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A PizzaExpress Journey into the Student Market

In a competitive market, it is imperative for brands who are looking to target youth for the first time, to take the time to truly understand their audience, to ensure their offering is right for the market and to understand their own brand positioning before any planning or promotion takes place. We take a look at PizzaExpress’ maiden voyage into the student market in 2018.

Background

Our relationship with PizzaExpress started in early 2018 where we were charged to execute student market research and provide marketing recommendations. Their primary objective was to hit their overriding objective of ‘Driving awareness of PizzaExpress amongst students to increase frequency of visit’’.

PizzaExpress knew that their student discount offering (40% off Mon-Tues) was strong but they wanted to understand exactly what students want from them as a brand and how to improve their current position in the market.

 

Market Research

Prior to conducting our research we identified obstacles to the PizzaExpress brand which were:  

  • Pizza exclusivities are rife within the student market, PizzaExpress are excluded from promoting through a large proportion of University campuses and Students’ Unions.
  • PizzaExpress worked exclusively with NUS to promote their student offering which limited their reach

With the above in mind, we set about conducting quantitive and qualitive research through 10 key locations across the UK, identified by PizzaExpress. The quantitative research would allow us to transform the numerical data into usable statistics to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviours and other defined variables. The qualitative research would allow us to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions and motivations. By cross analysing the survey results with the focus group feedback we would be able to uncover trends and form a deeper understanding of students.

A survey was created for students in order to understand their habits and behaviours in terms of casual dining and to also understand their perception and relationship with PizzaExpress. The survey was sent out to over 230,000 students through protected and certified student only databases across the UK. Our qualitative research took the shape of intimate focus groups on campus at each of the key locations.

Key Insights

The results of the research were analysed and cross referenced with our knowledge and experience to form the following key insights that would shape our marketing recommendations for PizzaExpress:

  • The current promotion through NUS Extra alone was simple not working
  • There is a major block in the form of Pizza Exclusivities which are dominating the market
  • Restaurants that are in close proximity to student hubs will benefit the most from promotional activity
  • Students are completely unaware of the current student offering and what it entails
  • Students generally perceive PizzaExpress as “Upmarket” and “Expensive”
  • PizzaExpress is simply not in the forefront of students minds when they are considering where to dine out

 

Recommendations

From our research and expertise we were able to devise a strategic marketing plan for PizzaExpress that recommend focus on the following areas:

Update creative content

All creative and advertising must trigger students motivators to buy including hunger/cravings. Self reward and socialising activity. The tone and message must reflect the product or brand being represented, yet be in touch with the student psyche. The colour and imagery should be bold and eye catching. Yellow was suggested to complement the black and white of the PizzaExpress logo which made for a striking combination.

Improve the student offering

Whilst 40% off food and drink for up to 10 people on Monday’s and Tuesday’s was one of, if not the best student discount in the casual dining sphere, the limitations of the offer made it inaccessible to a high proportion of the student population. The current platform only accessed 20% of the student population resulting in 80% of the student populous unable to claim the discount. Promotion of the offer on the digital platform was also weak yielding minimal results. BAM recommended that the student discount needed to be made available to all students to obtain maximum success. In addition the discount duration was too restrictive and unappealing, we recommended the days should be extended to be more attractive and competitive with others in the market.

Routes to market

In light of the pizza exclusivities restricting the routes to market for PizzaExpress, we recommended a two pronged attack targeting Freshers Fair and Accommodation Blocks.

Freshers Fairs are the pinnacle time of year for any brand with the student market as a key demographic in their marketing strategy. In these first 100 days they are on a journey of new identity and beginnings, which means that Freshers Fairs are the very best place to start a relationship with students. With dough balls recurring throughout our research in popularity, an experiential campaign with the offering of free dough balls was a must!

Where PizzaExpress were blocked from attending Freshers Fairs, student accommodation blocks were recommended as an effective alternative. Students are arriving to their new student accommodation to start their new life living away from their parents and guardians for most likely the first time. PizzaExpress would have the unique opportunity to be a part of this key time in a students lives by providing a warm welcome in the form of free pizza. Not only do students love freebies but they will also appreciate this random act of kindness in what may be a scary time, allowing them the opportunity to bond with their new housemates and ultimately form a positive connection to the PizzaExpress brand.

