Creating a growth-focused marketing strategy for a Kent retailer

How an established business modernised its marketing approach with expert guidance

The challenge: Bringing structure and focus to marketing

A long-standing Kent retailer, known for high-quality school uniforms and family-oriented service, wanted to attract new customers and build a digital presence. While their heritage was strong, evolving customer expectations and recent business challenges highlighted the need for a marketing strategy and practical direction.

The business approached Sharp Thinking Marketing for strategic support. They wanted guidance on prioritising marketing activities, modernising their approach, and creating a roadmap for sustainable growth without losing focus on their loyal customer base.

The approach: Going back to basics

Serving both B2B clients and B2C customers, the business needed a structured plan to modernise marketing while retaining its trusted reputation.

I began by reviewing their operations, sales channels, and historical positioning. Workshops and research with staff and customers provided insight into motivations, barriers, and decision-making patterns. Using this, I developed customer personas for B2B and B2C audiences.

We then defined the business purpose, competitive differentiators, and created messaging frameworks to ensure all marketing activity aligned with the brand’s values and customer expectations.

The strategy: Practical steps to attract and retain customers

The resulting marketing strategy focused on actionable, growth-focused priorities:

• Clarifying target audiences: B2B and B2C personas guided marketing decisions and messaging

• Defining strategic positioning: Highlighting unique strengths and customer benefits as the foundation for all campaigns

• Planning marketing activity: Structured content planning, digital marketing initiatives, and prioritised actions to maximise ROI

• Supporting implementation: Guidance on campaign management, agency oversight, and building internal marketing capability through mentoring and training#

  
  

The results: A roadmap for growth and new customer acquisition

The strategy delivered measurable benefits:

• Deeper customer insight: Understanding what drives B2B and B2C purchasing decisions, and how to overcome barriers

• A step-by-step growth plan: Marketing activity prioritised for impact, including digital campaigns, sales initiatives, and content planning

• Improved confidence in decision-making: The team could allocate resources efficiently and assess performance against measurable objectives

• Stronger internal capability: Mentoring and training empowered staff to manage marketing effectively without reliance on external agencies

• Long-term foundation for growth: A structured, repeatable approach adaptable to evolving market conditions

• Professional customer prospectus: A leave-behind tool that enhanced credibility with potential clients and decision-makers.

  
  

“When we asked for your help, we didn’t realise just how wide-ranging, detailed, and professional your work would be. Whatever the short-term financial results, you have opened our eyes to how we should approach business and the benefits will last for years. You have given us a masterclass in marketing.”

About Sharp Thinking Marketing

Sharp Thinking Marketing works with businesses across multiple sectors, from all over Kent. Services include:

• Strategic marketing planning

• Fractional CMO / part-time marketing director support

• Marketing mentoring and training

  
  

If you’re a Kent-based small business owner or SME looking for a trusted marketing consultant to improve marketing ROI, build a growth-focused strategy, or provide senior marketing support, Sharp Thinking Marketing can help.