areas that must be identified before developing your marketing strategy, theses are:

• Identify your USP ~ This is what makes your business stand out from what else is on the market and is he reason customers will but your products over any other. What separates your brand form direct competitors? What do you offer the consumer that they don't? Your product can compete on price, quality, ease of use, design, green factor, reliance, durability etc, the list is endless. Identify what aspects, identify what makes your product stand out from the crowd.
• Research Your Market ~ Knowing your target audience is critical: Your campaigns won’t work if they don’t appeal to what your potential customers wants or needs. Invest time in research and find out as much as possible about the people you want to sell to.
• Examine the Demographics ~ Start by examining your existing customer base, who are your current customers, and why do they buy from you? Look for common characteristics and interests. Identify which ones bring in the most business? It is likely you will begin to see a pattern emerge and this is what will allow your to design a targeted marketing campaign.
  
  

“By focusing your marketing strategy on reaching your target audience it provides a much more affordable, efficient, and effective way to reach potential clients and generate new business. At Complete One we appreciate the importance of cost effective marketing and by taking the time to research it allows us to implement a campaign specific to the target audience, which can save a company thousands if not millions.” ~ MD Glen Lowes 

Complete One Applicants: No Degree? No Problem!

Following the recent announcement that 47% of Graduates are working in jobs not related to their Degree, At Complete One we looked at it from the point of view of individuals entering the job market with no Degree or experience. We believe that companies are losing out on extremely talented individuals because they are over looked for not having the required Degree or experience. Many businesses wont even consider applicants without a Degree, whereas at Complete One we aren't prejudice.


“I believe that there are a lot of extremely talented individuals working with Complete One who wouldn't have even been considered by other businesses.  In my experience, those individuals usually compensate for their lack of experience by bringing a great enthusiasm and passion which has seen many of them blossom into key players in our offices.” ~ Managing Director Glen Lowes



With the New Year right around the corner, a time where many are considering their options and are looking to change careers, we are excited to have the opportunity to find the next wave of talented individuals to help take our business forward and hit our expansion plans for 2014.

Complete One's Latest Success Story: Harley Woolf

I grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Leeds. From a young age I had a business mind and always dreamed of being my own boss. I put my business acumen into action while at school when I set up a tuck shop hoping this would put me on track to make my millions. Unfortunately the tuck shop didn't set me up to be the next Richard Branson. Turning towards a more realistic career prospect, at the age of 16 I decided to take a job in retail in the hope of progressing through the company and work my way up the corporate ladder.


After a year and a half of working in a retail environment, having not been provided with any progression opportunities I decided that my career wasn't moving as quickly as I would have liked and so I decided to move up North, eventually settling in Newcastle. I started working with Complete One in September 2012. I quickly realised that this was the perfect company to help me achieve my big goals. People were given the opportunity to develop based on individual effort and merit rather than length of service.  Just over a year later, In October 2013, I completed the 4 stage Business Development Programme.  Looking back, I realise how far I have come in such a short time especially given the fact that I had little experience within Marketing or Sales.  I was able to transfer the skills I had acquired when working in retail and at just 20 years old I had managed, with an incredible work ethic and student mentality, to be in a position to oversee my own project.


My goal for 2013 is to head up my own campaign in Newcastle, gaining experience in Campaign Management. In the future I would like to expand into America. I have big goals and I am confident that I will achieve them thanks to the incredible group of people I work with at Complete One.