 

Planning & Concept

PizzaExpress reviewed our findings and recommendations, using them to help shape their first ever student marketing campaign. The aim of this campaign was to drive awareness of their offering, drive relevance through occasions and grow their reach.

Their first port of call was aligning their student discount offering. As a direct result of BAM’s research project PizzaExpress changed their student offering by:

  • Opening the discount up to Unidays students in addition to NUS Extra’s
  • Decreasing the offer to 30% but increasing the availability to Sunday to Thursday

Brand Perception

  • Student focused A boards outside restaurants
  • Utilising key marketing dates within the student calendar (A-Level and GCSE result days)
  • Advertising on discount platforms

Awareness & Recall

  • Elevation of the student discount
  • Targeted social media posting
  • Take over of 3 student accommodation blocks in 3 key locations

1st 100 days on boarding

  • Bring an exciting experiential campaign to 6 key Freshers events
  • Dough ball sampling and freebies to give away

 

Delivery

PizzaExpress charged BAM with the delivery of their first campaign in the student market. Delighted with the opportunity we got to work organising and planning every aspect of their two pronged attack.

Student Accommodation

We kick started the campaign with the student accommodation block takeovers, targeting 6 accommodation blocks across 3 key cities. BAM organised and delivered every aspect of the campaign from logistics to the hiring of refrigerated vans. Working with the accommodation providers we devised a schedule to ensure we could take over the student rooms just days before the students moved into their new homes.

Upon their first entry into the flat they would find striking PizzaExpress branding with directions to the fridge. Inside would be an array of pizzas for the students to enjoy, providing the perfect opportunity for the new roomates to bond and providing the perfect welcome to their new life at University.

The vinyl branding provided a perfect way to promote the message of the student offer and encourage students to dine at PizzaExpress.

Freshers

Being their first appearance at a Freshers event, PizzaExpress needed to make a statement. We knew dough ball samples were going to be a big hit with students but we needed a vehicle for distribution. With the desire to be authentic and original we opted for a fully branded trike. The aroma of fresh dough balls would definitely draw the crowd.

Back at the PizzaExpress strand students were invited to play on the digital spin the wheel game for their chance to win an array of exciting prizes, including:

  • A PizzaExpress pizza cutter
  • Tins of PizzaExpress passata
  • Gift cards ranging from £5-£20
  • Special giant gift card worth £500

With so much on offer for students to win and enjoy, along with the bright and attractive creative of the stand PizzaExpress certainly made a statement and stood out from the crowd. Students flocked to the stand for their chance to interact with the brand and get their hands on some amazing freebies.

 

Results

  • Interaction with over 130,000 students
  • Over 12,000 prizes distributed at the fairs
  • Over 3000 pizzas distributed into student fridges
  • 94% of restaurants within a 5 mile radius of the campaign activity saw a dramatic increase in YoY sales
  • The campaign looks to drive an increase annuals sales of 58% above target at key locations

 

Post Campaign Insight

We spoke to the students at one of the targeted accommodation blocks to see what they thought of the takeover campaign. The responses were 100% positive, below are a couple of highlights:

“It was a really good way for my flat to bond when we first moved in by having a pizza and movie night and they were really tasty. It made our moving in experience so much better and welcoming and what’s better than pizza?”

“Very good campaign, was a good advert for the student discount as I was unaware of it”

“It was an awesome surprise, put a smile on my face after being on an airplane for 5 hours thank you for making me a bit less miserable”

 

Overview

PizzaExpress is a prime example of how important it is to plan an effective approach to the student market. This campaign has shown the potential relationship and positive brand perception you can create with the right message, offering and routes to market. PizzaExpress left a lasting impression on the Freshers of 2018, they dramatically increased their brand awareness and increased the desire for students to dine at their restaurant.

With the success of their first student marketing campaign, PizzaExpress are already putting the wheels in motion to go bigger and better for 2019. We look forward to supporting them and seeing their success continue to grow within the student market.

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Transpennine Smart Card Campaign

BAM were approached by Transpennine to support with the promotion of their new Smart card service designed to give their traditional Season Ticket a 2019 makeover, replacing the old paper tickets with new plastic Smart Cards!

Working the same as existing tickets, but much more durable and designed to keep travellers money safe, BAM set out to communicate the benefits of the Transpennine Smart Card across an informative 6 month campaign that also encouraged instant commuter registrations.

