hamilton house
public relations agency

Recently we were asked to undertake research into how universities buy their furniture.   A number of possibilities arose:

In contacting each university we found each possibility existed somewhere - but we were able to gain information on exactly which establishment had which policies in place, and who was responsible as a buying agent in each case.  This not only saved our client a considerable sum in each subsequent promotion, it also ensured that individuals (for example, those responsible for buying in specific faculties) were included in subsequent mailshots.

This latter point had a double benefit, for it not only meant that our client now pitched to these people - because most firms do not undertake this type of research, these departmental buyers are very undermailed, and thus prime targets.

Here are further examples.   A company supplied modern language software to schools and needed to know two things - what languages each school taught and, where specific languages were taught, what software was in use.  Another company needed to know which schools had a significant number of Apple computers, while another needed to know which schools had a strong commitment to swimming lessons but did not have their own swimming pool.

In the primary sector one company wanted to know how schools were banding together into groups, and where these groupings were influencing purchasing policy.  And elsewhere there was a need to know how local authority advisers were handling the issue of giving every child experience on a musical instrument - and which instruments, and which suppliers they were recommending.

All of this information can be obtained.  Of course it costs money - but once obtained it can totally transform your approach to marketing, by giving you the insight that allows you to avoid advertising to specific schools and to focus on other targets that are much more likely to buy.