Transpennine Campaign

Working with the team at Transpennine to develop promotional activities to take place across the north of the UK which would be both effective and interactive, BAM were responsible for the distribution and delivery of all promotional materials as well as the sourcing, briefing and management of a large team of highly trained promotional staff who played a fundamental role in the overall success of the campaign.

Promoting the Smart card service with a fully branded set up at stations that covered the breadth of the North from Manchester to Scarbrough and on train journeys that spanned across the northern landscape, the new service was successfully communicated with both seasoned and occasional train passengers, with the direct approach of bringing the information to them, making it easier and quicker to get instant registrations.

Transpennine Campaign

After delivering over 28 rounds of engaging live activity it was rewarding to hear the high opt in rate chosen by commuters wanting to receive further emails and information on Transpennines latest service.

The accompaniment of a Transpennine representative on-site for the majority of activities days allowed commuters to get answers to the more intricate questions. There were also free sweets being distributed, which helped to ensure every interaction between consumer and brand was positive and memorable!

Bringing Transpennines latest service directly into the hands of those that would benefit from it most made this a truly exciting and rewarding campaign to work on and we look forward to continuing to build our relationship with Transpennine in the future.

 
 
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Wilko Freshers Tour 2018

Continuing to build their presence at Freshers Fairs up and down the country, Wilko returned to BAM for the 3rd year running for 2018, attending a total of 35 fairs, which is an increase of 8 locations compared with their 2017 Freshers tour.

After the enormous success of previous years, a similar approach was adopted, simply focusing on addressing and optimising the areas of improvement identified from 2017.

One of the major differences from 2017 was BAM’s ownership of the packing process. Coordinating a team of 30 to organise and pack the entirety of the stock saw BAM pre-pack over 54,000 Wilko goody bags over a duration of 4 days, a significant increase from the 25,000 packed the previous year.  

Taking ownership of this logistical process allowed the onsite promotional staff at the fairs to be more proactive on the stand, speaking to more students and collecting more emails, resulting in an increase in engagement with the average data captured per event rising from 1446 in 2017 to 1522.

BAM taking this hands on approach, combined with working smarter, certainly played a significant part for Wilko in widening their student reach for the year.

Digging deeper into the goody bags themselves, the wooden spoon still remains the firm student favourite! Other items packed included an Original Source shower gel, A Three or Giffgaff Sim Card, Persil Powercap, Comfort Laundry Softener and a Sharpie pen. Some lucky students across the fairs also found a ‘Winning Ticket’ in their bag, entitling them to win the prize of either a Wilko bedding set or a gift card for a number of different retailers including: ASOS, Nandos and iTunes.

A smaller yet significant change implemented in 2018 was the decision to mix up the stand locations to include both inside and outside gazebo spaces across the UK. The outdoor approach was a great addition to the campaign and Wilko were often the first and most prominent brand students saw on arrival, increasing brand impact. In addition to a greater brand presence, it was also clear to see an uplift in sign up rates across the locations where we moved from inside to outside.

During the campaign, a grand total of over 53,000 students signed up to the Wilko mailing database, enabling the brand to continue to engage with them on a year round basis through email sends focused on student and seasonal offers. With this activity contributing to Wilko’s wider marketing goals it allows BAM to continue to provide Wilko with year round communication, something that we love to help with! 

BAM are looking forward to continuing to work with Wilko for their 2019 Freshers Campaign, in addition to growing their year round activity.

It is abundantly clear that this demographic’s appetite for Wilko grows year on year and together we can show that Wilko can be the stand out brand for students all over the country.

TESTIMONIAL

‘Once again we partnered with BAM to support the delivery of our University campus tour 2018. It was our third year working with BAM and they are a vital extension of our marketing team at such a busy and critical time for our key University stores. BAM provide key insight and guidance in the planning phase and we know that we can always rely on them to execute the campaign brilliantly. Their work is always faultless and they go above and beyond in everything that they do. They really understand our objectives and most importantly, our customers.’

Senior External Communications Manager, Wilko

 
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Milkround at Freshers 2018

Freshers is a pinnacle time in the student calendar. Brand’s have a fantastic opportunity to connect with students on mass at a time when they are most open and accepting of new products and services. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise graduate job site Milkround embrace this opportunity year on year to maximise student registrations. Freshers 2018 saw BAM continue our long-standing relationship with Milkround to execute and deliver an epic campaign tour, building on the successes of previous years.

With data being absolutely key to the campaign, BAM adopted a simple yet highly effective approach to maximise results. In exchange for their data, students were offered freebies in the form of branded merchandise including pens, sporks and reusable coffee cup. Practical items like these are more than just a freebie. They are something students will keep and continue to use beyond Freshers, providing that continual brand awareness.

BAM handled every aspect of the campaign from concept and management through to logistics and delivery. Our full campaign management service released the time and pressure of executing a Freshers campaign tour for Milkround, safe in the knowledge BAM would work tirelessly to ensure targets are met and the campaign is a success.  

Milkround set BAM a target of over 20,000 registrations. We knew that in order to achieve this, nationwide coverage was imperative. BAM hired and trained 7 regional teams of experienced promotional staff to be the face of Milkround. They were armed with 110 tablets to capture data from 56 Freshers Fairs across the UK. Typically we advise our clients to keep data capture forms short in order to process as many students as quickly as possible during the Freshers Fair. Milkround, however, required a lengthier form to be completed in order to effectively promote their service to students. BAM took on the challenge, ensuring extra measures were put in place to ensure this did not affect the data collection results.

So what were the results?

Over 22,000 registrations were completed and verified increasing Milkround’s student reach to promote the perfect internships, graduate schemes and graduate jobs they have available.

Whether the objective is to build brand awareness in the student market, execute simple data collection campaigns or captures more lengthy data from student, BAM’s knowledge and resources can help brands achieve any goal. Carefully selected and coveted freebies to offer students in exchange for their valuable data is a proven successful mechanism, supported by the high data capture figures achieved this campaign.

What’s next?

A follow up experiential campaign has recently taken place in March and there are already careers fairs and Freshers Fairs in the pipeline for 2019. We look forward to continuing to build on our relationship with Milkround, as we work to enforce their position as the top graduate job site in the UK.

 
 
 
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St David’s Student Night 2018

Aside from Freshers’ Fairs, Student Shopping nights are one of the biggest events in the student calendar. These exclusive student events present amazing opportunities for brands to get up close and personal with students on mass as tens of thousands pass through the centre in a matter of hours.

One of the biggest in the UK, and our personal favourite, is St David’s Student Night. Nestled in the heart of Cardiff, the St David’s Shopping Centre is the busiest shopping venue in Wales. Spanning two floors it hosts an amazing event every year where students can take advantage of some amazing discounts for one night only. With an increasing footfall year on year, we were ecstatic to be supporting their event again in 2018.

This year saw a change in format. Rather than the lock in style approach, the event was scheduled between 4pm and 9pm which extended the time available to students for shopping, dining and entertainment from 2.5 hours to 5 hours.

This year also saw the end of the wristband. Instead, students simply showed their registration confirmation email and their student ID at till points to redeem the exclusive discounts.

So with a whole new structure and a desire to make this event the biggest and best yet, we had work to do! We were responsible for planning, organising and managing the following key deliverables:

Pre-promotion

Our objective was to raise awareness of this exciting event, highlighting the change in format and driving pre-registrations. In order to achieve our objectives, we executed a results driven campaign through a variety of digital and onsite media.

For the Freshers Fairs we called on the classic spin to win format where students could spin for the chance to win some amazing prizes, including vouchers to spend at St David’s worth up to £100.

The set up was bold and eye-catching ensuring we drew students to our stand. Our engaging promotional staff manned the stand, raising awareness of the event and conveying key messages.

In addition we organised 10 flyering days at University campuses across Cardiff where our promotional teams were out in force distributing thousands of leaflets to our target audience, driving pre-registrations to the event.

To enhance and support our face to face activity we sent solus emails and social posts through official University channels and extensive club promoter databases, which undoubtedly increased our reach.

Brand Activations

Our objective was to create a fun and exciting ambience for students, driving increased dwell time within the centre. BAM sourced and booked over 15 mall activations that would add atmosphere and entertainment for the event.

We had an array of engaging activities from a GIF photo booth to a cyclone machine and there was a mountain of freebies on offer from Tacos to Candy Floss. BAM managed everything from booking to logistics ensuring a smooth and successful process for both the centre and the brands.

Event management

Our objective was to deliver a successful evening for the centre, the students, the stores and the brands alike. We recruited a team of the very best promotional staff in the business to manage the event. We created two pop up Gazebos within the centre to act as information points for students and the public.

We had teams roaming the mall, city streets and campuses, driving students directly to the event and we had a logistics team ensuring brands were safely set up within the mall area.

So how did it go?

There is only one word to describe it, exceptional! Students flocked to the event and it was one of the best and busiest events to date.

Pre-registration figures came in at 20,317 which was the highest pre-registration figure St David’s have ever had in the history of the Student night which is +33% YOY. This resulted in over 27,000 students coming through the doors on the night, which was an increase of +13% YOY and sales were also up by +18%!

This was a truly memorable event, the new structure worked perfectly and we saw positive feedback from students, store managers, brands and centre management alike. We simply cannot wait for next year where we are excited to work on what will be St David’s 9th Student Night.

 
 
 
 
 
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Paperchase Freshers Youth Marketing Campaign

We absolutely love getting our hands on new clients, helping them to get the most out of the lucrative market based our on knowledge, experience and expertise. This yea

r we were del


Being such a creative and innovative brand their campaign needed to reflect their image. After some serious brainstorming we opted for a 7ft Plinko Board for the creative concept which would give students the chance to play to win some amazing prizes.ighted to welcome Paperchase to our growing portfolio. Paperchase is the UK’s number 1 shopping spot for exciting and innovative design-led stationery and they approached BAM looking for support with their Freshers Campaign. Their main objectives were to increase brand awareness within the student market whilst capturing valuable student data that could be used to re market to in the future.

For those who are not familiar with a Plinko Board, it originated on the classic TV game show, The Price is Right way way back in the 80s. The aim of the game is to drop a coin into the board at the top and watch it bounce and bump its way down into one of a number of slots at the bottom. The plinko board provided a platform or excitement and engagement with students, drawing crowds as students watched tentatively to see where their coin would land.

After registering to play through our data collection app, students had to the chance to win an array of prizes from a lucky dip on Paperchase merchandise to a gift card to spend in store. To increase the element of mystery and surprise, if a student’s coin landed in a “win” slot they were handed a scratchcard from our talented promotional staff, which held the details of their prize. Students eagerly scratched away to discover what they had won.

Paperchase attended 7 Freshers Fairs in total covering locations from Newcastle down to London. Paperchase received an amazing response at the Fairs and students were genuinely excited to see them at the event. Reactions like this emphasise the need for brands to connect with students at this pinnacle time of year. With this in mind it comes as no surprise that Paperchase smashed their objective to raise brand awareness whilst collecting thousands of pieces of student data in the process.

After the success of this years campaign and the obvious demand for their brand in the student market, we look forward to continuing to work with this exciting brand into 2019.  

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Honest Crust Refreshers Youth Marketing campaign

There is a fantastic new brand that BAM are excited to be working with in 2019; Honest Crust, who came to us at the beginning of the year, entrusting BAM to run their first ever on-campus sampling/experiential tour!

As a new Samworth Brothers brand within the food-to-go market, Honest Crust has launched with an exciting partnership with Fareshare, the UK’s biggest charity targeting food waste at the forefront of its messaging.

Offering a wide range of freshly made products covering sandwiches, wraps, paninis and more, Honest Crust resonates with students, meeting their consumer needs by offering ranges that include vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. In addition 50% of their products are under 400 calories and all sandwich and wrap boxes are fully recyclable with zero plastic. Their brand values are a great match for the demands of this demographic.

Honest Crust had two overarching objectives; To increase brand and product awareness. They aimed to achieve this by generating awareness of where their products can be purchased on campus, through direct product samples and through the collation of 1,500 student emails to obtain valuable feedback on student eating habits.

Our first campaign for Honest Crust saw BAM execute a Refreshers Tour, the ideal primary face to face activity to introduce students to the brand. Distributing a diverse array of samples at thoughtfully selected universities from Bournemouth to Manchester.

A visually impactful stand was created, clearly showcasing the brand and its mission, drawing in crowds of students who were then provided with product samples in exchange for engaging with our on the ground team via our custom built data collection app.

What was even more encouraging than the sheer number of samples distributed was the conversations had with the students. With BAM employees keen to take a hands on approach (literally) to this campaign, it was great to hear the feedback first hand. Students had nothing but positive feedback. They loved the brand’s values, their aims to combat food waste while reducing their ecological footprint and of course they loved the added bonus of being able to try the variety of products that were available during the activation.

With few competitors within the market matching Honest Crust’s efforts to ingrain themselves with the student audience, it is clear that the student appetite for such a brand is huge. With the added advantage of products being available to purchase on campus, it was evident to see awareness of their brand was at an all time high.

After a successful first venture into the market we look forward to continuing to work with Honest Crust throughout the year and growing the brand, after what has been an exciting start to their journey with BAM.

 
 
 
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Two awesome brands, two awesome Youth Marketing campaigns, Timex & Branston

At BAM we offer brands the option of full-service youth marketing campaigns from concept creation through to campaign evaluation, and everything in-between.

However some brands already have their concept and creation in hand, they simply want our expertise and connections in the market to secure the very best media to execute their campaign. Timex and Branston are two prime examples of how utilising BAM’s service for just one element of a campaign can help produce amazing results.

Here’s how two very different brands with two very different histories, both made one hell of an impact at Freshers’ 2018.

Timex

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The American classic Timex came to BAM seeking our knowledge and expertise to source and secure them the most suitable and effective locations for their Freshers Campaign of 2018.

Tracing its lineage back to 1854 this US staple has segmented its formula for success in the UK over the decades, offering unbeatable value combined with reliability, two offerings that made the brand increasingly appealing to the student market.

Attending multiple Freshers’ Fairs across the UK from Portsmouth to Newcastle, BAM were responsible for the booking and coordination of all stall spaces across fair locations.

In addition to location coordination, BAM Student Marketing provided Timex with supporting media packages for both pre-promotion of events and live promotional media during activity. BAM also provided Timex with the use of our data collection app, a vital tool in obtaining student information and invaluable for continuing the conversations post-event.

For their first student Freshers’ airstream tour, Timex required a relatively large outdoor space at each location, which BAM was able to secure for every city targeted. Our data collection app eliminated the need for wifi outside by working to full capacity offline, providing students with a quick and easy form to complete.

In return for their data, the majority of students won a Timex branded prize, which ranged from pens and mugs to USB sticks and T-shirts. As an added bonus students were even able to purchase watches on the day, with one very lucky student winning a free watch at each event!

Branston

Returning to home soil, the UK’s favourite pickle brand conducted sampling activity Freshers this year and boy did they make an impact!

Brought to BAM through Woof Agency London, the UK’s best-loved sweet pickle and a firm family favourite, Branston Pickle is already a well established British brand, loved by a multitude of generations. However before their Freshers baptism with BAM, they had never targeted the student specific audience before.  This was their first real taste of the benefits that can be reaped from connecting with this lucrative student audience.

We know location is key and when it came to Sheffield University Freshers’ Fair, we worked with the Students’ Union to ensure the visual impact would be maximised. With over 1000 full-size samples of sauces including ketchup, salad cream and their infamous Pickle to be tasted, Branston ensured there was something to suit everyone’s taste and that no one left empty handed!

It is truly exciting to work with such iconic brands, and we look forward to building our relationship with these brands as they continue to target the student market.

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How to find your niche in a saturated market

It’s 2019 and it seems like every business, product, and idea imaginable already exists. But 50 years ago people thought the same and look how far we’ve come.

We’ll start by saying you don’t have to be 100% different from everything around you in order to succeed. There are thousands of brands around the world offering the same products to the same audience in the same market, all doing so with enormous success.

However, if you do still want to base your business on just what makes you unique, then follow these 5 simple steps!

1 Identify your passions

This may seem like a step backward if you’ve already got a business or idea in mind and have done this, but if your idea was born from a crazy dream or overhearing a passing comment, then take the time to really evaluate the areas of interest that are driving you the most in life. You may find that your original idea aligns perfectly with these, but you may be surprised at how your life passions can lead your business in the opposite direction.

It’s important to remember that business isn’t easy and it’s bound to test you. But if the passion and interest is there, then these tests can quickly become a welcome challenge and you will always have the drive within you to persevere through the rough patches!

2 Find the problems you CAN solve

We all want to run faster, live longer and look younger, but we’re only human. Just like with a business, you can have the most imaginative idea, but if the technology isn’t there yet, then you’re learning to run before you can walk.

At this point, you already know your passions and interests so you can use these as a starting point to condense the problems within these areas that are currently not being solved.  

If your passions relate to a particular target market then identify the problems this audience as a whole may be facing. Determine if these are realistically solveable and then move on to step number 3.

3 Identify the competition

Competition is normally thought of as a negative factor, however, this isn’t always the case. The presence of competition, in most cases, is a good thing.

With increased competition comes an increase in profitability. You’ve found a niche that clearly works financially, all you need to do now is dig deeper, analyse your competitors and identify if and where you can stand out from the crowd.

If there isn’t an obvious way you can differentiate your business from those already existing, then identify how you can do what they already do, but do it better.

For example, if your competition is seemingly doing well, but in your opinion is producing low-quality content, then it should be easily achievable to outrank your competition in this area. Aim to provide their audience with more detailed content that they seek and see their spending habits switch from them to you.

4 Put a number to your niche                                                                                         

You may be able to get one-up the competition, but just how financially profitable will this lead actually be? You may be providing a solution, but if the answer to the problem is only relevant to a small section of the market, then expect a small income from it.

Whether you’re planning to sell a product or a service, you always need to know it’s current market value. If a service is the route you’re going down then the ball is in your court. Make your prices competitive, yet attractive, and most importantly make them profitable to you.

If you’re going down the product route then your pricing strategy is relatively predetermined by the market. Product searching websites are a great place to start. Thanks to the continuous growth in technology and the abundance of items available on the world wide web, you can now browse top products in pretty much any category imaginable! When doing this you can check the number of similar products available for purchasing. If there’s a lot you might be on to a winner, if there’s nothing then you may find you’re unable to monetise the niche.

5 Put your money where your mouth is                                                                      

If you’ve got this far then the final step should come as no surprise, it’s time to test your idea. You’re armed with everything you need to test your niche and the next steps really could be make or break for your business idea.

Start off small. Set up a landing page for pre-sales of the product or service you intend to sell. Drive traffic to this page through paid ads, general Social Media promotions and any other marketing routes you feel are relevant. Once all of this is underway you should be able to roughly gauge the initial demand for your offering, in some cases this could be low, but you may hit the jackpot, showing you just how viable your niche really is!

With so many routes to market, it is important to make sure you target the ones that will be the most fruitful for your business. Our team are experts, so get in touch to find out how we can help you.

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The fall of the Instagram Influencer

When you checked your Instagram recently you may have noticed something a little off and in some cases, a lot off.

The eagle-eyed platform users among you may have clocked that some of your favourite Insta bloggers and vloggers have had a sudden drop in following almost overnight and today they are taking to Social Media to seek answers for just what is happening in the influencer world.  

Since the mass panic from brands and bloggers alike, Instagram have released a statement on the situation, commenting “We’re aware of an issue that is causing a change in account follower numbers for some people right now. We’re working to resolve this as quickly as possible.”  

Although the general consensus coming out of Instagram HQ is that this ‘mass culling’ was unplanned and unpredicted, the conspiracy theorists out there are suggesting otherwise, implying the overnight ‘glitch’ was a deliberate act by the company designed to shut down fake and inactive accounts brought by celebrities and influencers in an attempt to elevate their position online.

However, if this is, in fact, true. It comes as no surprise, as back in November Instagram informed all users that this was something they would be cracking down on in the future, writing; “We’re taking a number of steps to limit this kind of unwelcome behaviour.”

Although a small number of those affected by the issue have seen their following return to normal, the vast majority are still left contemplating the authenticity of their audience and their future relationships between themselves and the brands that once favoured them for their online reach.

For some Instagrammers the loss of thousands of followers and in some cases millions will undoubtedly seem like the end of the world and a colossal waste of months or even years of hard work and carefully choreographed posts, we at BAM see the ‘culling’ whether intentional or not, as a positive!

When a brand or business works with Influencers, they rely on their audience being active and engaged followers, something that is crucial if they are to see a worthwhile return on their efforts and investments. So when followers are inactive, fake or dis-engaged, all collaborations, sponsored posts and ads showcased on their page are essentially falling on deaf ears, and this benefits no one.

With the estimated amount of money invested into influencer online ads and sponsored posts on the platform being colossal worldwide, this is money that can no longer be wasted and as a result of the ‘purge 2019’ brands can now start to expect more realistic, accurate and predictable results when working with influencers online.

Organic growth can once again become the priority focus, while also giving the enormous bank of Micro-Influencers a chance to shine and for brands to start to see the real value in smaller but engaged audiences, rather than focusing purely on the numbers!  

Get in touch with our expert team for more information on all things social.

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